The Compton Bulletin Online

Last Updated 6/4/08

Morale, Pay Issues Driving Firefighters to Neighboring Departments

Uprising at Dominguez High Could Be Race-related

CFD Unveils New Badge at Recruit Badge Pinning Ceremony

Don Track Team Brings Home Division Gold

Pet Vaccination Clinic Slated for June 14 at Gonzales Park

Dip in Test Scores at Tibby Linked to Teacher Pregnancies, Illnesses

Local Student Science Film Wins Digital Voice Award

Joseph Phillips:
The Birds and The Beese

Study Hints Obesity Epidemic Among US Children Has Peaked

Classifieds

SEARCH our archives

HOME

Getting to the ‘Harp’ of It All
Carver Elementary students learning to play heavenly string music-making machines

By Allison Jean Eaton
Bulletin Staff Writer

COMPTON – With its grand reputation and heavenly sound, the harp has become the instrument of choice for a group of local youth.

For the second year in a row, more than a dozen students attending Carver Elementary in Watts-Willowbrook are receiving free harp lessons during and after school through a partnership forged by the principal’s simple act of calling Information.

“This partnership really developed not by a letter or by any type of formal way, but really began by calling 411 and getting in touch with individuals from the Colburn School of Performing Arts as well as with Mrs. White,” said Principal Jacqueline Sanderlin.

The district hired Visual and Performing Arts Administrator Lanette White two years ago to sharpen its focus on arts education and enrichment districtwide. Since she was brought on board, a number of schools in addition to Carver have received free instruments and funding for related instruction.

Three years ago, Carver – and nearly every other elementary school in the district – did not offer students the opportunity to learn how to play musical instruments and read music – something that research continues to link to improved math scores.

Today, however, the 120th Street school boasts its own music hall, a transformed classroom, that not only features the typical instruments an average school would offer – flutes, clarinets, trumpets, violins, cellos and a piano – but also seven brand new harps.

The district was able to purchase all of the instruments minus the piano with a National Endowment of the Arts grant obtained by White. The piano was donated by the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, another partnership that has benefited a number of Compton Unified schools.

“We are an ‘arts for all’ district – we’re committed to making sure every kid during the school day has access to art education,” White told The Bulletin during an interview last spring.

“Music helps math, and it helps the left side of the brain in children,” said Sanderlin, who is currently earning her doctorate in education at Pepperdine University. “It is connected to increasing math, and we are really hoping that it will affect our math scores in a positive way.”

White agrees.

“All the research shows that math and music are directly related. The arts are directly related to kids’ functioning in society overall,” she said last spring.

Music teachers from the Young Musicians Foundation (YMF) visit Carver twice a week and provide instruction to third and fourth graders, said Sanderlin. This is also funded through the grant, according to White.

One of those teachers is renowned harpist Lou Anne Neill, who has played the harp for the Los Angeles Philharmonic since 1983. She and foundation members Amy Schulman, a graduate of prestigious music school Julliard and professor at Occidental College, and renowned jazz harpist Carole Robbins visit the school twice a week to provide instruction to 14 youths.

Carver is one of only two schools that are part of the YMF’s Harps in the Schools Project, launched in 2006 to introduce elementary-aged students to the harp. The other school is Moffett Elementary in Lennox.

Launched in 1955, the foundation aims to preserve the heritage of classical music through performance opportunities, financial assistance and community outreach programming that contributes to the personal, academic and artistic development of youth from a range of socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds.

Its Mentor Artists Program provides more than 25 elementary and middle schools in Los Angeles County with weekly tutoring, after school orchestral classes and general music appreciation assemblies.

“We are excited because harps is not normally part of the music programs that are part of school, and they (the students) do actually learn during the day. It’s not just an afterschool program,” Sanderlin said.

At last week’s school board meeting, the young harpists showed off their skills with a live performance that received a standing ovation from the audience.

The youngsters, led by Neill, played two selections.

“I am just so proud of these kids,” said Neill after the performance. “They come twice a week after school and during school. They started last summer, and it’s been a joy.

“The program is so rewarding for all of us, and we love coming to Carver,” Neill said.

And where does the Colburn school fit in?

The elite, pricey school is providing more than 10 Carver Crusaders with full scholarships for musical instruction during the summer.

“For the past two years, we’ve provided outreach programming for Dr. Sanderlin, and it’s truly amazing to see what great support you can have and help transform students’ lives and promote creativity,” said Colburn’s Robert McAllister. “The Colburn school looks forward to a growing and lasting collaboration."