Education United States Project #10585

Give In-School Music Education to NYC Youth

by Education Through Music, Inc.

Give In-School Music Education to NYC Youth

Project Report | Sep 6, 2013
ETM Music Teachers Prepare For School Year with PD

By Krystal Valentin | Development and Marketing Associate

Teachers getting into the spirit of ETM-led PD

September 9^th is the first day of school in New York City and our teachers have been busy preparing for the school year. In mid-August, Education Through Music (ETM) gathered music teachers from across its network to participate in the ETM Academy—its revamped and extended professional development (PD) workshops—in Oberlin, OH. At the ETM Academy, teachers attended sessions on Common Core and music education integration, classroom management, lesson planning and curriculum development, and music teaching methodologies. In addition, there were specialized sessions held, which were led by esteemed practitioners in the field on conducting ensembles, teaching guitar in middle school and incorporating world drumming into lessons.

Teachers were energized by the professional development sessions and are eager to apply these lessons in their respective classrooms, as reflected in their survey responses:

“I learned so much about the craft of teaching - not only through the programs/sessions offered, but also through being surrounding by so many fantastic and inspiring teachers 24 hours a day....Even whilst socializing in off time, there was constant talking of strategies and the trading of ideas. Wonderful and inspiring week!

“This experience has been SO valuable. The things we have experienced were very applicable and pertinent to our everyday teaching lives.”

“The retreat atmosphere was particularly helpful in creating a bonded community of learners and teachers.”

“The resources we have been given and the discussions that were had were very helpful.”

We wish our music teachers well – and look forward to another successful school year! As always, ETM plans to keep you informed of our partner school program’s progress. We hope you will consider forwarding this report to friends, family or colleagues interested in supporting music education. Your continued support is greatly appreciated.

The ETM Academy

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Jun 10, 2013
Achieving Academic Success Through Music

By Krystal Valentin | Development and Marketing Associate

The following story was written as told by ETM music teacher, Brittany Kolodziej who teaches orchestra at ETM partner schools PS 68 and MS 529 in the Bronx. PS 68, a K-5 school, has partnered with ETM since 1997, during which time it has established its general music program for all students and an orchestra program which serves grades 4-5.

From the first day Jamal* entered my cello class I knew there was something special about him. Jamal was anxious to learn and came to class and rehearsals throughout the fall and winter season with wide eyes and a huge smile.

I'll never forget one day in November when I had Jamal’s class for the last period of the day on a Friday afternoon: he came into class almost running, unpacked, and immediately began playing the blues on his cello. "Miss Kolodziej," he said, "I'm so glad it's time for cello class. I've had this music running through my head all day and now I finally get to let it out!"

A few weeks later he began missing his lessons. His teacher informed me she was holding him because he "couldn't even write a sentence." She told me that his grades were so low in English Language Arts (ELA) that he could not afford to miss time in her classroom. I fought this battle and lost. Jamal, however, still came to morning orchestra rehearsals before school and even gave up some recess time to practice with me. He was determined to get his grades up so he could stay in orchestra. As time went on, Jamal showed me a few of his own music compositions. It seemed that composing music was also helping him to compose words, sentences, and paragraphs in his ELA class. During this time, he fell in love with Yo-Yo Ma’s music, and decided he was going to be a famous composer/cellist someday too.

By the start of spring, Jamal showed me some of his school work and smiled when he told me that his grades were up. In orchestra, he never skipped a beat.

I almost cried, a few weeks ago, when he brought me an essay he wrote about what music meant to him. I could see his effort come through in his writing. It was evident that he wrote and re-wrote his story many, many times before giving it to me. He wrote beautifully. I had seen where he was in the winter, and the improvement in his writing was astounding.

Jamal’s hard work in both cello class and ELA are paying off and he has been selected for an USDAN scholarship to attend a summer arts camp. His gift and passion for music has motivated him to rise above his challenges in ELA. He is one of the most gifted students in the orchestra and his musical abilities are top notch. I am so excited for what is in store for him.

*The student’s name was changed to protect his identity and privacy.

Please consider sharing this story with friends and colleagues who might be interested in supporting this project to help ETM provide more students with sustained and quality music instruction. Your support can make a difference!

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May 20, 2013
Spring News from ETM

By Krystal Valentin | Development and Marketing Associate

ETM student performers with MC Christine Baranski

Students from across ETM’s 28 partner schools gave a marvelous performance at the 2013 ETM Children’s Benefit Gala, and captivated the nearly 500 guests in attendance. Under the direction of ETM’s Director of Programs, Pete Pauliks, and accompanied by Gala honoree Richard Bernstein on piano, 80 choral and 60 ensemble students sang and performed two pieces. “Turn the World Around,” a folk song inspired by African culture with words and music by Harry Belafonte and Robert Freedman, showcased the students’ musical skills effortlessly. The second piece performed, “Nella Fantasia”—Italian for “In My Fantasy”—beautifully captured the hope we share, as an organization, for our students.

ETM music teachers reported that their student-participants were energized by the performance and were eager to continue practicing even after the event was over! Fortunately, between general music classes, ensemble and choral rehearsals students won’t have to wait too long for their next performance. Partner schools will be holding their spring concerts throughout the month of May, and over 700 students will perform at this year’s ETM Festival in early June at the Richard Rodgers Amphitheatre at Marcus Garvey Park in Manhattan. It is guaranteed to be a day filled with inspiring performances!

If you would like to attend a student concert or the ETM Festival, contact ETM for more information at info@ETMonline.org.

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Other recent developments for ETM’s New York City Partner School Program include the release of program evaluation finding from the 2011-2012 school year. Data was gathered through surveys and interviews with students, principals and parents and assessment tests. Highlighted findings include:

ETM instruction is positively associated with students’ musical knowledge and with students’ academic achievement in Math and English Language Arts.
Over 90% of partner school principals and classroom teachers rate the program as either “excellent” or “good.”
79% of parents believe that ETM has increased the musical activities they share with their children.
The majority of partner school classroom teachers—75%—believe that music education impacts student learning.
ETM enhances students’ general development, especially in areas of confidence and creativity.

To read the full report, please visit www.ETMonline.org/evaluation.

To read ETM’s success story narratives, please visit http://etmonline.org/etm-impact/success-stories

In order to help cultivate school communities that value the arts, ETM needs your continued support. Please consider sharing this report, and the positive impact ETM is having at our partner schools, with others who might like to contribute to restoring music education in NYC schools.

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