We, the Alumni of the Cambridge South Dorchester High School Music Program, submit the following petition as an earnest recommendation for efficient staffing of the Instrumental Music and Vocal Music Programs. It is in best interest that two full-time teaching positions be reserved, and filled for the Music Department (one teaching specialist in Instrumental Music and one teaching specialist in Vocal Music).
Currently, with both positions combined, the already failing CSD music program runs the risk of not being able to hire highly-qualified candidates as the hired person would be required to teach two different performing ensembles. While the state of Maryland doesn't differentiate music teachers who have specializations in instrumental music from those who have a specialization in vocal music music students majoring in music education choose vocal or instrumental music tracks. These majors only share music theory, cognition and development and maybe some general education / general music courses. Pedagogically these students will learn completely different skills for their future vocations including (teaching methods, repertoire and technical proficiency) for their chosen discipline. Choral educators will not have brass and woodwind technique classes; Band educators will not have vocal technique classes.
Over the last ten years, we have watched the program that we adored crumble before our eyes and the community. This has been result of poor decisions by administration along with director chosen for these jobs who were not the best fit or qualified for the position. This must change immediately. While many of us did not go into the field of music performance or education, we all agree that the performing arts were highlights of our adolescent lives and fostered skills that we drew upon in our college and career choices.
We are willing to help and support OUR program. This begins with you, the administration, creating an attractive program to qualified instrumental and vocal educators. Please take immediate action. We look forward to working cooperatively to returning the CSD Music Program to a position of excellence known across the state of Maryland.
Thank You,
Signed the Alumni of the CSD Music Program
Updates
June 1, 2014
Seeing the momentum grow is heavy because it proves how many of us miss what we once had. I am exhausted by the silence from the administration but looking at this support keeps me moving forward.
45 Comments
I am a current member of the CSD band. I would just like to say that our director is not at fault in the situation. The problems we are experiencing are coming from a small budget that doesn't meet our needs, and the fact that our teacher is being spread out over band, chorus, general music, and piano. She is a BAND teacher. That's what she is qualified to do. So this is the fault of administration not hiring enough teachers to allow our director to focus on the band. However, the quality of our music is still amazing, regardless of numbers of participants.
I am from the Class of 1992 an was a member of the band and chorus for all 4 years of my high school years back then I was very proud to be a part of this wonderful groups and now I have kids and one is in 10th grade who started out in band and was very proud until he got to High School, there will never be another Mr. Batson or Mrs. Brohawn. Is is very sad the way the program has totally changed and not for the better. Very sad and upset alumni!!!!!
I am a proud product of the music program in Dorchester County Public Schools. My high school experience with Mr. Robert Batson helped flouish an already eminent career choice. I was accepted at the Peadbody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore, graduating with BMED in voice. My extensive band background made me one of the few undergrads who also played instruments, in addition to singing. I have now completed 28 years teaching music. My foundation provided a life long career, for which I am forever grateful.
Band member - Class of '00. There was no bigger single contributing factor to my early success in the military than my experience gained through the band program at CSD.
1999-2002 (Trombonist - Concert Band, Marching Band, Jazz Band and Pit Band [Piano]), All Shore Choir (8 Years), All State Choir (4 Years), Drum Major 2000-2002, Vocal Music Accompanist (1999-2002). Bachelor of Arts Jazz Studies Piano Performance (University of MD College Park), M.Mu.Ed (Boston University), M.M - Wind Conducting (University of MD College Park), D.M.A (University of North Carolina Greensobo - '17). Without dedicated teaching specialist in both choir and band, my experience at CSD would not have led to me to choose music education as my personal performance. Please take action, our community deserves it.
31 years later I can still remember having a band and a chorus teacher. The current band is smaller than the band front was them. I know that this issue is not the teachers fault and not completely the fault of the school board. Residents of Cambridge and Dorchester county do not want to pay more taxes especially if they don't have kids in school.
The arts are increasingly being phased out of public schools, which is a huge loss. Numerous studies have shown how learning to read and perform music, in particular increases overall academic performance and lifelong learning ability. It is extremely shortsighted to make cuts to such an important program and I'm disappointed to learn of the demise of such a strong program. Our choral and band programs were consistently among the top rated in the region, if not the state and we had regularly strong showings at events like All-State and All-Shore concerts. This speaks to a successful program from elementary school through high school. That the chorus and band regularly boasted numbers of over a hundred students, I am sure that many more were positively impacted throughout the lower grades as well. The lack of something to aspire to at the high school level only reduces the interest at earlier stages of education and that is a loss that will be reflected in academic performance across the board and in reduced success rates after graduation. Please rebuild our high-school music program, for both current and future students.
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We, the Alumni of the Cambridge South Dorchester High School Music Program, submit the following petition as an earnest recommendation for efficient staffing of the Instrumental Music and Vocal Music Programs. It is in best interest that two full-time teaching positions be reserved, and filled for the Music Department (one teaching specialist in Instrumental Music and one teaching specialist in Vocal Music).
