RCS orchestra program strikes a chord with students

ROCHESTER/ROCHESTER HILLS/OAKLAND TOWNSHIP — This month, the district’s first orchestra program students will graduate, hitting a high note for the Rochester Community Schools music program.

For 10 consecutive years, RCS has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation by the National Association of Music Merchants Foundation.

“We are only one of 21 school districts in the state of Michigan to receive this honor and we remain committed to a curriculum and student experience that values rigorous academic and arts instruction,” said Keenan Thomason, RCS instrumental music director and the director of the West Middle School band and orchestras.

The RCS music curriculum, he said, is well-rounded and begins early in a child’s educational journey, with an exploration of musical textures, forms and compositions.

“It advances from preschool throughout high school to include musical understanding, evaluation, analysis, expression, and performance,” Thomason noted.

The idea of adding a strings program in the district was first introduced when two community members and local strings teachers, Clarke Bonten and Nicole Shogren, gave a presentation at a Board of Education meeting a few years ago.

In 2016, the district initiated a task force to research, explore and discuss the feasibility of the program.

On Feb. 12, 2018, the Board of Education approved the initiation of a strings program to complete the district’s music curriculum offerings.

“That vision was realized thanks to a donation of $137,000 — the largest gift ever awarded by the Rochester Community Schools Foundation. At that time, the Rochester Community Schools Foundation unanimously approved the award to cover startup costs, which included instruments, instrument cabinets, music stands, seats, music books and other items, which will continue to be used for years to come,” Pasquale Cusumano, assistant superintendent of secondary and adult education, explained.

To launch the 2018-19 school year, violins, violas, cellos and double base instruments were added to sixth grade music rooms at all RCS middle schools, giving students the option to select either the new orchestra program, or the existing choir or band programs, as one of their elective courses. All RCS sixth-graders are required to take a full year of music.

The program attracted participants quickly and grew each time those initial orchestra students advanced to the next grade level.

“Now, we have a full district orchestra that includes musicians in grades six through 12, sharing their creative talents across the community,” Cusumano explained.

On April 1, the district gathered all 540 orchestra students from all four middle schools and three high schools to share their musical progress in a collective concert.

“The progress we are making is truly impressive and a testament to the dedication of our amazing community, who support and encourage our students,” Cusmano said during the concert.

Rochester High School senior Jacob Thor is one of the first graduates of the district’s orchestra program.

“I joined orchestra because it felt like a good fit for me,” Thor said in an email. “It taught me how to work and perform in a group environment, and eventually, I became a viola section leader. Each school year, I started to enjoy it more and more.”

Music is a passion for Thor, who intends to continue studying it in college.

“As our inaugural orchestra students prepare to graduate and continue their education and training beyond high school, we wish them great success,” added Cusmano.