Many good things in the Mahomet community begin with music.
There’s no doubt that the school year is about to begin when the water-filled air carries the beat of the Mahomet-Seymour marching band drumline throughout the valley. The rich notes of brass and woodwinds greet teams as they take the field. Parents and community members alike fill stadiums, auditoriums and gymnasiums whenever children gather to perform.
The quality of production by the time students reach high school is not only talent, but built on a foundation of musical skills, theory and community.
“Getting to teach the students in the lower elementary music classes at the beginning of their experiences at Mahomet Seymour schools, it’s a bit like planting a tree and experiencing the exciting anticipation as it continues to grow over the years and change,” Middletown Elementary teacher Jacob Beinborn said. “
“While a part of our class experience is the music content knowledge, the other part is the development of the students as individuals that can feel confident to take creative risks, that can collaborate with others, can continue to engage with the arts, and can express themselves.”
Those blooming seeds have led to a Mahomet-Seymour standard that hails the marching band, jazz band and choral programs that are recognized at the top of competition lists year-after-year.
But receiving a 2022 Best Communities for Music Education award by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation showcased the philosophy and day-to-day work that goes into educating Mahomet-Seymour students.
“The recognition provided from this award feels like a celebration of the cumulative experience provided by music education in our schools,” Beinborn said. “As an educator still somewhat in the early portion of my career, the dedication and passion shown across all of the ensembles and grade levels of instruction is inspiring. It also feels like a celebration of the legacy of educators and students that the program is built upon, as well as the value the community continues to place on fine arts programs in our schools.”
The award was presented and the strength of the Mahomet-Seymour music program was acclaimed by the Music Shoppe, a member of NAMM and partner of the Mahomet-Seymour Music Education program, during April’s board of education meeting.
Jonathon Breen, the Music Shoppe President noted that in NAMM’s 23rd year of the Best Communities for Music Education program, 738 school districts across 44 states where commended for “outstanding efforts by their teachers, administrators, parents, students and community leaders in supportive music education as part of a well-rounded education for all children.”
Mahomet-Seymour was one of the 22 districts in the state of Illinois to be awarded this distinction and one of only four districts found downstate.
“This year’s awards program was designed to celebrate schools and districts adapting, innovating and persevering in the face of change,” Breen said. “As I’m certain, each music educator here tonight can attest: trying to coordinate the teaching of a subject that is by its very nature one of gathering and sharing in a time when we were being told to distance and shelter, offer difficulties that defy description. Trying to conduct rehearsals when you have to be concerned about air recycle rates and wearing special masks and custom covers for instruments in order to reduce the level of fomites in the room; or attempting to have six year olds learn about music without being able to share instruments or sing; not to mention the super spreader event that was choir class.”
Practically, that meant making sure students came into the classroom wearing their mask and applying social distance standards to ensure students could learn safely.
“As music educators, we were suddenly thrust into a world of learning about aerosols and air changes within our classroom and how those things could potentially impact our students’ safety,” Mahomet-Seymour Junior High Choral Instructor Brian Lonergan said. “We had to constantly balance new data for keeping our students in a safe learning environment, while at the same time, trying to provide as many musical and performance opportunities as we could.
“We pivoted, like most people in our profession, to relying on virtual performances and socially distanced recording sessions, which allowed our students to still gain some performance experience.”
As in all subjects, the learning loss will be significant moving forward.
Mahomet-Seymour High School’s Assistant Band Director Evan Bossenbroek said that the focus will remain on the fundamental skills of younger students as the program looks to maintain excellence in the higher levels.
“Getting students in the habit of daily practice and giving them the tools they need to improve outside of the classroom has been a big priority. In the classroom, we are placing more emphasis on sight reading and rhythm,” Bossenbroek said.
“Beyond music, the past two years have made it difficult to develop time management skills required to grow musically or the social-emotional skills required for students to get along with each other. Developing leadership skills has always been an important part of our program, and we see it as a crucial part of the success of our program going forward.”
For Lincoln Trail Instructor Sue Keeble, it’s part of going back to the basics of what the Mahomet-Seymour Music program is built upon.
“The joy of music,” Keeble said. “This may sound overly simplistic, but the impact after high school can be significant. Amateur music lovers who attend concerts, enjoy a wide variety of listening experiences and seek out opportunities to perform in their communities drive our field. It is my hope that our students leave the M-S music program with an open mind and a strong value for the Arts.”
Still, in a time of exhaustion, receiving national recognition is something that helps carry the educators’ spirit forward.
“As music educators, we hope to instill a lifelong love and appreciation of music in our students,” Mahomet-Seymour High School Choral Director Nicole Kuglich said. “When we received the award at the April board meeting, the presentation spotlighted the importance of music in our community in a way unlike any other that I’ve ever known as a music educator. It emphasized that our community values music education and brought awareness to the importance of quality music education in our schools. The Mahomet-Seymour schools have a strong, rich tradition of inspired musical opportunities for our students established and maintained by the many talented directors who have worked with our students through the years.
“I hope that the recognition this award provides will assist us as we continue to provide an excellent education in music to our current students, and to the generations to come.”
