Music molds learners

SPRINGVILLE — The students in the Springville High School orchestra start a section of Alfred Reed's "Russian Christmas Music," which they had been playing for about 45 minutes during a recent before-school practice that began at 6:30 a.m.

The section begins with a rumble of drums, followed by a clash of cymbals. The horn section softly chimes in and crescendos. Chills run up the spine of a listener.

Then the conductor, Springville High's director of orchestras, Sam Tsugawa, sings back to the students off-pitch.

The music stops.

"You sound like a broken stereo," he said.

The students laugh.

Despite, or maybe because of, such corrections, the orchestra recently took third place in the high school full orchestra category of the 2005 National Orchestra Festival in Reno, Nev.

The honor joins a long list of musical accomplishments in Utah schools — such as the Logan High School choir's performance last weekend at Carnegie Hall with the National Youth Choir, and the American Fork High School marching band participating in January's inaugural parade for President Bush's second term.

High school music programs provide their communities with entertainment and culture. They play at athletic events and represent cities in ceremonies ranging from community celebrations to store grand openings, said Bryan Tobler, Springville High's band director.

"The modern band takes care of representing the city in city parades," said Tobler, whose 1985 marching band performed in Washington during President Reagan's second inauguration. "What's interesting (is) back in pioneer times, most cities had city bands. In fact, I have a grandfather who played in a city band in southern Utah."

Teachers worry that music will be diminished in an education environment that stresses students' competence in certain subjects, based on test scores.

The federal No Child Left Behind Act requires yearly tests in reading and math from grades three through eight, then at least once more in high school.

"The Department of Education has recognized arts as a core subject as part of No Child Left Behind. As a music educator I am confident that administrators around the state of Utah will honor that commitment and will always include arts as part of the (curriculum)," Tsugawa said.