Sigma Alpha Iota

PAN PIPES • SPRING 2016 • sai-national.org 10 C D E I J K N O P T U X Y Z SAIS IN ACTION By Marian M. King On Dec. 26, 2015, the day aer Christmas, a devastating tornado tore through the Garland/ Rowlett area of northern Texas. Many lost homes that day, 240 in total, and community members immediately jumped in to help with the clean-up and recovery. At the Jan. 16, 2016, chapter meeting of the Dallas Alumnae Chapter, Jane Samford, second vice-president, a 25-year member, and longtime string teacher in Garland schools, announced that her middle school orchestra would be presenting a benefit concert with proceeds going to those who lost homes in the disaster. A $10 donation would be charged at the door. I had taught classroom music in the Rowlett Middle School for three years when we first moved to Dallas, so I immediately thought, "I'm going to this concert. How bad can middle school string students be?" e venue was a church in Garland that donated their facility, about 15 miles from my home on a very cold Friday night. I arrived early to find about 50 students from the Austin Academy Orchestra in their best attire, all seated in the front le wing, tuned and ready to go. Marilyn Rogers, previous Dallas Alumnae president, and her husband soon joined me. Seeing an 8½x11 program printed beautifully, top to bottom, front and back, we rolled our eyes! Promptly at 7:00 p.m. Jane introduced the program, thanked the audience for their attendance, and thanked the accompanists who had donated their time. e auditorium had largely filled by this time with families, from tiny babes to grandparents and friends. e first four students played solos very admirably from Bach to Martini (Jane explained later that these were sixth grade beginning students). An ensemble of 10 next played Dance of Iscariot by Mosier. By this time, Marilyn and I exchanged disbelieving nods and applauded hugely! e students showed great respect for each other and cheered for each performance. From there on every segment blew us away at the proficiency of these kids! Could they really be sixth, seventh, and eighth graders? Indeed they were. Few of them study privately, outside of the "music enrichment" program when private teachers come during the school day. Only about 25 percent of the orchestra students take private lessons, as it is cost prohibitive. e private teachers are people playing in area orchestras or are retired orchestra teachers from the Richardson and Dallas school districts. e bass teacher, Pat Waggoner, is a 50-year member of SAI and active in the Dallas Alumnae Chapter. Austin Academy's student body is comprised of one-third academically gied students, one-third neighborhood students, and one-third musically or artistically gied students. Students can participate in five different orchestra levels: Beginning, Intermediate, Philharmonic, Advanced Philharmonic, and Honors. ere are currently a total of 186 students in the program. As early as second grade, Garland ISD students can be assessed to see if they are "musically gied." Once they are identified, they participate in enriched music classes. Students have the opportunity to begin study on a stringed instrument in the fourth grade. e students meet only twice a week during fourth and fih grades. In middle school, students choose orchestra as an elective class and meet every day. For the last several years, they have had more students make All Region Orchestra than any other middle school; in some cases, more than other school districts. Back to the benefit concert! e printed program listed composers such as Vivaldi, Bach, Purcell, Handel, Telemann, and many others. e ensembles were made of students from each level. It was so apparent that the students have great respect and love for their teacher, Jane Samford. ey also had lots of fist bumping and loud cheers for each performer. How many middle school students would give up their Friday night to dress up, go out in freezing temperatures, and perform solo or in an ensemble? Austin Middle School orchestra students did! e impetus was, of course, the horrifying tornado which struck this neighborhood. eir total receipts at the benefit were over $1,400.00. Kudos to Jane Samford and the Austin Academy Orchestra! Marian King is an initiate of Iota Alpha at Oklahoma State University and a member of the Dallas Alumnae Chapter. She has served as National Vice-President, Collegiate Chapters, Kappa B Province Officer, and the 2000 Convention Co-chairman. Middle School Benefit For Neighborhood Torn Apart By Tornado

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