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For
five years, Phillips Academy student mentors have taught Lawrence elementary
students about making music—and learned some lessons of their own.
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by Tana Sherman Violins clutched tightly in their hands, Juan, Helvia, Hong, Audrey, Ashley and Jessica eagerly board the bus from their elementary school in urban Lawrence, Mass., and head south to Andover. They've competed fiercely to get here and practiced diligently for one goal—mastery of the violin. It sounds like the plot of a recent Hollywood movie, but this scene occurs weekly—the fulfillment of a dream of William Thomas, PA director of performance and instructor of music, and Patricia Karl, director and superintendent of the Lawrence Family Development Charter School and a past PA parent. Begun with an Abbot Academy Association grant and now in its fifth year, the Andover-Lawrence Strings Program brings together 40 inner-city youngsters and 30 PA student musicians to study music, as well as life's possibilities. "What the Lawrence children do here will have a profound effect on their lives," says Thomas. "First, they're taking up an instrument and learning the language of music from Andover student tutors. But just as important is the drive from their school to PA. It gives them a vision of where they might go and who they might be." Each fall, Thomas visits the Lawrence school and talks to third-graders about the program. Carmen Schumann, who coordinates the program at the school, sends a letter home to parents, explaining the necessary commitment and travel. There is always enormous interest, even though students must agree to attend every Wednesday throughout the school year and to practice regularly. Thomas returns a few weeks later to interview and audition dozens of students for the coveted 10 openings. "These third-graders are so beautiful and adorable," says Thomas. "By asking them to sing and match pitches, we can see if they have a good ear for music. The ones we select are not necessarily the highest academic achievers. We look for youngsters who will do well and whose parents will support them in this endeavor." During the first vigorous year, many students drop out. Almost no one quits during the subsequent four years of study. There is no cost to the children for either the lessons or the loan of an instrument. Johnson Strings in Newton, Mass., provides half the violins at no cost; PA pays the rental for the remainder. At 5:30 p.m. each Wednesday, the selected youngsters arrive at Cochran Chapel for an hour and a half of serious lessons. As much as possible, youngsters and their tutors work one-on-one. In addition to Thomas, adults providing oversight include Monise Reed, Lawrence Public Schools; Sally Lincoln-Vogel, an Andover resident; and Duncan Cumming, PA music instructor. Although most students study the violin, there is also a pilot program with five piano students. "The kids love learning to play an instrument, and it's been a wonderful program for the families," says Patricia Karl. "It's a great joy to see our children making music in beautiful Cochran Chapel." At the end of fall and winter terms, performance workshops are held, followed by a formal recital for parents and friends at the end of the school year. "These punctuate their work in an important way and motivate them," says Thomas. The mentoring relationship that develops between the children and their tutors is the key to the program's success. For the PA students, it is often the first time they have thought of themselves as teachers. "Now I know what my teacher goes through," says Melinda Hung ’01, who has studied viola since the age of four and performed Walton's "Viola Concerto" as a soloist with the Academy Symphony Orchestra in February. "I get both frustrated and excited with my students. I also am now more aware of how I practice." Bjorn Buschan ’01, who has studied violin for seven years, recently helped refocus and motivate one of his students. "Getting another person to practice motivates me," he says. "We're giving them something they wouldn't have otherwise." There are many subtle messages given by the program, too. Thomas strives for gender balance among both the Lawrence students and the PA volunteers. "We've been successful in getting over the stereotypes about boys and violins. Having male violin teachers seems natural to these kids," he says. Thomas has no trouble recruiting PA students. "This is a wonderful experience and mutually beneficial for both our Phillips Academy students and the Lawrence students. They learn so much from each other; it's non sibi at its best," he says. Besides William Braff ’01 and Hung, who serve as student leaders, volunteers include some of the best musicians at Phillips Academy. among them are seniors Kathryn Cash, Laurie Choi, Elizabeth Heroy, Melvin Huang, Nicholas Morrison, Megan Prado, James Shin, Emerson Sykes, Jessica Wang and Lindsey Williams. Mindy Lo ’00, who taught a young girl named Kaisy last year, describes her pride when her pupil finally began to make music. "I could see she was beginning to learn something; she started to ask questions and tried to play the pieces meticulously as a musician would, instead of carelessly as a child," says Lo. "Kaisy moved her bow against the strings with surprising dexterity—and even, at times, with a musician's daring. Finally there was harmony." Thomas asks alumni or friends who have a violin sitting in the attic to consider donating it to the Andover-Lawrence Strings Program. Please call the music department at (978) 749-4260. "Learning to Teach a Life's Passion," an essay by Mindy Lo ’00 about her experiences in this program, can be found on the Andover Web site at www.andover.edu/english/jgould/galore/eg6.html#passion. |
Copyright, Phillips Academy, 2001
