Document text
49 °F 5 Day Forecast Saturday, November 29, 2003 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend November 3, 2003 April Oleson, right, and the rest of James Finnegan�s Jacksonville Elementary School class take a moment to listen to classical music in the morning as part of a districtwide effort to keep music in a budget-thinned curriculum. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell ‘Music in the Morning’ starts the day right By JILL BRISKEY Mail Tribune Inside every elementary school classroom in Medford, hundreds of students followed the imaginary chase of Edvard Grieg’s "In the Hall of the Mountain King" early Friday morning. Older students tended to tap their pencils in time to the beat while younger children danced as notes from the famous symphony were piped through office intercoms. "This is the start of our day," said James Finnegan, a sixth-grade teacher at Jacksonville Elementary. "It provides us with a time when everybody drops everything and just listens to music." For more than six years, students of Jacksonville Elementary have begun the school day by listening to a few minutes of classical music. A different composer — such as Mozart, Beethoven or Prokofiev — is featured each week along with a short, historical background. Advertisement "I think this song is better than most of them," said Jacksonville sixth-grader CJ Marincus of Friday’s selection. "It’s cool ... there’s lots of trumpets. I play the trumpet in band." "It’s just relaxing to hear songs in the morning," added Amber Savage. "It’s good music." The program, "Music in the Morning," was first introduced through Jacksonville’s partnership with Britt Music Festivals. A few years later, officials from the Medford School District began to warm to the idea and instituted the program into every elementary classroom. The Ashland School District also followed suit. "It’s an inexpensive way to bring music and arts into the classroom," said Medford Curriculum Director Phil Long. "It really has a calming effect on the atmosphere of our schools." The state encourages public schools to include music in the curriculum but doesn’t require it. Hard hit by budget cuts, several school districts, such as Central Point, Eagle Point and Rogue River, have cut their elementary music programs entirely. The Medford district has cut four elementary music teaching positions, leaving four staff members to teach at eight schools. Long noted that the morning music program ensures that students are still receiving a daily dose of the arts in these tough economic times. When the program was first introduced, Jacksonville Principal Robert Goerke said even he could detect the sour notes of nervousness and apprehension. "Whenever we add new programs to a school, everybody cringes," said Goerke. "This program was kind of like that." But teachers and parents caught on after watching the musical transformation of students, he noted. Goerke said the positive stories began to trickle in — students who asked parents to buy them classical music or the tale of a first-grader who helped his mother identify a famous symphony being played inside a department store. "There’s an appreciation that wasn’t there before," he added. "It’s absolutely amazing." Music teacher Wendi Stanek agreed. "It’s very positive. There isn’t a lot of moaning and groaning from students," said Stanek. The daily dose of music has even improved the vocabulary of many local students, she added. "They’re now saying ‘Mozart’ instead of ‘Moat-zart.’ It’s so great," Stanek said. Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times