By:  Inga Oberst

DOTHAN – On a recent Friday afternoon, music, laughter and excitement filled Mrs. Porter’s third grade classroom at Girard Elementary in Dothan. The students raised their voices in unison as 22-year-old Shawndrea Gethers, a Troy University elementary education major, shared the words and moves to a new song.

Gethers is among twenty-five Dothan Campus students who have volunteered their time and musical abilities in recent months through ENCORE. The program, which is supported and funded by the Cultural Arts Center, provides in-school choral education to approximately two thousand elementary students attending Dothan City Schools. 

Students like 8-year-old Jonathan Smith look forward to classes with Gethers.

“It’s fun,” Smith said. “We learn new songs.”

A song called “Turkey Woogie” was the overwhelming class favorite.

“You get to do all kinds of dances,” said 9-year-old Teresa Morrison. “You flap your wings, knock your knees and bob your head.”

ENCORE fills an important void in the classroom, according to Porter.

“We wouldn’t have a music program without ENCORE,” she stated. “On Fridays it gives them something to look forward to.”

Porter believes the music lessons refresh the students’ minds and foster creativity. They are able to put that creativity to work in other subject areas including writing, according to Porter.

ENCORE founder Terry Taylor believes the benefits of music education cannot be ignored.

“When a child sings, you have five things happening – rhythm, melody, harmony, text or lyrics and movement,” Taylor said. “When those five things happen simultaneously, it stimulates the higher learning center of the brain and increases overall intelligence.”

Troy University Elementary Education Instructor Ingrid Schimnoski said the volunteer opportunity also helps education majors gain valuable classroom experience.

“The TROY students are given a chance to think on their feet and experiment to see what works and what doesn’t,” Schimnoski said. “I think the college students have been surprised at how much joy their presence has brought to their class and in turn, how much fun they have had doing it.”

As Porter, a TROY graduate, watched Gethers lead the class in song, she noted that Gethers will make an excellent teacher.

“She makes every individual child feel special when she is here,” Porter said.

Gethers plans to continue volunteering her time.

“I love ENCORE,” she said. “It is a wonderful program and I feel every class should have a volunteer.”

To learn more about ENCORE, contact the Cultural Arts Center at (334) 699-2787. For information about the Troy University College of Education, contact the Dothan Campus at (334) 983-6556 or visit www.troy.edu.

Photo by:  Inga Oberst/Troy University

Troy University student Shawndrea Gethers (back row – center) is surrounded by Mrs. Porter’s third grade class at Girard Elementary. Gethers shares her love of music with the students each week as a volunteer for the ENCORE program.