FRIENDS OF MUSIC GIVE GRANT TO SPRING MILLS MIDDLE SCHOOL

The Friends of Music have presented a $500 grant to the Spring Mills Middle School to cover the cost of new music-education software for the school’s music students.
The grant was presented at an assembly of choral students at the school on Tuesday, April 24. In the accompanying photo, Friends of Music President Linda Walker is shown holding the left edge of an outsized version of the check, with Friends’ Office Manager Jennifer Perrotte, center, and music teacher Jessica Ruqus, right.
The software, called “SmartMusic,” provides access to an award-winning, web-based music-education platform. This platform includes an extensive music library that makes it easy for teachers to create individualized assignments for students, and for students to explore different works on their own.
Its interactive features allow students to perform along with professional accompaniment, record and listen to their performances, and hear their parts in context. This allows them to hear and see what needs improvement. Then, they can use the software to submit their best performances for assessment and guidance by their teachers.
Friends President Walker said the donation is part of an ongoing effort by the Friends to help support music education in local schools. She said the organization plans to dedicate a total of $7,000 to this purpose this year, twice as much as last year.