SEELEY LAKE –Expecting to spend her first year simply getting to know the students, community and building trust, Seeley-Swan High School and Seeley Lake Elementary music teacher Janet Morgenstern said the students dove in headfirst and “I think we are rockin’.” While her expectations have been exceeded and many gains have been made in a program, Morgenstern said there still is a long road ahead in the schools’ musical journey.
For the last several years, the music program lacked consistency and continuity between the elementary and high school. Retired Music Director Bob Green started teaching at Swan Valley School in 1998 and at SSHS in the early 2000s. He taught at both schools until his retirement in 2015. He never taught at SLE, which had a few years prior to 2015 without a music teacher.
Following Green’s retirement, the Swan Valley position became a quarter time position combined with a quarter time at Seeley Lake Elementary and half time at SSHS for a full-time position. From 2015 – 2021 there have been four music directors serving both SLE and SSHS. Swan Valley School hired a music teacher for one year. The participation in the SSHS band dropped from 20 students in the fall semester of 2016 to only one senior last spring.
This year due to COVID, SSHS implemented the block schedule. Most of the students didn’t choose Morgenstern’s classes but took them to fit her schedule. Morgenstern said none of the band students had played their instrument since seventh grade.
“It is challenging for students to commit to a program when there is a lot of turn over,” Morgenstern said.
The gaps in the program were very obvious to Morgenstern. The junior high band students didn’t have music during their early elementary years, so they struggled with reading notes. The high school students were the opposite. They had good instruction when they were young so they can read music very well. However, they were without instruction when they should have been developing their playing skills.
Morgenstern said the elementary students are learning to read notes very quickly with the 12-step program called Conversational Solfege, a method that teaches note reading the way language is acquired.
“You have to hear it, then you imitate it, then you improve on it,” she said.
The High School choir sang in three-part harmony by the end of the class.
“That was a big, huge step up from what I thought we were going to be able to do so I was really happy with that,” said Morgenstern. “Their confidence in front of other people is very low but what they did in front of me was entirely appropriate and at grade level.”
Most of the other students are caught up to grade level or nearing grade level with their musical skills.
“They are excited and passionate when we sing and play,” Morgenstern said. “We got a lot closer to grade level in the first year than I thought we would. That, by far, exceeds my expectations.”
Morgenstern attributes the advancements this year to several things. First, she said there are a lot of good parents raising children who are willing to interact and take risks.
Second, she said the community embraced her and her family when they moved here, and she feels like Seeley Lake is a great fit. She tries to be a fun teacher while creating a relaxing and social atmosphere.
“I’ve tried to make it very low key in that you are safe to make a mistake, you are safe to try something new and I hope that translates,” Morgenstern said.
Third, Morgenstern said they owe much of their growth to the financial support of Alpine Artisans, Inc. and the Seeley Lake Community Foundation. When she started this past fall, because many of the instruments were in need of repair, there were not enough to begin fifth and sixth grade band. Morgenstern scrambled to cover the high school as well.
Alpine Artisans donated $500 for instruments repair that was used at both schools. SLE covered a large portion as well.
“We were finally able to [introduce] fifth grade to band instruments and many of them would like to sign up for sixth grade band next year,” Morgenstern said noting that sixth grade band started at the beginning of April.
To address the needs of the younger students, the Seeley Lake Community Foundation awarded SLE a $2,425 grant to purchase Orff instruments.
“These are innovative instruments that allow students to remove notes that will sound wrong, allowing even very small children to play beautifully and perfectly in tune,” Morgenstern said. “They sing while they play, so they develop both foundational vocal and instrumental skills.”
The students have been playing them for nearly a month. Morgenstern said the students are highly engaged in class.
“Thank you so much to Alpine Artisans and the Seeley Lake Community Foundation,” Morgenstern said.
Morgenstern continued, “I don’t know if people understand how unique [having] the three corners of the stool are here – people are interested in the arts in general; there is funding for the arts through Alpine Artisans and the Community Foundation; and the ability to teach it with the instruments to play. You typically see [in smaller schools] high expectations with low input and that is not the case here.”
While Morgenstern’s first year has greatly exceeded her expectations, she said there is still a long way to go to continue to build the program. Her future goals include re-establishing the pep band that would play at varsity games and include community members when it is safe.
She feels building the junior high and high school choir program is critical.
“It is easy to focus on band because it is rockin’ right now … but your voice is an intensely personal instrument. People can hide behind their instrument if they make a mistake but not their voice. It seems a little more risky to them,” Morgenstern said. “I need to build into the elementary school kids the expectation that it is normal to sing. That is not the expectation that the older kids have – they see it as something freaky that only talented people do.”
Other goals include developing a rock band to perform at varsity games, building in good practice habits, developing a clear and cohesive K-12 curriculum, adding to the inventory of instruments, replacing the high school drum set and creating a schedule for elementary music performance that includes mini-musicals performed throughout the year.
Currently there are two performances scheduled for this spring. There will be a Talent Show May 25 for grades three – 12 at the SSHS auditorium. Time to be announced. At 7 p.m. June 1, there will be a Band Concert for grades six – 12 in the SLE gymnasium. More information about public attendance will be provided as the events get closer.
Morgenstern said she welcomes donations of older instruments that can be repaired. Monetary contributions can also be made to the programs by making a check out to Seeley-Swan High School or Seeley Lake Elementary and specifying that it be for the music program.
“Thank you so much for how you’ve embraced my family and me,” Morgenstern said. “Here’s to hoping we build something amazing over the years!
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