Rebuilding begins again

Lake Los Angeles – Challenger Middle School - When Peter Ortega came to Challenger Middle School (CMS) as music teacher and band leader, he was ready to rebuild the wonderful band that preceded him. Fall 2019 was a fresh beginning. Explaining why he came to CMS, Mr. Ortega said, “I was contemplating another tour with my musical performance career when it occurred to me, and I decided, ‘this was a good year to teach again’. When I first started to teach, it was in the Los Angeles area, and I was already burned out. Time to teach again.”

Then Covid stopped the world in March. Virtual learning became the norm. All day to day in-person teaching was gone. Students being in a classroom was replaced with computer learning and distance apart for months. This era removed the normal group dynamics, and the important role socialization and peer-based leadership plays in any group activity, especially bands. Playing together gone. Continuity was gone. Many of the band students who were in leadership positions moved on to the next level. Younger students who needed their peers’ experience were not exposed to the traditions normally passed on by student leaders at all levels. Now plans need to be made on how Challenger’s music program’s culture will be rebuilt.

Mr. Ortega said, “I need to inspire more students to want to play music more seriously and set examples and traditions for the younger students coming into the program.

“The District has been so supportive of our music program. We are acquiring everything we need to be a real band again. I made a 2-year plan when I started here to get instruments and get organized. Scheduling is difficult. We are competing with art and sports which the kids want and need. Scheduling will solve that issue.

“We have the gear now so we can tackle scheduling, we can have a real drum line and get some serious work done. The Board approved Mrs. Lopez’s purchase order for $69K for instruments. We are dealing with the Covid backlash with deliveries being delayed, however.

“We received a $10K package of base, snare and tenor drums for a drumline. Of our larger purchases we received two Jupiter fiberglass sousaphones, one Padauk Bar 4-octave marimba, one Majestic 3-octave vibraphone and two Fox 41 Renard bassoon. It is unusual to have a bassoon but in a middle school even more unusual. We have a percussion package including the smaller items like finger symbols, African caxixi shakers for example. Timbales, bongos, and congas which are all Latin percussion items. We are fortunate to have a Yamaha stage custom 5-piece drum set. Oboes, French horns, a set of 4 Timpani cambered polished copper drums and more on the way. We have books. We have bulk instruments such as a trombone, clarinets, flutes, tenor sax and alto sax.

“We have more instruments coming next year, some electric instruments and we can have a rock band!

“For every student we have a keyboard, a guitar and drums so they can quickly learn the basics of rhythm, notes and relationships.”

Now is the time to think about the music program, what it was prior to the pandemic and what it will be going forward. Students and their families can be assured it is going to be a great year filled with many exciting music making and fun activities. Challenger’s music program’s culture is one that is valued and vibrant.

Thomas Prothro remarked about music at CMS saying, “My son attended CMS and VSG and started his life in music and playing the trumpet with Mr. Mac. Today he’s a graduate student at the University of Hartford in CT. Obviously not every student that picks up an instrument in middle school goes on to play professionally, but without these programs and exposure children in LLA may not get an opportunity to discover their passion and calling. I hope Mr. O. can provide that same spark and inspiration to grow the seed of music in a new generation of children in LLA.”

Mr. Ortega is pictured here with a drum set, a Surdo drum made for Samba music and a Yamaha take home kit for his students to practice music at home.

By Shirley Harriman