James Aaron Fowler

Aaron Fowler has been a touring musician and teaching artist since 1994. Before his career as a touring artist, Aaron was a public school teacher in Wichita, KS. (1984-1995). His degrees are in Music Education (Friends University) with a Masters in Choral Conducting (Wichita State University). Aaron was a founding artist with Arts Partners Wichita (1996) and is a National Trainer with Wolf Trap Early Learning Through the Arts in Vienna, VA.

Aaron has more than 1000 public performances as a teaching artist in schools across the country as well as performing at festivals, house concerts, and concert venues.

Aaron has toured more than 500 libraries across the country offering programs tied to Summer Reading programs or specific topic related programs during the year.

Aaron serves as the US Vice President on the Executive Board of AFM Local 1000, the Touring Musicians Union.

A variety of program options are available including performances, workshops, and residencies. New programs can be designed to fit the specific standards or curriculum content area.

Sample programs:

• Songwriting residencies
• Science of Sound residency
• Phonemic Awareness programs
• Summer Reading Programming
• All School assemblies
• Kansas Day Performances
• Character Education

• $450 per show. $800 per day. Travel ($0.53/mile) and lodging expenses are based on specific travel.

• Retirement centers
• Hospice centers
• Libraries

• Celebrations, Traditions, Diversity
  Grade(s): K-5
  Number/Length of Sessions: Performance
  Links to Curriculum Areas: Social Studies, Music, Language Arts
  Brief Description of Project: This program focuses on four winter celebrations: Christmas (sacred), Christmas (secular), Kwanzaa and Hanukkah. The performance includes interactive songs and stories from these traditions. Project Goals: Teach students that there are several winter holidays celebrated in our country. Students will learn there are differences in each of these celebrations, but many of them have similarities and that when we know something about other cultures and their celebrations we gain a greater appreciation for them.
• Music of the Kansas Prairies
  Grade(s): K-5
  Number/Length of Sessions: Performance
  Links to Curriculum Areas: Music, Language Arts, Social Studies
  Brief Description of Project: This program focuses on the music of the Kansas Prairies. Several folk instruments including the native drum, violin, guitar, and autoharp are used in this program. Many songs are well-known and students are invited to join in the oral tradition. Specific areas that are discussed include stagecoach travel, California Gold Rush (1849), Underground Railroad (1850’s), first railroad (1859), sod houses and closes with Woody Guthrie’s This Land is Your Land. Project Goals: The goal of this concert is to engage students in a fun and interactive presentation that will engage them in the history of Kansas.
• Seeds of Hope, Places of Change
  Grade(s): K-5
  Number/Length of Sessions: Performance
  Links to Curriculum Areas: Music, Language Arts, Social Studies
  Brief Description of Project: Through music and storytelling this program helps students look at self-esteem issues that will direct them toward a better way of operating in our world. Project Goals: The goal of this concert is to engage students in a fun and interactive presentation that will inspire students to greater self-awareness and confidence.
• When We Gather
  Grade(s): K-5
  Number/Length of Sessions: Performance
  Links to Curriculum Areas: Music, Language Arts, Social Studies Brief
  Description of Project: This is a total music program designed to be fun, uplifting and encouraging. Songs are participatory, giving students, staff, and parents the opportunity to sing along. Great for a special celebration, PTO/PTA picnic, or as a special treat for students. Project Goals: The goal of this concert is to engage students in a fun and interactive presentation that will inspire students to greater self-awareness and confidence.
• The Big Rock Candy Mountaineers
  Grade(s): K-5
  Number/Length of Sessions: Performance
  Links to Curriculum Areas: Music, Language Arts, Social Studies, Art
  Brief Description of Project: This interactive concert introduces students to the whimsical folk songs played by Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie. Aaron Fowler revives many of the songs that have been a part of America’s musical fabric for generations. Children sing along and participate as old favorites like This Land is Your Land, Big Rock Candy Mountain, Froggy Went a Courting and We Shall Overcome are celebrated. With singing and playing, the spirit of Woody and Pete are invoked for young audiences. Project Goals: The goal of this concert is to engage students in the life and music of two historically famous children’s music makers, Pete Seeger, and Woody Guthrie. After this concert students will know the composer of many of the songs they sing in music class including Follow the Drinking Gourd and This Land is Your Land.
• Music Moves the Movements
  Grade(s): 6-12
  Number/Length of Sessions: Performance
  Links to Curriculum Areas: Social Studies, History, Music
  Brief Description of Project: This interactive concert chronicles the songs of the Labor Movement and the Civil Rights Movement and sets the music in a historical context sure to bring this period to life. With singer/songwriter Aaron Fowler on guitar and musician and artist Richard Crowson on banjo, they lead the audience in a celebration of songs that moved and shaped this nation include This Land is Your Land, Union Maid, We Shall Overcome, Turn, Turn, Turn and many others. This program sure makes history come alive for your students!
• Phun with Phonemes!
  Grade(s): Pre K- 1st grade
  Number/Length of Sessions: single workshop or 3-5 sessions residency spaced 1 month apart
  Links to Curriculum Areas: Music, Language Arts
  Brief Description of Project: We seem to have lost the benefit of students who have sung basic children songs that helped teach letter sounds. Using both original and standard folk songs students will reinforce the basic sounds of each letter or combination of letters. Your students will be singing these songs all day long. Project Goals: Students will learn songs and chants that will reinforce classroom instruction around letter sounds and letter recognition. Various music disciplines including singing, movement, and call & response will be used in this residency
• Lyric Writing
  Grade(s): 3-5; 6-8 or 9-12
  Number/Length of Sessions: 4 session Residency
  Links to Curriculum Areas: Music, Language Arts, Writing, Social Studies
  Brief Description of Project: The power of song, both lyrics, and tune, can be a great tool for memory and recall. It also gives us a vehicle to get out what is inside, to “give voice” to the unspoken. This 4 or 5 session residency provides students the opportunity to become songwriters. Using six basic steps, students learn how to create their own songs. Project Goals: Over the course of the residency, students will learn and demonstrate the 6 steps to songwriting (theme/topic, keywords, rhyme, form, rhythm, melody). By the end of the residency, the students will have written their own song or set of lyrics based on the topic chosen. It is always quite amazing to see and hear what they come up with!