CCHS

Camden County, Georgia--it doesn't exactly conjure up images of a hotbed of thriving artistic activity. Even people who know the location of this Deep South community at the southeastern tip of Georgia probably don't realize that nearly 10,000 students in its public school system get to attend three age-appropriate quality arts programs every year. Camden County High School (CCHS) in Kingsland, Georgia, is the location for the annual Arts in Our Schools program, a highly successful series that brings a variety of arts programs to students who otherwise might not ever experience them.

Initiated in 1996, the Arts in Our Schools program is the brainchild of Camden County Fine Arts Director Dean Slusser. In his ninth year as both fine arts coordinator and drama teacher at CCHS, Slusser is on a mission to develop the next generation of arts patrons. Each year the program generates thousands of dollars through voluntary contributions. At the beginning of the year, parents are asked to make a one-time contribution of $5. Fortunately, many parents contribute. Regardless of the parents' ability to pay, all children in kindergarten through twelfth grade get to attend the programs for their grade levels. With tremendous support from the school system transportation department, thousands of students and their teachers board school buses for the trip to the high school on performance days--smoothly, efficiently and safely. Back-to-back dual presentations in the large auditorium ensure there will be room for every student.

A sampling of events from the past few years reveals a variety of programs by both CCHS student organizations and professional quality artists, including Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, Brigadoon and Little Shop of Horrors--all presented by the CCHS theater program; A Christmas Carol and The Wizard of Oz by Icefire Performance Group; Reading Rainbow and Footprints on the Moon by New York City's Theatre Works; a concert by the Coastal Georgia Symphony; and performances by Boston's Flamenco Ballet.

For the past two years it has been my privilege to participate in the program by presenting a piano lecture-recital for students during the school day and a solo piano recital in the evening for the community. My introduction to Slusser and the arts program happened serendipitously: I had been invited to be the guest pianist on my sister's Christmas piano recital. Slusser's son was one of the young student performers that night. At the reception after the recital, Slusser invited me to join the 2001-2002 roster as a featured concert pianist. Although initially thinking this venue would not be particularly "prestigious," my involvement with this program during the past two years truly has been a significant highlight in my life.

For the first year Slusser invited me to perform for the second- and third-graders. Since I was performing Beethoven's Sonata in E-Flat Major, Opus 81a at the time, I chose to introduce these young students to this most fascinating and important composer. But how would I keep the attention of hundreds of second- and third-graders at one time? Since I decided to emphasize the three-note farewell motive of the sonata (mi-re-do), I began by teaching the students several songs that exclusively used those three pitches. We also reviewed the Kodaly hand signs for these three scale degrees, and everyone sang the songs accompanied by the hand signs.

Next, we needed a little visual stimulation, so I created a PowerPoint presentation about Beethoven. I included pictures of things these young students might want to see and know about--where he lived, who his family members were and what they looked like, where he worked, his pianos and so on--lots of pictures and few words! Then it was time to talk about his music and how it was very different from the music composed by other people during his time. I demonstrated the typical galant-style thin keyboard textures represented by the music of Mozart. However, instead of a Mozart work, I played the melody of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star accompanied by an Alberti bass line, and was pleased when they all joined in singing along with me. Next, I shared how Beethoven's music was much more emotional and how he often wrote pieces in a minor key. I played the same Twinkle tune in C minor with a thicker texture and a somber, reflective character. Imagine my surprise when they spontaneously sang with me again, but this time in hushed and reverent tones.

Finally, the time for the sonata arrived. Since this piece is one of the few programmatic piano works Beethoven composed, I shared the story that inspired the piece. Beethoven's friend, the Archduke Rudolph, was forced to leave hastily when Vienna was invaded. The three movements of the sonata depict the departure, absence and return of the archduke. Children this age can relate to how it feels when a good friend has to leave for a while but then eventually comes home. I played the opening motive for them--it was the same "mi-re-do" we had sung earlier--and demonstrated how this motive would be heard throughout the piece. As I prepared to play, I encouraged them to listen for this musical idea and move their hands using the Kodaly hand signs whenever they heard the "mi-re-do" part.

