By MAUREEN L. CAWLEY
Staff Writer
WILDWOOD – For years, budget restrictions nearly silenced the music program here. But last year a $100,000 grant from the Byrne Foundation resuscitated the district’s band, and the sounds of music could again be heard in the middle school and high school hallways. Now, the influence of that seed money is being felt by some of the district’s youngest students, as well.
This fall, through the efforts of music director, John Hoffman, the echoes of music are being heard at the Glenwood Avenue School. In the early morning hours, when many of their classmates are still asleep, more than 60 third-, fourth- and fifth- graders are already out of bed and on their way to the school’s morning music enrichment program.
Formal graded music instruction is provided during the school day by classroom teachers here. They follow a curriculum based largely on the history of music and the biographies of famous composers, Hoffman said. But the school wanted to provide something more.
Students enrolled in the elementary school morning music enrichment program do not receive grades for their participation, but instead they receive instruction for almost an hour in the morning on the fundamentals in reading music, harmonizing and singing together in a choir, Hoffman said.
“We weren’t sure at first how it was going to work out,” the school’s principal, Dr. Herbert C. Fredericks said, “but the response has been overwhelming.”
According to Fredericks, nearly a third of students at each grade level have chosen to participate.
“We are very pleased with the turn-out,” Hoffman said.
Hoffman worked in the Glenwood Avenue School’s music program in the Eighties before the program was cut, and he said it was nice to come back to work with the younger students again.
“It’s kind of a feeder program for the middle school and the high school programs,” Frederick said, and it levels the playing field a little bit island-wide, since both Crest Memorial and Margaret Mace have an elementary school music instructor, a choir and a band.
“It gives them an advantage when they get to high school,” Frederick said.
Frederick said the number of tardy students has decreased with the introduction of the morning music enrichment program, and participating students get a boost in self-esteem when they realize that each of them play a part in the success of the production.
“They get the opportunity to feel important and to be a part of something,” he said.
The elementary school choir gave its first public performance last week for the Home and School association. They were scheduled to perform for Glenwood Avenue students last Friday, but Hoffman became ill with walking pneumonia and the concert was rescheduled for Tuesday. Tonight, Wednesday, at 7 p.m., they are scheduled to perform in a holiday concert at Wildwood High School in a program that features the high school and middle school choir and the new band.
“It is a good experience for them to play with the high school choir,” Frederick said. “It’s a great way to introduce them to music.”
And according to Frederick, the whole elementary school derives benefits from the new program as well. On cold and windy days when students gather in the all-purpose room before school starts, they get to watch their classmates in the music program practice Christmas carols and gospel tunes together.
Their classmates are very responsive to the early morning entertainment, he said, and “It’s a great way to start the day.”
