Worries About Music Education in Tolland Schools

Budget season is just around the corner, and Tolland parent Amy Begue, the head of the Friends of Tolland Music group, said she is waiting to see what Tolland's student musicians will lose this year.

She said that in the last five years, small parts of the music education program have been chipped away, whether it's a small program or half of a teaching position. Students and their families also have to provide their own instruments to participate, Begue said.

"The music education system in town is the victim of gradual erosion," she said.

Begue said that the small group of parent volunteers tries to fundraise whenever possible. They facilitate private lessons with local musicians, record performances so students can listen to the results of their hard work and throw receptions after concerts.

But Begue said that there are worries about the program's future, especially given position losses at , which Begue said is the crucial "feeder program" for music education in town.

"The first time the student is going to pick up an instrument in Tolland is fourth or fifth grade," she said. "When they hit middle school, substantial ensemble music can happen. We're concerned that this fourth and fifth grade program will be in danger again this year."

Currently, Begue said TIS offers band and chorus for fourth and fifth grade students, as well as small group lessons. However, she noted that the school district has no string program available for students at any level, which she said has also fallen victim to the budget process.

"It actually got approved at the BOE level, but it got cut," she said, which Begue believes is a woeful sign for the future of any school program, music-related or otherwise.

"Once something gets cut, you're never going to see it again," she said. "It very seldom comes back."

Begue's words echo parental concerns for other school activities, including the district's pay-to-play athletic program, which has been a .

For Begue and the other members of the Friends, that means raising awareness about music education and about budget referendums for parents of Tolland students.

"We want the awareness to be out there that we need the parents of school-age children to vote on referendums," Begue said. "If a budget fails, it will never go up; it will go down."

She said that the group will particularly focus on promoting the arts with the parents of elementary-aged children.

"We find that parents of elementary school students do not vote in the percentage of say high school parents," Begue explained.

However, the Friends of Tolland Music are willing to put in the hard work to recruit other parents because of the importance of a complete education.

"Every child will have that one thing that really excites them. Every child has their niche. For some, it's sports. For some, it's math class, and for some it's music," Begue said. "It's all about teaching them how to think and teaching them how to work together."

Anyone interested in joining the Friends of Tolland Music can send an email to friendsoftollandmusic@gmail.com or visit the group's Web site.

The next meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on February 2 at .