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Editorial: ‘Amazing’ fine arts in WB
Op-Ed · March 12, 2015


This past week, West Branch school showcased an array of its quality fine arts programs in performances and competitions, and we encourage everyone to take time to see why one show choir judge said Friday he found it “amazing” that a city of only 2,400 has so many children involved.


We could use this space to say that West Branch has great fine arts teachers, from elementary school on up, which is true. But do the pupils share that opinion?

• Marching band practices in the band room, but when the Times wants a group photo, we have to march them down to the gymnasium or stadium bleachers because we can’t stand back far enough to get them all in the frame.

• The high school show choir, from the musicians to the singers and dancers to the crew, is made up of about one-fourth of the student body. It is so large that the Board of Education and administration are rearranging next year’s class schedule to move show choir to the middle of the day, so that no one attending the new Regional Center’s morning and afternoon classes must miss out.

• The middle school show choir, just in its second year, makes up more than a third of the seventh- and eighth-grade enrollment.

• The new middle school jazz band practices twice a week at 7:15 in the morning, and there is no bus service — families make the effort to get them there. Marching band and show choir also begin their practices before school begins and they, too, must get themselves there.

• A couple of years ago, the school district began offering band for fifth grade, too, and scores of children signed up.

These are ELECTIVES. They join because they want to.

And, they’re doing well. Look through this week’s paper and read about the accomplishments of groups this past week. In previous weeks, the fine arts programs have earned both group honors and individual awards.

It should be noted that while show choir has been around for more than a decade here, this activity is still growing in Iowa, so West Branch’s Class 2A group often competes against larger 3A and 4A schools. They have several winning or placewinner trophies nonetheless.

The Fine Arts Council, the booster club for these groups, and the school district find the time and resources and volunteers to purchase necessities and bus and truck these children, their instruments, their equipment and costumes around eastern Iowa for shows and competitions.

Traveling to shows and competitions ups the game. It might be easy for these young musicians to doubt the sincerity of polite applause from family and friends in their own gymnasium, but it is not so easy when the applause comes from strangers or, even more, judges.

This higher level of scrutiny follows the school administration’s efforts to increase the rigor of the school’s curriculum. And we can’t help but wonder if large participation in fine arts helps reduce bullying when such a wide range of personalities work together on the similar goals.

The school also offers theater and has, at times, offered musicals, too. All of these electives come in addition to music classes all children take toward a well-rounded education.

Fine Arts offers one more big splash at the end of this month with its annual Swing Show, March 27-29. Swing Show started a few years back with two performances; due to high demand, it is now up to four shows.

If you have not yet had the chance to see and experience some of the many marvelous musical productions offered at West Branch Community Schools, we strongly encourage you to take this opportunity.