Canton instructor a pied piper for band

Chris Vanderwall is on a mission and it involves music.

The Canton Middle School band instructor wants to make sure that as many students as possible in Elgin Area Unit District U-46 realize that music instruction and band participation is available to everyone.

During the first few weeks of classes, Vanderwall has made an all-out effort to recruit fifth- and sixth-graders at Canton's feeder elementary schools in Streamwood - Ridge Circle, Hilltop, Glenbrook, Oakhill and Hanover Countryside - to join band. That has resulted in 125 students who signed up for pullout lessons at their school. They'll then join others from their grade level once a week after school band session at Canton.

"I feel like they didn't know that the opportunity was there for them," Vanderwall said. "I think my opportunity for the year is to make band into something students look forward to every day."

Cost to participate involves instrument rental during the school year, along with purchase of some instructional books.

"Our goal is to make the program districtwide so that all students can participate regardless of economic situation.

In addition to the traditional band experience, Vanderwall also hopes to institute a jazz band as well as a jazz ensemble at Canton. Music taught in the jazz band situation will be different from that of traditional school bands, with a focus on jazz scales and an introduction to improvisation. Vanderwall indicated that jazz band would be available to students of all musical abilities.

Jazz ensemble, on the other hand would be a smaller group of more advanced students who would play more difficult compositions.

Vanderwall wasted no time in getting students excited about music at Canton. During the school's initial assembly this fall, he presented an African drum line piece as part of the entertainment. The drum line performance came about after the school's chorus instructor, Jennie Andersen, borrowed a set of African drums. Vanderwall pulled together 23 Canton students to perform on only two days practice.

The push to reincorporate music into the curriculum in District U-46 has increased in momentum the last few years, thanks in part to additional funds budgeted for the arts. Vanderwall, however, says it goes beyond that.

"I think it's a staff thing as you have new instructors with younger ideas," he said "It's a sense of something worth fighting for."