Bio
Jeri Katherine Howell is an Americana singer-songwriter educator. She has taught youth internationally and throughout central and eastern Kentucky for over 10 years. Most recently, Jeri Katherine serves as the Program Coordinator at Josephine Sculpture Park; project manager for HeartBEATS, an after-school youth development music production program; an arts education consultant with Joanna Hay Productions; and an adjudicated teaching artist with the Kentucky Arts Council, Yes Arts and Berea College Partners for Education. Jeri Katherine holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Spanish from Centre College, Professional Environmental Educator Certification from the North American Association for Environmental Education, Community Scholar Certification from the Kentucky Arts Council, and Teaching English as a Foreign Language Certificate from the International TEFL Academy. She is passionate about amplifying youth voices, working with diverse students, and providing young people with the creative tools to express and share their stories.
Jeri Katherine’s interdisciplinary passions result in teaching artist residencies that incorporate storytelling/oral history, environmental education and songwriting. Her residencies are particularly appropriate for English, Science and Social Studies classes with students in grades 3rd through 12th.
Potential Residency Project
Nature Journaling & Songwriting
Goals: Students will practice and use journaling to inspire creative writing, images and lyric writing. Students will collaborate to write lyrics and music to original song(s), inspired by journaling and class brainstorming. Students will present their process and/or final product(s).
Day 1: Review basic elements of music, basic song structure and the practice of journaling for lyric writing. Through journaling - the most basic tool in a songwriter’s toolbox - student-artists explore how to use their surroundings to inspire creative writing and doodling to capture their ideas to eventually turn into creative works. Students will hand make their own journals to use throughout the rest of residency.
Day 2: Nature and sensory journaling activities
Day 3: Brainstorm themes for original class song, or small group song. Draft verses and chorus.
Day 4: Finalize song(s)
Day 5: Performance/Presentation (could include process exhibit, music video, audio recording, public performance, etc. - students decide)
Oral History & Songwriting
Goals: Students practice and understand how peoples’ stories can inspire creative works and lyric writing. Students will collaborate to write lyrics and music to original song(s), inspired by oral history interviews and class brainstorming. Students will present their process and/or final product(s).
Day 1: Review basic elements of music, basic song structure. Review basic interviewing and oral history techniques. Connect how interviewing/oral histories can be used to inspire lyrics.
Day 2: Brainstorm individual/group oral history projects. Draft interview questions. Practice interviewing, note taking, and identifying what aspects of the interviews may inspire lyric writing.
Day 3: Brainstorm themes for original class song, individual, or small group song. Draft verses and chorus.
Day 4: Finalize song(s)
Day 5: Performance/Presentation (could include process exhibit, music video, audio recording, public performance, etc. - students decide)