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Elkhorn couples' amazing gift nurtures a legacy of music |
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Written by Todd Mishler/Walworth County Sunday
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Friday, 28 October 2011 14:51 |
General music teacher and band director Cara Anderson looks over seventh-grader Alex Beatovic’s work during class Tuesday at Elkhorn Area Middle School. A large donation to the district for music programs has allowed the installation of music labs like this one and increased participation by general music students — those who aren’t in the band or choir. Terry Mayer/staff photo.
ELKHORN — Only participation can foster true appreciation. A generous donation has helped increase the former, while instructors in the Elkhorn Area School District’s music department are seeing — and hearing — the latter.
Steve Simonson has directed the middle school choir for 30 years, and he can’t say enough about the opportunities such a gift presents to teachers and students alike.
“About 4 1/2 years ago, we got word that somebody was interested in donating a large sum to our music department, and we met with (District Administrator) Greg Wescott and put a proposal together to decide the best way to serve the kids throughout the district,” Simonson said. “The funding would provide $100,000 per year for three years, so we started with the elementary schools the first year, middle school the second and then high school.”
The new effort is geared to general music students — those not in band or choir — who have enjoyed and benefited from attending concerts and performances such as a production at the Fireside Dinner Theatre. But the largest chunk of the donation has gone to music labs.
“We added keyboard labs at the elementary schools, and the middle school has a new computer lab that focuses on music theory and basic composition skills, so eventually students will learn how to write their own songs using the software,” said Simonson, who teaches the course to sixth-graders, who started the program with a three-week run late last year on a trial basis.
Kirt and Dixie Fiegel, Elkhorn natives and admirers of the arts, are the ones who made it all possible. Kirt Fiegel said he and his wife have strong musical backgrounds, and they simply wanted to give back.
“Things in the core curriculum obviously need to be high priority, but music, sports and the arts are electives or on the edges, and we’ve always felt that the arts in particular are extremely valuable to society in general, so we see a lot of benefits.
“We both have a strong identity with and enjoy music, and we wanted to give the programs at Elkhorn a shot in the arm.”
Cara Anderson is the band director and teaches general music for the seventh- and eighth-graders.
“It’s up to the students if they want to explore this option, because there are no grades or homework,” Anderson said. “The class meets every other day for eight weeks. This being the first year, the question was where to start?”
Students use the new computers and a software program called Mixcraft.
“They’ve had general music in the elementary schools, but with this, many of them are learning without really knowing it,” Anderson said. “It’s like Garage Band in that they may already know the sounds, but you keep adding sounds in making the tracks as long as you want. They learn about form, reading notes and rhythm.”
She hopes that eventually, students will be able to write music, compose it, play it on the piano and record it.
“The idea is for them to explore a lot of sounds and music to see what they like and what interests them,” Anderson added. “A lot of it is totally new and changes as we go along. The kids like working on the computers and with the software.”
Simonson said the Fiegels’ commitment already has paid huge dividends.
“We didn’t know how it would go over because at the middle school level, if they don’t take band or choir, many students would rather have a study hall to get homework done than take a general music elective,” Simonson said. “But the kids seem to love it and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Students have embraced and are excited about the program.”
Kirt Fiegel said that’s music to his ears, but many people deserve credit for making the program a success.
“It took many hours and ideas to put this together,” he said, “and the response from the school, teachers and students has been phenomenal. We’re just happy to have the ability to do this and that people had the vision to try something.
“We feel that the more exposure children can have to music, especially earlier, that the better and longer the participation. And an appreciation for the arts can stick forever.”
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Last Updated on Friday, 28 October 2011 20:39 |
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