Hermosa Beach City School District Hires Music Teacher

From Hermosa Beach Youth Music:

Hermosa Beach, CA - The Hermosa Beach City School District has hired Ken Harrison as a Music Teacher for the 2016--‐17 school year. Ken has been the Band Director for Hermosa Beach Youth Music since 2012. Following a three year integration of music into the curriculum, he will teach first through third grade at Hermosa View School the first year; adding 4th and 5th grade the second year, and continuing with the middle school students in the 3rd year.

Ken Harrison formed the Hermosa Valley School Band in 2006 when state funding cuts eliminated music from the Hermosa Beach Public Schools. He earned a Business Degree from the University of California where he played trumpet in the Trojan Marching Band. He was also Drum Major and played trumpet with the Mira Costa Marching Mustangs. As a credentialed music teacher, he seeks to instill a lifelong appreciation for music among children.

While music is being phased back into the curriculum, Hermosa Beach Youth Music (HBYM), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded by parents will continue to run their after school band and choral programs at Valley School for fourth through eighth graders.

The benefits of music have long been established. Studies show musically trained children have an enhanced ability to integrate sensory information from hearing, touch, and sight. Furthermore, early training before the age of seven reveals the greatest impact on brain anatomy. Brain circuits involved in musical improvisation are shaped by systematic training, leading to less reliance on working memory and more extensive connectivity within the brain. Researchers at the Boston Children’s Hospital have concluded that “children and adults with extensive musical training possess enhanced executive function when compared to non-musicians, especially for cognitive flexibility, working memory, and processing speed.”

The commitment by the Hermosa Beach City School District will prepare Hermosa Beach students to participate in the award-winning music programs at Redondo Union High School and Mira Costa High School. Hermosa Beach Youth Music will support the District as music is integrated into the schools, and continue their mission: to initiate and develop music education programs to benefit the children in Hermosa Beach.

Image courtesy of Hermosa Beach Youth Music.