Sophomore Michaela Warcl plays the xylopho11e and looks over the music to p1·epare for he~ tuto_ring session on Oct. 14. The music department organized tutoring sessio11s between unwers,ty students and locals to build community relationships wilh music students. I Photo by Owen Brown BO ,\ C .\ I) IDI IC S M A K I N G SEARC Y MUSICAL By Lindsey Led.ford I 7,ach lfailey The Searcy Community School of Music asked for volunteer instructors to help teach musical instruments to members of the community. Although the program had no direct affiliation with Harding, the university allowed the practice rooms to be used for teaching lessons, according to secretary and accountant of SCSM Lisbeth Jones. Jones, who helped start the program in 2004, said most of the instructors involved at SCSM were students at Harding. "Although we belong to the Searcy Arts Council, we work very closely with the Harding music department," Jones said. "They allow us to use their space for lessons." Junior Cloris Huang took cello lessons at SCSM. Huang transferred to Harding in the fall of 2015 from China to finish her last two years of schooling. According to Huang, for the last three years, she wanted to play the cello but did not feel like she had the time. "Before three years ago, I wanted to learn but I never had the chance," Huang said. "I haven't had enough time to learn, but this year, I do." Huang said having a student her age as an instructor was good because it was easy to connect with her. Sophomore instrumental music education major Michaela Ward taught a 7-year-old student to play percussion. She said she loved working with such a young musician. "He likes to talk a lot, so it's fun to start off our time by having (the student) share some of the highlights of the week," Ward said. "After that, we will warm up on the snare (drum) and then move to what I have assigned (the student) to work on." After the two had practiced, Ward said she took the student out to tell the parents his next week's assignment. Ward said the student she worked with struggled initially but was receptive to the guidance she provided. At the SCSM end-of-semester recital, Ward and her student performed a duet with each other. "The Searcy Community School of Music has lit my passion for wanting to teach more," Ward said. "Getting experience with one-on-one lessons versus a 90-person band has definitely confirmed that teaching is what I want to do."
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