To my amazement these young children listened quietly and intently to the entire movement. Of course, I needed to leave them with a little bit of suspense, so I played only the first movement and invited them to come to the concert to hear the remaining two movements. Resounding applause followed by hugs and sweet comments from many of the children as they departed let me know I had succeeded in giving them a small taste of the wonderful world of classical music. At the CCHS ballgame that evening, one parent shared with me that her son had come home from school all excited about the recital, insisting they must get tickets and go to the performance the next evening because, in his opinion, I was "really good." And it wasn't just talk--he showed up at the recital the next evening with parents and siblings in tow. Subsequent feedback from the individual elementary school teachers indicated the program had been a success. I also received many heartfelt letters from the students, telling me how much they had enjoyed my performance.

The next year Slusser assigned me to perform for the ninth- and tenth-graders. As I considered what program to present, I began to wonder if keeping their attention might be even more challenging! Scanning my performance repertoire for the fall, I chose to focus on Franz Liszt, since I was performing Liszt's Variations on a Theme of Bach: Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen for our 9-11 memorial concert. Certainly, Liszt's life reads like a movie script; his colorful and dramatic adventures might "sell" with the high school students. I was able to find some great images for the PowerPoint presentation and, despite a few computer glitches, the program once again proved successful.

Why has this arts series so captivated me? I guess it's because I feel I am making a difference in the lives of these young people. When I asked the students last year how many of them had never heard any classical piano music, more than half raised their hands. If I had not performed for them, would they ever have heard any classical piano music? Would their only musical exposure have been the current popular music coming to them via radio and MTV, or possibly the contemporary music heard in their churches?

Budget cuts around the country seem to hit the school systems hardest, and the arts often are one of the first things to go. Even in school systems where music instruction still exists, public pressure frequently causes teachers to feed students a diet of popular music or to rehearse whatever is needed for school program entertainment, at the expense of introducing students to the intricacies of art music. Recently, one graduate from my university accepted a choral music teaching position at a very good high school. He encountered resistance from his students when he introduced music different from the show choir tunes that had been the exclusive style of the previous conductor.

Don't get me wrong; I love show choir music, Broadway tunes, popular songs, contemporary Christian music--all kinds of music considered to be the "music of the people." However, I am concerned the next generation is not being exposed to a wide variety of musical styles; consequently, they will have no foundational basis for making any value judgments about music or any of the arts. I'm not advocating we throw out everything except Bach, Beethoven and Brahms, but I would like to encourage the development of well-rounded musical taste. Different types of music speak to me in different ways, and I would somehow be less "complete" if I were restricted to only one style of music.

Although "classical music" often has been viewed as music for the elite, we must make certain the general student has an opportunity to experience this magnificent body of music. In my previous teaching position at a small liberal arts college, I taught music appreciation on several occasions. My first class was particularly satisfying because the students really made a connection with the music. A "cool" young man, a former high school trumpet player, told me how amazed and pleased he was that he could learn so much about music and intelligently discuss various compositions with his friends. He even had purchased a variety of classical music CDs in such diverse styles as Gregorian chant and Chopin piano music. Isn't that what music appreciation is all about--introducing students to quality music of all styles and helping them make connections that will enrich their lives?

Many seats in our concert halls and opera houses are empty on a regular basis. What can we do to foster future generations of arts patrons? Here are just a few suggestions:

1. Perform as often as you can in as many venues as possible that reach a large segment of the population. Schedule recitals for your students at malls, schools, churches and other community events.

2. Encourage your students to attend a wide variety of artistic performances by orchestras, choral groups, pianists and other instrumentalists, chamber music ensembles, opera companies, new music ensembles, multi-cultural groups and Broadway production companies, just to name a few.

3. Hold regular group classes for your studio, focusing on helping students learn how to more effectively listen to and understand all types of music.

4. Encourage parents to check out recordings and videos from the library on a regular basis so their children can experience many different musical styles. Provide them with a list of some of the world's greatest musical works of art.

5. Support your local arts organizations through volunteer work, financial contributions and attendance at performances.

I've been invited back again to Camden County, and I'm looking forward to another presentation. I'm excited about performing for students who have never heard classical piano music. Who knows what influence I might have on each of their young lives? If I succeed in sparking even one child's interest in classical music, all the hard work for this program will have been worthwhile. As for Dean Slusser and the Camden County Arts in Our Schools program, I hope they will be an inspiration to administrators and teachers in school systems throughout the United States.

For more information about the Camden County Arts in Our Schools program, contact Dean Slusser: dslusser@camden.k12.ga.us.

Lori Rhoden is assistant professor of piano at Ball State University and coordinator of piano pedagogy and group piano. She has a D.M.A. degree in piano pedagogy and performance from the University of South Carolina and degrees and performance certificates from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Florida State University.

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