District will not drop third-grade orchestra

The debate over starting all music lessons in fourth grade instead of in third grade ended on a high note for orchestra students in the North Allegheny School District.

The school board April 26 unanimously rejected an administrative proposal to eliminate the third-grade strings program. The move was suggested to save $115,000 a year by not replacing a retiring orchestra teacher and not hiring an additional half-time teacher because of high demand for the lessons.

Parents and orchestra students at the work session and the voting meeting urged the board to keep the strings program intact. Online petitions were generated and emails were sent to board members.

Emily Skopov, who said her family moved to the district because of the arts, told the board, “When I watch our concerts and listen to our orchestras, I cry. Find the cuts someplace else.”

Tom Kosmala, retired director of music for Pittsburgh Public Schools, said both of his sons became professional musicians because of the love of music they learned at North Allegheny.

Alison Fujito, a parent and violinist for the Pittsburgh Symphony, said the orchestra program is a community asset. The Strolling Strings and NA Fiddlers perform in the community, and the orchestra hosts a children’s concert every year.

“You can’t cut your way to success. Even in a business model, when you cut the quality of your product, you destroy it,” she said.

Board president Kevin Mahler said the board had asked superintendent Robert Scherrer for options for budget cuts, but it is the board that must be “accountable to our constituents.”

“I am confident that everybody knows the value of the arts,” he added.

An administrative report on the music curriculum was given at the meeting.

One recommendation is to incorporate more technology into the program with software for high school students. Other recommendations would explore offering a Multimedia Arts II class for senior high students and giving honors weight to Music Theory III and to the chamber orchestra and wind ensembles at the intermediate high school.

Music department staff would like to provide a summer performing experience for instrumental musicians and an extracurricular activity for music theater in middle school. College-inhigh-school credits could be offered in multimedia arts through La Roche College and in performance music through Duquesne University, said Tammy Andreyko, assistant superintendent for curriculum.

Mr. Mahler asked if instrumental lessons could be incorporated into general music classes, so students can start earlier than third or fourth grades. Robert Tozier, music department chair, said all students do not have a band or string instrument. The district teaches the recorder in elementary school, and second-graders take a field trip to a symphony children’s concert.

Board member Suzanne Filiaggi said she liked the idea of summer performances. But Mr. Mahler asked, “I am in one of these two-parent-working households where it is hard to get kids to things in the summer. How can we be equitable to all of our students?”