Music Enrollment Takes a Dive in Seventh Grade

School board member Martha Jones quoted some dramatic statistics at last Wednesday's board meeting about enrollment in music classes at Piedmont Middle School and Piedmont High School.

In sixth grade, when students get to choose to be part of the band or orchestra, 131 PMS students were taking instrumental classes in the past school year. In seventh grade, enrollment plummeted—just 14 students played music this spring.

"Seventh graders only have one elective. This usually translates into a half year of music in the fall and a half-year of foreign language in the spring, and many students do drop instrumental music after the fall … That to me is a huge problem," said Jones, who identified herself as a lifelong amateur musician.

After the seventh grade drop-off, the number of students enrolled in music doesn't bounce back much. Thirty-three students elected to take music in eighth grade this year. At PHS, about 33 students per grade enrolled in vocal music and about 20 per grade in instrumental music.

Music is part of the program for all students in Piedmont through fifth grade. In kindergarten through grade 4, students get a half hour of vocal music a week. In fourth grade, students also get a half of instrumental music. Fifth graders specialize in an instrument or participate in choir.

Jones said part of the motivation behind the to add music theory and notation lessons to the fourth grade program using the Orff-Schulwerk method was to give students a better foundation so that more would continue once music is optional. 

She hoped the seventh grade program would be part of discussions about music in the Piedmont school district next year.

"Is this limited experience of a couple of years all we're aiming for?," Jones asked.