The Little Kids Rock Blog
Stories from the front lines of music education innovation.
At Park Place Middle School, an empty music classroom waits to be used to it’s full potential. Principal Glenda Esperance wants to expand the music program, but with a small budget for more resources and no music teacher to build the curriculum, she didn’t know where to begin. That is, until she hired Catherine Plichta.READ MORE For most kids who grow up in communities like the projects of Culver City West in Los Angeles, graduating from high school and going to college is an unattainable dream. However, Venice High School’s music teacher, Wendy Sarnoff, has changed this stereotype. Wendy, who took over and continued the rich legacy of Venice High School’s music program in 2011, has ensured several students full scholarships to summer music programs and college whether the kids majored in music or not... Budget cuts threaten the existence of inner city school music departments across the US every year, but when Vivian Gonzalez learned that South Miami K-8 School, the school that fostered her lifelong love of music, was in danger of going silent, she decided to return to her alma mater to help save the program that had a huge impact on her life. “I was a middle school teacher for six years,” she says. “When I realized how vitally important elementary music education was for the middle school, high school and college music programs, so I ‘demoted’ myself, gave myself a large pay cut, and committed to being an elementary school music teacher.” We’ve all dreamed about being a rock star just like Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, or Taylor Swift. But in Krista Fanning’s music class at Caddo Middle Magnet School in Shreveport, Louisiana, her kids don’t dream of becoming rock stars… they tap into the rock star that already lives within them! Every year, students come into her class a little bit scared, not knowing what to expect, but at the end of the year they leave as music makers who’ve learned to listen to and create music, primarily with the guitar. Lights, Camera, Action! The curtain rises and onstage stands Sharkapella, an a cappella group made up of high school students who regularly return to Franklin L. Williams Middle School to work with their former middle school teacher, John Flora. They are poised and ready to blow the crowd away with their incredible voices. John smiles proudly from a distance as his current middle school students watch their old classmates with admiration. A suggestion box sits on a table in the music room at Marie Curie Middle School in New York City. As music teacher Jennifer Schecter reaches in to read the daily suggestions, she finds a familiar request: a beginner guitar class. Unfortunately, Jennifer does not specialize in guitar and thus, does not know how to teach it. Knowing that her students wanted to learn to play guitar, and that her main goal was to engage them in making music, she decided to do something about it. Jennifer took the initiative and attended one of Little Kids Rock’s training sessions, where she learned how to play the guitar, teach music as a second language, and to meet students where they are by teaching them the music they know and love. Here’s a scene you don’t see very often: a line of an inner city public school students standing outside of a classroom eagerly waiting for their teacher to let them in and begin class. It’s no secret that there are students that have no interest in taking a music class or learning how to play an instrument. However, after introducing Little Kids Rock’s methods, curriculum and instruments to his music program, Chris Alberts has been able to reach more kids than ever before, and much more quickly. Now, students who would not have normally joined the music program are choosing to participate. Kids wanting to be a part of an elective class is a rarity these days… a true testament to Chris’s teaching style. This summer, the Senate debated rewriting the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (also known as The Every ChildAchieves Act S.1177) and on July 15, 2015, they voted to pass and reauthorize this bill at an overwhelming majority of 86-12 with some new and exciting changes to the music education world. But just how much or little of an impact will this have on music education? Bob Morrison, CEO of Quadrant Research, illuminated exactly how the bill would and would not impact music education... Max described himself in three ways when he was in middle school: A musician, music lover, and an outsider. The lack of an official music program at his school left Max without a vehicle to connect with other students. Imagine that you have the unenviable task of deciding which program to cut from your child’s school. Which do you choose? More often than not, to the dismay of parents and teacher, the answer is music and/or arts programs. “83% of teachers and 73% of parents say budget cuts in music education are detrimental to students?” On May 19, 2015, the National Association of Music Merchants Foundation (NAMM) and Grunwald Associates LLC, released a new report surrounding the hopes and beliefs parents and teachers have about music education. At just ten years old, Daphcar Séjour is a strong girl who is out to prove that playing the drums isn’t just for boys. Teachers who have known her since she was five years old describe her as a very enthusiastic, gentle, obedient, and intelligent girl. She says she wants to prove to her community that drums aren’t only a boy’s instrument, and that a girl can make a difference. It is her desire to be a positive example for others in her community. “Who’s your favorite rock star?” a trainer asks a room full of music teachers as an icebreaker to begin Little Kids Rock’s Modern Band workshop. “John Lennon.”
“Jimi Hendrix.”
“Whitney Houston.” As teachers rattled off their favorite songwriters, musicians and singers, Jen Theilacker stood up and proudly declared, “My favorite rock star is my student, Lamiya.” "As a volunteer at Little Kids Rock two summers ago, I was fortunate to be exposed to the incredible impact music has on children. Reflecting on my background in classical music, I was surprised to find that my own experience was not unlike the transformation countless children experience every day through Little Kids Rock." The House of Blues Hollywood was packed with Pantera fans who had gathered to pay tribute to their recently gunned down guitar God, Darrell Abbott. High school student Areli Morales stood backstage preparing to sing before the largest crowd she had ever seen. “As I stood there in front of the sea of metal music lovers, I feared that I might somehow forget my lines and dishonor Darrell and my band,” Areli said, remembering her experience on that transformative night. “But I took a deep breath, focused on the moment and a rush of energy filled me. I made the best of that moment.” Imagine yourself in 6th grade. The final bell rings and you hustle to the auditorium for your favorite part of the day... band practice! You set up your keyboard and set up next to the guitarists and the drummer. You run through the latest song that you and your bandmates have been rehearsing for the past week - Brave by Josh Groban. Then, your Little Kids Rock teacher uncharacteristically asks you all to come off the stage and sit in the seats facing the stage. Then, before you can ask what is going on, a special visitor walks through the door... Not everyone is fortunate enough to have the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument, especially those in marginalized communities. For many children, public school music programs are the best and only option. A former Little Kids Rock student from San Francisco named Tristan, now 17 years old, was surrounded by music from a young age because of her father, who was a musician. At the age of 7, Tristan’s father gave her a guitar with the intention of teaching her how to play it. However, before he could pass on the lifelong gift of music education to his daughter, he passed away. Since this earth-shattering day, Tristan has made music an integral part of her life. In a lot of the neighborhoods that Little Kids Rock serves, gangs are very prevalent – and so is the pressure to join them. If our kids are going to join a group, we’d rather it be a band, then a gang! Several Little Kids Rock students at Andrew Jackson School in Philadelphia stay after school, and even convene in the summer. They formed a band called HOME, which is very fitting because in that three-hour window from 3 – 6 pm, when kids are out of school and parents are at work, Little Kids Rock teacher Chris Argerakis has created an environment at his school that has been like a second home for these kids. 
Grammy Music Educator Nominee: Catherine Plichta
Grammy Music Educator Nominee: Wendy Sarnoff
Grammy Music Educator Nominee: Vivian Gonzalez
Grammy Music Educator Nominee: Krista Fanning
Grammy Music Educator Nominee: John Flora
Grammy Music Educator Nominee: Jennifer Schecter
Grammy Music Educator Nominee: Chris Alberts
Senate Passes Elementary and Secondary Education Act
Giving Max The Tools To Build His Musical Future
Striking A Chord
Haitian Girl Proves Drums Aren't Just For Boys
Student Inspires Teacher To Be Her Best
Facing the World with Music
Transformed by a Musical Experience
Josh Groban Surprises Kids With Instruments
Little Kids Rock Fulfills A Father's Gift To His Daughter
Students make music class their HOME
