GREENFIELD — For hundreds of students in Greenfield, the passion for music begins with the humble recorder. They learn 'Mary Had A Little Lamb' or 'Hot Cross Buns'. But then, as they get older, the music education continues, and so does their love and knowledge of music.
The Greenfield School District was recently named one of the Best Communities for Music Education in the country by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), a global music organization. The district inspires students at a young age, and it carries on through high school.
"We play the recorder together and it's super duper fun," Aubrey, a 5th grader at Elmdale Elementary in Greenfield, said.
Aubrey's musical passion is just starting to bud.
"It's super fun and you get to do all the different fingerings, and you can learn how to do music like how to read the notes," she said.
For some students, they graduate from the recorder and pick up something a little more advanced like the trumpet, saxophone, or guitar.
"Taught me recorder in 5th grade and, you know, I thought I really liked the instrument from there, and that's why I started playing the French horn," said Ramiro Sanchez, a senior at Greenfield High School who also plays trumpet.
Sanchez has been playing music his entire life and credits his teachers for inspiring his passion.
"Since kindergarten, I've had really good music teachers, you know, they've lit a passion inside of me for music. I've just stayed with it, it's a lot of fun," Sanchez said.
Watch Greenfield School District recognized as one of the best places for music education in the country...
Sanchez isn't alone. Between 7th and 12th grades, 786 students were enrolled in music classes across the district. Programs include multiple bands and choirs. There are also non-performance classes like music theory. And if you've always wanted to learn the guitar or piano, you can take introductory-level classes. The spring musical features almost all student musicians, among many other opportunities for students to play live music.
"The arts are really highlighted at an early level, which I think is crucial to the success of the programs at the secondary level," said Cassandra Pacelli, Greenfield High School's choir director, who led the efforts to get the designation.
Students of all ages have performed at Waves, Admirals, and Brewers games. They've also traveled to Orlando and New York City to perform.
"We really highlight our ability to get the students out in the community, across the state, across the country, to share our art with as many people as we can," Pacelli said.
The NAMM designation celebrates the curriculum, teaching, and student involvement, highlighting how the district inspires a love for music. For Sanchez, that inspiration will continue beyond high school.
"Yeah, I am going to continue playing music in college, and my plan is to become a band director one day so I can have the same effect on students in the future," he said.
This story was reported by James Groh and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
