A financial boost for kids' private music lessons

Fourteen-year-old Jolene Hibbler is getting a unique chance to improve her musical skills. A new program helps her pay for private violin lessons.

The 8th-grader at Normandy Middle School has been playing the violin for two years. But, until last spring, her only instruction was as a member of the school orchestra. Her family couldn't afford private lessons.

But, early last spring, she was selected for the Whitaker Music Lesson Program. That's a program financed by the Whitaker Foundation and run by KFUO-Classic 99 radio station.

The Whitaker plan subsidizes promising musicians in the Normandy School District. The kids are from low-income families and receive either free or reduced-cost school lunches.

The Whitaker grant can pay over 90 per cent of the cost of a private music lesson. Free-lunch students pay only $2 per lesson and reduced-cost students pay only $5. Such lessons can cost as much as $40 apiece.

Jolene is getting her private instruction from music teacher Marie Brown. Her lessons are 30-minutes once a week on Fridays.

If Jolene or other Whitaker kids keep their grades up and maintain a dedication to music, they can get these subsidized music lessons through high school.

She said, "The private lessons are helping me more than when I was getting only instruction at school." She's already participated in a recital for Whitaker students where she played two solos.

Jolene admits she was nervous at the beginning of the recital. "My right arm (the one she uses for the violin bow) was shaking. But, I don't think it hurt my playing and, after awhile, it didn't shake anymore."

She added, "I thought I did well for how much I practiced." The recital came just a short time after she started her private lessons.

She said the private lessons have motivated her to practice more at home. Her home practices are at least 30 minutes a day during the week and "up to one hour each on the weekends." She said she can already tell the improvement in her playing.

She has over 20 musical pieces on tape. "I play them over and over so I can make my playing sound nearly like the tapes," she said.

Now that she's been getting the private instruction, Jolene said she has been thinking about a career in music. "Maybe I could play with an orchestra," she said.

The Whitaker Foundation got interested in the music lesson subsidies because of studies that show kids who participate in music generally are better all-around students. One report said disadvantaged 8th graders involved in instrumental music score much higher in math.

Also, the longer kids take music lessons, the higher their SAT scores are, another study indicated.

To earn the Whitaker grant, the Normandy students have maintain a C+ grade average and be recommended by their music teacher.

Jolene said she won't have any trouble maintaining grades. "I'm already a good student," she said. Her favorite classes are language arts and communication. She also likes to write poetry and "I read a lot," she said.

Jolene said the private lessons also have increased her interest in music. She said she'd like to continue with private music lessons through high school. Keeping up the lessons also improves her chances in college if she wants to pursue a music career.

Most music majors in college have had from four to eight years of private lessons, according to KFUO's Tricia Oates. She is the station's educational initiatives manager.

Jolene said, if she doesn't pursue a music degree in college, she'd like to study to be a teacher or lawyer.

She said she doesn't have a favorite musical performer. But, she said she likes the music of composer Johann Sebastian Bach.

KFUO also has other programs to help young musicians. The Young Heroes in Music program identifies young African-American musicians. There are two concerts each year that are broadcast live on KFUO from the Missouri Botanical Garden.

The station's AmerenUE Bright Star program honors young beginning musicians.

If you would like more information about the Whitaker program or other KFUO music initiatives, contact Tricia Oates. Her phone numbers at the station are (314) 505-7814 or toll-free (800) 844-0524.