Several members of the CCHS Band of Gold have jumped at the chance to share their love of music with middle school students.
Shelby Hillebrandt, who plays the trumpet, began a conversation with CCMS Band Director Elliott Hawks about her shadowing him because she might want to become a music teacher. The two brainstormed the idea to bring high schoolers to the middle school for instruction, encouragement and exposure. The goal is to get the middle school students comfortable with their future band friends so they will continue to play in the band.
“I talked to Mr. Hawks about me needing help and it just turned into a lot of us going over there because there are multiple instruments,” Shelby said. “It just turned into a whole band thing and I’m really glad it did.”
Lydia Risk, who also plays the trumpet, worked this week with a sixth grade student. She helped him learn notes and scales. Lydia said they’re focusing on basics and fundamentals because many of the middle school band members are new to music and most of them have only had their instrument for about a month.
Shelby noted she and her friends remember what it was like in middle school when they began learning music so they approach it from that standpoint. “We’re re-teaching what helped us,” Shelby said.
“They’re beginners. They’ve just had their first year of band,” Shelby said. She explained that sixth grade band is about getting to know your instrument and seventh grade band is when you begin learning techniques.
Most of the students the high schoolers helped were in sixth or seventh grades. They also hope to demonstrate for the eighth graders what it is like to be in the high school band and show them that the band is more like a family. “If we work with these kids like this they won’t be scared going into high school,” Lydia added.
Other high schoolers working with students include Daisy Laguna Lopez, Hilary Sanchez Xool, Aiden Lilley, Alan Zacarias, Jewleena Taylor, Amaya Owens, Geoffrey Hash, Jace Romans, Allie Lefever and Billy Burgess.
The girls said any middle school band member is invited to attend the instructional days on Mondays from 3-4:30 p.m. There is flexibility in scheduling if a student needs to arrive or leave at different times.