| In
San Francisco, The Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice
estimates that approximately one-third of African American males
between the ages of 15 and 17 are arrested and placed in Juvenile
Hall each year. (DCYF
Community Needs Assessment, 2005). Less than 1% of the at-risk
kids we served for two years have become residents of Juvenile
Hall. |
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Achieving Through Music is a pilot program of Music in Schools
Today, which provides therapeutic percussion, world music and movement
classes to at-risk youth in Bay Area schools and community centers.
The program connects students to the learning process through caring
and skillful intervention. It includes music classes, one-on-one,
dyad or triad intervention, as well as student performances. Workshops
and drum circles featuring students and music professionals involve
parents and community.
We are planting music programs in schools and community centers serving
our most underserved youth, demonstrating how making music can help
improve self-esteem by transforming loss, anger and alienation into
personal growth and inner discipline, rather than violence. Students
learn self-expression, cooperation, altruism and bankable music skills,
as well as respect for teachers and mentors. The long-term goal of
the program is to reduce violence and other at-risk behaviors among
youth and to improve academic performance, school attendance and life
skills. Achieving Through Music includes a web site for young musicians
and provides role models, mentoring and vocational training for youth
who have the talent and discipline and wish to advance in music.
Research conducted of the Achieving Through Music program at James
Lick Middle School in San Francisco has found:
- The grade average for the intervention group improved from 74.3
to 77.9.
The grade average for the control group declined from 74.1 to
70.8.
- The average number of absences in the intervention group was
10.8.
The average number of absences in the control group was 21.8.
- All students in the intervention group maintained or improved
citizenship marks, while the majority of students in the control
group exhibited a drop in citizenship marks.
Achieving Through Music program has been hosted at:
- Aim
High Academy, San Francisco
- Bernal
Heights Recreation Center, San Francisco
- Boys
and Girls Club, Tenderloin Clubhouse, San Francisco
- Center
for Young Women's Development, San Francisco
- George
Washington Carver Elementary School, San Francisco
- Glide
Memorial Methodist Church, San Francisco
- James
Lick Middle School, GEAR
UP program, San Francisco
- Luther
Burbank Middle School, GEAR
UP program, San Francisco
- New
College of California, San Francisco
- Visitacion
Valley Elementary School, San Francisco
- Visitacion
Valley Middle School, San Francisco
- William
R. DeAvila Elementary School, San Francisco
- Youth
Treatment and Education Court, San Francisco
-
Youth
Guidance Center, SF Juvenile Probation Department
Read excerpts from essays that
some Achieving Through Music middle school and high school students
wrote about Rap music.
San
Francisco Mayor Willie Brown meets with Achieving students (11/03).
L-R: Val Hamilton, John Minor, Joshua Knox, Mayor Willie Brown,
Meg Madden, Rodney Jefferson, Armando Rodriguez, Deb Bradway
Testimonial
From Glide Family, Youth and Child Care Center
Glide and Music in Schools Today have had a long-standing relationship.
Glide has benefited greatly from the placement of music teachers
in our after school program. Rodney Detheridge has been a teacher
here for three years. He has taught drumming and music appreciation,
and he gave the children the opportunity
to listen to a variety of musical selections to increase their
knowledge of music in the world. The children always eagerly
gather in circle to get ready to make some noise on the drums.
In
the spring of 2006, we started a recorder class in the
3rd-5th grades that went quite well. Each child got to
use his/her own recorder for the course and learn simple
tunes on it. It was a great step to move from rhythm to
melody. Also in the spring, a few of our teens started
having saxophone lessons with Rodney. It was a great opportunity
to give a few kids some one-on-one attention with a musical
intention.
In
these days in which funding for the arts is scarce, working
with MuST to fund the musical component of our After School
Program here at Glide Family, Youth and Child Care Center
is truly a gift.
~Kate
Gibson, Glide
Family, Youth and Child Care Center
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