RESERVE — St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools master teacher Rebecca Holmes travels to all schools in the parish, promoting music education and offering instructional support and development along the way.

Holmes has been instrumental in promoting enrichment in the community and in her position as a music teacher at Fifth Ward Elementary School in Reserve, but her dedication to music will soon be recognized on a national scale.

Oct. 15-17, Holmes will travel to Washington D.C., where she will work with four others to develop an orchestral string curriculum using resources available through the Library of Congress.

By April, her lessons will have been written, field-tested and published for use at various schools around the country for the 2018 academic year.

Holmes said her curricula will be geared toward younger, novice string players because of her experience working with elementary students.

She is currently starting a string orchestra at Fifth Ward, the first of its kind in the River Parishes. Using funding from a grant provided by VH1 Save The Music Foundation, the school is receiving 36 handmade instruments, including violins, violas and cellos.

“Most schools in the River Parishes are scared to incorporate strings because they don’t want it to compete with marching band,” Holmes said.

She stressed the importance of providing options for young musicians.

“How I see it, students will pick whatever instrument their personality is geared toward,” Holmes said. “There should be an option of strings for those kids best suited for it, who might not be interested in marching.”

Fifth Ward students Ah’Navierre Cosey, Derion Melancon, Ariel Sales, Isaac Collins IV, Troyland Randall III and Key’Agia Parish signed up for the string orchestra and will be the first to play the new instruments.

“I don’t know why I’m excited, but I’m so, so excited,” Derion said as she was handed an instrument case.

As Holmes let them open the cases for the first time and taught them how to hold the instruments, the children expressed the value of music in their education.

“If you have music in school, you can be inspired to play music when you grow up,” Troyland said.

Ah’Navierre said she might like to be a conductor one day, and Ariel said he aspires to be a musician “just like Ms. Holmes.”

Isaac and Derion offered different reasons for being drawn to music. The former said string instruments looked like a lot of fun, while the latter viewed the violin as an instrument a famous person might play.

Key’Agia said, “I want to do music because it’s part of life.”

The idea of music being an intrinsic part of the world, prevalent through all studies and subjects, comprises the heart of the curriculum Holmes wants to implement.

“Music doesn’t exist without other subjects coming together,” she said.

“We argue that music can help students develop math and English literacy skills, which is a value to all students.”

One example of a trans-disciplinary lesson plan is having students listen to music and using it to write their own narratives.

Holmes said music can also benefit students in other classes, citing how playing soothing music during class instruction has been found to help students’ academic performance.

According to Holmes, her long-term goal is to further promote music and enrichment within St. John Parish and make the school system friendly toward the arts.

“I want this region to become an exemplar for how powerful enrichment can be with the support of the state,” she said.

She emphasized the importance of having the School Board’s support.

“Nineteen years ago, there were no elementary music programs in the area,” she said. “One of Superintendent Kevin George’s initiatives was to put music back in school, and it helps the programs when parish leaders show support and appreciation.”

— By Brooke Robichaux