December 28, 2005
Noteworthy achievement
TCAPS sixth grade students showcase newfound music skills
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
From zero to concert in ten weeks.
Area sixth grade students in the Traverse City Area Public School district showcased their newfound musical knowledge and proficiency before holiday break. The bands and orchestras at the district's elementary schools and East Junior High performed for parents, staff and students. The musicians played songs such as Twinkle, Twinkle, Hot Cross Buns, Deck the Halls and Jingle Bells after only two months with the instrument they selected.
At Cherry Knoll Elementary School a week ago Monday, the concert featured a dozen orchestra students and 18 band students. These novice musicians played four seasonal songs each, led in turn by orchestra teacher Glenys Cowperthwaite and band teacher David Cowperthwaite.
"I was nervous but we knew what we were going to play," said Tyler Fortin, a violin player with the school's orchestra.
Like many of his peers in the program, Fortin had never played his chosen instrument until a few weeks into the school year. He and the other sixth grade band and orchestra students in the district have two classes a week with their music teacher. Teachers also strongly encourage students to practice at home at least three times a week - time that is crucial to their progress.
"It gets easier and we play different songs," Fortin said of the learning curve. "It sounds really good with a group, smooth and sounds nice."
Hailey Hubert began studying the clarinet last year while a fifth grade student in Kingsley, a district that starts students on instruments a year earlier. She also took private lessons over the summer, joining the beginning Cherry Knoll band students this year as an experienced player.
Hubert, who won a scholarship to attend Blue Lake Find Arts Camp next summer, is elevating both the school's woodwind section and the band.
"I have one very advanced girl in the class and she sort of a creates really good atmosphere," said Cowperthwaite. "You don't have that in every class."
Reflecting on all his students' progress, the veteran teacher added that it is a tall order to transform beginning musicians into confident performers in a term.
"It's almost inconceivable when you think about it," Cowperthwaite noted. "They do get very excited about performing, that is something they can do if you pace yourself and you give them something they want and can feel good about doing."
"You make it doable but also challenging," he added. "They are going to learn from their classmates as well as the teacher."
Cowperthwaite, who also plays the trumpet with the Traverse Symphony Orchestra, shares with Steve Weldon the band instruction duties at the district's elementary schools. Glenys Cowperthwaite, Karen Morrell and Liz Chryst teach the sixth grade orchestra students.
Being a roving music teacher in the geographically spread-out district makes for busy days, whether teaching general music to younger grades or band and orchestra to sixth graders. David Cowperthwaite hits six schools on a typical Monday and five schools per day the rest of the week. This year, he is working with 183 students at 11 schools, with an average band size of 15 students.
The instrument teachers - who worked this fall to help students choose an instrument that were both excited about and suited for - juggle different learning styles, abilities and levels of motivation.
"They're two things that happen in elementary instrumental music: they're learning how to play their instrument and how to read music at the same time," he noted. "This is where the challenge comes because every boy and girl does not have the same innate skills: some kids just love to play but will reject any kind of reading at all; others will read well but have problems with physical playing."
Cowperthwaite praises the general music program and teachers who in earlier grades lay a foundation for the band and instrument teachers. Still, he and the other sixth grade instrument teachers have fewer than two hours a week with students to teach the instrument, musicianship, theory and performance skills.
"Everybody is a little bit different and we have a very, very limited time to do it," Cowperthwaite added. "Some things are going to go by the wayside, you're going to lose some kids along the way that's a fact of life. It shouldn't be this way."