Richard Gordon has an idea about how to save Lodi Unified School District music programs

Richard Gordon sits at his keyboard at his home on Ham Lane. Gordon has come up with an idea to save Lodi Unified's music programs from being cut from schools. The idea is to have his peers donate their time and instruments. Music has always been a part of his life and has played the piano, trombone and clarinet. (Jennifer M. Howell/News-Sentinel)

Richard Gordon has an idea about how to save Lodi Unified School District music programs

By Jennifer Bonnett
News-Sentinel Staff Writer

Monday, July 27, 2009 6:17 AM PDT

Comments (2 comment(s))

Music has always been a part of Richard Gordon's life.

In his primary school years, he sang in amateur shows and took piano lessons in fourth through seventh grades.

In high school, he learned to play the slide trombone and clarinet, as well as sing in the choir, a talent he carried with him into the U.S. Navy.

After marrying and having children, this 80-year-old taught all three of his daughters to play the piano; today, one is a flautist and another, an advanced pianist.

In retirement, Gordon has taught himself to play the keyboard and autoharp.

Because of this, he is dismayed that the Lodi Unified School District has decided to cut elementary instrumental music.

"So now our children are not going to learn music at the time in their lives when they would learn the joys of music, if they are interested in it," Gordon said.

"All because we the taxpayers allowed our elected officials to try to satisfy our wants so much, we are now broke. All of the propositions that sounded so nice over the years have now come back to haunt us.

"It's a shame the politicians have to do it this way, cut from the youngest. It isn't (the students) that caused the problem," he said.

But he wants to do something about it — and the district is willing to listen.

Gordon would like to see senior citizens form a group to volunteer to teach music to young people. He is open to asking high school students to be mentors, as well.

Richard Gordon at a glance

Age: 80.
Family: Wife, Cecilia, of 59 years; three children; five grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
Resident of the Lodi-Stockton area for four years. Formerly lived in Copperopolis.
Plays piano, clarinet, slide trombone, keyboard and autoharp.
News-Sentinel staff

"Things need to be changed so that we can help others learn some of the things we have learned during our lives," Gordon said from his home Thursday. A photo of a violin laying atop sheet music was hanging above his comfortable leather recliner.

"Children need music. It makes them happy, and who knows? It might lead to our great musicians of the future, he said."

While he is still hammering out details on his proposal to continue the district's instrumental program, Gordon has written a to-do list and plans to contact Associate Superintendent Catherine Pennington. He would also like to sit down with the district's elementary teachers.

"It would be interesting to see how receptive they would be to this idea," he said before turning his thoughts back to the students. "I believe they need to have something at the end of their school day to lighten their souls."

After reading a recent News-Sentinel article, Gordon, who spent four years on the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors, learned space might be an issue, so he thought meeting after-school on campus could be an option.

No matter how it happens, Gordon thinks instrumental music must remain in the schools.

Pennington termed Gordon's idea "a wonderful offer" and recommended discussing the volume of students.

"These are wonderful offers, but there are always issues we have to look at," Pennington said. "Certainly, we would be more than willing to talk to him."

Officials, however, cautioned that since music was a service eliminated and people laid off, there may be an issue with allowing volunteers to take the previously paid positions and that would need to be worked out with the district's personnel department.

Gordon grew up in a small town in Montana that no longer exists. Without electricity there was no entertainment, so nearby towns held amateur talent contests where Gordon competed by singing solos.

He continued doing so in the Navy Glee Club and sang for hospital patients.

He taught himself to play the keyboard and autoharp, after retirement when he had time once again for music and Gordon's wife, Cecilia, remarked on the change in his personality and even improved attitude toward life, he said. She added that he'd basically been crippled for a year and likely depressed.

Following knee surgery, he tried both guitar and mandolin but with aging joints, his fingers couldn't quite hit the chords.

Today, he happily tickles the ivories of his Yamaha keyboard set up in an office adjacent to the couple's living room. It is connected to a screen where sample songs are displayed as notes on treble and bass staffs.

His favorites are the classics like "Oh, Susannah" and patriotic numbers such as "America the Beautiful."

He hasn't played for anyone but his wife because it makes him nervous.

"But with kids it's different," he said.

Since many of the 2009-10 elementary classroom music teachers are former instrumental music teachers, they may be infusing instrumental music into their curriculum this school year, Pennington added.

The instrumental program for fifthand sixth-graders was cut by the LUSD board and an alternative program was deemed cost-prohibitive by trustees earlier this month. Programs in neither Galt district were affected by similar budget cuts.

Lodi Unified music teacher David Collum and Pennington plan to continue to meet this school year with hopes of coming up with a way to re-launch the program for the 2010-11 school year. Collum has the support of at least one school board member, Calvin Young.

If interested in learning more about Gordon's proposal, contact him at rgordon1228@yahoo.com.

Contact reporter Jennifer Bonnett at jenniferb@lodinews.com.

Reader Feedback

mom of 2 wrote on Jul 27, 2009 3:44 PM:

" This is an idea that would benefit both the teachers and the students, but only with an organized program. Hopefully there is a person to do this, because I have no faith in LUSD putting money to fund this position. "

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