Music Of The Heart - Sermon for week ending July 18, 2020

Reading: 

Our reading for this week is from Roberta Guaspari, who first brought violin instruction to East Harlem elementary schools in 1981, and in 1991, founded the Opus 118 Harlem School of Music, which brings quality music education to children in New York City public schools.

I’m convinced that a classroom situation turns the children on in a special way. They are a part of a group. They are stimulated by one another. I think all children are excited by playing with other children. With their friends there, there is moral support.  Sometimes when all of the children are playing, I’m able to help one child without interrupting the class. And the other children hear what I’m doing and make corrections themselves. And they help each other.

Sermon: 

Our movie with a message this week is Music of the Heart, starring Meryl Streep,  and available on Amazon Prime. As we heard in the reading, it tells the true story of Roberta Guaspari, who brought violin instruction to East Harlem elementary schools, beginning in 1981. There is also a documentary about her called Small Wonders. When the film opens, Roberta is a newly divorced single mother of 2 in need of a job. She had previously lived in Greece, where her ex-husband was stationed, and took $5000 dollars from her savings, bought 50 child-sized violins and begged the headmaster of one of the schools to hire her to teach, which he did. While subletting a small apartment in Harlem,  she went to one of its public elementary schools and begged the principal to hire her to teach violin, which she eventually did. Roberta was an immediate hit with the students because they could see the love and passion she had for playing the violin, and she convinced them that, although it was hard work to learn to play, they could do it if they were disciplined. It was the adults she had problems with. Many of the teachers thought that violin in school was a waste of time. The head of the music department told her he knew these kids better than she did, and that they couldn’t go past do, re, mi. Her reply was, “I think you are underestimating them. Any child can learn to play the violin.” Some of the parents thought she was too harsh. For example, anyone who forgot their violin had to leave practice. Anyone who wanted to leave class early  for soccer practice had to choose between the two. And if their playing was bad, she told them so. In one scene, the principal asked her to  soften her comments to the students, so she did.  She said, “Well, just do your best.” and “That sounds ok.” A 10- year-old raised his hand and said, “Roberta, what is wrong with you? Why are you being nice? She said, “Well don’t you want a nice teacher?” And he replied, “I already got nice teachers. I count on you to add some variety.  And we stunk just now.” The children learned to play the violin, and they learned patience and discipline, which helped them with sports and school work. Soon, Roberta got so popular, that she was teaching 150 students at three Harlem elementary schools, and there was a lottery to get into her classes. Even so, 10 years in, the school board cut the music budget and violin was axed.  She got a friend who was a New York Times reporter to attend their last concert of the year, where she said, afterword, “This beautiful concert that you just heard could be the very last concert of the East Harlem violin program. The board of Ed and the district superintendent don’t think that music is important for our kids. But they are wrong, and they are gonna get a big fight.”The article came out in 5 different papers, and people began calling for the program’s reinstatement. Since there was no money in the budget, Roberta and the parents decided to raise the funds themselves, with a benefit concert at the 92^nd street YMCA. Violinist Arnold Steinhardt and his wife Dorothea got involved, and they got Itzhak Perlman to agree to play.  When a water leak made the Y unavailable, Itzack Perlman got in touch with Isaac Stern, and they moved the concert to Carnegie Hall. Fiddlefest, as it was called, was a great success. For the finale, 14 of the world’s greatest violinists each shared a music stand with one of Roberta’s students.The money raised funded her program for three more years. She also founded the Opus 118 Harlem School of Music, which gives New York public school children access to quality music education and performance. Roberta has taught thousands of children to play the violin, expanding the vision of what is possible in their lives.

We here have our own Roberta Guaspari. And her name is Jane Lindberg, founder of Arts Alive Nassau. I talked with Jane about her journey from the Amelia Arts Academy, which gave private music lessons to children, to the transition to a non-profit, which gave access to music to children who couldn’t afford to pay for it.  Arts Alive Nassau began providing free instruction in our public schools in 2012. It now teaches dulcimer, ukulele, guitar, violin and viola, piano, flute, clarinet, drums, dance, visual arts, and musical theater, and includes The First Coast singers and The Nassau youth orchestra. Jane says that music makes kids want to come to school, teaches them to be less judgmental and to work together with others, and builds poise and self-confidence. Check out their new website for all the programs that will be up and running as soon as it is safe to do so. There are also volunteer opportunities. Music in schools is so beneficial to children, yet it is almost always the first to be cut when funds run low. We are so grateful to people like Roberta Guaspari and Jane Lindberg for all that they do to expand the vision of what is possible in the lives of our children.