Playing it Forward at Hampden Academy By Patrick Michaud
Overview Hampden Academy is a public high school with an enrollment of approximately 750 students in
grades 9-12. The music department consists of two music teachers who also serve as itinerants throughout the district. The music curricular offerings at Hampden Academy consist of Concert Band, Concert Choir, Symphonic Band, Chamber Singers, Treble Choir, Jazz Ensemble, Show Choir, Jazz Combo, Music Theory (every other year), Music Technology (semester course every other year), and African Drumming (semester course every other year). Music teachers also provide small group instruction during study halls and before/ after school. Approximately 250 students participate in these music offerings.
Vision A few years ago I was having a discussion with my brother-in-law Bob James regarding programs in
public high schools that would meet the needs of students who were not “connected.” The following quota- tion from Bruce Springsteen, which is on Bob’s website, summarizes our thoughts best:
It's kind of funny really. I spent my years at Freehold Regional pretty much as an outcast and at best a very mediocre student. I would probably have been voted "Least Likely to Succeed.” My only advice to teachers and administrators would be to keep your eyes on the ones that don't fit in . . . They're the ones thinking out of the box and re-imagining the place we live in . . . our hometown. You never know where they're going.
These students that “don’t fit in” need a sense of ownership in their schools. Bob had been working
as a consultant and team training leader in developing student leadership skills with various schools in western New York. A few years later his work shifted to building leadership skills in the music industry by equipping students with the attitude, skills, and training to become successful in the music industry (
http://musicinaction.bfn.org/HOME.html). One of our goals at Hampden Academy was to expand our music curriculum in order to meet the
needs of the students in our school who might not feel strongly “connected.” We also wanted to meet the needs of those students who had a strong interest in the music industry. We had several graduates pursue studying various areas of the music industry after high school, yet we did not have anything in our curriculum to give these students a good foundation. We decided to offer semester long courses, specifically Music Technology and African Drumming, in order to better meet the needs of our student population. Thirty stu- dents signed up for Music Technology and 54 for African Drumming. It was clear that there was a need for such courses. We set a limit of twenty students per class because of limitations of equipment.
Curriculum The course curriculum for Music Technology is divided into four areas: audio equipment, public ad- dress systems, integrating technology, and a practical applications project. Students examine different types of audio systems, including computer speakers, various compo-
nents, home theater, and car audio. Through a partnership with a local audio shop (Summit Sound), stu- dents visit an operating shop and learn about the finest in home audio equipment. Students also train in setting up and operating various public address systems (P.A.). Assessments focus on successful set up, and students are responsible for working in teams and setting up and operating
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