Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
News
Chantelle Urbina, assistant director of the Music School, teaches her students, including Miku Yamada, 6, left, dance moves to the song 'Together Wherever We Go.' School makes some sweet music Presbyterian Church of Sunnyvale holds summer music school By Amy Jenkins It has been more than 25 years since Proposition 13 significantly cut funding to California schools—resulting in the elimination of music and arts programs—but many Cupertino and Sunnyvale schools still feel the effects today. In 1977, two music educators concerned about the cutbacks and children's music education started a nonprofit community music school at the Presbyterian Church of Sunnyvale. The Music School, which began with 13 children, has grown into a year-round program with private lessons, music camps and musical theater productions, and now has 650 students. "When we started the school, no one dreamed it would grow like it has," says director Doris Harry, who taught the first class of 13 students and now leads teacher training, develops the curriculum for the school and writes children's music books. The Music School has taken over a large portion of the church grounds. In each of the nine rooms in which classes are held, there is a large music staff painted on the floor that children can stand on and learn how to read music. There are also rooms devoted specifically to arts and crafts, and a state-of-the-art piano lab that has 10 pianos, headsets for listening to the teacher's piano and an overhead projector to read music. During the summer, classes are more diverse, Harry says, with classes for students of all ages. Some classes teach young children about music through songs, dances, crafts and hands-on experience with xylophones, pianos and rhythm instruments. Children ages two through nine can learn about music from different countries during a course that meets twice a week, from July 1 through Aug. 1, called "Music and Art Around the World." This year parents will help teach students about music and dance from India and Spain. With students of more than 50 nationalities, often students' parents can help teach indigenous songs and dances. This year students will learn flamenco dancing and the mechanics of playing classical guitar, the piano and rhythm instruments. Countries the school has studied in the past include Japan, Korea, Canada, Mexico, Germany, France and Holland. Harry has also bought authentic musical instruments from many countries so that the children can have hands-on experience with the music they're studying. On the last day of class, parents are invited to participate in a festival in which the children show off the new songs and dances they have learned and wear costumes they have made during an arts and crafts session. Parents also make food from the countries studied, Harry says. The school also offers the "Music and Arts Morning Camp," for children ages four through ten. From Aug. 5 to 9, children will sing, play musical games, learn folk dances, make instruments, learn how to paint and make collages. The school has 22 full-time teachers on staff - all with degrees in music - and 20 teacher's assistants. This makes it possible to have small classes of between 12 and 15 students, each with a teacher and teacher assistant. Professional community artists are hired to teach at the camp as well. The Music School has been open so long there are now teachers who were once students. Nick Patten, 17, took classes at the school starting in the second grade and is now a teacher's assistant. "This is a special community of people," says Patten, a Saratoga resident. "They train people very well in how to sing, move and act." Teachers also write original scripts for all the musical theater courses. On June 24, students in first through sixth grade began a six-week rehearsal for the production of The Circus. The assistant director of The Music School, Chantelle Urbina wrote the script about life in a circus. Among the pieces the children will sing is "Together Wherever We Go," by Stephen Sondheim. This is the fifth production that Max Wallack, 11, has been in at The Music School. The young Sunnyvale resident will go into the sixth grade at Cupertino Middle School next fall. "This gives me something to do during the summer," says Wallack, the oldest student in the class. Performances are either held in the church gymnasium, which is transformed into a stage, or at local schools. The nonprofit organization holds fundraisers to make building additions at the church and to provide scholarships for children, since no one is turned away, according to Harry. Cupertino resident Kayoko Akaogi has taken her children to The Music School for seven years, ever since she heard about it from her child's preschool friend. Since Akaogi plays the organ and took music classes while she was growing up in Japan, she felt it was important for her children to be musically educated. "They were getting no music in primary school," says Akaogi, whose daughter Mimi is in the musical theater class. "The environment here is nice. The teachers are all professional, and I think they are a great influence on the kids." Sunnyvale resident Vivian Kim takes her three children to private musical instrument lessons and classes during the school year. Her son Gannon, 8, says he loved performing in the Spread Some Sunshine production last year. "It is a good opportunity for the kids to stand in front of an audience and express themselves," Kim says. "It is a good opportunity to work on their shyness." For more information about The Music School, call 408-739.9248. |
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