Liberation Drum Circles and Circle Keepers

Drummer / Percussionist Martin (pronounced mar-TEEN) Urbach is three time Grammy Music Educators Award nominee, Latine Immigrant, educator, activist and youth organizer. His work in the classroom is based on facilitating brave spaces for young folks to fall in love with music and to promote social justice through music making in their community. He holds a BA in jazz performance from the University of New Orleans, a MA in jazz arts from the Manhattan School of Music, an Advanced Certificate in Music Education from Brooklyn College and is currently a Doctoral candidate in Urban Education at the CUNY Graduate Center. Martin has been an educator in New York City since 2006. He has taught well over ten thousand children; from pre kindergarten to doctoral students. Martin’s first days in the classroom were in 2006, as a bucket drumming teaching artist through the Manhattan School of music (MSM). Shortly after graduating with his MA from MSM, he began teaching residencies for Urban Arts Partnership, Lincoln Center Institute, Marquis Studios, Bash The Trash, and Carnegie Hall. Martin’s teaching and curriculum design programs are as original, inventive and diverse as the students he has taught! Having taught courses from drumming bucket brigades, to rockband & songwriting, to musical theater, to beatmaking, as well as courses based on social justice and activism, as well as courses on restorative justice, critical consciousness and youth participatory action research. After a nine year stint as a teaching artist, Martin was a founding teacher and curriculum developer at a dual language elementary school in Washington Heights. Currently he serves as music educator, Restorative Justice Dean of Students and 10th grade advisor at Harvest Collegiate High School in New York City. In addition, Martin is currently a “Vocal Justice Fellow” as well as an “Academy For Teachers” fellow and he contributes to Decolonizing The Music Room as well as PBS, and NPR as education consultant on issues of Restorative Justice, Social Justice activism and Critical pedagogy. As a music educator, Martin is a quarter finalist in the 2020 and 2021 Grammy Music Educator Award. As a Restorative Justice practitioner and youth organizer, Martin has grown a cohort of youth activists studying and practicing restorative justice, transformative justice and abolition from 3 members in 2018, to 27 members in 2022. The cohort, known as “Circle Keepers” facilitated peer to peer peer mediations, students to staff conflict as well as presents bi weekly political education and social emotional teach-ins in their school. Additionally, they have presented workshops nationally for the Black Lives Matter at School NYC and National Networks, the Consortium network, The Vocal Justice Fellowship and will be presenting their “Circle Keepers Handbook” workshop at SXSWEdu in 2023. Martin has presented workshops, talks and keynotes on the intersections of social justice activism, music technology, music education and youth development at conferences such as the International Symposium of Music Education (ISME) in Baku, Azerbaijan (2018), the Association of Popular Music Education (APME) at Berklee College of Music (2016) and at New York University (2019), at the Freire50 conference at the University of South Carolina (2018), The Sustaining Peace Forum at Teachers College, Columbia University. In addition to presenting workshops at education conferences, Martin has published curriculum for the New York City Department of Education, Little Kids Rock and Urban Arts Partnership. In 2016, Martin started “Liberation Drum Circles", a community music group that engages youth in co-facilitating hands-on workshops for teaching and learning topics of oppression as well as liberation through the setting of a drum circle; by singing, chanting and drumming in community as well as by problematizing, researching and organizing to create meaningful change in our own communities. Martin lives in Brooklyn, NY. When not teaching, organizing or activating youth, he is either baking cookies, eating cookies, or imitating cookie monster. EDUCATION - September 2023: CUNY Graduate Center PhD in Urban Education, Cohort23. - 2017-2019: Teachers College, Columbia University Ed.D. in Music Education, Full Scholarship - 2014-2015: Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, NY Advanced Certification in Music Education (New York State Initial Certificate in K-12 Music Education, September 2015) 2006- 2008: Manhattan School of Music. New York, NY -Masters in Music in Jazz Studies. Full Scholarship 2001- 2005: University of New Orleans. New Orleans, LA Bachelors of Arts, Jazz Studies, Full Scholarship TEACHING EXPERIENCE - Harvest Collegiate High School 9-12, Music Instruction, advisory curriculum designer, restorative justice coordinator, dean of culture. - New York, NY — 2017-current - Design and implement an anti racist, culturally responsive instrumental music curriculum for students in 9th,10th, 11th and 12th grades. -Design and implement courses on the intersection of science, DIY Makers culture and music for students in grades 11th and 12th. -Design and implement elective courses on restorative justice, critical consciousness and electronic music/media for students in 9th,10th, 11th and 12th grades. - Coordinate creating advisory curriculum for students in 9th,10th, 11th and 12th grades, focussing on social emotional learning, anti racist, and anti colonial theoretical frameworks. -Coordinate a youth-led cohort of peer mediators practicing restorative justice based on abolitionist teaching philosophies. -Design,pilot and coordinate a community service program, affording students opportunities to earn community service hours by beautifying the school, providing support for after school clubs, leading lunch time clubs, as well as providing academic mentoring to students in 9th and 10th grades. -Design, pilot and coordinate a cohort of 11th grade students engaging in a Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) project aimed at better understanding entry points (Invitations) for academic