Student organization Classical Connections was one of the first groups to explore community engagement activity at the start of the Jacobs School – Center for Rural Engagement collaboration, all the way back in 2018. Classical Connections’ mission is to bring the joy of music to diverse areas of the greater Bloomington community through musical performance, educational engagement, and interpersonal development. The organization was flexible and adaptable when approached about working through the JSoM Community Engagement Initiative, crafting plans to expand their reach into JSoM CRE partner communities and building artistic capacity-in rural areas.
Classical Connections members have focused particularly on growing their relationship with Brown County band students. In the 2019 academic year, the student organization conducted 2 all-day music events and 4 in-person mentoring clinics with Brown County High School. These events engaged approximately 90 high schoolers, 40 general audience members, and involved about 30 Jacobs School of Music students. Brown County High School Band Director, Matt Finley, was and continues to be an instrumental part of mounting these events. His work in juggling complex school calendars, managing communication and organizing logistics for these visits is paramount to their success.
“Everyone was absolutely thrilled to work with the IU students. My students only have positive things to say.”
-Matthew Finley, Brown County HS Band Director
With the pandemic uprooting these in-person visits and relationships, Classical Connections was eager to reconnect with students in Brown County Schools in 2021. They recognized that now more than ever before, music practice is essential as a means of exercising creativity, finding joy, and escaping our difficult realities. This spring, with the kinks of virtual music teaching ironed out, Classical Connections launched private virtual lessons with Brown County School students. This virtual format has additionally given Classical Connections an exciting opportunity to expand their reach to interested students in Paoli, as well.
Paoli Junior and Senior High had been working in their own innovative ways to keep music alive during the pandemic. Many students in Paoli lack the technological capabilities to stay musically engaged in school classes and events, and one event that posed a particular challenge was the newly-virtual Indiana State School Music Association Solo Ensemble Festival. Paoli decided to host their own version of this event for students due to the difficulties of virtual participation. As Bill Laughlin – retired Paoli Jr./Sr. Band Director – recounts, the schools had 86 entries (solos, trios, quartets, etc.) among grades 7-12 musicians. The schools hired 3 guest adjudicators from the ISSMA pool to spend a Saturday morning in Paoli (January 2021) listening to students and providing official assessments on their performances. Students received feedback on a score sheet, medals based on their performances, and high scorers were invited to submit a video of their performance to the ISSMA site for State Solo/Ensemble Adjudication.
Classical Connections was thrilled to jump into this mix at Paoli Jr. and Sr. High and offer private virtual lessons for interested students. Bill Laughlin assisted in connecting Classical Connections instructors with interested students in the community. Lessons have been up and running since February 2021, with Classical Connections carefully tracking and encouraging rural student progress. The leadership and members of the student organization are getting invaluable experience while teaching, administrating, and implementing this project. With a few years of intermittent clinics and private lessons under their belts, Classical Connections is thrilled to be finding a steady rhythm teaching students in these respective towns, and is still open to expanding their reach into Huntingburg and Salem in the future.
Leave a Reply