How Brunswick schools’ performing arts programs prepare students for life | Column
Every fall, the Brunswick schools fill with the sounds of students making music. And while families will eventually hear the finished pieces at a concert, the value of an arts education happens long before the final performance. As Ashley Albert, our choral director at Brunswick High School, says, “One of the things we focus on a lot in the performing arts is not the end product, but the process.”
That process deserves our attention. Through our performing arts programs, students learn to work with others, accept feedback, make lasting connections with like-minded students, and build resilience and confidence through practice. These are lessons our students learn in music programs and take with them into all areas of their education and life.
At Kate Furbish Elementary School, music teacher Danielle Murphy introduces children in kindergarten through second grade to music through singing, movement, and instruments. Some are hesitant to make a sound at first. Singing can feel especially vulnerable, she explains, and a group performance gives a shy child a chance to contribute alongside classmates. “When you have a performance of a group and a shy child is in the middle of the performance, just the fact they are working with all the other kids to create something beautiful, they end up having more confidence,” Murphy said.
Students also discover that they have something to teach others. When Murphy introduced songs in Spanish, she asked Spanish-speaking students to help check her pronunciation. “And I let them give examples to the other kids,” she said. “It was quite amazing how they all worked together for it.”
Those early experiences prepare students for the work ahead. Albert credits her elementary and junior high colleagues with developing the musicians who arrive in her high school classroom. Teachers coordinate their approaches to skills such as sight-reading music so students can build on what they have learned.
Middle school brings changes that require patience. For singers, even their own voices can begin to feel unfamiliar. “Your voice, which is the body’s instrument, is always changing,” Albert said. Young singers have to adjust to those changes while learning how their sound fits with the group.
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Through music programs, students are also discovering their interests and finding other students who share those same interests. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that students who feel connected to school are more likely to have better attendance and less likely to experience substance use or violence. Our performing arts programs give students opportunities to develop those connections through shared work.
At the high school, students take on increasingly demanding music. Brandon Duras, our director of instrumental music, wants them to develop habits they can use wherever their interests lead. “Music gets them to think about how to practice and dedicate time and energy to something that they really enjoy and believe in doing,” Duras said.
That preparation becomes visible when students rehearse together. Everyone has a part to learn, and each musician has to listen to the people around them. Albert says students hear how they are doing as soon as they sing or play. “It’s something where you get immediate feedback all of the time,” she said.
Learning to use that feedback means listening to a correction and making another attempt. Albert also hears from graduates who say their performing arts experiences helped prepare them for job interviews and presentations. Those are useful skills for students who may never pursue music professionally.
When all the work, practice, and rehearsals have been completed, our wonderful community gives students an audience to validate their hard work. It is gratifying to see a full house at performances and concerts, including friends, families, and folks from the community who may not have a personal connection to a student performing, but are interested in supporting the arts, supporting the school, or simply enjoying an evening of entertainment.
I am grateful that Brunswick is that kind of community. I hope you will continue to support our programs and attend a performance this school year. Our teachers and students are preparing right now to show you the value of performing arts can have in a concert — and in life!
Phillip Potenziano is superintendent of Brunswick schools.
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