Concord International Elementary: Poetry and Song 2016

In the 2015-2016 school year, 2nd Graders at Concord International Elementary School worked with Jack Straw teaching artist Vicky Edmonds to write original poems. Ms. Mariela’s class wrote Salmon poems.  Mr. Rick’s students wrote apology and friendship poems. Students then worked with musicians Levi Fuller and Tai Shan to perform and record songs based on the poems they wrote during their Jack Straw residency. They also sang the songs at the school wide Salmon Assembly.

Vicky Edmonds also worked with Concord 4th graders in Mr. Aguiling, Ms. Klaassen, and Ms. Pita’s classes. She helped them write poems on many topics, including family, personal feelings and emotions, and nature. Vocal coaches Alyssa Keene, Meg McLynn, and Andy McGinn helped each of them record the best possible performance of their poem. Jack Straw audio engineers Daniel Guenther, CJ Lazenby and Tom Stiles recorded the poems, with the assistance of Ayesha Ubayatilaka.

Listen to the songs and poems here:

Concord Poetry and Song 2016 was produced by Jack Straw Cultural Center and Concord International Elementary School with the generous support of the Concord PTA, Jubilation Foundation, the Washington State Arts Commission, and individual contributors.

Artists

Portrait of Vicky Edmonds, by Katie Jennings

Vicky Edmonds

Vicky Edmonds is a poet and a teacher who uses the written and spoken word to bring the deepest and most authentic parts of ourselves to the page into the…

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Tai Shan

Tai Shan has performed throughout the West Coast at venues such as Seattle’s Benaroya Hall and San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral. She has composed for jazz ensembles and string…

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Meg McLynn

Meg McLynn

Meg McLynn is a Seattle-based actor, vocalist, and teaching artist who loves sharing her passion for performance with students of all ages. She is a member of the vocal…

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