Music Unites Students of All Abilities

In the art and music wing at Henry James Memorial School (HJMS), one hallway features a rainbow of cut-out musical notes, above which is posted the words, “Music Brings Us Together.” Here 13 mentors and 5 special education students meet once a week after school to share their love for music in a special after school club called United Sound—and now six of these students have been invited to perform at the State Capitol in Hartford on May 2nd during Special Education Day at the State Capitol.

From 10am to noon, the Connecticut Special Education PTO (SEPTO) Alliance is hosting Special Education Day at the State Capitol, a celebration of the achievements and contributions of Connecticut’s special education students. Students from around the State will speak about their success and their struggles. Guests in attendance—many wearing red, white and blue to show their support for special education—will be treated to a sampling of the breadth of Unified activities taking place in schools across Connecticut, including Unified arts, sports, and robotics.

Featured speaker Senator Ted Kennedy Jr., said, “Our students who have benefited from special education make a major contribution to our economy and to our richness as a society. This day is an opportunity to recognize the many achievements of exceptional Connecticut students and highlight the importance of special education programs in our schools.”

Music teacher Charlotte D’Aleo is the club adviser for United Sound. She said, “We have teamed up with the special education department and paired students with peer mentors to teach them how to play a band instrument.”

An additional challenge is that for most of the students, this is the very first time picking up an instrument. The club features quite a mix, from French horn to the xylophone. On one afternoon, choruses of “cake-soup-donut, donut-donut-cake” could be heard. Far from a secret code, this was part of a teaching strategy for music, which uses words instead of rhythms, with “cake” being a quarter note, “soup” a half note, and “donut” an eighth note. What a fun way to learn music!

Said Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Services Susan Homrok-Lemke, “United Sound brings another layer of inspiration and passion into our learning experience. Through thoughtful curriculum that provides access to all, United Sound is a vehicle to create lasting friendships and develop the understanding that every student has a gift to share.”