Students Learn About Latin Culture, Rhythms And Music In Classroom Concert Series With Midland Center

Born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico, Sonia de los Santos was born with a smile on her face (that's what her mom always says) and she can easily find the things in the world that bring her joy. Midland Center for the Arts is bringing smiles to the face of school children in the region and beyond with music and education opportunities for teachers with a new series of Virtual Matinees and Workshops while traditional field trips for most schools are restricted during the pandemic.

Designed for teachers looking to bring the stages of Midland Center into the classroom, whether students are meeting in-person or virtually, programs like En Casa Con Sonia allow students to discover a new culture and what makes their heritage special from Latin Grammy-nominated musician, Sonia de los Santos.

"Field trips are one of the most exciting days during a school year for students, they get to have fun, while still learning about something special and enlightening," said Katie Miller, Midland Center Community Engagement Manager. "With our virtual matinees and workshops, teachers can bring the field trip right into their classroom, with engaging activities, world-renowned artists, and a full curriculum to bring it into your day-to-day teaching."

En Casa Con Sonia takes students on a multi-part discovery of Latin rhythms, music and culture through conversational videos and songs performed in both English and Spanish. Sonia reflects on her experiences growing up in Mexico and then moving to another country through her music, learning about other cultures, and in the process, feeling closer to her heritage.

Midland Center for the Arts has continued to adapt to find ways to engage students and educators while school visits to the Center and Museum are suspended. The virtual classroom opportunities bring exciting and engaging opportunities for students when field trips aren't possible. With several topics to choose from, each includes a four- or five-part video series and worksheets at just $20 for the entire classroom. Teachers looking for financial assistance to bring these field trip opportunities to their school can apply for a scholarship at midlandcenter.org/scholarship.

In addition to learning about Latin Culture with En Casa Con Sonia, teachers can book a virtual matinee with the Artrageous troupe to inspire students and demonstrate through the arts how you can work as a team to create anything; or discover how science creates magic with illusionist Bill Blagg's Magic Science Lab; and discuss racism, how to know it when you see it, and ideas for what you can do about it with a specially-designed theatre performance of A Kids Play About Racism (this program is free for classrooms).

Teachers looking to bundle one of the matinee programs with one of the Center's virtual workshops can do so and save $15. The virtual matinee programs are pre-recorded, so they are readily available for teachers based on their own schedule.

The virtual matinee and workshop opportunities are made possible because of the support from the Dow Chemical Employee's Credit Union. Learn more about these programs at midlandcenter.org/classroom, and to register for En Casa Con Sonia, available for streaming only through March 15, 2021.