JUNE 10, 2016, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A5
KeizerCommunity
KEIZERTIMES.COM
Maestro, if you please
High school
orchestra gets
new director
By DEREK WILEY
Of the Keizertimes
When asked what he liked
about working with students,
Sean Williams said the answer
he gave during his fi rst job
interview is still true—“I love
that light bulb moment, when
they’re working and working at
something and all of a sudden,
they get it and you see them
take that leap forward. That’s
very rewarding as a teacher.”
As orchestra director, Sean
Williams saw the light come
on for 15 years at Stephens
Middle School in Salem but
now he’s moving on to take the
same position at McNary High
School.
“I’ve long been interested
in working at the high school
level,” Williams said. “I’ve been
very thankful to have the mid-
dle school experience to build
my skills and preparation. It’s an
opportunity for me to broaden
my skill set and try something
new, work at the high school
level with a different level of
student, a different age of stu-
dent. I’m looking forward to
the challenge.”
Williams’ family bought a
house in Keizer two years ago
and even with the opportunity
to work with older musicians,
leaving Stephens wasn’t easy.
“It takes a long time to get
to know all the people in an
area, to start making those con-
nections and being established
and walking away from that was
very diffi cult,” he said. “There’s
very supportive families, won-
derful students over there, great
administration.”
Williams believes McNary
is poised to have consistent
excellence in all of its mu-
sic programs, particularly in
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Sean Williams conducts the Stephens Middle School orchestra
during a concert. Williams, a Keizer resident, is taking the reins
of the McNary High School orchestra program.
the strings and full orchestra
thanks to the training the cur-
rent students had when they
were in elementary and middle
school with people like former
Whiteaker Orchestra Director
Bonnie Gallagher and current
Claggett Creek Orchestra Di-
rector Bruce Purdy.
“They are really fantastic
teachers who prepared those
students well,” he said.
Teaching high schoolers
isn’t foreign to Williams. This
year, he was part of the team
that started the fi rst symphony
orchestra at McKay.
Williams will lead two string
orchestras at McNary as well as
co-direct the symphony with
Jennifer Bell. He’ll also teach
fi fth graders before school at
Whiteaker.
Williams said his fi rst order
of business at McNary is to re-
recruit students. The orchestra
has had four directors in the
last fi ve years.
“Anytime you’ve got turn-
over and transitions, students
look at maybe this isn’t some-
thing I should be doing,” Wil-
liams said. “I’m trying to get
some of them back into the
fold.”
With more students, Wil-
liams wants to expand the
number of string orchestras
from two to three.
“I really think in terms of
the needs of the students, there
really needs to be three so that
we’ve got more of a sequential
program,” he said. “There’s a
need to have more of a progres-
sion with the orchestras and to
have a place for those students
who enjoy making music, who
want to develop their skills but
maybe they’re not invested in a
competitive sense. There needs
to be a place for them to con-
tinue having that outstanding
musical experience.”
Williams focuses on funda-
mentals in his teaching.
“It’s very easy to get caught
up in learning new repertoire,
new techniques, new music at
higher more challenging levels
but you constantly have to cy-
cle back to those fundamental
skills because without those in
place, it’s a house of cards,” he
said. “It’s not as stable and reli-
able.”
While viola is Williams’
primary instrument, he start-
ed with piano in elementary
school and then violin. Wil-
liams noted he’s “reasonably
competent” in cello and string
bass and knows enough of the
brass and woodwind instru-
ments to get himself in trouble.
Through private lessons in
both viola and violin as well as
his involvement with the Salem
Youth Symphony, Williams has
already worked with current
McNary students and he knows
of at least two eighth graders
at Stephens who are follow-
ing him to the high school in
Keizer. Although, they claim he
is following them.
“It’s a great community, very
supportive administration, it’s
going to be a fantastic ride,”
Williams said.
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W INDOWS & D OORS
[S HOWER D OORS ]
M IRRORS & S KYLIGHTS
C USTOM T ABLE T OPS
Members of the Mc-
Nary High School Class
of 2016 returned to their
old stomping grounds
at Keizer Elementary
School Friday, June 3. The
soon-to be grads paraded
through the hallways as
current students cheered
them on.
Above: McNary
graduates collect
high-fi ves from
Kennedy Colts.
Right: Chris Scofi eld
leads the way.
Photos courtesy
of Karma Krause
Grassroots government starts here:
volunteer for city advisory role
The City of Keizer is
soliciting applications for
volunteers to serve on the
following committees and
advisory boards:
• Festival Advisory Board.
The committee meets on
the fourth Monday of Feb-
ruary, April, July, Septem-
ber and November at 6 p.m.
• Keizer Points of Interest
Committee (two vacancies).
The committee meets on the
third Tuesday of each month
at 5:30 p.m.
• Public Art Commission
(two vacancies). The com-
mission meets on the fourth
Tuesday of every month at 6
p.m.
• Youth Councilor/Youth
Liaison/Page – Opportuni-
ties are currently available
to area teens for service on
city council and various city
committees for 2016-17.
Nominations are also be-
ing accepted for Volunteer of
the Quarter.
Volunteer
applications
and Volunteer of the Quar-
ter nominations are available
at Keizer Civic Center, 930
Chemawa Road NE, Keizer,
or you can request an appli-
cation be mailed to you by
calling 503-390-3700. Elec-
tronic applications are avail-
able at www.keizer.org. For
additional information on
volunteer positions, con-
tact Debbie Lockhart at 503-
856-3418.
KEIZER MAYOR CATHY CLARK
JOINS GATOR AND DENISE
EVERY WEDNESDAY
AT 5:30 PM
Pre-Planning Available
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1450 Front St - Salem
503.581.2559
4365 RIVER RD N, KEIZER
503.393.7037
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TUNE IN AS WE TALK ALL THINGS KEIZER!
WorshipDirectory
These Salem-Keizer houses of worship invite you to visit.
Call to list your church in our Worship Directory: (503) 390-1051
John Knox Presbyterian Church
JOIN US FOR
SUNDAY WORSHIP
452 Cummings Lane North • 393-0404
8:30 am • 10 am • 11:30 am • 6 pm
PEOPLESCHURCH
4500 LANCASTER DR NE | SALEM
503.304.4000 • www.peopleschurch.com
Celebration
Services
Saturday Evening
1755 Lockhaven Dr. NE Keizer
503-390-3900
www.dayspringfellowship.com
Rev. Dr. John Neal, Pastor
Worship - 10:30 a.m.
Education Hour - 9:15 a.m.
Nursery Care Available
www.keizerjkpres.org
Jason Lee UMC
820 Jeff erson St. NE
Salem OR 97301
9:00 am
Dr. Jon F. Langenwalter, Pastor
The church with the purple doors
10:45 am
Worship at 9:30 am • Child Care Available
6:00 pm
Children’s Programs, Student and Adult Ministries
Father Gary L. Zerr, Pastor
Saturday Vigil Liturgy: 5:30 p.m.
Sundays: 8:15 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.
La Misa en Español: 12:30 p.m.
Sunday Morning
and
503-364-2844
Faith Lutheran Church
4505 River Rd N • 393-4507
Sunday Schedule:
9:00 a.m. Children’s Church
9:15 a.m. Adult Bible Study
9:30 a.m. Children’s Activities
Pastor
Virginia Eggert 10:30 a.m. Worship with Communion