It's nearing 3 p.m. and students flood over from Hawthorne Elementary into the St. Joseph Cathederal School building. Lining up promptly to receive their yogurt and vanilla wafers, the room fills with giggles as they share their stories from the day and eat their afternoon snacks. They gather at tables, sitting next to their closest friends. Suddenly, *clap, clap, clap*, Miss Heidi is announcing it’s time to rehearse.

   

This is the start of an afternoon at Harmony South Dakota, a free after-school music program that provides opportunities for underprivileged children ages 7 through 12 to participate in choir, percussion ensembles, string orchestra, musicianship classes, as well as private instrumental lessons. This is more than just an after school program or student choir. It is a group of 35 children coming together, regardless of their social and economic conditions, to improve their sense of community and opportunity through the strings on an instrument and the melody of a song.

 

Dan and Heidi Goeller started Harmony South Dakota in 2014 with 25 participants. Seeing a need, they offered the program to students from Hawthorne Elementary School, a Title 1 school with 87% of its students receiving free and reduced lunch. Maybe most importantly, when Hawthorne Elementary students were asked if they had “Hope: ideas and energy for the future,” only 36% answered “yes.”

Hope is just one of the anticipated outcomes of Harmony South Dakota. According to a study done at the University of Vermont and published in The Washington Post, the more a child is trained on an instrument, the more accelerated they become with their attention to detail, anxiety management, and emotional control. 

 

“Neuroscience has discovered that performing music utilizes the entire brain,” explained Dan. “In other words, playing a musical instrument is the brain’s equivalent of a full-body workout."

 

The stimulation of both sides of the brain allows musicians to solve problems more effectively and creatively in both academic and social situations. When a musical ensemble works together to achieve a unified vision of musical artistry, the members feel a collective sense of accomplishment. This ongoing opportunity of experiencing musical success provides children with the perseverance, discipline, and self-motivation they need to become successful adults.

Every day after school, students gather at Harmony South Dakota. After snack and a little time to burn off the day’s energy, they file into lines and make their way to the stage bleachers. The practice begins with choir or dance/music theory on alternating days. They then move on to rehearsing their orchestra sectionals. For over two hours, the children learn to sing three-part harmonies (a level of singing nearly unheard at this age) as well as playing their own unique parts in a string orchestra. When music rehearsal is complete, students have time to read, do homework, and play until their parent or guardian comes to pick them up.

 

   

If the sound of this ensemble doesn't already send goosebumps trailing up your arms, the effect this kind of group activity has shown to have on these children will. Dr. Poornima D’Souza is a Parent Educator and School-Home Liaison for Hawthorne. She works very closely with immigrant children at the school, as well as their parents.

 

“Parents who have taken my advice and enrolled their children are very grateful and appreciative of the program,” said D’Souza. “Teachers feel that the kids enrolled in the Harmony program are performing better in school and are having an enhanced learning experience. I feel Harmony is providing a unique opportunity for children to not only become a vital part of the Sioux Falls community, but also developing student’s self-discipline, concentration, self-confidence, and cognition.”

 

 

Dan and Heidi have also noticed these effects first-hand.

 

“While we always strive for excellence, our focus is not on performance, but rather on building relationships,” said Dan. “As trained musicians, it is easy to get caught up in the performance side of things, but we have come to realize that music just happens to be the tool we use to create a safe and encouraging community.  As our kids grow up in this nurturing musical community, they experience personal growth, more joy, and a greater passion for life.”

 

  

 

It’s this kind of creativity and committment to the children of our community that led United Way to offer a Community Impact Grant to the growing program.

 

“We award Community Impact Grants because we realize that the needs of the Sioux Empire are always changing,” said Jay Powell, President at Sioux Empire United Way. “Harmony South Dakota is an exciting new program that is truly remarkable in its impact on children. The research, as well as the utilization of the program has shown us that this is a true investment in both the academic and social growth of students who would otherwise not have the opportunity.”

 

To learn more about Harmony South Dakota and the other 2016 Community Impact Grants, visit www.seuw.org or contact us at 336-2095.