success for students chronically othered throughout their schooling experience so far. - PS94M@188, The Spectrum School 6-12, Instrumental music instruction / curriculum designer. - New York, NY — 2016-2017 - Design and implement a culturally responsive instrumental music curriculum to students on the autism spectrum. The curriculum is based on African American, folk, popular and world music with an emphasis on West African music. The comprehensive curriculum develops students’ artistic aesthetics, performance, music appreciation as well as music literacy skills by providing them with opportunities to read, write, compose, arrange, and compose original music and it is fully aligned with the National Standards for the Arts. - Teach general music / modern band classes consisting of ukuleles, Orff xylophones, keyboards, drums, electric bass, guitars, singing and technology (iPad apps, MaKey MaKey and GarageBand) to students in grades 6th-12th. - Teach music & movement through explorations of West African Ewe drumming and dance. - WHEELS , Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning. Student teacher and Founding elementary school music teacher - New York, NY — September 2012 - June 2015 Student teach in grades 9-12 Jazz band as well as grades 6-8 Afro Latino percussion. Design a bilingual, culturally responsive instrumental music curriculum aligned with Expeditionary Learning foundations and with the National Standards for the Arts. Teach general music classes consisting of ukuleles, Orff xylophones, keyboards, drums, to students in pre kindergarten and kindergarten. Teach West African Percussion Ensemble based on the traditional Ewe drumming/singing/dancing cultures of Ghana, West Africa. Teach music & movement through an exploration of World Music Folk songs, jazz and original student compositions. Assist team as needed with gym instruction, lunch/recess duties and after school. Conduct rehearsals and class meetings with MS/HS bands. - Mentor, President Barack Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative Mandela Washington Fellowship. - Wagner College — Summer, 2015 Closely mentor three young music makers from Zimbabwe, Zambia and Senegal engaging in activism for social Justice through music making and technology. Our issues will be: Bringing awareness and acceptance to different gender expressions, curbing violence against women and creating social accountability. Provide Fellows with connections in the field as well as opportunities to do community service related to that work. In addition, Mentors should include Fellows on daily and strategic planning decisions, - Teaching Artist, Urban Arts Partnership — 2008-2017 Lead Teaching Artist and presenter. Create and implement year long arts integration residencies aligned with the Common Core State Standards. Implement social justice based music after school programs for K-12 students. Support new teaching artist hire. Develop arts integration curricula for educational partnerships. - Teaching Artist, Marquis Studios — 2011-2016 Create and implement music and music therapy residencies for students with special needs. Present professional development workshops at national conferences. Implement music residencies following Aesthetic Education curricula. Teaching Artist, Bash The Trash Environmental Arts — 2007-Present Lead teaching artist, performer and presenter. Conduct educational concerts and workshops across the country. - Teaching Artist, Manhattan New Music Project — 2008-2012 Implement a bilingual, interdisciplinary, theater based year long residence for students in grades K-5. - Percussion Department Co-director, Counselor, Manhattan School Of Music Summer Camp — 2007-2013 Teach private lessons, percussion ensembles for major and non majors. Lead sectionals and assist in symphonic band and orchestra rehearsals and concerts. Coach and conduct ensembles. Teach Latin jazz percussion. Teach jazz improvisation. Teach ear training. - Certified Level 1 Teacher, Music Together, 2005-2008 Taught classes in English and Spanish for children aged 0-5 with their caregivers. SPECIAL SKILLS - Music production & technology: Garageband, Finale, MaKey MaKey. - Website and blog development through Wordpress and social media platforms. - Fluent in Spanish, Portuguese and English PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS NAfME – National Association for Music Education NYSSMA – New York State School Music Association MEANYC – Music Educators Association of New York Amp Up NYC! - Berklee College of Music’s PULSE Institute, Music Will (formerly Little Kids Rock) NYC AOSA – New York City Chapter of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association AREA KONY – Kodaly – Organization of New York TI:ME – Technology in Music FUNDRAISING EXPERIENCE 2016- present, Successfully raised over $50K in funds for musical instruments as well as food, snacks, and health products for students. - 2014, Successful Kickstarter Campaign Educational activism trip to the village of Kopeyia, Ghana in West Africa to teach an interdisciplinary arts based English language program for kids aged 2-25. - 2012, 2008, 2005, “Cultural Ambassador” Grants Recipient. U.S. Department of State Work with the U.S. Embassy in La Paz, Bolivia to develop three separate jazz education programs for audiences across the country. TEACHING PORTFOLIO www.martinurbach.com/teaching-portfolio password: martinurbach PROFESSIONAL REFERENCES * Available Upon Request PUBLISHING: (bell, adam patrick, Urbach, M. 2020) Music Production Centers To Change The World (Smith, G, Powell, B, Waller-Pace,B & Urbach, M) (in press) Love, Care, Revolution, and Justice: Loving Oneself and Loving One’s Students (Urbach, 2019) EMERGENT STRATEGIES FOR AN ACTIVIST MUSIC EDUCATION (Urbach, 2019) Song For Tamir Rice https://rethinkingschools.org/articles/song-for-tamir-rice/ (by Martin Urbach, Lorelei Batisla-ong, and Brandi Waller-Pace. DECOLONIZATION, LIBERATION, AND EQUITY IN REMOTE LEARNING https://www.decolonizingthemusicroom.com/decolonization-liberation https://www.decolonizingthemusicroom.com/emergent-strategies-for-an-activist-music-education

