Major Program Changes for 2006-07
There will be some strong changes in next year’s Elementary Orchestra
program. In an effort to meet its budget, the school board has made the
decision to cut in the area of Music:
With Mr. David Stedman moving on, and leaving the Elementary Band
/Assistant High School Band position at the end of the current school year,
the school board has chosen to not refill that position.
The next change will be to no longer have 4th grade
Beginning Strings Orchestra. That program is cut as of the coming 2006-07
school year.
Our current elementary orchestra director, Alison Jewer, will be let go
because the school board has discontinued that position.
The school district has posted a position for a full-time music
position where the instructor will be half 5th grade orchestra
and half 5th grade band.
The suggestion for handling the split of band and orchestra is to have 5th
grade Orchestra will start in Summer School with summer lessons and continue
to receive instruction from the new instructor through the fall semester.
After the new year, the 5th grade Band students will begin their
instruction.
These changes are causing deep concern not only among Orchestra supporters,
but also among Band supporters.
For further information and any updates,
please come to the Orchestra Boosters Meeting on Monday, March 13 at
6:30p.m. in the Middle School Orchestra Room.
NOTE TO
ORCHESTRA BOOSTERS:
If you are a camera buff, and have pictures of our / your Orchestra Student
performing, we always welcome submissions for possible use on the web site
and for the newspaper. Pictures need to be save in .jpg format and may be
sent to the Orchestra Boosters
e-mail at:
OrchestraBoosters@mail.fortschools.org |
Music Making and the
Brain
The following quote,
taken from the American
Music Conference web site, is the lead into a
series of articles using documented research to
prove the benefit of music for all ages; from
early childhood through adult.
For some very interesting reading, please
check out links available on their web site.
“Music researchers are finding correlations
between music making and some of the
deepest workings of the human brain.
Research has linked
active music making with increased language
discrimination and development, math ability,
improved school grades, better-adjusted social
behavior, and improvements in "spatial-
temporal reasoning," - a cornerstone for
problem solving.”
(http://www.amc-music.com/
musicmaking/thebrain.htm)
The link to this information has been placed on
the Orchestra Boosters Home Page
Music Making and Wellness
The American Music Conference also has
done research on the correlation between music and wellness.
“A compelling new crop of scientific findings
links active music making to measurable
improvements in human well-being, especially
in older people. Loneliness, depression and
even the effects of Alzheimer’s Disease have
been shown to respond to music, and some
studies have even linked music making to
better functioning of the immune system.
This section contains information
you won’t want to miss, and new updates are
posted regularly.”
(http://www.amc-
music.com/musicmaking/wellness.htm) A
link for this information may also be found
on the Orchestra Boosters Home Page.
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