Music in Schools

from The Art of Living Horizons 2023

Millbrook launches arts tourism initiative

STORY BY BREANNA MANLEY

Elmore County Schools have the fine arts down pat with music programs available in most schools, including elementary schools in the area. Whether it be marching band, jazz band or even choir, students experience and participate in music with helpful teachers and directors leading the way.

Opportunities to learn more about music usually widen as students move from school to school. Most high schools offer music-related classes, such as symphonic band, marching band or even a jazz band class. Wetumpka High School offers all three to its students.

WHS band director, Jason Warnix, believes music influences students’ lives more than one might think.

“Just participation in band has benefits students don’t even realize. It helps develop teamwork skills and self-motivation because each student has to be accountable for their performance. On the music side of it, it develops creative thinking, as well as logical thinking. Music is the only activity, really, that utilizes both sides of the brain. One side is the creative side, and the other side is the logical side. Both of those have to apply in music making,” Warnix explained.

The WHS symphonic band performs concerts throughout the year, including their winter concert coming up in February. Marching band students are exposed to even more opportunities to share their musical talent with crowds through marching band competitions and exhibitions, as well as honor bands. The jazz band, which meets after school for practice, participates in a jazz concert at Tallassee High School every year to present their musical abilities.

Another local high school, Elmore County High School, has a terrific music program in place. Led by Director Anthony Vittore, band students have the option to participate in concert band and/or marching band. Vittore and the rest of the faculty and staff involved in the music department encourage students to expand their experience with music by looking to outside resources and events in addition to school programs.

“That’s one thing we really try to push. Doing things outside of the class kind of gives them a different experience. Here, you have one take on a thing, but when you go outside, you experience the small fish in a big pond feel. We really push Troy University for both the middle and high school students, and of course, there’s the all-county band. We also do allstate bands for middle and high school. Last year, we even had kids do all-state orchestra,” Vittore said.

Middle school band programs are where most students first come into contact with creating music with instruments. Southside Middle School Band Director Melanie Skeen loves the first part of the school year, when students who have never picked up instruments before learn the basics.

“It’s my favorite thing, just seeing them learn how to put together their instruments for the first time and watching them learn to create music for the first time. It’s great,” Skeen said.

Much like other bands throughout the county, Southside Middle’s band puts on concerts throughout the year to showcase their talents in the community. Band programs are found in nearly every school, but another way for students to create music is through choir. Redland Elementary School is one of the schools that offers its students a choir program. Led by Choir Director Brooke Williamson, the students perform several times throughout the year at a number of events; most of the time, performing songs the students have never heard of before joining the choir program.

“When I got the opportunity to do our school’s choir, I was very excited to expose the kids to all sorts of music that they may not be familiar with already. I like to pull a lot of classic songs like, Home on the Range and Oh, What a Beautiful Morning . Last year, our spring program was all about the ’50s, so we had kids singing Elvis Presley and all that stuff. It was really fun, and it’s just really fun for me to see how excited they get about some of the songs,” Williamson explained.

The choir is made up of 28 students, all of whom meet after school once a week to practice for upcoming gigs. Some of their most recent events include singing the national anthem at sporting events; singing a few pieces at the elementary school’s fall festival; and for Christmas, they traveled to the Montgomery Zoo to perform for the Christmas Festival of Lights.

Including music programs throughout all of the schools is still a work in progress, but Elmore County Public Schools Superintendent Richard Dennis said he is appreciative and supportive of the fine arts programs and hopes to improve them while adding more to the county.

“I think fine arts is one of the biggest programs you’re going to see actually implemented in a school. Athletics is always recognized, and that’s the first thing people think about. But quite frankly, when you look at your music programs in most of your schools, between music and theater, you’ve got two of your largest programs. It’s one of the things I’m trying to support and grow,” Dennis explained.

Keep an eye out on Elmore County Schools and their music programs. Supporting them could be as easy as attending a band or choir concert on a weeknight. For more information on upcoming music program events, check out the Elmore County Schools website at elmoreco.com.