By Geraldine Inoa | Development Associate
Happy Spring from ETM! Our partner school students have been hard at work mastering new music skills and becoming better learners. Your support has helped our partner school program provide quality, weekly music instruction to 20,000 students and has served as an investment in a brighter future for them. What better way to celebrate spring than to share with you the story of one student’s fresh start!
Music class helped Jackson, a 5th grader at P.S. 169 in the Bronx, to deal with loss and turn over a new leaf. Jackson had established a reputation as a happy, well-behaved student with a passion for music. His ETM music teacher, Ms. Gonzalez, described him as a “wonderful singer and cellist, a talented rapper, and all around musician.” But over winter break, Jackson experienced a personal loss in his home life when his father had to move back to his native country. Jackson was very upset over his father’s departure, and started acting out at school. However, there was one place where he was not acting out: music class. Ms. Gonzalez noticed that, “Music class is the one place where Jackson acts like the happy Jackson I’ve known since last year.” Unfortunately, because of his poor behavior in other areas of school, Jackson was removed from the orchestra for two weeks. His music teacher and assistant principal then developed a plan to allow Jackson back into orchestra on the condition that he improve his behavior in his other classes “[Because] Jackson loves orchestra and music, he is trying his hardest to be the model student he was before,” reveals Ms. Gonzalez. Music is keeping Jackson engaged with school and giving him the determination he needs to turn his behavior and attitude around.
His remarkable improvement was illustrated recently after Ms. Gonzalez finished a unit on hip-hop. Jackson and four of his classmates decided to start a hip-hop club that would meet during lunch. Forty-six 5th-graders have signed up for the club -- over half of the entire 5th grade at P.S. 169! The students are writing their own raps, composing beats, and choreographing dances together twice a week. Jackson is exercising leadership skills and participating in a positive activity. Ms. Gonzalez shared, “Without music, Jackson would be lost. Music is keeping him safe, secure, and giving him a healthy outlet for his emotions. I am happy to have Jackson in my class, and will be sad to see him move onto middle school next year.” The student who was once considered difficult and troubled has now become a leader and inspiration to his peers because of music education.
Education Through Music’s partner school program supports students’ social and emotional development. Many other students are benefiting from their music instruction just like Jackson through an increase in their self-esteem, self-confidence, and motivation for school. Jackson’s story is just one example of what children can accomplish when music is a part of their school routine. Thank you for changing the lives of our students! Help us promote music education in inner-city schools by sharing this report with your friends and family. Let them know the impact their donation can have on deserving students like Jackson!
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