Good Afternoon, 

The county may be short on money, but there are always ways to move it around. Choosing to eliminate orchestra class at Clemmons Middle School is not the solution. People may think they are just discontinuing a class with fewer students, but there are far larger, negative consequences. Even though the enrollment seems smaller than the other required classes, 80 students still want to enroll. By getting rid of Mr. Gavin Hunter’s position, the county is not getting rid of one teacher; they are getting rid of an entire department and the opportunities it provides.

The orchestra is very important to many people. When I was going to middle school, I could not wait to join the orchestra class. Many other kids are excited to join too. Orchestra is one of the few classes that students actually want to come to school for. It is one of the only classes where none of the kids want to be on their phones. Kids want to come to connect and play together. Music is a beautiful thing and important to learn. Students get to read notes, listen to others, connect their sounds, and express their voice through an instrument. Playing music has many benefits for cognitive development, such as strengthening memory, improving attention span, and enhancing attention to detail. Music is a very fun class where kids can relieve stress. Music is known for relieving stress and making people feel better. This orchestra class performs for others to bring joy to society.

We go to many events, such as MPA, festivals, and performances, and even perform at county events such as the CORE Awards. We practice for auditions for All-Country and get to make new friends there as well. From these events, students gain confidence in their abilities and want to go out and improve their community. I know many students who take their passion for music outside of school to play for their family, churches, hospitals, and nursing homes. The department has a far greater impact on the community than the people in charge realize. Most of the kids at West Forsyth High School come from Clemmons Middle School. If the department at the middle school gets cut, there will be fewer kids coming to the West orchestra, and their department will soon run out of students. 

It is not even logical to cut the orchestra department, because orchestra is one of the classes that receives very little money anyways. We bring our own instruments or pay to rent. We buy our own books or use hand-me-down ones. We do our own fundraising that our teacher organized. Music teachers put a lot of effort in helping kids learn music. Some have even gone to training to get bus driver licenses so we will not have to pay for rides to events. We also reuse the sheet music from year to year. Speaking of the sheet music, there are copies that come from local artists. Some of the money from our fundraisers goes towards supporting those local artists. If the department gets cut, then customers and income is being taken away from composers right here in Clemmons. 

Many colleges love to see commitment and passion to extracurriculars in addition to academics.  Without an orchestra class, kids can’t find their passion in music. Removing this class removes the opportunity for kids to gain exposure to a supportive environment and to instruments they want to practice and commit to. Many kids can’t afford private lessons, therefore the only way to have access is through school. In these classes, many kids find an identity in playing music and want to learn from a great teacher (such as Mr. Hunter) and work hard with their peers to prepare for college. The District Mission Statement says, “Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools will engage all students in high-quality, relevant learning experiences so they will graduate with interpersonal, academic, and workforce skills to compete globally and contribute to society.” WSFCS is failing to keep its promises by letting this decision go through. Allowing the principal at Clemmons Middle School to abolish the orchestra class means preventing children from becoming well-rounded in schools and will harm their educational journey. 

Clemmons middle school and the community NEEDS YOUR HELP! You can help by spreading the word on the Forsyth Educator Advocacy Forum. 

Sincerely, 

Brooke White – A West Forsyth Student speaking up for all the current and future violinists, violists, cellists, and bassists.