Fourth-graders Calvin Williams, Alexander Hagans, and Amir Hoskin tap out a beat during their last class of the six-week program.

The last school bus pulls out into the street, bringing with it its cargo of amped-up elementary students excited about the end of another school day. Inside the now-largely-deserted Ettrick Elementary, clusters of teachers talk and laugh, their voices echoing in the empty halls as they, too, prepare for a bit of relaxation at home.

However, all is not completely quiet in the empty halls. A drum beat rips down the hallways, shattering the silence as students participate in an after-school music enrichment program, the first of its kind at Ettrick.

“We hope that this introduction to music, musicians, and instruments will encourage students to pursue music opportunities in middle school and beyond,” says Andrew Henderson, music teacher at Ettrick. “A lot of our students leave and don’t go on to continue music; this is a great way to get them introduced to instruments.”

Made possible by a $15,000 grant from the Cameron Foundation, the music enrichment class gives fourth- and fifth-grade students the opportunity to experience and perform on instruments that are not typically seen in elementary school. Instruments chosen included 10 violins – which were donated by the Rudi Johnson Foundation – nine keyboards, and 20 djembe drums, as well as introductory method books for each instrument.

“I chose the violin and keyboards because they are instruments that are universal to most people,” says Henderson. “The djembe drums have to do with the ancestry of many of our students, so we were able to integrate some of the cultural aspects as well.”

For six weeks, students meet for one 45-minute session each week to learn about the instrument and how to perform a few songs on it. Henderson leads the keyboard and drum classes on Wednesdays and Thursdays respectively, while Matoaca High School orchestra teacher Amanda Walenga leads the violin class on Tuesdays.

In addition to the classes after school, Henderson has used some of the grant money to allow students and their parents to attend several Petersburg Symphony concerts, with another trip planned for December. To prepare students for the concerts, Henderson invited Dr. Ethel Haughton of VSU to talk to students about the music.

“Pre-concert visits help students prepare for what they will be hearing and seeing at each concert. Dr. Haughton discusses the pieces and composers that will be featured at each performance,” says Henderson.

Students in the music enrichment class aren’t the only ones to benefit from the grant. Henderson also used part of the grant money to purchase a number of music books for the Ettrick Elementary library.

“Most of the books purchased focus on African-American composers and performers. We have included everyone from Scott Joplin to Chris Brown,” says Henderson. “This purchase of books plays a pivotal role in getting students interested in music, but also gets them excited about reading.”

Even though they have to stay after school for it, the music enrichment program has been a welcome addition to Ettrick.

“It’s kind of great,” says Amir Hoskin, a fourth-grader in the djembe drum program. “It’s really fun trying new things, and the African drums are really sweet.”

Though the fall music enrichment program ended last week, another six-week session will start on January 12. Enrollment in it will be open to all fourth- and fifth-grade students on a first-come, first-serve basis. Henderson plans to apply for the grant again next year and hopes to expand the program to include four six-week sessions.

nderatto@villagepublishing.com | 751-0421

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