Clover Park School District announcement.
March was Music in our Schools Month, and CPSD is proud to provide music programs to all middle and high school students. At the middle school level, students are often just beginning their band journey by learning to read sheet music, discovering new instruments and making lifelong friends.
For many, middle school is the first time they pick up an instrument and gain a new understanding of music performance.
This is the case for the students in Hudtloff Middle School band teacher Sarah Sandstrom’s first period beginning band class. Nearly all of the students in the class are learning to play an instrument for the first time and learning how to read sheet music. A handful are learning how to play their second or third instrument.
“I was excited to take this class and learn a new instrument,” said saxophonist Ella Glovier. “I also play flute in concert band, and I play a little bit of piano. I just love the sound of music and learning new pieces.”
Like Ella, many students in Sandstrom’s class enjoy music and have developed a greater appreciation for how it is constructed, read and performed. For students learning to play an instrument for the first time, this can be just as exhilarating as it is for students who are challenging themselves to learn something different.
“For many of my students, band is what brings them to school each day,” Sandstrom said. “They get to work with a group to accomplish a goal, challenge themselves, develop responsibility and become leaders. It really is whole-child development, and I feel lucky to get to be a part of it.”
This change of pace is important to band and choir students at every grade level who enjoy activating the creative side of their brain while learning to read sheet music. According to the National Association for Music Education, playing instruments and learning to read sheet music can increase students’ critical thinking and math skills.
“School without band would be a little disappointing for me personally,” said percussionist Max Kinyanjui. “I really like practicing with everyone in class, and this is one of the first elective classes I took that fits me and how I learn.”
In the eyes of these band students, practicing music together is a way to foster community while learning a lifelong skill. When they leave their first period class, they leave with language, reasoning and memorization skills that will benefit them the rest of the day and throughout their future as students.
This article is incorrect. Harrison Prep does not have a band program. They do have choir, but not band
Just only pointing out it doesn’t list the school your referring to it only mentions 1 school in this whole article. So I’m not sure it’s a proper complaint to make that you say it’s wrong. Not saying you are wrong I only wonder it.
Cheers for CPSD. How sweet. A STEM interlude, singing sinews of timeless art stretching toward a wider realm of humanities and journeys shared through life. It needn’t wait for middle-school, resonant language orchestrating imagination long before. Keyboards for every child in second grade would not be hard, and math would follow as night and day.
Music is a wonderful medium for reaching children whose learning modality is not compatible with STEM. We are doing a huge disservice to a large segment of our student population when we concentrate only on STEM curriculum. Yes, we need to encourage the students whose aptitude is STEM related, but we must also seek out and address the other learning modalities. Harrison Prep is a wonderful step in one direction. Let’s also take a step in other directions to help all students.
Are their any schools in the Clover Park School District that can support an instrumental music program? I can offer instruments and some money to get one started. To support middle school programs, we need a program at the elementary level, grades 4 and 5. Who will help me start one?