Bohemian Foundation Brings Nationally Acclaimed Little Kids Rock to PSD

by Sarah Jane Kyle - Coloradoan - February 6, 2012

PSD Teachers Rock New Music Program

As Tim Gauthier began strumming on his guitar Sunday, his audience was captivated. Gauthier, a teacher at Livermore Elementary School, sang a song of forgiveness — a song of forgiving “my dog Banjo,” for “digging craters in my yard.” His creativity was met with an outrageous outburst of applause. Gauthier was one of 30 Poudre School District teachers Sunday who created, performed and recorded original songs Sunday while training to bring a modern music program to their classrooms this semester.

Little Kids Rock, a nationally acclaimed nonprofit organization that enables students to play modern music, is providing $1 million of free instruments, lessons and music curriculum to 30 teachers in PSD after Bohemian Foundation provided a $375,000 grant to the organization. “Little Kids Rock transforms children’s lives by restoring and expanding music education in public schools,” said David Wish, executive director and founder. “Hundreds of guitars, drum sets and keyboards will soon be winging their way to Poudre School District for these teachers to share with their students.” Poudre School District will be the first in Colorado to start Little Kids Rock programs. Little Kids Rock is currently in more than 1,500 public schools in 12 states nationwide.

Cheryl Zimlich, Bohemian Foundation board member, said the foundation began working with Little Kids Rock to give PSD students a unique opportunity for music education and creativity in the classroom in a time where music programs across the country are in danger of being cut. “Everyone deserves music in their life,” Zimlich said. “This gives kids and teachers another choice and different instruments to tap into that passion they may have for music.”

Gauthier said sharing his love for music in the classroom and letting his students feel the appreciation he felt from his peers Sunday is an exciting prospect. “I think it will get kids more motivated to be in school,” he said. “The kids can work at their level and feel like they’re playing some real music.”

Michael Waido, a teacher at Blevins Middle School, said he hopes to start a music enrichment class at Blevins to give kids another doorway into the music world. Waido has played the guitar for about 20 years. “It’s hands on and exciting,” he said. “No matter if you’re just barely learning to play guitar or you’re an expert, we can tell that the kids are really going to enjoy it.”

Ryan Hover, who runs the before and after school program at Zach Elementary School, said he’s excited to put the instruments in his students’ hands and watch their creativity unfold. “The potential is already there because the kids already have this music in their lives and know a lot of the songs,” he said. “All we have to do is put an instrument in their hands, show them the basics and we unlock that potential.”

In the next month, participating teachers will receive instruments and begin implementing the program in their classrooms and extracurricular activities, letting every child in each classroom tap into what Wish calls a fundamental part of being human. “Music is not a subject,” he said. “Music is a core component of what it means to be a human being.”

Click here to see the Coloradoan Photo Gallery of the Little Kids Rock workshop for PSD teachers.

Click here to see the Coloradoan video of the Little Kids rock workshop for PSD teachers.