This school is not only my alma mater but it has produced more than a few international jazz legends including Mary Lou Williams, Billy Strayhorn, Erroll Garner, Linton Garner, Ahmad Jamal, Grover Mitchell, Al Aarons, Dakota Staton, Fred Staton, Jerry Byrd, Eric Johnson, Adam Wade, Naomi Sims and dozens more less famous but outstanding artists. Additionally its orchestra won the State Championship in 1956. For it not to have a music program is worse than tragic. Please join this group and at least state your opinion or leave a comment.

What has to happen for music programs to continue at Westinghouse and generaly in the Pittsburgh School System?
Linda Theophilus

Hi All,

What has to happen at Westinghouse High School and the Pittsburgh Public School system is EVERYONE IN THE PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOL FROM TOP TO BOTTOM MUST REALIZE THAT THIS SCHOOL SYSTEM WAS ONCE THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE FOR JAZZ AND ARTS AND ENTETAINMENT!

WHEN I WENT TO WESTINGHOUSE AND PEABODY
FOLKS IN SCHOOLS LIKE PEABODY AND WESTINGHOUSE PROBABLY DON'T KNOW OR DON'T CARE THAT PROMINENT MUSICIANS WHO ALL BECAME GLOBALLY RENOWNED ONCE ATTENDED THESE SCHOOLS!

FOR THE JAZZ WORKSHOP, INC. OUTREACH PROGRAMS ONLY 2 SCHOOLS IN THE WHOLE DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS ACCEPTED OUR PROGRAMS!

THAT'S ABSOLUTELY PATHETIC!

I WALK INTO PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND IT'S ALL BACK IN THE DAY AND ALL KINDS OF HALLS AND WALLS OF FAME IN WHICH UNFORTUNATELY TODAY'S KIDS DON'T CARE ABOUT THEIR OWN SCHOOL'S BACKGROUND! (There should be mentors program for these kids too so they can realize who these people are and that they can one day be on that wall)





















































































































































































































































IT'S A REAL SHAME THAT MUSIC HAS BECOME UNACCEPTABLE TO ADMINISTRATORS TOO!

SO WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IS OUTREACH PROGRAMS AT JAZZ WORKSHOP, INC. SHOULD BE INCLUDED TO ALL PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS, ESPECIALLY WESTINGHOUSE AND PEABODY HIGH SCHOOLS!

FOLKS AT PEABODY AND WESTINGHOUSE NEED TO ATTEND PROGRAMS LIKE JAZZ WORKSHOP, INC.'S SATURDAY SCHOOL TO WHICH STARTS SEPT 13TH AT 12 PM TOO!

SO Y'ALL BETTER QUIT CRYIN' ON THE NEWS ABOUT WE NEED SOMETHING FOR OUR KIDS TO DO WHEN Y'ALL CAN WALK DOWN THE STREET TO THE CARNEGIE LIBRARY OF PITTSBURGH HOMEWOOD BRANCH AND ATTEND CLASSES AT THE JWS SAT. SCHOOL OF MUSIC EVBERY SAT. 12 PM TO 4:30 PM STARTING SEPT. 13TH!
















Once again, I apologize if anyone feels offended by these remarks, but I am very passionate about not only making sure music stays in our school systems, but also it's a chance for me (My ancestors and I taught in the Pittsburgh Public Schools) and Dr. Nelson Harrison (He performs in the JWS Outreach Program Band) to give back and pass on our knowledge to the future musicians who come out of Pittsburgh Public Schools!

We all really need to come together on this network and figure out ways on 1) Keeping Music Programs In The Pittsburgh Public Schools and 2) Developing Outreach Programs!

Musically,

Ed Skirtich
Artistic Director/Jazz Workshop, Inc.
ejskirtich@comcast.net

Another music program going (if not gone) from the Pgh Schools. There is no music at Arsenal Middle, and Rooney Middle schools. A lack of leadership in music for the past several years has not helped !

Who cares what has happened to this program, who cares where the blame sits, what can I do to help make it of interest, to help it come back. Look it's not that I do not care the hows and whys, look around everything is in the gutter. Its our job as citizens to stop and reverse this decay. if not us , who will look after the children. So what can i do to help?

I'm pretty far detached from the Westinghouse high school area, but my roots in the Peobody high school experience and also close excellent musician friend who passed away recently played in the Band at Westinghouse and knew many musicians from the area. We're losing the very thing that preserves the future of the Arts and helps Human Relations to the utmost by losing such a program....Priorities play a role, but even thousands of years ago Music was a priority in the ancient world...Are we going backward?

