Rather than a crowd of athletic supporters voicing their stance, the crowd gathered at a recent meeting was there to sing a different tune. Five public speakers advocated for the music and theater departments to receive their own consideration for a level playing field.

“I’ve heard people speak on behalf of athletics and talk about how we have one of the strongest athletics programs in the area, but the quality of our facilities does not match the strength of the programs. The same is true for music and theater. I hope the Board will consider giving support to these thriving programs by providing facilities worthy of the high quality programs happening within them,” said Ben Wendell, the district’s Theater Director.

Nationally recognized Band Director Andy Bennett led the parade of five guests to speak on the matter during the second public comment period of the recent Board of Education meeting. Bennett began by noting he was speaking not only as the district’s Band Director, but also as a resident of Fredonia and a parent of a future Fredonia student.

Bennett highlighted how he and his wife both choose to make Fredonia their home, despite an hour commute each day for his wife. “We believe in this community, its potential, and its future. This school is a huge part of that,” Bennett said.

Members of Fredonia’s Middle School Chamber Orchestra performed at a Board of Education meeting in the school’s library last year. P-J file photo

As the father of a 3-year-old girl, Bennett said, “It is not lost on me that the improvements we undertake in this project will help shape the education she receives.”

Bennett highlighted the district’s needs by referring to “a great problem” of high enrollment in music programs. Despite a slight drop in enrollment at the district overall, the music department has its highest enrollment in the past 25 years, with nearly 900 students performing in an ensemble, in a district of fewer than 1,500 students.

“Our ensemble enrollments are literally growing beyond the maximum occupancy of our rehearsal spaces. When I started working here, I never imagined we’d be having discussions such as how many students can fit in a room under the fire code or where are all these instruments going to go, but here we are,” Bennett said.

Bennett, the New York State honoree of School Band and Orchestra Magazine’s 50 Directors Who Make a Difference, noted he has continued to “positively work with administration” for solutions to the day-to-day challenges of the current facilities, but called the upcoming capital project cycle “the chance we have been waiting for years as a community for to finally meet our students’ needs.”

Among the needs highlighted by the public speakers included increased storage space for equipment, larger rehearsal spaces, improved acoustics, and air conditioning.

Wendell thanked the Board for considering the needs of the music and theater programs alongside the many needs the district has identified. Like Bennett, Wendell is also the parent of a future Fredonia student.

“I hope to continue teaching and directing here for decades to come. I’m very invested in this place. I hope there is a long-term commitment to improving the facilities, giving our students what they deserve,” Wendell said.

Wendell noted that like the music department, the theater department just saw its highest participation in history with the recent production of Aladdin Jr., with 160 students involved. Wendell noted substantial improvements were made to the lighting and sound systems in the auditorium, but the curtain system is still in need of updating. Seating and air conditioning in the auditorium were also highlighted as areas of concern.

Grammy Award winning producer and musician Dave Fridmann also spoke to offer his support of Fredonia’s music and theater programs. Fridmann has a music career spanning more than three decades, including collaborations with The Flaming Lips, Weezer, MGMT, Vanessa Carlton, and many others. He was a founding member of Mercury Rev, is the owner of Tarbox Road Studios, served as the director of the Western New York Alumni Drum and Bugle Corps, and has also worked for SUNY Fredonia in the Fredonia School of Music.

“I just can’t say enough good things about the music program here, and the entire school system,” Fridmann said. “… I just want to encourage the Board to continue to move in that direction to fully support anything that is necessary for the music programs and the auditorium here. That has been stellar, for years and years, and only getting better.”

Jen Darrell-Sterbak, a parent of two Fredonia music students, also shared her support of the district’s music department. She serves as a Community Relations Associate for the SUNY Fredonia School of Music.

“I’m so thankful for the music program that we have here. I’m also thankful and grateful that the music department is always a place where students feel safe, seen, and appreciated,” Darrell-Sterbak said.

Darrell-Sterbak urged the Board to prioritize curricular programs, such as the music department, in a potential capital project. “I would just ask that the Board make a serious consideration, if any sort of building renovations are made … that you would just make sure that is a priority, and it will be fully funded, so that they can continue to do the wonderful things that they are doing,” Darrell-Sterbak said.

Helen Ihasz, an Adjunct Lecturer at the SUNY Fredonia School of Music, voiced her support of the music department, as well. Her daughter graduated from Fredonia High School with experience in the music department. “This is a wonderful school and there are so many people doing some absolutely fabulous things,” Ihasz said.

As a former band director at Westfield Academy for more than two decades, Ihasz appreciates the work Bennett has done with the Fredonia music department. “This is what happens when you get some amazing educators working together as a team. You get a program that has exploded like this. I’m just so proud to see this happen, and I hope that the school will continue to support it,” Ihasz said. “… This program is making your school shine.”

Board of Education President Brian Aldrich responded to the public comments by stating, “I will speak on behalf of the Board, not just myself, because I think that there is a consensus here that the music program is something that we take very seriously. We all appreciate everything that the music department is doing.”

Fredonia Superintendent Dr. Brad Zilliox stated the district is evaluating the data it received from Young and Wright Architectural in its Building Conditions Survey to determine what the priorities of the district are in an upcoming capital project. Zilliox noted that with the reserve funds available to the district, a project of $5 million could be completed with no impact to the taxpayers of the school community. He added that when looking at the needs and wants of the district, a more substantial project could be warranted.

“We’re starting to think about, if we go above $5 million, how much further can we go? What is the perception and the thoughts of our taxpayers around that,” Zilliox said. He noted a “healthy conversation” was held on the matter since the presentation from Young and Wright in late November.

Zilliox stated the district looks to be “long-term focused” with a plan for the next 10-12 years of upgrades to its facilities. The district will continue to seek input from the community throughout the coming months, with a project vote targeted for December of 2024.

Bennett voiced his belief that there will be strong support for a substantial project to encompass the needs of his department and others. Bennett said, “I know there are many young couples who share our view about Fredonia, people who choose to live here because of this district and believe investments in our school, in many areas, are vital to secure the future of this institution, and in some ways, our community. On behalf of those voices, I want to say we are ready for a bold and visionary capital project that impacts many areas, and we look forward to doing everything we can to support its execution.”