WORTHINGTON — As Rodgers and Hammerstein so famously wrote, “The hills are alive with the sound of music,” and while there aren’t many hills in southwest Minnesota, thanks to the support of our school district, the halls are alive with the sound of music at the Intermediate School.

As you walk down the hall you will hear a variety of musical sounds. Fourth grade string players learning their first notes, fifth grade orchestra students advancing their bowing skills, fifth grade band members learning to collaborate on the five note scale, and third through fifth grade general music classes exploring musical worlds of rhythm, pitch, recorders, history, culture and singing.

The greatest part of this menagerie of sound is that with each blow of a horn, pluck of a string or tap of a rhythm, students are able to experience the joy of music and grow their musical curiosity into a life-long passion that can take them far beyond middle school, high school, or even college.

During the year, each classroom at the intermediate school works to meet Minnesota Music standards as well as National Music standards. This not only gives students a foundation and an appreciation for music, but also prepares them for further study and performance in secondary level performing groups.

To accomplish this, students experience a variety of instruments, use interactive activities through our curriculum, Quaver, and learn the process of a musician by learning and performing individual classroom performances. Those 37 students who still desire more singing can be found each Tuesday after school singing with Debra Moe in Celebration Chorus, which is sponsored by District 518 Community Education.

As the students reach fourth grade, they have the opportunity to participate in and understand the work of instrument ensembles by joining beginning strings. The scratching sounds of 90 string players may not be everyone’s favorite sound, but to Melanie Loy, who patiently directs and teaches, it is the start to many adventures ahead.

Seventy fifth grade string players return to continue their studies and Morgan Rukstales takes them further through bowing techniques and more advanced reading skills. Once again, the sounds may not be Carnegie Hall ready, but they fill the Intermediate halls with joy.

The hall sounds that cannot be missed are those of 84 band students playing together in rhythm with all their might. If you fail to listen carefully, you might think an alarm is ringing, but with the guidance of Jeanette Jenson, the players soon turn those sounds into melodies everyone can enjoy. Here is where the start of rich concert band pieces and marching band begin.

These hall sounds bring hope and a glimpse into the future of not only ISD 518 music, but also our community. From summer lessons and camps, to weekly lessons and sectionals, music brings life. It develops time management, discipline, perseverance, responsibility and tenacity.

Even science finds, from a study by the University of British Columbia published in June 2019, “Students who participated in music … and who were highly engaged in music had higher exam scores across all subjects.”

So, we may not have hills alive with music, but here at the Intermediate School we have halls filled with music each day and because of that we are more alive.