Educators sharpen skills
by learning guitar
Loree Ellsworth focuses on her guitar playing during a Guitars for Classrooms teaching lesson in Crownpoint on Thursday. The program aims to teach area teachers how to play the guitar so they can in turn teach their students. [photo by Brian Leddy / Independent]

By Karen Francis
Diné Bureau

CROWNPOINT — A unique program is helping to bring music into classrooms in the Crownpoint area with 25 educators learning to play acoustic guitar. The group meets every Thursday for one hour as part of the six-week Guitars in the Classroom program.

Sally Greywolf, whose husband teaches in the area, was wondering how to get more music in school when she came across a magazine article about the Guitars in the Classroom program. She decided to contact the organization on the slim chance that such a program could be started in Crownpoint.

To her surprise, she spoke to the director and found out that the director had spent time in Chinle and was willing to work with Greywolf to get the program started in Crownpoint.

Greywolf had to find an instructor and a place to meet, while the program supplied guitars and a small stipend to pay the instructor courtesy of the Guitar and Accessories Marketing Association and NAMM, International Music Products Association.

The instructor is Debbie Chee, whom also teaches science at the middle school and has taught several guitar classes.

“We’re trying to teach them fun songs that they can use in the classroom,” Chee said. “What we’re trying to do is just take those songs and turn them into whatever subject we’re teaching.”

“For some children, learning in steady beats helps them learn concepts,” she said.

Chee said that learning about music teaches to listen to tones and also teaches a love of music. She said that she is looking forward to using what she learns with the sixth-grade class.

She added that the teachers are doing “very well” so far.
“They just come in, sit down and tune up and just get going right away,” she said as the teachers practiced strumming in preparation for the day’s lesson.

Christopher Cretella is one of the teachers taking the guitar lessons. He said he wanted to learn how to play guitar and how to engage students more.

“Whenever you learn something difficult, you go through a process and when you see a child struggling with something, you can relate and draw some of the techniques you used to get above that struggling,” he said.

He added that by getting the children more engaged, “they can relate more to you and they will learn more.”

He said he also enjoys interacting with the other teachers.
Cretella is planning to take the fall session that is currently being planned.

Marvell Etsitty is taking courses at Diné College in elementary education and is learning how to incorporate music in her classes when she becomes a teacher.

“Toddlers, they learn more just by singing. I figure that works with all students, especially elementary,” she said.

So far, she has used what she has learned with her 3-year-old son and practices outside of class at least once a week.
Etsitty, who never played guitar before starting the program, said that it’s “kind of hard.”

“Each time she brings a new song, it’s more challenging,” she said.

Richard Martinez works at the Crownpoint Elementary School and took the class because he wanted to play.

He has played rhythm guitar in the past. He is also planning to participate in the program again in the fall.  

Greywolf said that teachers are encouraged to take the guitars and set them up in their classrooms.

“Let’s get music into peoples’ lives because it’s good,” she said.

Greywolf, who volunteers to baby-sit for the teachers during the classes, said that the program will be expanded to Gallup in the fall.