Students and music‑department staff highlight ‘Music Mentor’ program, urge year‑round check‑ins

Arthur Tomasson, chair of the Longmeadow High School music department, and student leaders presented the Music Mentor program to the School Committee on Feb. 24. The program pairs high‑school musicians with elementary and middle‑school students who play the same instrument for lessons, duet practice and shared performance opportunities.

Student presenters said the most recent year included 64 younger students paired with 75 high‑school mentors and 13 repeated pairs, with the largest participation in cellos, trumpets and violins. They described a kickoff event that included pizza, icebreakers and tours of the high‑school music facilities intended to familiarize mentees with the program and the high‑school music curriculum.

A student presenter described benefits for mentors: “Being able to work with a younger student builds up a lot of communication and critical thinking skills because it really forces me to approach the instrument from a different angle,” the student said. Presenters proposed implementing periodic check‑ins between mentors and mentees, encouraging mentor/mentee attendance at one another’s concerts, and an end‑of‑year recital to showcase progress.

Committee members thanked the presenters and noted the program’s role in scaffolding the district’s music curriculum from elementary to high school.

Attribution

Quotes and on‑record remarks in this article are attributed to meeting speakers as recorded in the Feb. 24, 2026 Longmeadow School Committee meeting transcript.