By Andonia Goergen
Executive News Editor
At its Feb. 3 board meeting, the Manhattan Beach Unified School District (MBUSD) Board of Trustees reviewed the Music Subcommittee report, which shared information about how to strengthen the music programs in the district.
After holding 10 meetings throughout the year since May of 2020, one of the Music Subcommittee’s key findings was that elementary participation in music is crucial in keeping students engaged in the Visual and Performing Arts programs in the district. The subcommittee also discovered that scheduling interference in ninth grade is the primary reason why many students do not continue to pursue music in high school.
“We want each student to find their own path and to really thrive in that way,” Superintendent Dr. Mike Matthews said. “Every student has a unique path that they find along the way, and for many of our students, it is music.”
Through its research, the subcommittee also found out that transfer students may be excluded from participating in music programs because Manhattan Beach Middle School and Costa don’t have any beginner music classes. The final key finding of the report stressed that making friends in these music programs was a motivating factor in keeping students interested.
“What we’ve heard from our students in the music program is that it’s a community,” Matthews said. “They have friends, they’ve made new friends and they love being a part of that community. So, the [social emotional learning] benefits are strong with that.”
Leave a Reply