Students miss out over musical chairs

To the editor: The public schools of Warwick Valley boast many things: College preparation, a broad-based, liberal education and committed teachers. Students leave our schools for some of the nation’s top colleges and universities, entering diverse fields such as chemistry and art. These accomplishments have been made possible by no other than our fine educators, who give their students every opportunity to get ahead in their chosen field. Or at least they should. I am increasingly disturbed at certain occurrences and policies in the music departments of our public schools that do not take this responsibility as seriously as they should. One policy that the music departments of both the middle school and the high school have in their annual musicals is to give first choice of parts and seating in the pit orchestra to the volunteer teachers. However, if a student can play a certain part that he or she desires just as well as a teacher can, shouldn’t this opportunity be first given to the student? In this year’s preparations for the musicals, this did not occur. Although it was admitted that a certain student could sufficiently play the required music, this student was not allowed to have the requested part. The music department claims that had this been a Broadway musical pit orchestra, the better musician would have been hired. However, this is a student musical in a public school, where all the musicians, adult and students alike, are volunteering their time. If a student requests a part that he or she can play with ease and quality, this first opportunity should be given to the student. This student can use this part as a means of experience and as a merit on his or her resume. However, despite these arguments, the part was given to a volunteer teacher instead. This is not a one-time offense. The annual pops concert held at the high school showcased a performance by a high school music teacher. This was highly inappropriate at a concert clearly held to display the talents of the students for an audience who was essentially there to see those students. If the performance was for musical educational purposes, it would have been more practical to hold such an event as an assembly for the students only. Instead, the teachers decided to use the concert as a platform to display their own talents rather than to focus on those of their students. Our educators have a responsibility to give students the best opportunities so that they may better succeed in their future endeavors, and in particular, higher education I would just like to remind them that they are mentors, guidance for students who have places yet to go and dreams yet to accomplish. You are the means by which they may do so, and if you place your interests before your students, you will be holding them back. Radhika Shah Warwick