Orchestra festival shows music education joy and value

On April 18 I witnessed something that will stay with me for a long time. It wasn’t a fight at the mall or a bomb threat at some high school. It was the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Junior High District Orchestra Festival hosted by PineRichland School District.

My granddaughter, a student from Woodland Hills Junior High, was part of the extravaganza. Forty-nine school districts from across Western Pennsylvania sent some 160 children as representatives. The children (ranging in age from 12 to 15) received the music for the festival about a month ago. Their music teachers worked with them, teaching them the music. Then these talented babies came together for two days with Kirk Moss, the guest conductor.

I went again this year because I was “blown away” last year by the performance, when my grandson was one of the representatives from Woodland Hills. If I closed my eyes I thought I was sitting in front of the Pittsburgh Symphony.

The media seem to want to report on the bad things happening in our Western Pennsylvania schools. I did not see any local TV stations at this event, and yet it definitely was a wonderful concert.

Anyone even thinking about cutting back on music programs in our schools should have attended this great collaboration. It was so obvious that our music teachers in our schools work over and above the call of duty. LINDA LAFFERTY

Plum