Beginners Bring Music to Seniors

Some of the students from Chase Street Elementary School in Panorama City had been playing their violins, flutes and trumpets only a few months--and in one case, a week--but their renditions of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” and “Hot Cross Buns” were well-received at a recent holiday performance for residents of Valley View North Retirement Villa in Arleta.

About 60 seniors packed the retirement home’s recreation room for a 30-minute concert by the young musicians and the school’s choir. The playlist included “Jingle Bells,” and “You Are My Sunshine.”

“This is quite a day,” said Judy Lamb, activities director.

None of the seniors seemed troubled that some of the neophyte musicians knew only a handful of notes.

The seniors yelled “Bravo! Bravo!” at all the appropriate pauses.

“We’ve learned only six notes so far,” teacher Matthias Rykert said of the students who began lessons in September.

Students typically rent instruments from the Los Angeles Unified School District for $20 a year. Rykert travels among five elementary schools in the San Fernando Valley twice a week for rehearsals.

“They did great,” he said afterward, as students enjoyed lunch on the patio with some of the retirement home residents.

“I feel excited to have played for them,” said third-grader Michelle Garcia, 8, who had been playing the trombone for about a week.

The concert was the first in what school and retirement home administrators hope will become an ongoing visitation program. The seniors plan to read to the school’s kindergartners after the new year.

“We appreciate this so much,” said Giovanna Benus, 67, who is spending her first holiday at the retirement home since moving there in August. “They have such great spirit.”

Mildred Perlmutter, 73, agreed.

“It’s kind of hard being away from home,” she said, “but all of this [music] puts us into the holiday spirit.”

The concert brought back memories for retired preschool teacher Ruth Adams, 75.

“Tears came to my eyes,” she said. “They worked really hard to make this happen for us.”

The students plan to master more notes for a spring performance that will include a song from “The Lion King,” the theme from “Mission Impossible” and the football fight song “Go, Big Red.”

KUDOS

Growing School: Four years after fund-raising began, the new $5.1-million building for arts and technology at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks was dedicated earlier this month.

The 35,000-square-foot Fritz B. Burns Center for Arts and Technology has a tower and 22 mission-style arches to match the school’s first building erected in 1947.

PROGRAM NOTES

Classes Open: The West Valley Occupational Center in Woodland Hills is offering classes in medical office, grocery occupations, automotive repair, culinary arts, cake decorating and more. Visit the campus at 6200 Winnetka Ave. or call (818) 346-3540 for information.

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Class Notes appears every Wednesday. Send news about schools to the Valley Edition, Los Angeles Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth 91311. Or fax it to (818) 772-3338.