College expands outreach efforts
Music department at CSI moves to help fill the gap caused by
school budget cuts
Staten Island Advance
Tuesday, January 13, 2004
 Faculty, alumni and students from the College of
Staten Island's (CSI) music department have been taking their act on
the road to enrich music students in the borough's middle schools
and high schools.
By bringing its tight ensemble and relaxed swing
style to Curtis, New Dorp and Tottenville high schools, and high
school students at the Petrides School, CSI's Jazztet has been
providing quality musical experiences -- something many schools lack
since school music programs have suffered under budget and
curriculum cuts.
 The Jazztet, fresh off a recent performance at
Gracie Mansion, features tenor saxophonist Martin Bough; guitarist
Joe Maniscalco; drummer Frank Vavallo, and bassist Dominick Tancredi,
who is also the leader of the ensemble. Maniscalco, Vavallo and
Tancredi are CSI alumni.
 The group has been playing in Staten Island and
Jersey-area cafes and coffee houses since last summer. "But our main
objective and the reason for the Jazztet's inception, is to bring
jazz to the music programs of Staten Island's high schools and
middle schools," Tancredi said.
MINI-TUTORIALS
Jazztet members not only perform but present a
mini-seminar on the history of jazz for high school students. At a
recent performance for music students at Curtis, students also got
to jam with the ensemble.
"It was good; even though we knew some of it, we
learned a lot about jazz history and performance," said Curtis
junior David Caputo, 16, of Westerleigh. Caputo plays saxophone and
cut his teeth in the band at Markham Intermediate School,
Graniteville.
Likewise, his classmate, junior Samantha Incarbone
of Grasmere, learned to play trumpet in the band at PS 52, Dongan
Hills, and later at Egbert Intermediate School, Midland Beach.
Although the music and performing arts programs at
Curtis have remained unscathed, "with budget cuts we've lost a lot
of music and performing arts programs in the schools overall. The
middle schools especially have taken a hit," noted Ray Scro, music
and performing arts coordinator at Curtis.
Most music students arrive at the high school level
with some performance experience gleaned in elementary and
intermediate school ensembles, but high schools will soon feel the
impact when freshmen music students arrive without performance
experience and exposure to music history and theory, Scro predicted.
PLANS TO EXPAND
CSI has more plans to reach out to music and
performing arts students; in fact, the college hopes that students
will avail themselves of state-of-the-art equipment and the
expertise of music faculty at the Willowbrook campus. For example,
students can learn the ins and outs of audio production in the
college's new electronic music lab, and young musicians can perform
on stage at the college's Center for the Arts.
The college has several other performance groups,
including the CSI Jazz Ensemble, directed by trumpeter and composer
Michael Morreale. (Although Morreale is quite well-known in music
circles, many in education circles will remember his dad, Nino
Morreale, who taught music and was department chairman at New Dorp
High School for many years.) There is also a Guitar Ensemble,
directed by Ed Brown and the CSI Chorus, directed by Marina
Alexander, who also directs the Richmond Choral Society.
According to Dr. William R. Bauer, coordinator of
CSI's music program, which is part of the Department of Performing
and Creative Arts, CSI also plans to expand its degree offerings and
college-level programs. In addition to offering a bachelor's degree
in music, the college will offer a program for students who want to
specialize in music technology and audio production. Plans are also
in the works to offer a bachelor's degree program in music
education, and to create a gospel choir, a percussion ensemble and
symphony orchestra.
High school and middle school teachers interested in
linking up with the music department should call the college at
(718) 982-2534.
by Diane Lore
Reprinted here with permission from the
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