GREENFIELD — An enrollment of 120 students marks the beginning of the second consecutive year that Cesar Chavez Elementary School in Greenfield has offered a summer music program, which runs June 12 through July 25.
Cesar Chavez Principal Paddy Douglas said, “I am so excited to extend the music program” to the summer.
Piano, harp, guitar and violin are among the instruments that children can learn to play. According to Douglas, each school in the district has a full-time music teacher. She is most proud that Cesar Chavez was the first school to have a mariachi program.
Summer music instructors are Matt Huot, Martin Castillo and William Bradle.
Huot, a third-year employee at Cesar Chavez, teaches band, general music, choir and piano. After attending a conference, Huot returned inspired and proposed starting a music program.
“So often we forget about the humanities — art, painting, music,” he said. But, he wants to remind parents that music allows students to “use both sides of the brain” and helps let out their frustrations.
Castillo, who has worked four years in the district, teaches mariachi music. He will have the students working on the sounds of the mariachi, reading music and vocalizing. There is also a music technology class, in which students are able to create different sounds and their own music.
Bradle has been a music teacher at Mary Chapa Academy since October 2016, but joined his music-loving colleagues at Cesar Chavez for the summer program. Among Bradle’s expertise are percussion, contemporary art music and orchestra music.
“Music gives students an opportunity to be constructive and creative with their time,” Bradle said.
English Learner Coordinator and Cesar Chavez Summer Principal Norma Santos is excited that the school is able to provide enrichment classes for the students. For their part, Huot, Castillo and Bradle want to remind parents that summer music classes at Cesar Chavez have begun.
