Five years, 17 grants and $510,000 for musical instruments: that’s how much VH1’s Save the Music Foundation program has meant to Roanoke City Public Schools. For the first time this fall all 17 city elementary schools are providing music education, helping to complete a “feeder system” that delivers children with music training to the middle and high school levels.
“VH1 Save the Music has expanded horizons,” said Superintendent Dr. Rita Bishop, who noted that it went even beyond “exposing kids to the wonder of music.” Some of that funding through VH1 has come from Foundation for Roanoke Valley and the Country Music Association.
On November 17 Roanoke City Schools held a district-wide celebration concert at the Berglund Performing Arts Theatre in observance of the five-year relationship with Save the Music. “Roanoke City Public Schools is an exciting success story,” said Paul Cothran, Vice President and Executive Director for VH1 Save the Music Foundation, “[and] we have met our goal in ensuring that every child in Roanoke has equity in access to music education.”
Before the celebration concert, Cothran, Bishop and a spokesman for Congressman Bob Goodlatte met earlier in the day to talk about the program and to watch a combined William Fleming-Patrick Henry “High School Festival Orchestra” practice Jean Sebelius’ “Finlandia” under the baton of David Stewart Wiley, musical director for the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra.
After just an hour of practice the combined orchestra sounded pretty good to the untrained ear. Wiley was encouraging as he gave instructions to various sections and players, all the while wielding the baton.
“Having early music education is absolutely vital for creating creative citizens,” said Wiley. “Music and the other vital arts are absolutely indispensable to that. [VH1’s] support has allowed us to have instruments earlier in kid’s hands. That’s an important thing – the earlier that students have …those experiences [and] integrate music into their studies the better they do in life.”
The Maestro alluded to various studies that show young students who take up music seem to do better at other subjects, including math. “Music education absolutely has made a difference. [And] music is a team sport where everybody wins. It teaches skills of collaboration. Deep listening skills…it incorporates languages. It is teamwork, it is leadership training.”
Perhaps the highlight of the celebration concert and the rehearsal earlier in the day was a chance for students to meet rising country music star Hunter Hayes. The 23-year-old pint-sized singer and multi-instrument player is a VH1 Save the Music Foundation ambassador who would deliver a message about the program’s impact on school systems like the one in Roanoke City.
Hayes first delivered that message during the rehearsal at the Berglund Center – then posed for photos with students – and a “selfie” with Wiley and the high school orchestra. Hayes said he didn’t have much music education while growing up in Lafayette, Louisiana – and admitted, in fact, that he never learned how to read music notes.
“They don’t just read [the music], they have an understanding for it – you could see it, you could feel it,” said Hayes. He was impressed by the orchestra’s rendition of Finlandia. “Music…is what shaped me as a person and I know there’s a lot of people on the stage that could say the same thing.”
Hayes said learning the art of music is something to be valued. “A gift is to be taken care of and appreciated. Having music education programs like this – I can only imagine what it would have done for my confidence, [allowing] me to believe in myself. I think it’s beautiful.”
By Gene Marrano
