Troy Students Continue Music Education During COVID-19

Photo: Troy Hofer student Aleksandra and her younger sister Angelika, who is in Troy preschool, play the “drums” at home during the school’s “Jammin’ in your Jammies” Virtual Fine Arts Night. Troy students are continuing their music education at home this spring with virtual classes.

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The seven Troy 30-C schools place high value on music education and continue to teach these lessons to their students as they e-school from home during the coronavirus school building closures.

Sydney Busekrus, music teacher at Troy Hofer Elementary School, teaches kindergarten through 4th grade and says her students are enjoying making and learning about music at their homes through her e-learning videos.

“My job as their music teacher,” Busekrus says, “is to provide achievable and fun activities that help our students progress in our music curriculum. I have been recording videos that help them practice rhythmic and melodic concepts in the comfort of their own homes.”

Since her students don’t always have musical instruments at home, Busekrus gives suggestions for alternative music-makers, such as pots and pans for percussion and water glasses as xylophones.

Hofer students had to miss their annual Fine Arts Night this spring, but Principal Kristin Copes and the school’s music, art, physical education and library staff created a Virtual Fine Arts Night, “Jammin’ in your Jammies,” where students performed and displayed their art online for over 250 Hofer families.

With Busekrus’s at-home music program, Hofer students are also introduced to songs and activities in different languages and learn to respect people of different cultures.

Busekrus hopes to ignite a life-long passion for music in her students, even in these days of e-learning.

“I have seen first-hand how students can utilize music as a way to try something new,” she said, “and to be the most genuine version of themselves. We learn so much more than just music in music classes. Our students are encouraged to challenge themselves and build a strong sense of community, in addition to developing a sense of joy and respect for music.”