A-B-C might be as easy as one-two-three, but for 28 Burning Tree Elementary School students, singing is a little more complicated.
Every Tuesday before school, a group of fourth-and fifth-graders go to a volunteer chorus class, their only chance to sing in a school chorus.
Due to budget cuts, all of Burning Tree’s fine arts classes, including music, arts and physical education, are taught four days a week instead of five. The in-school chorus was eliminated at the end of last year. In previous years, chorus was mandatory for all fourth-and fifth graders, and fifth-graders could participate in volunteer chorus before school.
Burning Tree music teacher Alison Siegel instructs the before-school chorus once a week and has students perform warm-up exercises, sing in groups and practice diction and pitch in preparation for seasonal concerts.
“Number one is for students to walk in and walk out with a love of music,” Siegel said.
Siegel talked to parents about the best time to hold the volunteer chorus classes, and concluded that before-school sessions would allow students to participate in chorus but still enjoy after-school activities.
Still, the program poses problems for students who don’t have transportation or simply don’t want to wake up early.
“I like the songs that we sing, and I always want to sing,” fourth-grader Meredith Battaile said. “But I would like to have the class in school because sometimes it’s hard to get up in the morning.”
Parent Lisa Sanfuentes agrees that it would be more beneficial for students to have chorus during school.
“I would like it restored to the school day so every student has the opportunity to be in the chorus,” she said. “I also think it’s a lot of pressure for the music teacher to be teaching it outside of regular school hours, and it’s such an inconvenience for parents to bring their kids to school early.”
However, Sanfuentes’ fifth grade daughter Isabel said she prefers the intimacy of the before-school program.
“It’s fun to have it before school because it’s not as many people and it’s easier to do things,” she said.
Siegel hopes schools will recognize the importance of musical education in the face of difficult budget cuts.
“Its one of those frustrating things, she said. “I understand why the chorus program was cut, but the students have to pay the price.”
The school expects to reinstate the in-school chorus program next year.
“Next year our music teacher will teach all five days and our plan is to have chorus,” assistant principal Jennifer Lowndes said.
