Elementary students get back to the music Seattle Music Partners offers classroom lessons, instruments
■ A Leschi Elementary School fourth-grader works with his Franklin High School tutor during a recital at Leschi. photo courtesy of Seattle Music Partners
Band and orchestra programs are making serious comebacks at choice elementary schools in the Central Area. With the help of local high school and college students, aspiring young musicians are receiving quality music education from valuable resources.
Over the last 30 years, arts programs in public schools across the county have taken a major hit. Without sufficient funding, most K-6 students within Seattle Public Schools are left very few options in terms of pursuing music in the classroom.
Though private lessons are still an option, one-on-one tutelage appears to be a luxury for families unable to pay for the high cost of sessions. This challenge became the focus of Seattle Music Partners (SMP).
MAKING A DEEPER IMPACT
Nine years ago, local musician Marnie O'Sullivan spearheaded the effort by recruiting Garfield High School musicians to spend 90 minutes each week with a student at Leschi Elementary School. With only 30 minutes available each week in the classroom for elementary students, O'Sullivan identified a need for isolated learning in the after-school hours.
Using Garfield's wealth of talented musicians as a resource, students who volunteered made the short walk to Leschi each week to spend 90 minutes reading notes, teaching scales and playing music.
Seven years later, the effort has spread to T.T. Minor and Marshall elementary schools, as well as a pilot program at Washington Middle School.
"Our job is not only to get these students to read and play music, but to do so in an environment where it's fun for them and they're being respected," said SMP executive director Scott Gelband. "There is a deeper impact with one-on-one-type learning, and we want that opportunity for all of our students."
Between the four schools, more than 80 elementary- and middle-school students are currently in the program. SMP has also expanded its recruitment of tutors (now numbering more than 70) from Roosevelt and Mercer Island high schools, as well as each of the local universities.
"We're very excited about the growth of the program and the progress toward making a good program great," said Gelband, himself an amateur musician. "Most of our fourth-graders return [to the program] as fifth-graders, and about 80 percent of our tutors also return each year. Those numbers are very encouraging."
SMP provides each student with an instrument for free for the duration of the school year. Students can pick from a variety of wind, string, brass or percussion instruments - all of which are donated to or purchased by SMP. At no cost to their families, students are allowed to take their instruments home for practice.
District-approved transportation is also provided to the participating students.
"It has been just fabulous to have Seattle Music Partners involved with our students," said Thurgood Marshall Elementary principal Winifred Todd. "To be able to give our fourth- and fifth-graders access to individual lessons to understand the music and the skills involved, is just an amazing opportunity."
The concepts of competence and confidence are embedded in the curriculum at Marshall. In Todd's opinion, learning how to play music is a perfect way of promoting those twin goals.
"The students love playing music. They're committed, and they want to be involved," she said. "They enjoy the idea of partnering with a high school student, and they are proud to perform."
EXPANDING ITS REACH
At Washington, where SMP's pilot middle-school program is under way, nearly 500 students are enrolled in music classes. Between two full-time music teachers, the school offers nine different band and orchestral classes each day.
For the department's staff, SMP is another valuable resource available to their students. "Before, students were not understanding the discipline it takes to play at the middle- school level," said Washington voices and strings teacher Elizabeth Fortune. "They were getting a rude awakening and quitting as a result. This is a way for us to keep tabs on their practice regiment and to keep their parents in the loop."
By the start of next school year, SMP hopes to add another full-time educator to the fold. Just last year, the organization hired two educators from within the school district for oversight in the classroom. In addition, SMP is expanding its reach by recruiting new schools and volunteers.
"I'm really hoping they can come more than once per week," Fortune said with a laugh. "They have been such a tremendous help to us, and it's because they care about the students so much."
Seattle Music Partners is a nonprofit group based in Wallingford and is always accepting instrument donations. For more information, contact Scott Gelband at 409-2535.