Wow. Tragic really.
Support for band really starts early. Here in NE Ohio, the kids start learning to play recorders in 3rd grade Music class. They have a "concert" at the end of the year each year. This contiues until 5th grade, when they can start playing in band. I think the early involvement is most important to foster support for band at a high school level.

Next, the cost of instruments is a big problem for alot of working-class parents. If your school could somehow contact a local musical instrument dealer or music store and offer some discounts for the school, it also may help.
There are some schools who purchase lightly-used instruments and do rentals themselves.

Another thing about band--even tho there are only a few members, maybe talk to band instructors at neighboring schools and see if you can "borrow" the necessary pieces and players to perform in all the local parades until enrollment is up again. Maybe do a "trade-off" with them.

My older kids were part of the Revere Marching Band--one who had an "excellent" rating and placed nationally.
One daughter played flute/piccalo and the other played clarinet.

Music is absolutely essential for many kids. It helps them to become better-rounded adults and stimulates abstract thinking skills. I wish you the utmost luck in keeping your program together. I hope some of these ideas may help.

I guess young folks today have so many things they can do on their own i.e. video games etc.. We forget before cable TV( Pgh. area probably had it before smaller towns), etc. young folks practiced instruments. In sports after practice one went home but in band you have to practice individually. Video games bring kids together after they want to learn how to play better but band is more interactive. Instruments were always expensive but the instruction was more the big ticket item and were not equal. It is sad music has to compete with so many things. Parents are the key as they should expose their youth to a variety of things without bias towards any one thing. Jazz, blues, gospel etc. is America's thing and should be taught that to the youth. No one should have to 'give up' anything yet a comparison can be made to how much a case of beer, sport utility vehicle, pair of sneakers etc. cost to an instrument and lessons cost. Why expect youth to want to play music when they listen to music that has no horns, maybe a drum machine, or sequenced phrases. Band is just academic and not functional in their everyday lives. Working class folks spend on what they want, 5 years of $100 sneakers would buy an instrument a child might play 3 yrs and you have a constructive activity, you got your money back if you did not have to pay for lessons. Anything longer is a blessing!

I think you're right, Kevin. It all boils down to priorities, doesn't it?

When I was a kid, I wanted to play in the school band real bad. My mother was playing music in a band on the weekends. She played guitar and sang. I wanted to play a brass instrument--mostly sax, but my parents couldn't fit it in the budget. I wanted to play piano since before I was 5, but a piano wasn't in the budget either. Since we had guitars scattered around the house, I learned to play guitar instead. I'd still love to learn to play piano and sax, but I'm still playing guitar. With 6 kids, it really ISN'T in the budget for me. My 3 older girls (who have graduated high school and live on their own) were all in band tho--one plays flute, one plays clarinet, and yes, one plays sax. I've got 3 more at home still, and I'm trying to encourage them to play. I'll find a way to fit their instruments and lessons in the budget. Its worth it.

Not backwards Ben, but maybe wrong ~wards.

All too often parents wait to when their kids lose interest to talk to those who have played for a while. A 40-something who admitted his 'credit was so bad he could not finance a $500 trombone' rented one and his son played 3 weeks. I asked him name a bone player who gets paid to do it.He could not name one! I told him the guy who played with James Brown is name Fred Wesley. Nathan Davis came to Pgh. because he was asked by jazz musicians in Europe to teach jazz history. He choose Pgh. because of its legacy and Kenny Clarke whom he played with over there. In his class he has a section on Pgh. artists, maybe this should be taught to all in the schools BEFORE they consider playing. Harold betters, Roger Humpries, etc. are still kickin' and attest to that excellence. Just like when our coach of the Steelers said they wanted to live up to the legacy of the 'city of champions' in football.- kev

I had written that many folks have instruments sitting in attics, closets, under beds and in corners. Why not have a 'Take an old instrument out for a walk.', at some venue so they can be played and/or donated to a worthy cause like the Westinghouse Music Program". It might be fun too.

Man, Frank, that is a great idea. Maybe work with a local music store to donate the repairs needed. I know I have seen hundreds of instruments stored away for given to junk stores(my favorite haunt.)

A little love and a little pride is all it takes.

We have plenty of instruments in the Pgh schools and a repairman who is fantastic ! If there may be an instrument to be donated it can be gone over by our in house repairman ! All these posting are great, BUT the right people in the school district need to be contacted. Right now, we do not have a music supervisor, but we do have a music teacher who is over seeing music department activities.