MPS holds 'thank-you' music festival after referendum saved teachers

Five years ago, Sharie Garcia said she was one of just 50 music teachers in Milwaukee Public Schools, a district with three times as many schools.

Last week, Garcia was traffic-directing students and instruments through an organized chaos that thrilled her because of what it represented. Students from schools across the city were meeting each other and rehearsing together for the citywide Biennial Music Festival May 1 and 2 at the Panther Arena.

The scale of the event, which is free and open to the public, is possible because of how MPS' music program has expanded in the last five years, Garcia said, now employing over 120 music teachers. Garcia is now the music curriculum specialist for the district.

"In this room, there are students from River Trail and Longfellow sitting next to each other playing rock 'n' roll," Garcia said during a rehearsal at Roosevelt Middle School of the Arts. "I love that about this festival; it's such a unifier. The most exciting part is these kids have an opportunity to see how other kids share their passion."

Much of the music program expansion is thanks to a referendum approved by Milwaukee voters in 2020, which allowed the district to collect more tax revenue and add teaching positions. Despite statewide shortcomings in education funding causing cuts across Wisconsin this year, Garcia said she hopes MPS will keep its music teachers and fill some vacancies thanks to voters passing another referendum this April to avert major cuts.

The festival is a thank-you to Milwaukee residents for supporting the schools, Garcia said. It also comes on the 100th anniversary of MPS' first citywide music festival in 1924.

Five years ago, 40 MPS schools had no music teachers on staff

About 40 MPS schools in 2019 had no music teachers, a 2019 Journal Sentinel analysis found. Another 40 schools were sharing teachers part-time. The underserved schools were largely concentrated on the northwest side.

Now there are about five schools that still don't have music programs, Garcia said, because of vacant positions. The district had 32 vacant full-time music teaching positions as of March, according to a report Garcia gave the Milwaukee School Board then.

MPS hasn't yet provided the Journal Sentinel with a requested list of filled and vacant music teacher positions for each school. The district's vast vacancies make it difficult to get a clear picture of true staffing levels, which could be obscuring inequities between schools.

MPS principals, who set budgets for their own schools, are required to allot funding for music teachers to spend at least one day a week at each of their schools, though many schools budget for more time than that, according to MPS budget documents.

Overall since the 2020 referendum, MPS has added 56 music programs to its schools, with some schools offering multiple program options, Garcia said. The programs reach an additional 27,000 students as compared to before the referendum, MPS reported.

About 3,500 students prepare for massive performance

About 3,500 students from 75 schools are preparing to perform at the Biennial Music Festival over the course of the two nights, Garcia said, including bands, orchestras, choirs, modern bands, drumlines, harps, world drums and trumpet fanfare.

Rehearsing choir pieces at Elm Creative Arts School on Wednesday night, Rufus King High School ninth-grader Savannah Chandler said she never had an intention of joining choir. It showed up on her schedule when she started high school, and at first she didn't like it.

"At first I was like, 'I don't like singing.' As I stayed in class longer and longer, I started liking it," she said.

Now choir is a highlight of her school day.

"Before I go to choir, like if I'm having a bad day, I go to choir to sing and get the emotions out because some of the songs that we sing is based off our emotions and based off what we're feeling, so the songs just be like what I'm feeling and what I'm mad about, and then I let it out," she said.

Chandler said she her favorite piece for the festival is "Give us peace." "It brings me peace," she said.

Alanna Porter, a junior at Rufus King, shared a similar sentiment, saying choir has helped her process emotion and express herself. "Choir is like a second home for me," she said.

Greg Garcia, a senior at High School of the Arts, said he likes how choir has helped him get to know other students.

"I love how many different types of people it can bring together and the different opportunities that arise out of that," Garcia said. "Like it's just really interesting to be able to share one thing with every type of person."

How to attend the MPS Biennial Music Festival

What: MPS Biennial Music Festival

When: 6:30-8 p.m. May 1 and May 2

Where: UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, 400 W. Kilbourn Ave.

Cost: Free and open to the public without registration

Contact Rory Linnane at rory.linnane@jrn.com. Follow her on X (Twitter) at @RoryLinnane. 

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: MPS 2024 Biennial Music Festival is free Milwaukee event