把音乐带回来

Catherine Standridge ’13 studied music education 在欧文的康考迪亚大学, 获得她的学位和她 教学证书. Her student-teaching assignment led to a full-time job and an opportunity to help restore music education to an entire school district.

“Orange Unified School District didn’t have a music program in any of its elementary schools,斯坦里奇说。. “不幸的是, 当预算被削减时, 艺术是最先消失的, even though it helps with the tests students take and their brain development in a way that academics can’t.”

当预算被削减时, 艺术是最先消失的, even though it helps with the tests students take and their brain development in a way that academics can't.

Standridge的主管Sandy 斯特里特说, Instrumental 音乐 Director at El Ranchero Charter School, decided to take the ambitious step of creating a proposal to present to the board of education to try to bring music education back to every elementary school in the district. Standridge became her right hand person on the project.

“During the process of trying to re-implement the program, Catherine was instrumental in researching and presenting information that was gathered to sway the school board in a positive direction,斯特里特说。.

“We worked really hard together for a year and a half in tandem to create a proposal for the board of education,斯坦里奇说。. “We looked at surrounding districts—Irvine, Yorba Linda-Placentia—to see what worked best for us and what we could implement.”

In the process, Standridge learned how to put together a budget, a schedule, and more.

“It really taught me a lot about what goes on behind the scenes and how to implement the program,她说。.

The climactic moment came at the board of education meeting last fall when Standridge and 斯特里特 presented the proposal. “[Catherine’s] attendance and perseverance was a driving force during negotiations.“经过两年的努力, the school district would have music instruction in its elementary schools again.

“They announced that it had passed and they were granting us over $2.500万美元，”斯坦里奇说. “我欣喜若狂.”

The board immediately hired its own team to implement the proposal—and though Standridge had been one of the authors, she still had to apply to be a teacher in the program.

“这真的很伤脑筋，”她说. “They interview you and then have a teaching observation where they have kids play instruments they have never played before. They acted as if it were the first day in band class, and I had to teach them how to make a sound on their instrument. It was pretty intense, and I was so nervous I wasn’t going to get the job. 幸运的是，我做得很好.”

Now Standridge teaches in the program she helped create. 从今年九月开始, every fifth and sixth grade student in all 27 schools in Orange Unified can take band, 字符串, 或者选择轮. They enjoy brand new instruments, books, and music stands. They can choose from flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, euphonium, violin, viola, and cello. 他们学习音乐的基础知识, 音乐的历史, 耳朵的培训, 并获得“良好的音乐基础”,斯坦里奇说.

“我感觉棒极了。. 我简直不敢相信会发生这样的事。. “We worked for so long, and I felt it would never happen because of all the red tape and money. 要做的事太多了. When it was approved I remember telling everyone I knew. I have a lot of music education friends. 我希望每个人都能申请.”

斯特里特, 快退休了, told Standridge that she was a big reason she pushed for this program. “I know that the future of the music programs in OUSD will be in great hands, 像凯瑟琳这样的老师.”

“桑迪不会看到这样做的好处, but she told me she wouldn’t have done the proposal if she didn’t see something in me and think I could help carry this program into the future,斯坦里奇说.

Standridge is the first student-teacher the veteran educator has hired in 37 years.

The ultimate impact is on students who “are doing awesome,斯坦里奇说。. “Every day after classes the kids thank me and say, ‘This is so much fun. This is the best thing that happened to me, and I love playing music.’ They’re in the very beginning stages of playing, but they’re getting there.”

Students may even take their instruments home to practice and bring them to school twice a week.

Standridge had a great experience 在欧文的康考迪亚大学, she says. 她乘第一班去了 环游世界学期® and found it “completely life-changing,她说。. She fell in love with many of the countries—and with Erik Olsen ’12, whom she will marry next spring.

Standridge credits 欧文康考迪亚大学 professor Herb Geisler with setting her on her present path.

“He’s the one that placed me in the school I work at now, 所以我的一切都得归功于他,她说。. “去康考迪亚完全是上帝的旨意. I had my mind set on something else and when it came time to choose I just said, “我要去康科迪亚.’ It was exactly where I needed to be and God knew that. I always have felt that God has led me wherever I need to go.”