By Guadi Rabino
Assistant Managing Editor
Selected Mira Costa orchestra members have been serving as musical mentors for the fourth and fifth graders of Manhattan Beach who have been accepted into the elementary school Honors Strings program for 15 years.
“As a former member of the program back when I was in elementary school, I can safely say that we are giving these kids a friendly new environment to learn in,” senior and third year mentor Tooba Wasi said. “I also think they can learn a lot from the kids that they can see themselves being in the future.”
The Honors program consists of a elected number of the young musicians currently performing on any of the 5 local elementary’s orchestra as well as few select high school mentors. These mentors are elected after an audition process led by Mira Costa orchestra director Peter Park.
“While going through auditions, I look for how well these students are able to break down concepts and I also try to fade their connection with students of that age,” Park said. “It’s important to see how interested they are in working with young people and I pay special attention to how level appropriate whatever they’re trying is to teach is.”
Once selected, these mentors aid the young musicians every Tuesday after school in the Costa band room. The program has gained popularity among the elementary students and the numbers of students that audition has increased over the years Park says. Due to this, it has required a change of locations for the practice room.
“We used to practice at Pacific Elementary School but once we decided we needed more space we began to do it here in Mira Costa,” Park said. “Not only is there more space but the Mira Costa orchestra room is also a professionally treated class room and acoustically designed for rehearsals.”
Link: Learn more about the program by vistiting the website for the Honors Strings program.
The audition process for this year took place in Dec. 2016 and currently there are five high school mentors assisting in these practices. These students range in grade level from freshman to senior.
“I definitely think that my teaching and understand skills have improved a lot due to my involvement in this program,” Wasi said. “I think when you teach other people it helps you learn a lot about how to do things yourself.”
Link: Read more about the Mira Costa orchestra director.
Many students participating in the program have progressed so much that they have continued teaching their own private lessons to younger kids in need of assistance. The students currently enrolled in the program plan to continue for the years to come.
“I see the high school music mentors benefitting everyday,” Park said. “I believe there is a lot that you gain when you’re in the role of helping others. As a teacher I learn so much from my students when trying to explain something you think of it in a way that you normally wouldn’t. I love seeing the mentors excel in their leadership and tutorial skills and I believe they gain just as much as the elementary students do.”
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