Keep Music in Wall Intermediate School: My Letter to the Superintendent

Mrs. Bilenker:

My name is James Gray. I am a senior at Wall High School. Next year, I will be studying Government and Politics at the University of Maryland, College Park. I am also an Eagle Scout, an officer in the National Honor Society, a national merit scholar, and above all, a student of music.

I write this letter in strong opposition to the proposal to remove music instruction from the schedule at Wall Intermediate School. As an alumnus of the school and the music program, I can say from experience that I grew by leaps and bounds as a trumpeter and bassist during my time at WIS. Mr. Stephen Bryant, the band director, is one of the most inspiring and effective teachers with whom I have ever had the pleasure of studying. Although I am extremely passionate about music, I can say with absolute certainty that I would have found the program to be nearly unbearable if it meant staying after school every day or coming in to school early. The best part of my day was always rehearsal. I found that it relaxed me in a way that other classes never could.

Another concern about holding rehearsal before school is the prospect of taking the bus with high school students. I was bullied a fair amount at WIS, and I would have found the bus ride extremely intimidating. If rehearsals are held after school, then students have a commitment to be there every day, leaving no time for other clubs, sports, or extra help for other classes. If rehearsal is not held every day, then the band, orchestra, and choir will be unable to continue their tradition of excellence, robbing students of the opportunity to adequately grow as musicians.

Although I am a fervent supporter of the arts, I do understand the predicament in which the school currently finds itself. I understand that we need to keep our test scores high in order to comply with No Child Left Behind. However, we need further study of what has been causing these low test scores. There are countless possibilities. The low scores on standardized tests could be the result of ineffective teachers, lack of preparation by students, or even a lack of incentive for the students to do well. During my junior year, we were required to take the HSPAs. High scores on the HSPAs are good for the school, but have absolutely no effect on the student. The school offered us a very attractive incentive: if we scored advanced proficient on the exam, we would be exempt from the final exam in that class. As a result, I scored advanced proficient on my mathematics section and was exempt from my Pre-Calculus final that year. Perhaps an incentive such as this might drive up motivation among the student body to do well on these tests.

Music is not at fault here. There is no reason to punish passionate, hardworking young musicians in order to improve standardized test scores. Because of opportunities I was given at Wall Intermediate School, I continued into the band at Wall High School. I was the drum major in the marching band, and I have been accepted to several honor ensembles. This January, I was accepted to the CJMEA Region II Orchestra, making me the number five trumpeter in Central New Jersey. As I sat upon the stage and played, I thought of how humbling it was to play with (and be counted among) the best student musicians in this part of the state. Then I realized how fortunate I was to have such a strong music program at my school that fostered my love of music. As a citizen, a voter, a taxpayer, and a musician, I urge you to keep music during the school day and pursue other solutions to deal with low test scores.

Sincerely,

James C. Gray III

Quaker St.