Letter: We should all take pride in Worthington's music programs

• Trophies

Ryan mcgaughey/daily globe “Spirit of Worthington” Trojan marching band commanders Claire Bents (from left), Parker Sandhurst and Tim Skog hold championship trophies from fall band competitions Monday afternoon on the Worthington High School campus.

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As a proud parent of a Spirit of Worthington Marching Band member, I was in attendance at the concert at the WHS gymnasium this month. I am very pleased with the results and accomplishments the band has achieved this past season and I am sure they will represent our high school, our community and our state very successfully at the upcoming Thanksgiving Day parade in Chicago.

Amy Oberloh stated in her letter to the editor that “what shines even brighter is the friendships, experiences and life lessons these students have gained.” I couldn’t agree more. Trophies, medals and hardware are great to achieve and are a proud reminder of accomplishments, but I am one that believes that the life skills, personal and emotional developments that these students are learning through this musical experience is way more valuable than a trophy — and we, as a society, sometimes overlook this.

The love of music, and being able to express it in a group or as an individual, is something that these students will have forever. As Jeanette Jenson, director of the fifth-grade band, which also performed at the concert, and, in my opinion, was outstanding as well, said: “They all started here … playing things like ‘Hot Cross Buns’ or something similar.” How true — those beginning fifth-grade students worked hard to perform as well as they did! And Mrs. Jenson does an outstanding job of getting them started, instilling good practice and musical habits and learning how to touch people through their music.

Then, Michael Andersen, the band director at the middle school, whose sixth- through eighth-grade marching band nearly blew out the audience at the gym that night, takes them to another level, developing technique and musicality further and getting them ready for the next level. Mr. Andersen’s and Mrs. Jenson’s contributions to the success of the high school band program cannot be overlooked! Like most things in life, talent and skill has to be developed over time, and the high school bands’ successes would not be there without the programs at the other schools in town.

Just a few short days and the current entity of the Spirit of Worthington Marching Band will be put to rest, ever so briefly, until the next season begins again in the summer of 2012. Most of these students will continue musically in the WHS concert band, and the WHS Orchestra and WHS Concert Choir, or in Trojan Express, Bel Canto or the Trojan Choir. All of our music programs in this community are outstanding, and we as a city should be proud of all of their accomplishments.

Tags: district 518, worthington middle school, opinion, letters, music, education, whs