Praise the Lord!
Sing to the lord a new song.
Let them parise His name with dancing,
and make music to Him with tambourine and harp.
Psalm 149:1,3
Tomorrow is my day to teach at a local high school's Specialty Center for the Visual and Performing Arts. I am the vocal coach, and teach voice to the freshmen and sophomore vocal majors in the center. I teach once a week, Thursday or Friday, whichever is the even day. When I get to the school, I will hold my class in a computer lab. It is the only space in the Specialty Center that is free during 2nd and 4th periods. When the time comes for SOL's and other student testing, and the administration needs the computer lab, my class will be moved into the supply closet across the hall.
I immediately felt great empathy, therefore, when I found the story of a Mr. Sollecito who is the once-a-week music teacher at Howard Wood Elementary School in Torrance, California. This man has taught music at the school for years, and never, ever knows what room he is going to be able to teach in, and has taught everywhere including the cafeteria, the library and several supply closets. This year, when a room came available through the renovation process at the school, Yahoo's Ultimate Surprises program agreed to turn the room into a wonderful music studio for Mr. Sollecito to teach in. On his first day back to school, he and the principal went "searching" for a room (or closet) for his classes, and finally "happened" into the new music room, where students and staff greeted their teacher with cries of "Surprise!!" The new room comes with a whole raft of new instruments for the children to experiment with.
Music is such a great gift that God has given to humankind. It is wonderful that in a small elementary school in California, one very dedicated teacher will have a much easier time sharing his love of music with the children in his classes now that he has both the space and the equipment that he has so desperately needed. Have a great year, Mr. Sollecito!
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