Emily M. Neuberger

West Allis, WI has a population of about 60,000 people. This Milwaukee suburb is fairly dense, and hosts about 5,303 people per square mile. The median income for a family was about $50,732 according to the 2000 census. Nine percent of children under the age of 18 live under the poverty line.

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Frank Lloyd Wright Intermediate School is the largest middle school in West Allis, WI. It serves a wide array of community members who are ethnically and religiously diverse. Close to 900 6-8 grade students attend this school. Many students are bilingual. FLW’s core value is building relationships with students. This is evident in our building principal installing a base group or homeroom period to start the day. According to the latest state report card from DPI, FLW Intermediate School scored a 79.4, placing it ahead of the other two WAWM intermediate schools and also slightly ahead of several middle schools in surrounding districts.

 

During my four years at FLW Intermediate School, I have strived to give the students a well-rounded choral education. Mainly, I choose repertoire from classical music, American folk songs, folk songs from other countries, songs based on poetry, and American spirituals. I also take the time to sing appropriate pop and musical theatre repertoire with students including songs like “Can’t Help Falling in Love”, “True Colors”, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, and many beloved selections, mainly by Rodgers and Hammerstein II. My classes include background knowledge on the songs we’re singing, especially as they relate to social justice issues and other historical context as well as vocal technique and sight-singing practice.

 

The WAWM Music Department has been granted a “Best Communities for Music Education” award for the third year in a row. This speaks to the community’s commitment to music in their students’ lives, as well as the dedication from the music staff!

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For further reading on my work at FLW Intermediate School, please visit our choirs' website!

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https://eneubi14.wixsite.com/flwchoirs