fourth grade students wrote to me at the end of the year. The students were instructed to write a one-page letter that included whether they believed orchestra was important, why orchestra was important (if in fact they thought it was), and whether they should be permitted to have orchestra again during the fifth grade.


To


preserve anonymity, student names are not included. I did not edit the spelling or grammar of these excerpts to allow the children to have their own voice. Many of the students’ writings were impacted by the fact that English is their second language.


Without prompting, a number of the fourth grade students indicated that they learned to work hard through participation in orchestra. For example, one student wrote, “Orchestra class is important because it gives students an opportunity to play an instrument. Playing a violin made me more determined to work hard.”


Another student


expressed that learning to play string instruments was challenging and required determination:


I learned this year in orchestra that it is hard to play cello when I first started I thought it was going to be easy to play. So now I have more ideas what am I going to be when I grow up. I hope to be a orchestra teacher [sic].


Currently, string teachers and string students in the United States are predominantly white (Gillespie & Hamann, 1998), while black and Latino students are under represented in school orchestra programs (DeLorenzo, 2012; Elpus & Abril, 2011). One way for real change to occur in music teaching is through increasing the diversity of the members in our profession. If students are never given the opportunity to learn to play a string instrument, it stands to reason that they will not become orchestra teachers. Increasing access to string instruction is essential in moving our profession forward.


Many of the elementary students wrote that, orchestra made them feel special, important, or proud. “It help [sic] me understand to keep going and at the end I will be good. It made me feel good about my slaf [sic]. It help [sic] to play as a team. It Made me feel important.” Another student shared, “Orchestra class helped me feel proud of myself and my work. I know [sic] have a better appreciation of music. Learning to play a musical instrument and performing made the 4th grade the best.” Improved self-esteem, confidence in their own ability, and the understanding of the cause and effect relationships between work and success are all characteristics that we hope to instill in our students.


Many of the students shared wonderful perspectives regarding orchestra and its role in their lives, but two letters spoke to me on a deeper level, changing my philosophy as a teacher. One student shared that, “I think orchestra is important to me. I think orchestra is fun. It safe for us [sic]”.


The realization that my students’ lives ala breve


were possibly unsafe and that orchestra was a potential haven, created a shift in priorities for my classroom. Creating an environment that supported the development of the whole child became a central goal for everyone involved in the program, while the ability of my students to perform at a high level became secondary. The second quote, “[Orchestra] makes you think harder. Learn to play as a group. I made me feel special,” provoked a number of conversations with my university students. The final sentence, “I made me feel special,” may have had one of two meanings. It is either a misspelling, “It made me feel special,” or she truly meant, “I made me feel special.” In other words, I am proud of myself.


The teachers who worked with this student felt that she intended the second meaning.


Conclusions


The Peck Elementary String Program is now entering its sixth year. The program has grown from 14 students to include over 150 elementary students in grades 2 through 5.


There are


approximately 240 students enrolled in the elementary school grades 2 through 5, which means that over half of the school’s student population has elected to participate in orchestra. Parent and student enthusiasm relative to participating in orchestra has prompted the local middle school to add an orchestra program. Reflections from the Peck Elementary String students reveal that orchestra is important to them, that they feel proud of themselves, and that they value hard work.


Orchestra may be one vehicle to promote social change, teach discipline and perseverance, as well as enrich the lives of all students. In order for our students to reach their full potential, we must teach them that they have control over the events in their lives, at least those that occur in our presence. Establishing clear and achievable target goals, sequencing instruction so that students are successful the majority of the time, and structuring perseverance activities where the students are rewarded regularly for effort, are all strategies that can increase student self-esteem and belief in their own abilities. Finally, introducing brief moments of failure that require the students to struggle in a structured environment, can teach them how to overcome obstacles that will surely occur in their future. Students who fail constantly will invariably give up; while those who fail occasionally and are provided with a safe opportunity to try again, will develop the life skills necessary to succeed.


References


Costa-Giomi, E. & Chappell, E. (2007). Characteristics of Band Programs in a Large Urban School Districts: Diversity or Inequality? Journal of Band Research, 42(2), 1–18.


DeLorenzo, L. C. (2012). Missing faces from the orchestra: An issue of social justice? Music Educators Journal, 98, 39-46.


Dr. Rebecca MacLeod is associate professor of music education at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro,


specializing in string education. She earned her degrees from Duquesne University (BSME) and Florida State University (MME and PhD). She is a frequent guest conductor and clinician throughout the United Sates.


55


Elpus, K., & Abril, C. R. (2011). High school music ensemble students in the united states: A demographic profile. Journal of Research in Music Education, 59(2), 128-145.


Gillespie, R. A., & Hamann, D. L. (1998). The status of orchestra programs in the public schools. Journal of Research in Music Education, 46(1), 75-86.


Hamann, D. L., Gillespie, R. A., & Bergonzi, L. (2002). Status of orchestra programs in the public schools. Journal of String Research, 2.


Kaufman, P., Bradbury, D., & Owings, J. (1992). Characteristics of At-risk Students in National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988. (National Center for Educational Statistics. No. 92-042). U.S. Department of Education Office of Research and Improvement.


Kominski, R., Jamieson, A., & Martinez, G. (2001, June). At-risk conditions of U. S. school-age children. Retrieved September 14, 2014, from https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentatio n/twps0052/twps0052.html


Kozol, J. (2005). The shame of the nation: The restoration of apartheid schooling in American. New York: Three Rivers Press.


Ladson-Billings, G. (2006). From the achievement gap to education debt: Understanding achievement in U.S. schools. Educational Researcher, 35, 3-12.


Madsen, C. K., & Madsen, C. H., Jr. (1998). Teaching/Discipline. Raleigh, NC: Contemporary Publishing.


Metz, E. D. (1993). The camouflaged at-risk student: White and wealthy. Momentum, 24(2), 404.


Slavin, R. E. (1989). Students at risk of school failure: The problem and its dimensions. In R. E. Slavin, N. Karweit, L., & N. Madden, A. (Eds.), Effective programs for students at risk (pp. 3-20). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.


Taylor, J. A., Barry, N. H., & Walls, K. C. (1997). Music and students at-risk: Creative solutions for a national dilemma. Reston, VA: Conference.


Music Educators National


Shaklee, B. D., & Biedler, F. M. (1992). Changing At- risk Settings for At-promise Students. General Music Today, 6(2), 5-7.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64