MAY 12, 2017, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A5
KeizerCommunity
Thomas named top music educator
KEIZERTIMES.COM
By DEREK WILEY
Of the Keizertimes
Andy Thomas, choir director
at Whiteaker Middle School,
wants all kids to experience
music.
It’s why a couple years
ago he started an Exploratory
Wheel class for all sixth graders.
It’s why he volunteers his time
after school to teach guitar les-
sons.
And why every summer he
leads a week-long choir and
drama camp for fourth through
ninth graders that last year had
over 220 kids.
Thomas was recently hon-
ored for providing more oppor-
tunities to Whiteaker students
and kids throughout Keizer
with the Salem-Keizer Music
Educator of the Year award.
“It’s a great honor to be giv-
en an award like that,” Thomas
said. “It’s just nice to be given a
pat on the back sometimes for
the work you do, all the extra
time and effort and hours that
you put in as a music educator.”
Thomas got his own educa-
tion in music at McKay High
School.
“My high school choir di-
rector (Charles Graber) is the
reason why I’m here today,”
Thomas said. “He was a very
inspirational and had a powerful
presence in my life.”
Thomas is in his 12th year
at Whiteaker, which already
had a tradition of excellence,
but he has grown the choir
from 180-190 seats to over 280.
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The annual cabaret also existed
as a dessert night but Thomas
turned it into a bigger fundrais-
er event that draws an audience
of more than a thousand.
“I love it because it is an
event that brings the commu-
nity together,” Thomas said. “It’s
an event that let’s our kids shine.
We make money. Their self
confi dence and self worth just
goes off the charts.”
The guitar lessons came out
of the summer camp and last
year Whiteaker was able to pur-
chase a full set of guitars. Thom-
as teaches two to three sessions a
year of 20-25 kids each.
“Where there’s a need, I go
with it and kids were interested
in guitar,” Thomas said.
“They love to sing at home
and I can teach you four chords
and you can play a lot of songs
with just four chords. That’s
nice because we get kids in the
population that aren’t in a music
class that come in and we get
Submitted
Whiteaker Middle School choir director Andy Thomas, with registrar Rochelle Gould and principal Julia DeWitt, was named 2017
Salem-Keizer Music Educator of the Year.
more kids exposed to music.”
Thomas has also been able
to travel, taking his advanced
choirs on trips to Florida, Los
Angles, San Francisco and Port-
land.
Whiteaker was one of two
middle schools invited to pre-
form at the American Choral
Directors Association North-
west Conference last March.
“That’s a huge honor be-
cause they have one to two each
year and to be selected is really
diffi cult,” Thomas said.
Whiteaker will preform at
the Oregon Music Educators
Association conference next
year and Thomas hosted 22
choirs in Keizer for a choral ad-
judication festival this spring.
When asked why he con-
tinues to go the extra mile,
Thomas replied, “A passion for
the arts, a passion for the kids
and a passion to give kids op-
portunities and experiences
that will be highly impactful to
them and who they are and for
their growth and development.
It’s so good for the kids to get
to do this stuff.”
Distinguished Young Women May 13
Ten McNary juniors will
compete
for
scholarship
money and the titles of Dis-
tinguished Young Women of
Keizer on Saturday, May 13
at 7 p.m. in the Ken Collins
Theater.
The students compete in
fi ve different categories—fi t-
ness (15 percent), talent (25),
self expression (15), interview
(25) and scholastic (20).
This year’s talents include
singing, acting, reading poetry,
playing violin and dancing.
Competing are Sarah Eck-
ert, Isabella Fox, Laura Becktel,
Sydnie Gould, Taylor Johnson,
Crystal Llanos, Adah Mallery,
Karissa Nigg, Ivy Parker and
Desiree Whitney.
Two winners will be select-
ed by a panel of judges.
They will then advance to
the state program on Saturday,
Aug. 5 at Chemeketa Com-
munity College to compete
for even more scholarship
money.
Last year’s Keizer winners
were Elizabeth Russell and
Sydney Martindale
Admission to the Keizer
competition is $12 and funds
the scholarships.
KEIZERTIMES/Derek Wiley
Laura Becktel works on her vocal solo.
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KEIZERTIMES/Derek Wiley
Crystal Llanos practices her traditional Mexico dance.
M M
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