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The G-E-T school board is scheduled to vote Monday on a policy affirming the importance of sacred music in its curriculum.
The policy was drafted after a parent complained about religious music performed at a March student concert.
“He was upset by the religious nature of the concert” — which included American and African spirituals as well as a Christian hymn — said High School Principal Chuck Forster. “I suggested to him that schools play or sing religious music at all levels.”
Band Director Brenda Gauchel-Sill said she used two of the pieces to help students compare and contrast American and African cultures through the use of percussion, rhythm and movement in the hymns.
“The omission of sacred music from the repertoire of music study would present an incorrect and incomplete concept of the comprehensive nature of the art form,” according to the policy, which stipulates that music be selected for its artistic and educational value rather than its religious message; that traditions of different people are shared and respected; and that sacred music is not used to promote or inhibit religious views. The policy has been approved by the district’s policy committee.
G-E-T is careful to include African music, Indian music — “every kind of music,” said Gail Christiaansen, director of instructional services. “To have well rounded kids, you wouldn’t want to do just jazz and nothing else.”
“This is a policy that looks at cultural influences and tries to allow religious music but keep it in a neutral role,” Forster said. He said the parent complaint was fortuitous because it prompted the district to craft a policy. While he thinks the current faculty has used sacred music appropriately, the policy will serve as a guide to future teachers.
There is no state guideline on the use of sacred music; it is up to each school district to craft its own policy.
Winona Area Public Schools adopted a policy regarding religion in school programs in 2005. The policy states the district supports religious music as long as it has a secular purpose that neither advances nor inhibits religion.
In crafting its policy, G-E-T consulted with the Wisconsin Music Educators Association and the Music Educators National Conference.
“It’s impossible to separate religion from the history of music,” said Robert Kase, executive director of the WMEA. “You can’t ignore the aesthetic value of that music because of a religious base. Because it has a religious text, does that mean it’s not quality music and we shouldn’t study it?”
Kase rattles off examples of music with sacred roots. Leonard Bernstein’s second symphony is based on Jewish themes. Bach composed all his music for the Lutheran church.
G-E-T choir director Ryan Stuempges explains to his students that while today’s pop musicians write songs for the public, hundreds of years ago, composers worked for the church.
“You take sacred music out of there and you’re left with not a lot of stuff,” Stuempges said. “We’re not teaching them religion, we’re just having them experience all different types of music.”
