Philosophy and Approaches

Philosophy

Wildwood Home for the Arts holds the practice of art as an ongoing experience and an end in itself. This engagement unlocks in us an expansive perspective on life, its joys and challenges, applicable to the arts and beyond.

This philosophy centers around two, interconnected principles: 1. creativity, expression, and communication as fundamentally valuable and necessary; and 2. that everyone is born with the intrinsic capacity for these.

It is good to write a poem or sing a song, to forget these on the edge of a desk, to come perform for the applause — being engaged with the arts is meaningful. It is also good to understand the poem or the song; this takes time and focus. But Wildwood holds that proficiency in the arts evolves not only from repetition, rules, and materials, but fundamentally and directly from the exercise and exploration of expression and communication. The habit of this perspective and approach is the key to our deep comprehension and potential. 

As the ancient Greek's explored through their mousike and the composer, Carl Orff, revived and brought to the forefront of music education nearly a century ago, Wildwood seeks to open up and include all pathways into creation and comprehension: a trifecta of music, language, and movement. Through this trifecta, Wildwood nurtures in its students the assimilation of language and song so that they might become its living embodiment. That the listener is moved, something inside both of them unlocked, expanded into new possibility, rendering the listener and themselves transformed.

This is the adventure of a lifetime, and the one we embark on at Wildwood. It's for the insatiably curious, the persistent, the courageous, and for those who are but don't know it yet.

Where that journey begins can be anywhere at any age, so come as you are. Start where you are, that is the perfect place to begin. You don't have to have answers, check boxes, or know where you want to go, all you need is to show up and be open to discovering new things. Working in this way will propel you forward no matter your personality or goals, because it is the kind of work that expands possibilities, opens doors, emboldens the heart, engenders self-respect, gives voice if the voice has been timid to speak.

Come find your voice. Tell your story.

Educational Approaches

Vocal Technique

Heart Based Singing

Heart Based Singing directs the singer to the core of their vocal technique with simplicity and passion. Its foundational and straightforward presentation is accessible for amateur and professional singers alike.

A modern strategy of classical vocal technique, HBS enhances and refines all types of singing including pop, musical theater, and classical, offering practical exercises, tools, and solutions.

Using a hybrid of the classical Bel Canto vocal technique and Eastern chakra energy system, the technique is rooted in science and anatomy, while taking into consideration natural energy patterns and flow.

Freedom and its complement of stability within the body are explored and brought into consciousness through this energetic and beautiful approach.

Bel Canto - Historical & modern takes

“When [modern] teachers and singers use [the term,] they have in mind, as a rule, a melifluous kind of singing aimed at an agreeable well rounded tone, an even scale from top to bottom, an unbroken legato, a nicety of intonation, an eloquence of phrase and cadence, a purity of vowels and a disciplined avoidance of shouting, nasality, harsh or open sounds, disjointed registers, undue vehemence, or bad or negligent schooling.”
— Henry Pleasants (The Great Singers)

“Bel canto, Italian for ‘beautiful singing,’ is the famous art of classical singing that combines rapturously smooth, soaring phrases with fireworks of virtuosic coloratura. Gently cultivated in the conservatories and singing studios of Italy since the 16th century, the bel canto maestros fine-tuned their students’ voices to have perfectly even and blended tone throughout the entire range of the voice and perfect poise in the delivery of rapid, florid passaggi; all in a technique completely in harmony with nature and the laws of health. The masterwork of the Italian voice teachers brought about the first international music stars.”
— Gregory Blankenbehler (The Technics of Bel Canto by G.B. Lamperti)

“The aim is to evoke a sense of wonder through unusual quality of timbre, variety of colour and delicacy, virtuosic complexity of vocal display, and ecstatic lyrical abandon.”

Orff Schulwerk Approach

"Orff Schulwerk is a way to teach and learn music. It is based on things children like to do: sing, chant rhymes, clap, dance, and keep a beat on anything near at hand. These instincts are directed into learning music by hearing and making music first, then reading and writing it later. This is the same way we all learned our language."

"Orff Schulwerk uses poems, rhymes, games, songs, and dances as examples and basic materials. These may be traditional or original. Spoken or sung, they may be accompanied by clapping and stamping or by drums, sticks, and bells."

"With Orff Schulwerk, improvisation and composition start students on a lifetime of knowledge and pleasure through personal musical experience. Learning is meaningful only if it brings satisfaction to the learner, and satisfaction arises from the ability to use acquired knowledge for the purpose of creating. For both teacher and student, Orff Schulwerk is a theme with endless variation."

"Composer Carl Orff and his associate Gunild Keetman evolved the basic texts for the Schulwerk as models for teachers worldwide. Now translated into eighteen languages, Orff Schulwerk is based on the traditional music and folklore of each country in which it is used."

"Orff Schulwerk is total, active involvement in music making that incorporates speech, singing, movement, and instrument playing in a creative environment. It develops the whole child with a balance of emotional and intellectual stimulation."

*Excerpts taken from the AOSA website

website: American Orff-Schulwerk Association