Nahant school resurrects dormant music program

NAHANT – After several years without an elementary school musical instrument program, the sound of music will again be filling the air at Johnson Elementary School in the near future.The school will be implementing a new instructional program next month in stringed and wind instruments for students in fourth, fifth and sixth grades.Principal Diane Mulcahy said the students in the upper grades attended an assembly on Sept. 22 where two music teachers demonstrated each instrument and information regarding the program was sent home to parents.”We certainly have children interested,” she said. “I think everyone is looking forward to it. We expect to start the program at the end of October.”Mulcahy said the group lessons in the various string and wind instruments would be offered during the school day and there would be an opportunity for students to take extra lessons after school.”Once they get their instruments and get some musical knowledge under their belt, we are going to try to form a band so they can play together,” she said. The choral music program here is very strong so we want to incorporate the instruments into it.”Mulcahy pointed out the school budget only stretches so far, so the Nahant Education Foundation (NEF) is assisting with the cost of implementing the instrumental program.”Their support is essential,” she said.The NEF is a non-profit charitable organization that raises money from private sources for Johnson Elementary School. According to its mission statement, its purpose is to raise funds from private sources to improve and enrich the Nahant School System. NEF is currently focused on enrichment programs including music, drama, poetry, dance, art and technology for Johnson Elementary School students.According to NEF President Ann Schiffenhaus, the group has raised $30,000 to date, which includes a significant donation from the recent Labor Day Mitchell’s Cahnah Block Party. The NEF recently purchased 20 new computers for Johnson Elementary School along with SmartBoards and computer software.