VIDEO: Gallup Hill Music Concert

Video from this music concert may soon be difficult to reproduce as the school board considers reducing the program .  

The school board’s finance committee held a , which was attended by many parents who wanted the board to hold onto the musical instruction program for 5th- and 6^th grade students.  

And finally, as the hearing wound down, music teacher Steve Shaw walked up to the podium and was greeted with a loud applause from the audience. Shaw stood to show the audience a hand-made card he had received from one of his students that thanked him for making Tuesdays (the student’s day of musical instruction) a day to look forward to.

Parents at the hearing explained that the program was necessary for their child with special needs or their gifted child without other outlets. The discussion continues in and around the Ledyard Patch.

Samantha Bray-Smith wrote on the Ledyard Patch Facebook page, “Ledyard Please save the instrumental music program for our children....”  

A majority of the 30 or so people who spoke at the forum asked the school finance board to reconsider cutting the music program. But, only wanted to hold onto programs that were being reduced or eliminated, such as 5^th and 6^th grade music instruction and Project Oceanology.  

Kirsten Solomon, who has two children in Ledyard schools, said that music is one of the outlets for advanced students to expand their skill-set. Solomon said she supported a "pay to play" scenario to keep music education.