Is Music Dead in the Schools? Not On Your Life!

The press release from Pasadena Unified School District gives the facts but not the fervor of this upcoming event:

Pasadena Unified School District’s  stellar young musicians will demonstrate their talent at the first of two spring All District Music Festivals on Friday, February 25. Elementary, middle and high school student musicians from PUSD campuses will present symphonic band, orchestra, and jazz ensemble performances. Featured conductors include PUSD instrumental music teachers Iryna Orlova, Amy McLean, Chad Prado, David Miller, Michael Birnbryer and Joel Lopez.

The annual spring music festivals offer student musicians a professional performance opportunity that broadens their experience and prepares them for advanced musical training.

• EVENT: All-District High School Music Festival
• DATE/TIME: February 25, 2011, 7:00 pm
• LOCATION: Pasadena High School Auditorium, 2925 E. Sierra Madre Blvd., Pasadena
• DETAILS: The concert is free to the public. Ample free parking is available.

Marshall Ayers, PUSD Arts Education Coordinator reflected back on the history of this festival, “This program has a long history in the District. Known as "All City" for years,  it disappeared for over a decade due to lack of support, then revived by David Miller, Music Director of Pasadena High School in 2006 with support from a newly established PUSD Arts Education Office. The program’s goal is to inspire young musicians to continue their instrumental studies into the next level of their academic career by giving them the opportunity to perform with more experienced students from throughout the District. It also gives promising performers who are graduating to the next stage of their musical careers an outstanding performance opportunity. At its heart, the Music Festivals are about creating a musical community for the next generation."

"State budget cuts have imperiled our Elementary Instrumental funding over the past several years," she continued. "To field secondary marching bands, and for our music students to pursue careers in the arts, elementary instruction is essential. During the last school year, private donations helped save music teachers, but once again this year music and arts are on the chopping block. It's always a challenge to keep the arts alive when budgets are cut. Everyone agrees that music increases brain development and boosts academic achievement but there are no easy choices in these dire economic times."

Now for the good news.

As the young elementary and middle school musicians arrived bus by bus to Wilson Elementary School on Tuesday morning for their first of only two combined rehearsals before Friday’s music festival, the air was filled with musical instruments warming up, incredible focus and dedication.

At this first time the band and orchestra had played together, students to a one were undistracted. They were there to play music together. “We can’t afford to rehearse together more than twice. The costs, especially of the buses is just too great,” commented Amy Mc Lean, music teacher at Sierra Madre Elementary and Middle Schools, one of several dedicated music staff running the rehearsals in two venues on Tuesday.

Calling herself the itinerant music teacher on her blog, http://matrixmusicteacher.blogspot.com/, McLean, a 15 year veteran of PUSD, teaches at several different district schools throughout the week. She described the current programs available at Sierra Madre Elementary.

"We currently have a 3rd grade violin class taught by a parent volunteer I started these classes in 1998, but due to scheduling constraints this year had to put it aside. Thankfully, there has been a qualified and willing parent to take it on.

We also have String classes for 4th and 5th graders, a beginning band for 5th graders and an ongoing band for 5th graders. We just started a chorus for 5th grade as well. There are about 80 in the 4th and 5th grade programs. Of course, every child, in every grade does music with Ms. Bluemel for one Spotlight show each year.

I also teach at Sierra Madre Middle school and have an orchestra of 29 students. There is also the Music Theater class taught by Ms. Bluemel’s daughter, Emily Clark Simpson. I think there are probably 40 or 50 kids in that class.

Just last week, I started working with a group of 5th graders who will go to the All District Choral Festival in April. I have not usually taught choral programs at Sierra Madre, but do in this limited capacity."

Mc Lean gave further insight into her role within the curriculum. “As the music teacher in Sierra Madre, I have a unique opportunity to follow the students from third through eighth grade. We become like family. I know my middle school students perhaps better than any other teacher they will encounter. Their progress through the years and the enjoyment we share is really what counts as memorable moments on a daily basis.”

Though she’s worked professionally as a cellist in local orchestras like Cal Phil, Antelope Valley Symphony and the Arroyo Strings, traveling groups like Musica Curiosa and Filmharmonic and worked as a copyist for some film composers and the occasional studio sessions, fter accepting the job with PUSD, I found I enjoyed the kids so much, and had such fun almost reliving my own childhood, that the playing and composing careers began to fade.

Mc Lean’s intuitive style with her students was very evident in the first group band rehearsal Tuesday, and respect flowed both ways. It’s clear Mc Lean loves sharing music with students. “Music has always been a part of my life, she says, “ my way of relating to the world, and I think it has been very positive for me. I am excited to help my students start down the road to a life time of musical enjoyment.

Mc Lean shared a milestone moment in her music teaching career, “Recently a former student told me that he wants to go to music school after high school. This was a first for me, and I was very moved to think of all the years (5 altogether) that he was in my music classes.”

 So don’t miss Friday’s All District Music Festival at Pasadena High School. It may not be Beethoven’s Ninth… yet… but it’ll be real music played by dedicated musicians. Look for Amy Mc Lean. She’ll be directing the Band.

Music is very much alive in the PUSD schools.

Keep an eye out for our upcoming coverage of music in other Sierra Madre schools by clicking to receive related articles at the bottom of this page!