Connecting to Music through History
How do Conservatory Lab’s young musicians learn to make music “sing?” If you have ever picked up a recorder or plunked on a piano, you know that there is more to making music than knowing where to put your fingers
Category: Musicians in Action
Creative Youth Development with Early Childhood Music
Conservatory Lab students don’t just say, “I’m learning music.” They say, “I’m a musician.” This is by design: Resident Artists have created a program that makes space for students to take ownership of what they are learning from very early
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Abstract Art and Perpetual Motion
Resident Artists at Conservatory Lab have used student-driven instructional strategies to leverage technology and open up new avenues of expression for students. One way they are nurturing music production and artistic expression for students is through a collaborative online platform
Exploring Artistic Identity At Conservatory Lab
The nearly 200 young string players in Grades 3-8 face a challenge: keeping track of their work. They gather the repertoire and notes they are working on in binders, which helps, but it is difficult to find their own binder
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Bringing Learning Home
As Conservatory Lab Charter School closed its doors to prevent the spread of COVID-19, families opened up their homes and embraced the possibilities of remote learning or as we like to say “bringing learning home”. With the support of teachers,
What Is A Friday Finale?
Students are at the center of their own learning at Conservatory Lab. To deepen their learning in subjects like literacy and math, students complete learning expeditions, which are meaningful academic projects through fieldwork, reading, that allows students to take ownership
Art and Communication: Body Percussion Workshop with Melanie DeMore
On February 5, Black folk singer and activist Melanie DeMore visited the Lower School to share her art and activism with students in Grade 2. DeMore teaches the power of rhythm to connect people through singing and stick-pounding workshops across
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2020 Winter Concert Recap
Conservatory Lab held its Winter Showcase on January 11, 2020, at the historic Strand Theatre in Upham’s Corner. It is just around the corner from our Lower School in Dorchester, and only a few blocks from where our new building
Student Performances
On December 4, students performed to a crowd of thrilled parents, visitors, and employees at the Massachusetts State House. Kindergarten students wowed the audience with spirited renditions of classic holiday songs while family members filmed. The Dudamel String Orchestra showcased
Next Wave Master Class- Routines and Artistry in Early Childhood Music at Conservatory Lab
Conservatory Lab community members board and staff members and alumni represented the school with skill and pride at the Next Wave Summit, hosted by our sister organization, the Center for Artistry and Scholarship on Saturday, October 19, 2019. Next Wave
Building a First Grade String Orchestra
By Joshua Garver Fall is an exciting time musically at Conservatory Lab’s Lower School: our first-grade musicians finally become a string orchestra! Since PreK, they have been observing the string musicians in first and second grade and wondering, “When will
Literacy, Science, and Music: Poetry with First Grade
Last spring, teachers, students, and families gathered in the orchestra room at the Lower School for a festive Friday Finale to celebrate an interdisciplinary lesson that touched on Science, English Language Art, and Musical learning. Once everyone was settled in,
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Dance Night with the Landmarks Orchestra
At the Hatch Shell, dancers, choreographed by Jean Apollón, bring to life “La Chouconne,” Arranged by Anthony R. Greene, Artistic Director of Castle of Our Skins. Students and alumni from Conservatory Lab played at the Hatch Shell last
Conservatory Lab plays with the Boston Landmarks Orchestra
Every year, students from Conservatory Lab join the Boston Landmarks Orchestra for a free concert at the Hatch Shell. Join us on August 21 at 7pm for this special occasion, which will include collaborations with Castle of our Skins and
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Conservatory Lab Performs at the Arts Equity Summit
Conservatory Lab students put on a special performance for The Arts Equity Summit. Arts Connect International partners with emerging artist leaders of color, and arts influencers who hold institutional power in the contemporary art world, to collectively build equity,
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A Magical Visit from Esperanza Spalding
In the seven years that I have been a part of the Conservatory Lab community, I’ve experienced countless moments and days of joy alongside my students. This past Tuesday will stand the test of time. On February 26th, Grammy award-winning
Conservatory Lab’s Kat & Brad Present at Sphinx Connect
Our El Sistema Resident Artists, Dr. Brad Barrett, and Kat Jara were thrilled to have had the opportunity to present at the Sphinx Connect conference. They shared the incredible work that they do at CLCS to develop students’ creative practice
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Shades of Yale Visit Conservatory Lab Charter School
On January 25th, fifth and sixth graders from the Conservatory Lab Charter School headed to the Carney Hospital Chapel to watch Shades of Yale perform. Shades of Yale, an a cappella group from Yale University, was founded in 1988,
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Conservatory Lab Charter School Presents: A Winter Showcase
On Saturday, January 26, 2019 the Conservatory Lab Charter School and students came together for their annual Winter Showcase, a day of musical learning and celebration. Students put on two performances—the first concert began at 9:30 a.m. and the afternoon
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Conservatory Lab Performs at the Statehouse
On December 5th, students from the 2nd, 7th and 8th grades proceeded into the Statehouse to prepare for their world-inspired performance. Performing songs from Haiti, the Dominican Republic, in addition to a few holiday numbers, the 2nd grade Esperanza Spalding
Music Lessons for South Sudan Water: Seventh Graders Need You!
On Friday, December 14, from 10:20 am – 2:20 pm, Conservatory Lab’s seventh grade students will truly become the teachers and channel their music skills into global action. They will be offering music lessons to raise funds for Water For
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From Scientific Data to Art and Music
by Paul Sayed Last April, EL Education’s Fund for Teachers recognized Conservatory Lab Charter School science teacher Elizabeth Schibuk as a 2018 Fellow. Ms. Schibuk received her fellowship to document the human impact of an increasingly warming planet by researching the
Conservatory Lab Receives National Recognition from the NAMM Foundation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Dorchester, MA – May 23, 2018 – Dorchester’s Conservatory Lab Charter School has been honored with the SupportMusic Merit Award from The NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education. The SupportMusic Merit Award recognizes individual
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8th Grade Capstone
As artists, as scholars, and as leaders of our school and the world at large, it is important that Conservatory Lab 8th grade students leave our school knowing that they have made an impact on our school community, and thinking
Music for Parkland
On March 14, 2018, students from around the nation organized a walkout called #Enough to protest gun violence in school and Congress’ response to the massacre at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Students from around the country planned
Shades of Yale
To kick off our Black History Month celebrations, on February 2, 2018, our 5th and 6th grade choir students were treated with a performance by Shades of Yale, an acapella group from Yale University. As a group that celebrates the
MMEA Eastern District Junior Festival 2018
The Conservatory Lab is proud to announce that three of our 8th graders, Kailyn, Elijah, and Rainier were accepted into the concert band for the Massachusetts Music Educators Association (MMEA) Eastern District Junior Festival. Kailyn, Elijah, and Rainier represent the
8th Grade Makes Art with Science
For the past three months, Ms. Schibuk’s 8th grade science class has been studying weather and climate. Over the last month, they’ve focused on the causes, mechanisms, and consequences of climate change. The students have talked a lot about public
Winds and Brass at the Children’s Library
On Wednesday, March 1, families with young children flocked to the Children’s Library in the Boston Public Library’s main branch to hear students from Conservatory Lab perform live music with acclaimed jazz singer and Boston Public School’s Executive Director for