Invent An Instrument Program

Blue Man Group Invent an Instrument Education Program

When creative teaching meets project-based learning, excellent things happen in the classroom for young learners! That’s why Blue Man Group and Society for the Performing Arts are pleased to bring to Houston a phenomenal education program and educator resources inspired by the work of Blue Man Group, a creative powerhouse built on a foundation of intelligence, imagination, and innovation. Not only demonstrated through their performances, the Blue Man Group creative team’s focus on creativity comes through in the work of their innovative elementary school in New York City’s East Village, The Blue School. The school serves as an inspiration for this program, which asks Grades 6-9 students to work with educators to invent and submit an original musical instrument.

FOR STUDENTS
Any student in grades 6-9 in Houston and the surrounding areas may participate in this program. To participate, students must use recycled materials to activate their creativity and invent an original instrument. Photographs or videos of these instruments are submitted online via Tumblr, allowing students to share how the instrument was created, what materials were used to create it, and how it is played. Full details about instrument submission can be found here.

FOR EDUCATORS
Though they cannot create instruments for students, educators (school teachers, parents, community center leaders, teaching artists, etc.) are encouraged to support students’ development of their individual instruments. They may utilize online resources that draw on students’ critical thinking and creative and collaborative skills. Blue Man Group Learning Labs are available to help students and teachers support national education standards through engaging hands-on activities.

Educators from throughout the Houston area are also invited to take part in a very special Blue Man Group Educator Session in November/December 2012. The session will give educators insight into Blue Man Group, the Invent an Instrument Program including video submission, Learning Labs, and aspects of the arts and sciences (sustainability and elements of sound, art & design) that can be addressed in classroom lessons for this program. Further details will be available in Fall 2012.

INSTRUMENT SUBMISSION
Students, teachers, or parents may submit student instruments via the program Tumblr page. For complete submission instructions, download this program description.

INSTRUMENT RECOGNITION
Two (2) students with exceptional instruments from each grade level will be recoginzed. To acknowledge their hard work and instruments, each recognized student will receive two (2) complimentary tickets to the opening night performance of Blue Man Group (Tuesday, June 4, 2013 at 8pm) at Jones Hall and will have their invented instruments displayed in the Jones Hall Lobby as a prelude to Blue Man Group performances during the show's week-long run.