Irvington music students learn to ‘stand by’ one another

Program spanning multiple sites teaches young musicians to work together

Teacher Andrew Ruoti clapped a four-count beat, and the five middle-school students in his class joined in sync on the opening of Stand By Me.

Brianna Watson thumped a bass at the front of the room as Mason, a newcomer to the band, set the rhythm on a drum machine from the back. In between, Jackson Mariani and Michael Stutzbach on acoustic guitars and Katrina Gray on ukulele strummed chords until Michael soloed to the song’s familiar melody. All the while, Brianna soulfully sang the lyrics.

It was barely mid-October—plenty of time to work on things—but the song was already coming together. Katrina admits keeping time can be a challenge. Jackson says he may sing next time.

“It sounds really great,” said Brianna. “It’s all starting to come together.”

Michael has played classical piano for six years. Jackson is relatively new to the guitar. And yet, they capably played alongside one another. That’s typical across the program.

“Their abilities are mixed,” Mr. Ruoti said. “So you have to assess everything. Every learning style is different.”

Mr. Ruoti, who led a revival of the music program a few years ago, teaches music to 6th through 12th graders at Irvington High School. In January he’ll move to the Rye Lake Campus. He also teaches at St. Matthew’s School in White Plains.

He compares playing in a band to being on a baseball team. Everyone relies on one another. Everyone plays together.

“I think the arts are so important,” he said. “They had a powerful effect on me. I just want to share that experience.”

It’s a matter of finding students’ interest and access points, he said. For instance, Michael loves classical music and The Beatles. Mason prefers a contemporary genre of rap. Their diverse interests add to the experience.

Mr. Ruoti reminds students at the start of class to focus so they play their best. They have already begun recording rough drafts of their parts, which Mr. Ruoti has begun mixing in a multi-track file. They are learning about song structure, and the elements of music. Mr. Ruoti hopes to compose an original piece with them by year’s end.

“I think the experience helps them work together as a team,” he said. “I think it builds their confidence too.”

Students can also join the music club, which Mr. Ruoti runs with fellow teacher Mitch Cohen. It’s one of several interest-clubs available at Irvington. He hopes his students establish a lifelong interest in music.

“Take a chance on something,” he said. “Music is like another language.”