The second meeting of the project partners in Alytus

The second meeting of the project partners was on 6 November, 2018. The participants gathered together in Alytus Jurgis Kunčinas Public Library, where the music teacher Audronė Venckūnienė and librarian Laima Žurava introduced everyone to the methodical literature of adult education that was created during ERASMUS and Grundtvig projects of Alytus Music School. Everyone got an opportunity to analyse the necessity of being creative in adult education, or in teaching people with special needs. Participants have shared their good experiences and practices.

Afterwards the music teacher Daiva Grabauskienė carried out an artistic exercise "Mosaic of Music, Colors and Emotions". First of all the teacher presented a slideshow while a symphonic poem "In the Forest" of Lithuanian composer, painter, and writer Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis was playing. Each slide was in different color and presented different kind of emotions. Later on everyone got a white sheet of paper, some magazines and glue. They had to create a picture related to their own emotions while the music was still playing. When the creations were finished, each participant had to tell a story, why they decided to use specific colors or shapes. Some indicated that the particular music had some dark and bright moments, it reminded them of nature in autumn. Each creation was very different from one another, and the teacher explained that this is because of individual feelings, thoughts, and life itself.

The second part of the day took place in Alytus Vidzgiris Basic School. The project participants taught each other some folk songs of their countries. During the Lithuanian folk song, everyone sang in several stages: a part was sang while sitting down, another part while standing up, then while being squat, and then while hugging each other. This was done to illustrate the lyrics of the song - it was full of comparisons with a bird that sits, stands and squats - and to prove that we are able to sing whatever we are doing. After singing a Lithuanian song, Katarina Persson and Saara Pekkarinen from Svefi Folk High School has taught the others how to sing a folk song in Swedish language. They also demonstrated a song which is sang in Sweden before the summer time comes. They told that every person from Sweden knows that song, even if it is not very old. Later on all the participants joined together to sing a song that everyone knew - ABBA "I have a dream".

In the evening all the group went to visit open classes of adult learners of Alytus Music School. Music teacher Gražina Noreikienė gave a couple of instruments to the guests to make a rhythm to the song that was played by two adult learners with Lithuanian folk instruments Kanklės. At the class of the music teacher Rima Beitnarienė her adult student demonstrated his abilities to play an accordion, as well as a piano. He is a professional musician, who plays a guitar, ukulele, and is a singer too. They have both showed some exercises with accordions. During the open class of the music teacher Alis Krūvelis, the guests had an opportunity to play musical instruments themselves too. While an adult learner was playing a melody, Katarina Persson also played some exercises with a guitar, and Saara Pekkarinen bounced a rhythm with a triangle. At the class of the music teacher Dainius Platūkis the participants were able to listen to the music of clarinet, which was also played by an adult student. Later a student of Rima Beitnarienė joined them to sing. The music teachers have cooperated and created some musical ensembles specially for the concert of adult learners, which is going to happen on Thursday, 8 November.