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For varsity choir students wondering if they would like to pursue music education, Sherman High School choir director Anna Clarkson gave her students the opportunity to mentor fourth grade students in the all-city choir before their first performance Tuesday night.
“I have several of my students who want to be music teachers so this has been an invaluable experience for them so they can realize if they like this or they don’t like it as much as they thought,” Clarkson said. “It’s been wonderful for my high school students to work with these kids because this experience has encouraged them to be great leaders and learn how to teach great music.”
Besides getting hands-on experience with elementary school students, Clarkson said it is important for the high school students to learn how to work with different music teachers because it takes a team of educators to ensure students are receiving the best introduction to music. The experience also allows boys and girls to find role models in older students, she said.
“I hope my students take away how important it is for kids to have music in elementary school because it makes such a huge difference in their lives,” Clarkson said. “It’s especially important for our boys to see young men who sing because some of them get discouraged if they are told singing is not masculine or they should be ashamed for it.”
SHS student Ethan McGriff said he didn’t have much experience working with young children but he enjoyed being a male role model. The junior said he wished that he had the opportunity to try out for an all-city choir in elementary school because he had to wait until sixth grade to join a choir.
“If I would have done an all-city choir as a fourth grade, I would have been in choir from the start,” McGriff said. “I hope the kids grasp a better understanding of music and how to use music in real life. We’ve taught them some technical skills so hopefully they take them back to their schools and share it with others.”
