Music program deemed 1st class

Mike Swanson

Already well known for its surplus of talented artists and musicians,

Laguna Beach’s recognition as one of the top 100 communities for

music education in the country implies the passion is making its way

to the younger generation.

One of only three school districts in California honored by the

American Music Conference after a nationwide survey, the award comes

as a welcome contrast to the district’s budget woes.

“My son’s a musician,” a tearful Mayor Toni Iseman said at the

April 18 award presentation at Thurston Middle School, “and it’s the

most important thing in his life. I’m so grateful that he was

supported through our schools.”

Rebecca Apodaca, president of A & D Music in Laguna Hills,

nominated the Laguna Beach School District for the honor. She also

donating four string instruments to the district, which will be used

by a soon-to-be-formed string quartet.

Wade Hendricks, first-year band teacher at Thurston and Laguna

Beach High School and a recent graduate of the University of

Colorado, said he felt lucky to be starting his career in such a

music-friendly community.

“I had no idea what I was getting in to,” Hendricks said.

The American Music Conference conducted the survey jointly with

other top national organizations devoted to music, such as the VH1

Save the Music Foundation and the National Assn. for Music Education.

The results showed that successful music programs are found in

communities that balance measurable resources, such as budgets and

buildings, with less tangible assets such as community participation,

Apodaca said.

The Capistrano Unified School District was the only other Southern

California district chosen in the survey, with the Woodside School

District in the Bay Area being the only other California honoree.

On behalf of the board of education, President Kathryn Turner said

it would do whatever it could to limit the negative repercussions

that budget cuts will have on the district’s now nationally esteemed

music program.

“Even though we’re under the gun,” Turner said, “we’ll continue to

support the music program the best that we can.”

If Turner’s appreciation of the Thurston Middle School Band’s

pre-presentation performance remains on her mind when the board makes

its final decisions, then cutting even one after-school music program

could prove difficult.

“I’ve never heard a better rendition of ‘Night Train,’” Turner

said. “Ever.”

The band’s four drummers said they hope Thurston’s future playlist

includes edgier, more difficult tunes.

“I like a wide variety of music,” 13-year-old drummer Sesa

Carreras said, proudly displaying his love for punk band the Clash on

his T-shirt. “Rock, metal, punk. I think we should play better stuff

like that.”

Eighth-grader Josh Burns, the senior member of the rhythm section,

who received his first drum kit at age 8, agreed with Carreras,

saying a Sex Pistols song here and there would be much appreciated.

Carreras, Burns, Matthew Rooklidge and Zack Ellis said they all

have full kits at home and take their interest in music everywhere

they go. Carreras sounded unimpressed by the district’s honor.

“It’s fine,” he said.

Iseman said learning to play a musical instrument at a young age

is something that children might not appreciate while young, but

appreciation will creep in.

“I took a music class as a kid,” she said. “I can’t sing and I

can’t play, but because I took it, I enjoy my life more. For those of

you sitting here [in the band] who will never take another class, you

will enjoy your life more, and you’ll always understand how hard it

is to make music.”

* MIKE SWANSON is a reporter for the Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot.

He covers education, public safety and City Hall. He can be reached

at 494-4321 or [email protected].