Arts education that resonates

The first graders chattered excitedly at the door to the music room at Los Robles Ronald McNair Academy in East Palo Alto. After quieting down, they entered one by one, each depositing an “Admit One” ticket into a tray held by their music teacher, Kimberly Garzon.

First graders at Los Robles Ronald McNair Academy in East Palo Alto enjoyed an interactive concert experience with musicians from Quinteto Latino. (Image credit: Lisa Chung)

At the front of the room stood five musicians from Quinteto Latino: Diane Grubbe on flute, Kyle Bruckman with oboe, Armando Castellano with French horn, Jamael Smith with a big, tall bassoon, and Leslie Tagorda with a clarinet. For the next 30 minutes, the students were absorbed in the experience of making music, from Son de Betaza, a melody from a pueblo in the state of Oaxaca, to Take the A Train, made famous by Duke Ellington. “Play the instruments you brought with you,” Castellano encouraged, as he led clapping, finger-snapping, and other audience percussion to each song.

“Seeing their faces ‘wowed’ – that’s what I want when they come away from a performance,” says Garzon.

Arts education, including music, dance, and visual arts is an important part of Ravenswood City School District’s strategic plan. In 2015, the district, which has 1,731 students enrolled in three elementary schools and one middle school in East Palo Alto, invited Stanford Live to help improve its music program. Stanford Live’s strong K-12 program and extensive relationships with teaching artists positioned them to be able to provide the district’s program with attention, professional support, and continuity, says Superintendent Gina Sudaria.

Stanford Live brought in Quinteto Latino, a national nonprofit organization founded by Castellano, to commission and perform works by Latino artists and bring culturally competent music education to public schools, particularly for Latino students. Sudaria says the organization’s work ensures that Ravenswood students, 83 percent of whom are Latino, experience music education that reflects their heritage and culture.

“Quinteto Latino, RCSD, and Stanford Live have successfully built a robust and inclusive educational program. What stands out about this collaboration is the unwavering commitment to student-centeredness, which has strengthened our partnership over the years,” she says.

A collaboration that energizes

Now in its eighth year, the collaboration in East Palo Alto is an ever-evolving relationship between Ravenswood schools, their music teachers, Stanford, and the Quinteto Latino artists. An artists-in-schools program brings teaching artists to visit music classes in all of Ravenswood district schools, and offers individualized training for music teachers.

At Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle School, French horn musician Cathleen Torres works with individual brass instruments students while they practice with teacher Jordan Mitchell. (Image credit: Lisa Chung)

This year, seed funding from Stanford’s Office of Community Engagement supports an expanded program that brings teaching artists to classrooms before and after students attend matinees on the Stanford campus to work with both students and teachers and support music learning and professional growth. That support demonstrates how seriously the university takes community partnerships, says Deborah Cullinan, vice president for the Arts at Stanford.

“Collaboration is at the heart of both art making and building relationships,” says Cullinan. “Our collaboration with Ravenswood is a model of how we want to work with community partners.”

Stanford Live leadership credit the value of sustained funding over the years for the program’s continuity, from the initial grant that gave the RCSD collaboration its start, to the individual donors who support Stanford Live’s K-12 program, which provides free matinee performances, such as those at the Bing Concert Hall and Memorial Auditorium, including bus transportation to and from the concerts.

“It’s a nice through-line we’ve established. That’s the beauty of a long-term partnership,” says Castellano.

In the years since the partnership began, RCSD’s music program has flourished. Castellano says the district’s commitment, coupled with the stability of Stanford Live’s participation, has had a transformative effect, with the hiring of more credentialed music teachers and less music teacher turnover as just two examples. Cullinan, in turn, credits the district’s steady hand through the years.

“The sustained commitment of Ravenswood leadership to strong arts education programs helps make it possible for Stanford Live to support the work of the district’s teachers, knowing that we can adapt and expand the programs and support teachers’ evolving needs as part of a larger, long-term effort,” Cullinan says.