Currently, with both positions combined, the already failing CSD music program runs the risk of not being able to hire highly-qualified candidates as the hired person would be required to teach two different performing ensembles. While the state of Maryland doesn't differentiate music teachers who have specializations in instrumental music from those who have a specialization in vocal music music students majoring in music education choose vocal or instrumental music tracks. These majors only share music theory, cognition and development and maybe some general education / general music courses. Pedagogically these students will learn completely different skills for their future vocations including (teaching methods, repertoire and technical proficiency) for their chosen discipline. Choral educators will not have brass and woodwind technique classes; Band educators will not have vocal technique classes.
Over the last ten years, we have watched the program that we adored crumble before our eyes and the community. This has been result of poor decisions by administration along with director chosen for these jobs who were not the best fit or qualified for the position. This must change immediately. While many of us did not go into the field of music performance or education, we all agree that the performing arts were highlights of our adolescent lives and fostered skills that we drew upon in our college and career choices.
We are willing to help and support OUR program. This begins with you, the administration, creating an attractive program to qualified instrumental and vocal educators. Please take immediate action. We look forward to working cooperatively to returning the CSD Music Program to a position of excellence known across the state of Maryland.
Thank You,
Signed the Alumni of the CSD Music Program
Updates
June 1, 2014
Seeing the momentum grow is heavy because it proves how many of us miss what we once had. I am exhausted by the silence from the administration but looking at this support keeps me moving forward.
45 Comments
As a past band member and school teacher I fully support this petition and promise to get many many others to sign. Our county has a strong musical tradition across cultures. It has provided esteem and value to students who did not play sports. There is much evidence to prove the multiple physical and neurological benefits to young minds. I have watched the administration systematically destroy the music programs in our schools through scheduling and lack of appropriate funding. There are many other steps to take and this petition is just a first step. Lets do more! rally, write, demand. Just my feelings.
I am a current member of the CSD band. I would just like to say that our director is not at fault in the situation. The problems we are experiencing are coming from a small budget that doesn't meet our needs, and the fact that our teacher is being spread out over band, chorus, general music, and piano. She is a BAND teacher. That's what she is qualified to do. So this is the fault of administration not hiring enough teachers to allow our director to focus on the band. However, the quality of our music is still amazing, regardless of numbers of participants.
I am from the Class of 1992 an was a member of the band and chorus for all 4 years of my high school years back then I was very proud to be a part of this wonderful groups and now I have kids and one is in 10th grade who started out in band and was very proud until he got to High School, there will never be another Mr. Batson or Mrs. Brohawn. Is is very sad the way the program has totally changed and not for the better. Very sad and upset alumni!!!!!
I am a proud product of the music program in Dorchester County Public Schools. My high school experience with Mr. Robert Batson helped flouish an already eminent career choice. I was accepted at the Peadbody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore, graduating with BMED in voice. My extensive band background made me one of the few undergrads who also played instruments, in addition to singing. I have now completed 28 years teaching music. My foundation provided a life long career, for which I am forever grateful.
Band member - Class of '00. There was no bigger single contributing factor to my early success in the military than my experience gained through the band program at CSD.
1999-2002 (Trombonist - Concert Band, Marching Band, Jazz Band and Pit Band [Piano]), All Shore Choir (8 Years), All State Choir (4 Years), Drum Major 2000-2002, Vocal Music Accompanist (1999-2002). Bachelor of Arts Jazz Studies Piano Performance (University of MD College Park), M.Mu.Ed (Boston University), M.M - Wind Conducting (University of MD College Park), D.M.A (University of North Carolina Greensobo - '17). Without dedicated teaching specialist in both choir and band, my experience at CSD would not have led to me to choose music education as my personal performance. Please take action, our community deserves it.
31 years later I can still remember having a band and a chorus teacher. The current band is smaller than the band front was them. I know that this issue is not the teachers fault and not completely the fault of the school board. Residents of Cambridge and Dorchester county do not want to pay more taxes especially if they don't have kids in school.
The arts are increasingly being phased out of public schools, which is a huge loss. Numerous studies have shown how learning to read and perform music, in particular increases overall academic performance and lifelong learning ability. It is extremely shortsighted to make cuts to such an important program and I'm disappointed to learn of the demise of such a strong program. Our choral and band programs were consistently among the top rated in the region, if not the state and we had regularly strong showings at events like All-State and All-Shore concerts. This speaks to a successful program from elementary school through high school. That the chorus and band regularly boasted numbers of over a hundred students, I am sure that many more were positively impacted throughout the lower grades as well. The lack of something to aspire to at the high school level only reduces the interest at earlier stages of education and that is a loss that will be reflected in academic performance across the board and in reduced success rates after graduation. Please rebuild our high-school music program, for both current and future students.
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As a past band member and school teacher I fully support this petition and promise to get many many others to sign. Our county has a strong musical tradition across cultures. It has provided esteem and value to students who did not play sports. There is much evidence to prove the multiple physical and neurological benefits to young minds. I have watched the administration systematically destroy the music programs in our schools through scheduling and lack of appropriate funding. There are many other steps to take and this petition is just a first step. Lets do more! rally, write, demand. Just my feelings.