FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM DECEMBER 20, 2018 • BUZZ • THE QUEENS COURIER 75
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Haitian students and Astoria peers connect through music
BY ALEJANDRA O’CONNELLDOMENECH
adomenech@qns.com
@AODNewz
Th e students at I.S. 10 (Horace Greeley
Intermediate School) in Astoria learn not
just from their teachers but also from
children from around the world.
Th e children’s choir Voices of Haiti
performed a short concert at the Astoria
school on Dec. 11. Aft er the performance,
members of the Haitian and Horace
Greeley Middle School choir enjoyed
lunch together, and asked each other
questions about their homes and singing
techniques.
“When I was young I always wanted
to travel around the world and meet
people that spoke diff erent languages,”
said 12-year-old Horace Greeley Middle
School choir member Katana Jeff ery. “I
just rediscovered that dream.”
It was the Haitian students’ fi rst time
in New York and, despite the diversity of
the neighborhood, the fi rst time for many
Astoria students to meet peers from Haiti.
Voices of Haiti was created by the
Andrea Boccelli Foundation and the
Foundation St. Luc. Th e St. Luc choir
program provides musical training and
“comprehensive education in a classroom
setting” to children from the most vulnerable
parts of Haiti.
Th e choir traveled to New York City
to sing alongside Andrea Boccelli, who
is performing at Madison Square Garden
tonight, Dec. 13.
“If there are any other groups I would
love to have them,” said Horace Greeley
Principal Clemente Lopes. “Music connects
them.”
Amanda Stallone, Horace Greeley
Intermediate School Choir instructor,
conducts Haitian and Astoria students
as they sing together. Th e children’s
choir “Voices of Haiti” and the Astoria
students performed for each during an
assembly before talking to one another
about singing techniques, Haiti and
New York.
According to Lopes, when he arrived
at the middle school in March of 2005,
the state of arts education was dire. Th ere
was no staff music or drama teacher and
the school was contracting outside arts
instructors to come in once a week to
provide lessons.
Since then, the arts program at Horace
Greeley has improved, according to
Lopes. Th e middle school now employs
three full-time arts teachers, one each for
music, drama and the visual arts. Amanda
Stallone has worked as the staff music
teacher and choir instructor at Horace
Greeley for the last three years. She has
doubled the size of the choir, from 20 in
2015 to its current 41 members.
Th e chances of the arts surviving in
public schools seems to be increasing.
According to an article from Chalkbeat,
the number of arts teachers in New
York City schools has hit a 12-year high.
Th e number of Queens middle schools
now off ering arts education has gone
up by 4 percent since last year, according
to a report from the New York City
Department of Education. On Dec. 12,
New York City Department of Education
Chancellor Richard Carranza announced
a $17 million increase in arts education
spending.
But Horace Greeley Intermediate
School is lucky.
Th e opportunity to host “Voices of
Haiti” came as an unexpected surprise,
according to Lopes. Th e school was
selected, along with 49 other NYC public
schools, by the nonprofi t Sing for Hope,
to receive a free piano and art curriculum.
According to Sing for Hope’s website the
curriculum includes a monthly online
teacher resource guide including articles,
lesson plans, student contests and the
opportunity to host additional workshops
led by Sing for Hope Artist Partners.
Sing for Hope works to bring arts education
to New York City public schools
and funds public art installations across
the nation. Th e nonprofi t currently works
in 10 percent of New York City public
schools, according to their website.
Sing for Hope delivered the piano to
Horace Greeley Middle School on Nov.
1 of this year, and the organization asked
Lopes if the school would be interested in
hosting “Voices of Haiti.” Lopes immediately
said yes.
“I want the students to see that there is
a path into the arts. It just doesn’t have to
be about math and science,” Lopes said.
“Th ere are options.”
Photos: Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech/THE COURIER
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