Musical instruments valued at $500,000 was recently presented to the Holland High School in Trelawny, courtesy of the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) fund.
The instruments, which were presented by W. Billy Heaven, CEO of the Fund, to boost the school's music programme, included clarinets, trumpets, guitars, a drum, keyboard and saxophone.
Principal of the four-year-old school, Pauleen Reid, said the grant of the musical instruments from CHASE has modernised the school's music room.
"Students will now be able to develop their innate artistic qualities and the skills to play the instruments," she added.
Atmosphere change
According to the principal, the availability of the instruments has allowed teachers to structure lessons to add flavour and excitement to the teaching-learning experience.
"Given the violent climate which now exists, the enriched music programme has enhanced the cultural and musical aura of the school. Students have been using their spare time to listen to the band and dancing and singing along, rather than engaging in aggressive behaviour," the principal said.
CHASE Fund, under arts and culture, has to date granted some $11.3 million to a number of high schools across the island for the establishment of music programmes.
The key
In his address to the school, Heaven said: "In addition to being an engaging and enjoyable subject, music education is the key that opens the windows of the mind to better learning."
This, he said, was supported by research which indicates that pattern-recognition abilities used for musical processing can enhance students' abilities in mathematics, engineering and structural design. He corroborated his statement by referring to a study called the Mozart Effect, which, he pointed out, has proven that students who engage in music lessons, particularly piano, for an extended period of time, improved their test scores in other subject areas.
The CHASE Fund was established in 2002 and is funded by contributions deposited by lottery operations for the benefit of sports development, early childhood education, health as well as an added sector to cover arts and culture.