THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, March 6, 1995 TAG: 9503060054
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TONYA WOODS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 98 lines
Robert Sander's first-grade classroom at Tarrallton Elementary School has blue and green geometric figures on the wall, the alphabet across the top of the blackboard, and pictures everywhere. But the first thing you see is that big, old, upright piano in the center of the room.
Wait a minute! What is a first-grade teacher doing with a piano in his class, you ask? He plays original jazz tunes he's composed and songs such as the theme from ``The Addams Family,'' a little Elvis Presley or ``A Whole New World'' from the movie ``Aladdin'', just to get the day going and a smile on those sleepy faces.
Balancing himself on the edge of a chair in front of an old, brown piano, Sander plays with so much energy he's almost dancing in his seat.
As soon as his fingers hit the keys, 23 little pairs of hands start clapping. One little girl doesn't even bother to push her glasses back from the edge of her nose as she rocks from side to side. And one little boy is giving his own concert as he plays the imaginary piano on his desk.
Every morning, the children sing an array of songs including,``Will You Be There'' by Michael Jackson from ``Free Willy'', the ``Beauty and the Beast'' theme song and even ``Take Me Out to the Ball Game''. The children are almost shouting as they fling their hands in motion when they sing: ``One, two, three strikes you're out at the old ball game!''
``I try to play music that strikes their interest,'' said Sander, 25, who has been teaching first grade and tickling the ivories for his students since he began his first class last fall.
The music in class was supposed to be a one-time thing, but its success made it a daily ritual.
``I played the keyboard and the clarinet for a class of fifth-graders and it got their attention,'' he said, referring to his stint as a long-term substitute teacher last year.
``We were studying the Civil War and I wanted them to get a feel of that period,'' said Sander.
The fifth-graders liked it so much that Sander decided to break into his first year of teaching by playing for his class every day.
Charles Clay, the principal at Tarrallton, has no problem with that.
``I've listened to him play many times, he's extremely talented and the children love and respect him,'' he said.
Sander said aside from just entertaining the children he teaches them how to decipher different beats and melodies.
He starts a song at its regular tempo, then slows down the pace to see if the children will always follow along. And they don't miss a beat.
The children, says Sander, are also being exposed to such classic songs as ``Can't Help Falling in Love,'' popularized by Elvis Presley and ``What A Wonderful World'' by Sam Cooke.
``At first I didn't know whether or not to teach it to the them because it starts out with, `Don't know much about history, don't know much about biology' and I thought, `This song starts out kind of negative,' '' said Sander of Cooke's song.
But the kids love it.
``Mr. Sander sounds good when he plays the piano for us,'' said 6-year-old Ariane Carabajal
He should. A Buffalo, N.Y., native, Sander studied music for 16 years. As a child, he was always practicing the piano while his friends were outside playing baseball.
Initially, Sander wanted to be a music teacher, but he says music programs seem to be the first to go in public schools when money is low.
``I didn't want to take that chance,'' he said. ``This way, I benefit students with my teaching and with music.''
Sander doesn't play for just his students. He'll play for almost anybody. Sander plays in the cafeteria after school. And he's even performed jazz, pop music and show tunes at Waterside.
``My fiancee loves for me to play my keyboard for her. I think that's why she's with me,'' he said with a laugh.
As one of two male teachers at Tarrallton - the other teaches physical education - Sander thinks his class was a little more surprised at having a male teacher than they were at his playing the piano every day.
``Their first reaction when they saw me was, `Oh my gosh, a male teacher!,' '' he said. ``I became interested in teaching because of the male teachers I had in school. I hope some of my students will become interested in an instrument.''
So he plays the music and his students sing the songs. Never mind if they don't always get the words right. With a room of 6- and 7-year-olds, sometimes the Addams Family theme song may sound like this: ``They're creepy and they're spooky. Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah ooky, they're nah, nah, nah, nah, cooky . . . THE ADDAMS FAMILY!!!''
That's OK, because it's all music to Robert Sander's ears. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by RICHARD L. DUNSTON, Staff
Robert Sander starts the day by playing the piano for students in
his first-grade class at Tarrallton Elementary School. His
repertoire includes everything from oldies by Elvis Presley and Sam
Cooke to songs from the movies ``Aladdin'' and ``Free Willy.'' He
says the sing-alongs really get the children going in the morning,
and keeps them energized throughout the day.
by CNB