Leader of the band: Local man pushes for youth community instrumental programs

03.08.11

Jim Neihart sat behind the piano in a church basement and challenged six students holding instruments.</p><p>&#x201C;I&#x2019;ll play the piano, and let&#x2019;s just see how far we can go,&#x201D; he told them on a recent Saturday morning as they tackled a Mozart selection.</p><p>At 82, Neihart has continued his life&#x2019;s calling of teaching music this summer as he hosted a free eight-week camp for sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders. It was for students who needed a place to assemble and practice, he said.</p><p>The camp also underscored what Neihart thinks the city needs: a youth band.</p><p>&#x201C;The emphasis is to point out the need for an instrumental program for kids that is community-sponsored,&#x201D; he said.</p><p>Although some school districts and organizations have year-round programs, students in the urban core could benefit from a no-cost, cohesive approach to playing, he said.</p><p>&#x201C;I feel strongly for the need for opportunities,&#x201D; he said.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">The camp</span></strong></p><p>Usually a handful of students attended Neihart&#x2019;s weekly camp at Wornall Road Baptist Church, which donated the space. Altogether, about 15 youngsters attended on and off as vacations, trips and other activities crammed summer schedules during June and July.</p><p>Neihart required one thing. He asked that the students be able to read and play music so they could contribute to the band.</p><p>Students who attended could expect experienced instructors.</p><p>Alex Hamilton, who called himself Neihart&#x2019;s sidekick, is associate professor emeritus for the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance.</p><p>Neihart taught nearly 40 years in the Turner School District of Kansas City, Kan., and now serves as part-time band director at Benjamin Banneker Charter Academy of Technology and part-time principal at Accelerated Schools in Overland Park.</p><p>He sees seventh- and eighth-graders at Benjamin Banneker losing interest because they are going on to schools without band.</p><p>&#x201C;It used to be kids had opportunities,&#x201D; he said.</p><p>Students who are home-schooled also need to participate in a well-organized band or orchestra, he said.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Filling gaps</span></strong></p><p>Interest in the arts and music remains high in Jackson and Cass counties, despite cuts and modifications to some programs. </p><p>The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education reported more than 184,000 students enrolled in arts and music classes for 2011. That number is at an all-time high after a dip to 163,500 recorded in 2009.</p><p>This interest means that Neihart&#x2019;s idea could catch on.</p><p> &#x201C;A community band for kids is a wonderful idea,&#x201D; said Carolyn Brewer, who is band director at St. Elizabeth&#x2019;s School. &#x201C;It&#x2019;s a way to not only keep up on instruments, but meet other people. So many times when kids have contact (with students from other schools) it&#x2019;s through sports and it&#x2019;s competitive.&#x201D;</p><p>A community band experience would be collaborative, she said.</p><p>A particular school or club may find it hard to pull enough students together for a summer camp because of vacations and other camps. Drawing from a larger pool might be a good idea, she said.</p><p>Other city youth music programs require a large commitment of money and time, and may be inappropriate for beginning students who are still trying to make up their minds, Brewer said.</p><p>The Youth Symphony of Kansas City currently doesn&#x2019;t have a summer program. Kansas City Youth Jazz, while all year round, is geared for more experienced musicians. These programs often hold auditions and require tuition, although scholarships are available.</p><p>Another known arts organization, KC Young Audiences, provides many opportunities for camps and arts and theater, but only private instruction when it comes to youth music experiences.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Parental support</span></strong></p><p>Marvin Reed watched his 11-year-old daughter Sierra play her clarinet during camp, which concluded Saturday with a community concert. </p><p>Sierra had just finished one year of playing and expressed interest, so her parents looked for a summer experience.</p><p> &#x201C;The more exposure, the better,&#x201D; Reed said. &#x201C;We&#x2019;ve noticed that there are not a lot of places for kids to do this.&#x201D;</p><p>Another student that day was Biruk Amare. He has played the saxophone since the third grade. His mother, Talya Page, brought him.</p><p>&#x201C;Music is important,&#x201D; said Page.</p><p>The discipline required to play can translate to other academics, she said. Page also wants to keep the family tradition alive. Her great-grandfather was Walter Page of the Kansas City jazz band the Blue Devils.</p><p>Seeing value in music programs and the arts must come from the parents, said Joe Parisi, chair of the Music Education-Music Therapy division, associate professor of instrumental music education and associate director of bands at the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance.</p><p>Parisi praised Neihart&#x2019;s efforts.</p><p>&#x201C;I would think in the urban core it would provide a fruitful opportunity,&#x201D; Parisi said. &#x201C;I applaud anyone putting themselves out there.&#x201D;</p><p>Reaching out to the youth through music is what Neihart knows.</p><p>&#x201C;It&#x2019;s my obsession and my goal,&#x201D; he said. &#x201C;If I had my druthers, it would be to form a group of younger people with the same desire &#x2013; a community-supported band and orchestra for young people.&#x201D;

Source: Kansas City Star