Champion for Change: Jennifer Greene

Remember the joys of elementary school? Kickball at recess, finger painting in art class, playing simple songs on the recorder. For most kids, these activities are all about having a good time. But these fun experiences — especially music — actually have a much greater impact. "When music is part of the curriculum, it helps students to approach learning from a different angle," says Jennifer Greene, a teaching artist for the nonprofit organization Education Through Music (ETM). Based in New York, the group incorporates music into the curriculum of elementary and middle schools that would not have such programs otherwise. The goal is to enhance general development and academic performance. "As young minds develop, they have this other avenue to explore problems — learning things like literacy, history or social studies," adds Greene. "Everything can be integrated into the academic curriculum through music."

Greene, a trained opera singer and freelance musician, teaches chorus, keyboard and recorder to students from pre-K through sixth grade. "Many musicians often settle for just any job between freelancing, but I wanted to use my skills to give back to the community, especially because of the dire need for music education," she says.

Passionate about what opportunities ETM provides for children, Greene says she hopes to boost her students' self-confidence both in and outside of the classroom.

"Sometimes tests don't show how smart these students are or how much they've learned," she says. "ETM provides them another way to demonstrate their success. Music belongs to everyone."

Visit ETM or Jennifer Greene's Web site for more information.
www.ETMonline.org
www.jennifersgreene.com

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