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Raising the voices of children Mail Tribune /Bob Pennell Music educator and former band director Lois Harrison has her arms full of drumming grandchildren. A firm believer in the educational value of music, she is starting a free Choir School for children in downtown Medford. From left are Abby, 3, Isaac, 4, and Eli, 1. Choir classes give kids �golden opportunity� to learn to share talents By Melissa Martin Music should be a part of every child�s life, Lois Harrison believes. She�s helping to make that possible by opening a free Choir School for children ages 4 through 12. Classes meet from 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Wednesdays beginning this week at First Presbyterian Church in downtown Medford. "Music gives children who may not excel in academic areas a new opportunity," Harrison says. "They may find a real strong musical component that hasn�t been developed in their life." Harrison�s background is training music teachers at the University of Oregon and University of Pacific in Stockton, Calif. She was one of the first female band directors in New Jersey, starting off with a lone trumpet player and ending up with 60 musicians. Harrison, who holds a doctorate in education from Columbia University, will teach a choir for third- through sixth- graders, while Doris Sjolund, director of Rogue Valley Children�s Chorus, will teach the 4-year-olds through second-graders. Singing is good for kids, Harrison says. They learn correct posture, breathing and enunciation and develop strong lungs and leadership skills. "If they can stand up and be leaders in a worship service, they are learning discipline and learning how to share and give to others," Harrison says. Besides preparing a piece to sing in church, the children will learn basic music theory, plus use drums and hand chimes, Harrison says. "Kids are highly motivated by instruments and it helps them learn rhythm," Harrison says. Choir School also helps children learn about their faith, says Doreen Bradshaw, owner of Seven Oaks Farm. She breaks from ranch chores to take her grandchildren, Taylor, 9, and Clint, 11, to choir practice. "I think it�s wonderful for kids," Bradshaw says. "My grandkids like to sing and I like the way they learn Bible stories while they are singing." The Choir School is open to all children. The directors have invited kids from Jackson and Washington elementary schools, Scout troops and children from churches that don�t have choirs. "This is a golden opportunity," says Lois Beach, the choir grandmother who takes roll and calls singers each week to encourage them to attend practice. "I had an opportunity as a young girl to sing in Sunday school and I loved it," Beach says. Because many parents have work schedules that would prevent them from bringing their kids to choir, Beach encourages folks to call for a ride. "We�re willing to pick up children if they don�t have a ride," she says. For information, call First Presbyterian Church at 779-1711. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA