“One Thousand Birds” is a Companhia de Música Teatral (CMT) project designed to inspire awareness of environmental issues, the importance of caring for others, and the necessity of nurturing our planet — universal themes that call for attention from early childhood. In today’s world, where preserving the environment is even more critical, fostering poetic ways of seeing and listening emerges as a powerful and essential approach. The project draws inspiration from a Japanese tradition of the Orizuru, an origami bird, a symbol of peace and happiness: a legend tells it that the wish you think of while making one thousand birds come true. The project began in Vila Nova de Famalicão (Portugal) and has since taken flight, expanding in various forms to other cities such as Fundão, Coimbra, Lisbon, and Loulé. “One Thousand Birds” has also reached Brazil and, through the SenseSquared Erasmus+ Project, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway.

This workshop aims to: (i) raise environmental awareness, foster creativity, and enhance emotional expression while equipping teachers with adaptable strategies to integrate these themes into classrooms across different educational levels; (ii) encourage the participants to connect with nature, think creatively, and express themselves through music and movement.

The workshop creates a holistic environment inspired by birds and nature. Participants will craft an “Orizuru” and create graphic scores while listening to soundscapes. They will play with syllables from a phrase to use in a vocal warm-up and communicate with gibberish and bird-inspired vocal sounds, exploring how different emotional intentions are reflected in vocal production. The participants will also engage in movement activities through the "woodpecker dance" and a calming nightingale-inspired song that will conclude the session.

The implications of this work are to demonstrate how artistic practices can enhance environmental education and inspire interdisciplinary teaching.

From teacher-centered instruction to student-driven learning strategies, there is a spectrum of choices that educators can choose from to engage students in developing critical listening and musicianship skills. However a teacher-led music class or ensemble, inherently “top-down in nature” with students dutifully following directions, might not provide sufficient opportunities for the development of music understanding and independent musicianship, or allow students to be involved in any decision-making processes. Shuler (2011) stated a major reason that so many students set aside their instruments or vocal skills after graduation is because their music instruction has been primarily teacher-centered —in other words, teachers have done most of the steps in the processes for the students. Valuing individual contributions to a group is a pillar of most every chamber music ensemble and can also be a powerful instructional strategy. Larson (2010) reported that a common thread in the continuation of music making into adult life is the experience of participating in a musical ensemble in which the student had a voice or a significant say in decision-making. Music teachers may need to step back at times and allow students to find their way and construct their learning through collaboration with their peers, fostering independent learning for long-term problem-solving skills.

This workshop will provide music classroom teachers and ensemble directors an opportunity to reflect, discuss, and experience several practical teaching strategies that enhance student musicianship though collaborative learning. Attendees will participate in music learning tasks that demonstrate various roles of the teacher/director in student-centered learning, as well as begin to develop ways to facilitate student self-assessment skills. Music educators will leave this session with a better understanding of how to effectively manage student-centered learning and self-assessment in music, as well as gain several practical strategies to improve student musicianship and artistry.