- School District Board has been exploring ways for enhancing the music and arts programs
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By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
How important is music in the Juab School District?
Parents think it is important, students think it is important, teachers think it is important and board members think it is important—so why is the program struggling?
Delanie Hathaway, board president, in fact, said that improving the music and arts programs in the district have been recent agenda items and said the board has been exploring possibilities for enhancing the music and arts programs.
Community residents, with an interest in arts and music, would like to see the district add another teacher of music to the district roster.
Several residents met with the Juab School District Board of Education recently to discuss possible enhancements to the district music and arts programs.
Gabriela Ramirez was introduced as the spokesperson for the group.
“It is our group’s desire that you hire an additional music teacher at the high school,” said Ramirez. “The current music teacher is doing an amazing job.”
Robert Imler, music teacher, has to teach so many different classes at both the junior high and at the high school that he is stretched thin. He is unable to give the music program the quality it deserves because it is physically impossible to do as much as he is doing without trying for more.
Ramirez said that the students needed and deserved a more quality music program and that the district needed to invest in the students who were interested in music.
“As it is now,” she said, “the kids are being set up to fail. A city without music is a city without soul.”
Joyce Cannell told the board that there should be an orchestra program in the district.
“In the past we have run an after school orchestra program,” she said. “The trouble with an after school program is that it is difficult to keep it cohesive.”
The reason for the problem with after school programs, she said, is that there are so many. All types of after school programs are available and that makes it difficult to keep an orchestra program together.
“I am aware of at least 45 students in the community who currently play string instruments,” said Cannell. “These students need a program to help them develop their talents and abilities.”
She said that, in her opinion, no music program is complete without string instrument instruction. All kinds of research and statistics prove that musical instruction increases student performance in all academic areas, she said.
Yamaha has a poster that says: “Success in music. Success in life…it’s no coincidence.”
“The qualities involved with studying music: of persistence, coordination and commitment allow your child to mature with healthy personality qualities that will stay with them throughout their life,” said Denie Riggs, Early Childhood Music, Muscle Shoals Music Academy, in Music Enhances Academic Excellence, “but research studies are showing more and more conclusively that music study also enhances their grades.”
Riggs said that musicians achieve a higher grade point average (GPA) than non-musicians in the same school do, students achieve higher ACT scores and other college entrance exam scores and, in a recent study, 66 percent of music majors who apply to medical school are accepted, the highest percentage of any group. Only 44 percent of biochemistry majors are admitted.
“Findings indicate that music study uniquely enhances higher brain functions required for reading, mathematics, chess, science and engineering,” said Riggs.
Helena Reinhard said that she is a junior in high school and is the band president because there are no seniors.
Reinhard suggested that the band room should be in the high school instead of the junior high because having it at the junior high suggests to students that it is not a high school program.
“I would like the board to place an action item on their agenda to explore the budget to look for a way to hire a new music teacher and increase music opportunities in the district,” said Reinhard.
Imler thanked the board and the parents in attendance for their support of the music program. He presented a handout documenting his recommendation for a second full-time music teacher in the district.
“In order for students to play grade 3 music (which is required to qualify for state competition), beginning band needs to start in fifth grade,” he said. “Intermediate band needs to start in sixth grade.”
“Currently, we have a single junior high band class that is only able to play grade 2 to 2.5 music,” said Imler.
Also, he said, for several reasons, there is no longer a morning jazz band. Jazz band, he said, also has specific instrumentation requirements to qualify for state competition.
“I agree with the recommendation of hiring an additional full-time music teacher,” Imler said.
Hathaway invited questions and comments from the public in attendance. Those making comments said that it was important for students to be challenged all the way through 12th grade, that music can inspire students and can benefit a greater number of students than other extra-curricular activities that often appear as more of a priority.
Riggs, in her article calling for more music in schools, said that music programs have been pulled out of most of the schools in the United States as unnecessary spending of tax dollars but spending money in that category would increase excellence.
“America spends 29 times more dollars than any other nation on education, yet ranks 14th out of 17 countries in academic excellence,” said Riggs.
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