Musiquita is a bilingual (English/Spanish) interactive educational music experience made of the wife/husband duo features Blanca Cecilia González (violin/voice/uke/percussion) and Jesse Elder (piano/vocals/percussion/melodica).

In this professional learning multilingual Spanish/English speaking musicians Blanca Cecila Gonzalez (violin, uke, percussion) & Jesse Elder (piano, vocals, percussion & melodica) will guide teachers in a variety of general music methodologies including basic music theory, ear training and musical games. Presented strategies and resources will support educators to deepen and diversify musical experiences for young learners, empowering teachers to create joyful, meaningful, and diverse music experiences with students. Through an approach rooted in play educators will engage with Latin Folk, children’s classics & classical Jazz. A priority will be placed on nourishing the lived experience of multilingual and immigrant students.

Educators will:

• Experience the exceptional artistry of Blanca Cecelia González and Jesse Elder.
• Learn how to cycle through a set of 12-15 songs representing a wide range of styles and cultures. All lessons will take place within the context of the selected music, which serves as the backbone for learning musical concepts.
• Be equipped to create a music curriculum rooted in a diverse repertoire, blending musical learning with social-emotional development.
• Gain practical strategies for ear training, music theory, and prop-based learning that align with developmentally appropriate practices.
• Leave the session with the skills to incorporate cultural & environmental awareness and bilingual elements into their classrooms, enhancing student engagement and inclusivity.
• Learn to emphasize learning through play, fostering creativity and curiosity in every student while achieving key learning standards in music education.
• Engage with musical games to explore the fundamental building blocks of music making.
• Establish criteria that allows them to apply session skills and understanding to their teaching and learning practice.

YA Connections:

NJSLS-VPA

• Creating: Participants will select patterns and ideas for music that represent expressive intent.
• Performing: Participants will Perform music improvisations for a specific purpose with expression and technical accuracy.
• Responding: Participants will demonstrate basic knowledge of music concepts and describe how they support creators’/performers’ expressive intent.
• Connecting: Participants will make connections to their lived experiences and other art forms.

Professional Standards for Educational

• Respect: Teachers should respect and honor each student’s efforts and offer encouragement.
• Learning styles: Teachers should recognize and accommodate learning styles and abilities.
• Learning Environment: Teachers should strive to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.

Culturally Responsive Practice

Educators will focus on the importance of integrating diverse cultural perspectives into the classroom through a carefully selected repertoire. Bilingual songs (in Spanish and English) will be used to demonstrate how music can bridge cultural gaps and foster an inclusive environment where students from different backgrounds feel represented and respected.

Social-Emotional Learning

Educators will explore how to use repertoire to encourage students’ emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and collaboration skills. Music will be presented as a tool for personal expression, emotional regulation, and social connection, with teachers learning how to create a classroom environment that supports these developmental goals

When you pair this program with Musiquita’s assembly, they provide teachers with the in-classroom support implementing creative teaching practices, what they have learned into practice.