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Music Class Slashed at Greenwich Village's PS 41

By Danielle Tcholakian | September 11, 2014 4:53pm
 P.S. 41 will not have music classes this years, school administrators told parents.
P.S. 41 will not have music classes this years, school administrators told parents.
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DNAinfo/Danielle Tcholakian

GREENWICH VILLAGE — P.S. 41 has pulled the plug on its music program.

The West 11th Street elementary school was forced to cut the elective class and dismiss their longtime music teacher because of changes to the school schedule, among other issues, parent coordinator Michelle Farinet said in an email to parents.

"We are very grateful for the years we were able to have [music teacher] Eve Zanni with us and for her contribution to the cultural tenor and atmosphere of the school," Farinet wrote in the email.

Zanni had taught at the school for nine years, incorporating social justice and civil rights lessons into her classes, and she also ran extracurricular programs including a children's chorus called Songbirds.

Shirley Brady, a parent at the school, said her fourth grader was upset about not having music classes this year.

"Music was one of the reasons we chose 41 — I was just really impressed," recalled Brady, who had heard about the Songbirds program and Zanni's creative and innovative teaching before her daughter entered the school.

In the email, Farinet told parents that this year's new teachers union contract forced changes in the school's schedule, including an earlier start time, which left the school with no choice but to eliminate an elective class.

A city Department of Education spokesman, Harry Hartfield, said, “The total instructional time for students and teachers remains the same as in previous years and the DOE is committed to working closely with schools and principals to address any issues.”

Students will still get exposure to music through the annual fifth-grade musical, violin lessons and dance classes. Kids can also sign up for an after-school music program at P.S. 41 for $400 per year.

Zanni declined to comment. She is currently in the Absent Teacher Reserve and has not yet been assigned to a new school, officials said.

P.S. 41 officials did not respond to requests for comment.

Parents said they would miss Zanni's approach to music education, as well as the time and energy she put in both during the school day and after hours.

"I love P.S. 41 and I loved Eve as the music teacher," said Mari Lazar, whose daughter is in fifth grade. "We valued and will miss her commitment to the children, fostering both their love for music and empowering them through music."

Zanni was known for not talking down to kids, but instead teaching them about protest songs, the Latin American folk tradition and "grown-up jazz music," parents said.

"My children frequently came home telling us about Rosa Parks, or singing 'We Shall Overcome,'" said Lubie Alatriste, whose twins are in fourth grade. "When I said, 'What a great song,' they said, 'Yeah, we learned this from Ms. Eve,' and they knew all the historical context."

"She was all about inspiring and empowering," Alatriste added. "She made music education about learning about the fights of others who are less fortunate."