These are some of the students in JHS 275, Brooklyn, NY who, in 1964, proved it could work.

It started earlier- in 1952 at the New Lincoln School in NYC under the leadership of a genius named Hugh K. McElheny. It was my first year to find out if I could teach, and he enthusiastically mentored me for four wonderfully rich, thoughtful, exhausting, productive years.

He taught me that rhythms came first-the whole body in response to music.

Afterwards I felt ready to go out and see if what I had learned in a sheltered private school could work in the public schools.  I learned under Hugh, Ibby Gilkeson, Jack Brooks, Ed Bley,  that learning was the goal - not teaching. If the teaching wasn't working there was no one to blame.  Ear Training- pitch recognition and more had always been dictated by the teacher following an old Method Book. I remember McHose examples. But why not let kids make up their own examples?

In “Ear Training Games”   the girl is trying to find the pitches the boys send her with bars they cut to their own length. Accuracy is only approximate- but knowing what is wrong is as valuable as knowing what is right.

“Gimme 3 Notes”: Two matching marimbas provide accurate intonation drill, and students decide how many of the 8 bars on each one they will use. Gimme 4 notes,5 notes – new tones, or repetitions of others. No time limit, student can try until the match is right. No grading. They know.

It was a situation that needed analysis without guilt, examination of the students and the situation, then shaping the material so learning could take place. The students,administration and teachers were all together in a partnership, and respect was the rule.

For me this experience was sunlight after years of darkness in an ego centered conservatory where teachers routinely used students against each other, ranking themselves, using cutting "put-downs" as legitimate teaching method. The memory of that grueling obstacle course served as a major encouragement to work out different ways of teaching and learning music, which I tried in various venues. Finally, when I was in my 70s, liberated from personal problems, and encouraged by the advent of new technology, I became determined to bring some of the tools I had once developed into a form that might help others learn the best of music in a slightly new way. But those early years had brought many wonderful opportunities and produced some exciting results.

The first year at JHS 275 there were no instruments. It was a new experimental program, a new building, and instruments wouldn't arrive for a year. I was acting chairman of music, and I had a wonderful side kick- Bruce Bernel who led the vocal music program. We clicked together and did some crazy things that created powerful student involvement and carried our work out to the elementary feeder schools so students could come before school at 8:00 once a week and try out instruments they could apply for the following year.
For the first year I had bought junked instruments from a rental company in the Bronx- Bronens Mus Co. who had rented instruments for New Lincoln, and guitars for my evening adult guitar and folk singing courses in Scarsdale and Bronxville. After a quick course in instrument repair, with a group of willing students, we patched together some string instruments, and started a program.

It went so well with these junkers that a wonderful Principal, Julius Rubin sent an impassioned letter to Sam Chelimsky, Instrumental Music Director for NYC- to please send us our allotment of new instruments. Sam and I became friends much later on- and here's where I missed a golden opportunity to spread this program throughout much of New York City. More on that, maybe-later.

Routine instructions were all taped, with 5 tape recorders in the classroom: 2 for violins I,II, Viola, Cello and Double Bass. I installed outlets for the 5 circuits on the risers so students wouldn't trip on wiring.  Each class had about 10 minutes of taped drills, instructions, bowings, fingerings, and the first student seated ready to play had the tape recorder turned on for that circuit. There was very little wasted time because people didn't want to miss any of it.

Each instrument was muted, but I could go around, and listen to what each student, make suggestions very privately, that no one else was able to hear -everyone was on earphones. Students were asked to estimate when they would be ready to test play their part alone - for a tape recorder in the closed instrument room. So each class there would be several who were ready, and no one else would hear them, and I would play the tapes during my lunch- typing comments and suggestions as I listened.

With no accompaniment to lean on- the students were musically naked to my ears- and I took care to respect their vulnerability and give gentle encouragement. Their morale was fabulous, parent support was powerful. They came to the program, sat IN the orchestra next to their own children, and in the middle of the program each child handed the instrument to the parent and showed her how to pluck a sequence ( 4 D's, 4 A's, etc.) so they could play along with a simple folk tune.

Music meant a lot of singing, and I insisted on assemblies every week. Whatever else was ready for performance was given preference, and nice framing with singing before and afterwards. But every class I taught did a lot of singing – and by taping my own accompaniments which students heard on earphones while they were singing – I could concentrate on THEIR voices and not have my own playing drowned out their voices.  But a delicate approach to suggestions was the order, so they would continue to give out without fear of being ridiculed.

Frequently students would pour into class upset or angry. To get them ready for full out singing, I installed a large marimba with random length  bars and many beaters on both sides. A tape of a conga drum beat was started and they spread out to play fast and loud on this “punching bag for aggression”. I wore ear plugs – since they only endured it once or twice a week. At the right moment I would raise my arms, bend them showing first 1 finger, then 2, and on 3- dropping my arms- and they would crescendo up until the 3rd beat, then stop in complete silence. Then I quietly said: “ Deep Breath”- let it out., and now let's sing.

In the next chapter I'll take all this out on the streets, around this country, and around the world via National Endowment for the Arts.