As an educator and activist, my main goal is to architect environments where students have fun discovering the world around them through music, stay engaged in learning, and most importantly become great citizens of the world, who grow up to be the builders of a happy, safe and beautiful world. For this I have created a non profit organization; “E3 Education ; Engage - Educate - Entertain” My teaching practice is deeply anchored in Howard Gardners’ Theory of Multiple Intelligences. I love designing developmentally and culturally appropriate curricula (read: games!) that allow my students to experience information across their different intelligences and through interdisciplinary art forms so that they not only learn in ways that are natural to them, but also so that they can learn new and different ways of learning. During a lesson on the Afro Cuban 3:2 Clave beat, my students get to explore that rhythm by playing it, singing it, making a mathematical equation based on it, creating a choreography based on 3’s and 2’s, writing haikus based on it and more. This approach allows me to truly have a differentiated classroom and to build a sense of trust between my students and me. My students trust me that I will teach them in a way that they will understand. A positive by-design-byproduct of the multiple intelligences frame of mind is that the lessons are extremely fun. I strive to instill in my students a sense of play. After all; we play music. Being a student of the rich percussion cultures of West Africa, Brazil, Cuba and the Middle East, I am enchanted by the organic layering and juxtaposition of rhythms. In my elementary school music classes, I focus on teaching rhythms and sounds from different cultures around the world. I do it first by ear and repetition, then by teaching non traditional music notation, and finally by teaching my students traditional music notation using a method that I created based on syllables, pictures and musical notes. Usually right before winter break, my first graders can read, write and perform any combination of quarter notes, eight notes and sixteenth notes. Another big part of my practice is to instill in children the idea that music can be a vehicle for change in our society. I strive to empower them to learn, think and speak up for social justice and human rights. Throughout the year, I assign my students to create original musical masterworks in response to issues that they care about. My music students have created PSA music videos protesting the NYPD’s practice of Stop & Frisk, created musical flash-mobs protesting the high sugar content of school snacks, and even become pen pals with President Barack Obama when they sent their art project featuring boomwackers and crayons about their concerns regarding school safety following the Sandy Hook School mass shooting. Through their own artistic master works, my students become elements of change within their own communities.

Manhattan School of Music : -2008 Arts-in-education Humanitarian / Leadership Outreach Award -Full Scholarship University of New Orleans : -The Presidential Award -Full Scholarship U.S. Department of State: -Cultural Ambassador 2011, 2005

Advanced Certification in Music Education, 2105 Brooklyn College. Brooklyn, NY - MM in Jazz Studies, 2008 Manhattan School of Music. New York, NY - BA in Jazz Studies, 2005 University of New Orleans. New Orleans, LA

Percussionist Martin (pronounced mar-TEEN) Urbach juxtaposes his Bolivian and Jewish roots with his experience as an immigrant in the United States to add color to his sophisticated drum grooves. is a Latino immigrant, education activist and advocate for children. His work in the classroom is based on creating safe spaces for young students to fall in love with music and to promote social justice through music making. He holds a BA in jazz performance from the University of New Orleans, and a MA in jazz arts from the Manhattan School of Music and an Advanced Certificate in Music Education from Brooklyn College. He serves as full time music educator at P94M@188, The Spectrum School; an arts based middle and high school for students on the autism spectrum in New York City. Over the past ten years, Martin has taught music, literacy, STEAM and social justice courses to over three thousand students, from PreK to graduate school. In addition, Martin keeps a busy schedule performing concerts around the world and writing music for his own projects as well as his friends' projects. When not teaching, planning or performing, one can find Martin baking and eating chocolate chip cookies, and speaking in his Cookie Monster voice. Through performing and teaching, Martin spreads the joy that music brings to his life.