By Stowell P. Watters
Staff Writer
    Picture a high-ceilinged room ringing with the sounds of wooden xylophones, wooden boxes with deep resonating bass notes (called bass contrabars), keyboards, symbols, drums, boom whackers and metallophones all sounding off in harmony. Now picture the musicians; third-graders in Anthony Michaud’s music class at Kennebunk Elementary School (KES) all beating their drums and slamming their boom whackers in precise synchronization.
    Michaud, sporting a long pony tail and lavender Crocs, teaches music at KES using his own knowledge, school bought instruments and help from some  advanced technology.
    “This is a Smart Board,” Michaud says, pushing buttons on a large screen in the front of the classroom. The screen looks exactly like a computer desktop only much larger. Michaud uses his finger and a special marker to select and circle items on the screen much like a mouse. He pulls up video of his students practicing with their instruments.
    “I am thrilled about this music program, I don’t know of anybody who does what I do here,” Michaud says, watching his students perform a tune using their drums and xylophones on the Smart Board.
    Michaud says when he first started teaching music 10 years ago at the now defunct Park Street School he walked into a room filled with chairs and got to work.
    “We had, like, nothing. We had to build from the ground up, so we did,” he says.
    Michaud was able to acquire nearly $2,500 in funding from the school for the purchase of new instruments and music equipment and set about developing a three-year plan. With the then-principal of the Park Street School, Joan Carrol, Michaud developed a plan to acquire all of the instruments KES currently has. In 2005 he says he finally phased out the old overhead projector screen and acquired the Smart Board.
    “Things have changed drastically, and for the better,” Michaud says. “My approach is to make music makers.”
    At KES every single student in Michaud’s music class is required to use an instrument. The format of his teaching requires students to constantly be paying attention as they rapidly switch from song to song. To maintain interest, Michaud says, all he has to do is let the students do the music making.
    “This is music making based education, how else would you want children to learn music than by being active in its production?” Michaud asks.
    Students get to select the instrument of their choice as Michaud encourages them to experiment with the different instruments. At the end of each class students bring out their recorders – hard plastic, basic wind instruments.
    “The recorder is a cornerstone of our class,” Michaud says.
    In the name of progression with the instruments, Michaud offers an incentive based “Recorder Belt” program, much like the belt program that martial arts students ascend through during their training.
    In Michaud’s program students are offered a chance to gain different belts, each test increasing in difficulty as they must prove themselves to Michaud in one-on-one sessions. Michaud provides students with songs to learn and study for the belt program. Upon learning a song the student must perform it to Michaud and then elaborate upon its various parts, composer, etc. until Michaud is convinced they are deserving of a belt.
    “The students really get into it, it’s something they can show off and be proud of,” Michaud says.
    Every Monday morning, KES brings the entire student and faculty bodies together for a group meeting. There “The Rolling Pebbles” play.
    “’The Rolling Pebbles’ is our school band and they rock,” Michaud says.
    “The Rolling Pebbles” is a volunteer band, meaning, any student that doesn’t wish to participate doesn’t have to. The kindergarteners do not play in the band but first and second graders are encouraged to sing while third graders play instruments. Their songs are all written by Michaud and are called “Lets Bring It On,” “The Kennebunk Elementary School Song” and “Something Good.”
    While Michaud describes these songs as “feel good stuff, empowering music for kids,” he says there is one song they perform on special occasions. The “Happy, Happy Birthday” song is Michaud’s creation, a new twist on the old birthday song. During the performance of that song anyone who has a birthday during the upcoming week stands up and is wished a school-wide “Happy Happy Birthday.”
    “The Rolling Pebbles” have their own Web site www.rollingpebbles.com where parents and friends can view video of the performers, listen to their music and read about their upcoming activities.
    Tom Farrell, superintendent of Maine School Administrative District 71, said he couldn’t be more pleased with Michaud’s program.
    “It is rare to find a teacher who will engage students like he does, it’s awesome,” Farrell said.
    At the end of class students huddle around Michaud and ask him to play riffs on his electric guitar or ask him about advancing to the next level of recorder belt. With a smile on his face he picks on third-grader Brandon Hall.
    “I have a song I really, really like, how could I learn to play it?” Hall asks.
    “Bring it right in, I will listen to it, learn it, and we can go from there,” Michaud says.
    As for the future of the program, Michaud is hoping for more and more exposure. Games like guitar hero and companies who manufacture smaller instruments – for children to play – are part of what he calls “moving forward for kids.”
    “I like anything that encourages kids to play music,” Michaud says. “I want to continue to expose this program to the public and to other districts who don’t have this, so they can see how truly engaging music can be.”
    To contact Stowell P. Watters, call 282-4337 ext. 219 or email news@kennebunkpost.com.