Seventh-grader urges district to bolster band program; superintendent says music staffing and new courses are planned

At the board meeting, seventh-grade student Sahara Mudlock described deteriorating instruments, lost equipment and declining recruitment for Crestwood’s band program and said she fears the band may be gone before she graduates. "I feel our school does not care that much about our band," Mudlock said, asking for more in-school performing-arts opportunities and better instrument maintenance.

Superintendent M. Malazzo responded that the district will assign a music teacher to the secondary campus next school year and is restoring wheel music for seventh and eighth grades. Malazzo said two new courses — music technology and music composition and writing — will be offered next year, noting that hardware and software (Mac computers and studio equipment) have already been purchased to support music-production instruction.

Board members said they will post for a new band director following the current director’s resignation, encouraged greater student involvement in the hiring process and asked Mudlock and others to compile an instrument inventory to identify broken or missing instruments. Mrs. Campbell suggested including students in interviews; the board agreed that student participation in the selection process is possible.

The exchange highlighted immediate student concerns about instrument condition and recruitment, and an administrative response that commits staffing and curricular changes intended to strengthen the performing-arts program.