SEPTEMBER 21, 2018, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A3
KeizerCommunity
KEIZERTIMES.COM
McNary adds music teachers
By DEREK WILEY
Of the Keizertimes
McNary is rethinking
how it serves students with
its music programs.
Through
the
Contemporary
Music
Project (CMP), the high
school is offering classes
in guitar, piano, pop music
performance, recording and
producing, all based around
contemporary pop, rock, jazz,
hip hop and R&B styles of
music.
“We want to provide
more elective opportunities
for our students,” McNary
principal Erik Jespersen
said. “We want kids to have
a great experience in their
core classes but we also want
to think creatively about
how we can provide really
cool elective opportunities
for our kids as well.”
CMP started out of
discussions between McNary
and
Whiteaker
Middle
School choir directors Josh
Rist and Andy Thomas.
“Josh and I started talking
last summer and kind of
dreaming,” Thomas said.
“It’s kind of one of these
things that just fell into place.
We didn’t push hard on this.
You can push on things and
try to make it happen and
typically it won’t or if it
does it’s not the right thing.
We didn’t force. We just had
conversations and it just
started naturally falling into
place.”
Thomas, who has taught
at Whiteaker for the last 11
years, will start each day at
the middle school directing
the a Capella group before
school and then leading
the boys choir during fi rst
period. He’ll then teach fi ve
classes at McNary.
“The cool thing about
this scenario is I’m getting to
create a curriculum that goes
six through 12,” Thomas said.
“I like that element.”
Thomas, who was named
the Salem-Keizer School
District’s
2017
Music
Educator of the Year, receives
calls every year asking him to
apply for high school jobs.
“I always keep an ear open
but life has taught me when
you have a good thing going
select very carefully changes.
Whiteaker has been an
amazing for 11 years.
“The admin, the people,
the Keizer community, so for
me to get to do this is a win-
win-win. I get to develop
a new program, a program
that I love, stay in the Keizer
area. We just have this new
innovative thing we’re going
to be doing. It’s all really
exciting.”
Keizer is also getting a new
KEIZERTIMES/Derek Wiley
Andy Thomas is leading the
Contemporary Music Project
at McNary High School while
Rebecca Hollen is directing
choirs at McNary and
Whiteaker Middle School.
music teacher in Rebecca
Hollen, the former choir
director at Walker Middle
School, who will split her
time between Whiteaker and
McNary.
Hollen will teach three
choirs at the middle school
and the girls choir at McNary.
The fi rst CMP Music
Festival, open to sixth
through 12th graders, is
scheduled for Saturday, Oct.
27.
McNary will also host
a cabaret fundraiser, talent
show, battle of the bands and
coffee shops.
“Creating contemporary
music is more prevalent in
our society than ever and the
schools aren’t giving kids this
type of a program,” Thomas
said. “It’s an exciting time for
more kids to get involved
with the arts and kids that
aren’t traditionally in band,
choir or orchestra. They’re
out here in this school and
we want a place for them.
This is a perfect venue.”
Shred day
PHOTO/Lyndon Zaitz
Craig Williams, manager of the Keizer OS Federal Credit Union branch, accepts documents for
shredding at the 2018 Shred Day event held at the Volcanoes Stadium. More than 13,000 pounds
of paper were accepted along with 500 pounds of food donated for the Marion-Polk Food Share
and nearly $500 in cash. Four hundred fi ftynine cars came to Shred Day.