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Cate Schmittle » Schmittle Bio

Schmittle Bio

Ms. Schmittle holds a masters degree in music education from University of Illinois and a bachelors from Temple University in Philadelphia with degrees in music education and Spanish language and literature. She is certified in all three levels of Orff Schulwurk. She is dedicated to public school education and arts integration. She has been teaching at Decatur since 2015. Her favorite way to teach music is through active music making and utilizing student created performances. When she is not teaching, she enjoys cooking, gardening, singing in many choirs in the city, and being outdoors.
Schmittle
Ms. Schmittle with some guitars donated by Little Kids Rock
 

Posts

Students in K-4 at Decatur take a 30 minute Music Movement class once per week. We practice fine and gross motor skill development through games, stories, active music listening activities, folk dances from around the globe, and even explore some modern social dances in older grades.
 
This photo shows our 2nd grade students doing a scarf activity while building their skills listening and responding to musical forms. 
1st grade students created soundscapes for the book Every Color of Light. Students brainstormed ideas for sight, sound, and instrumentation. They chose their instruments and worked with their group to create a performance. They performed for their peers in class! Ask your child what instrument they used to help tell the story. 

Obwisana

Students in second grade learned a stone passing song from Ghana called Obwisana. They practiced many ways of passing and even created their own ways of passing in small groups. This group worked together to slide bean bags across the circle without crashes -- all while singing and passing to the beat.
4th Grade students jump right into composing music. They created ostinati (or repeating musical patterns) based on their favorite things and collaborated with classmates to create a final group performance. Students practiced writing, reading, composing, and instrument technique. They practiced how to rehearse with a team, chose instruments that reflected their ideas, and shared out with the class. 
5th grade students begin the year with a unit on West African and Latin American drumming styles. This week students learned the history of the Djembe drum and worked together to play interlocking rhythms (and even some polymeter), melodies, and songs. 
Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras is pleased to offer complimentary tickets to our May 18 performance at Orchestra Hall! Join us for an unforgettable evening as Symphony Orchestra and Philharmonic Orchestra bring beloved works to life, including Samuel Barber’s Music for a Scene from Shelley, Margaret Bonds’ The Montgomery Variations, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5, and excerpts from Respighi’s Pines of Rome. Click Here for Voucher
Thank you to Jina Valentine for taking our fabulous show photos! You can find all the photos here. We are so grateful for all the families, students, and staff members who make our shows possible. 

Chicago Musical Pathways Auditions for 5th-11th Grades

Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative identifies and develops gifted and motivated orchestral students from underrepresented backgrounds for acceptance into top-tier conservatory, college, or university classical music programs in preparation for careers as professional musicians. Click the link to check out their flyer for more information! 

4th Grade Body Percussion Rounds

4th grade students practiced new 16th note rhythms by creating their own body percussion rounds in ABAC form. Students came up with their own themes and words for each rhythm, decided how to arrange and perform their compositions, and performed for their peers. This video shows one group practicing their Star Wars themed composition during class.