Medina County High Schools - Mecoan Yearbook (Medina, OH)

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Tfce, Mecoon es Seville — Cast of the Operetta “ The W ishing Well ’ LeRoy — Combined Instrumental Classes

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History of the Medina County Music Organization The px-esent music department of the Medina County Schools began in the spring of 1921, when four schools, Lodi, York, Liverpool and Granger joined together in the employment of Mr. S. T. Burns as supervisor of music. As soon as it became known that four of the County’s schools were to have musical instruction, demands began to come from some of the other schools that they too be included in the plan. Before school opened in September of that first year, to the original four, five other schools were added: Homer, Spencer, Litchfield, Sharon, and Seville, and Miss Van Dora McKee was employed as an assistant supervisor. The success of the work during the first year led to the addition of Brunswick, Chatham and Wadsworth Township the second year, and to an increase of the time for music supervision and teaching in the schools that has had the instruction. The music staff the second year consisted of Mr. Burns, Mr. Seibold, Miss Christman and Mr. Behrens. These four teachers devoted their full time to music instruction. In addition, Mr. Beck, of Medina, taught part time in the Brunswick school. Additions to the circuit in the third year were Montville Township, Medina Town- ship, and Chippewa Lake. During this year also Belden and Wakeman, although not in Medina County, were included in the organization for musical infraction. The faculty during this year consisted of Mr. Burns, Mr. Behrens, and Miss Christman, who remained on the force from the preceding year, and Mr. Rowell, Miss Martin and Miss Freeborn. In addition to these full time music teachers, Mr. Beck continued to devote part time to Brunswick; Sharon employed Miss Reese to devide her time be- tween regular high school subjects and music; Homer arranged Miss Wertz’s schedule similarly. This year marked the beginning of the County orchestra, made up of twenty- five of the best players from seven different schools. In the fall of 1924 the Medina organization withdrew from the two schools out- side of the County, and added the Westfield School at LeRoy. Changes in the faculty brought Mr. Clough to fill the place of Mr. Behrens who returned to Oberlin for further study, and Miss Wilcox to fill the place of Miss Freeborn who during the summer, forsook the scTTool room for the fireside. The County Orchestra was continued and enlarged, and a County Band of thirty boys was organized. In all four years of its existence, the music department has furnished music for all sorts of public gatherings. Every school has its yearly musical program; in addi- tion, music has been given at the annual meetings of teachers and board members, at the oratorical and debate contests, at farmers institutes, and parent teacher meetings. In the four years of the music department’s existence, it has produced eighty-two full-evening performances and furnished incidental music for about tw T o hundred fifty community gatherings of various sorts.

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UT7V V ga Ti2 Mecoon eb W V HT7 ’ih it.. ■“ isSSs? iSgSg Liverpool — Scene from “ Jack and the Baked Bean Stalk ” Sharon — School Band