Students are concentrating better, misbehaving less and getting along with each other. What's the secret at Jackson Elementary School?
Music.Four months ago, Jackson became the first school in the Salt Lake District to embark on an experimental program designed to do more than just help youngsters love the arts.
Although it might sound far-fetched, music might be part of the answer to academic failure, drug abuse and gangs, school officials think.
The program exists, in part, as a research project to determine how music affects a child's overall learning. The theory is that the discipline and joy of music instruction will spill over into other subjects such as math and reading. Children who are successful in these areas, the argument goes, are less likely to take up deviant behavior.
Principal Marilyn Phillips says the idea has validity. "Other research does support it," she said.
A team of professionals will evaluate the school's results to determine whether the program is successful, but Phillips has seen some striking improvements already. "Very seldom is there a discipline problem in a music classroom."
Fourth-grade teacher Linda Jackson agrees.
"They seem to have a better attention span - they will listen during the rest of the day," she said. "I'm not sure if the music has anything to do with it, but it works."
The school got $300,000 in state and district grants for the three-year program. This year, the money was spent to hire music teachers Patricia Wade and Carol Storrs and to buy 70 violins and 40 electric keyboards.
Generally, schools offer vocal music to all elementary students, but instrumental music only to those who can rent or buy an instrument.
Jackson provides daily violin classes for all students in fourth grade and up.
Wade is convinced music does engage a student's thinking and has a positive effect on behavior.
"There have been lots of studies that show listening to Mozart increases the ability to concentrate and remember," she said. "Most activities are either right-brain or left-brain. To play music, you have to use both sides of your brain at the same time.
"You have to be thinking mathematically to measure the rhythm and you have to be feeling artistically," Wade said, referring to the idea that different sides of the brain dominate different abilities.
A violin might seem too delicate and pricey an instrument for eager young hands, but Wade said at $150 apiece, these are among the cheapest instruments around. So far, the children have taken good care of them.
Teachers say exposing the young minds at Jackson to the finer things in life is especially rewarding in light of the struggles many students face. Quite a few are from low-income families, and the multi-ethnic neighborhood has seen its share of crime and hard times.
"These are kids from homes where they don't have a lot of opportunities to do other things," said Wade.
Now they are so excited about music classes, "I can hardly walk down the hall without getting hugs."
Kevin Combs, 11, says playing the violin is a relaxing change from other classes. "I hope I can get good when I get older."
Christine Thomas, 10, agrees. "When I grow up, I feel like teaching my kid to play the violin," she confides.