— from Kristen Wilson —
The Music Advocacy Group, with the community’s help, hopes to put ukuleles in the hands of all 3rd to 4th grade students at Orcas Elementary School, and you can help. Thanks to the Orcas Island Community Foundation, who has selected this project to appear among 14 grant opportunities on their on-line catalog, you can go directly to this url: https://oicferp.
The Music Advocacy Group (MAG) of Orcas Island is dedicated to building a “shining star” school music program – to providing students with a lifelong means of personal expression and music appreciation, and to creating a point of pride for Orcas Island and the school district. We firmly believe that SCHOOL MUSIC MATTERS on Orcas Island!
Making sure that all students have the equipment they need to pursue their musical education is an important part of our mission. Two years ago, for the first time, ukuleles were introduced to fourth graders thanks to the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival. Beginning this year, third graders share music class-time with fourth graders. So now we hope to expand the ukulele program to third graders, so that all students in our combined third-fourth grade classes have instruments to take home and play.
“Most of my younger students have never played an instrument, other than a recorder,” said Pamela Wright, Director of K-4 General Music, 5-6 Choir and 5-12 Strings. “In fact, purchasing an instrument such as a ukulele would be a luxury that many of my students’ families would be hard-pressed to do. So when I place ukuleles in my students’ hands for the first time, it feels a little like Christmas. You can see it in their faces. Knowing that they are being trusted to take this instrument home and care for it – it’s a feeling of pride and responsibility, an excitement at being able to accompany themselves singing, and they are motivated to practice.”
“By playing ukulele, students enhance ear training and learn about chords,” added Wright, “and they gain experience playing as an ensemble. The skills they gain make them stronger musicians as they go into fifth grade strings, choir or band classes.” Both Wright and Darren Dix, 5-12 Band Director, say they have seen a higher level of musicianship from their students since the ukuleles were introduced. “In band, they are picking up new information sooner,” said Dix. “They are more prepared, more likely to succeed, and the knowledge is more likely to stick. It’s a building process. The knowledge they’re gaining now will stay with them through high school and after.”
“We are fortunate on Orcas to have two excellent music teachers who, along with all of our talented students, are accumulating some amazing achievements,” said Catherine Pederson, President of MAG. Just last spring, the Orcas High School Band was the only band in its bracket to receive a “Superior” rating from both judges at a Northwest Washington contest. The Orcas High School Strings were awarded the top place among all string ensembles performing at a contest for northwest-area schools in Bellingham.
With the successful funding of this grant, the sounds of “Down in the Valley” and “Clementine” will be filling the school hallways. Then we will invite everyone in the community to attend the K-4 school music concert in June to hear what the kids have learned!
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