More Music at NPHS

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NPHS music teacher, Mr. Stephen Morrison, has been working solo at North Providence high School for eighteen years now. He is excited to say that there is a possibility that another second music teacher could be joining him next school year.

If another teacher comes and stays, the whole music department will greatly expand. Mr. Morrison hopes to gain a number of new classes next, year, both performance-based and non performance-based. Morrison tells the Cougar Courier,” I feel that this is something we should have. It would enhance the program tremendously! It would be nice to get leveled arts classes back.”

Right now, our music department offers Guitar 1, Percussion 1, Music Technology and Recording 1, Concert Band, Chorus, Music Theory 1, and Concert Choir. In the near future, NPHS hopes to have more, such as American Popular Music, Piano 1 and 2, Guitar 2, Percussion 2, Survey of Music (EEP), Music Technology and Recording 2, and AP Music Theory.

Again, these new courses are dependent on a new teaching position being budgeted by the town.

Morrison also told the Courier some history about our music department in this school. He says the auditorium was named after the original music teacher, Beatrice M. Ward. In the 1960’s, a man named Mr. Drummond was originally hired as the town band teacher for grades 4-12. He worked only part-time at NPHS. In the 1980’s, he started working full-time at the high school as a band teacher. Around then is when he started the chorus program. In 1996, Mr. Morrison became a part of the staff and brought the percussion, guitar, and recording classes to the school. He also started taking classes on trips to music festivals if appropriate. In the past he has taken students to Virginia Beach, Washington DC, New York, Philadelphia, and this year, to Canada during the end of April Vacation week.

According to Unified Arts Department Chair Patricia Lucciola, the addition of a second music teacher is not a certainty and is contingent on the town budget.

Principal Goho shares, “I am enthusiastic about another music teacher joining us. I think it would be a great help to have considering there will be huge waves of band and choir kids in the next few years due to our new middle school programs.”

The music department has done many fundraisers throughout the 2014-2015 school year. Students have sold ads for a booklet, sold cookie dough gift cards to order tubs online, held a karaoke and pasta night, as well as sold raffle tickets for prizes that will be given away at their last concert of the year, their Spring Concert, on Tuesday, May 12th, 2015.

The Cougar Courier visited Morrison during his current Music Technology and Recording class. He believes that this class gives his students creative freedom while also learning about the applications of music technology through a program called Pro-Tools.

Article by Jessica Martineau