To the Editor:

My name is William West; I am in sixth grade at Berne-Knox-Westerlo. I began playing the saxophone in fifth grade.

By joining the band, I get to have a 40-minute lesson with Mr. [Jared] Slingerland every week. During my lessons, he helps me with all the music I am working on, and helps me improve my skills.

I also participate in two concerts every year that are held at the BKW High School auditorium. These concerts are always very fun and the auditorium is packed full of people.

Even though I have only been playing the saxophone for one year, I have already improved so much. I am now in the school’s Jazz Band, and I get to play with students from the elementary, junior, and senior bands.

I also was able to participate in the New York State School Music Association for the first time this year at Niskayuna High School, and I was awarded a gold medal with a perfect score.

Band has impacted me by helping me learn to work better in a group and helping me learn all kinds of new skills, as well as become more confident in front of other people and big crowds.

I think it is very important for BKW to continue to offer this opportunity because it helps people learn something new and improve their life skills. I hope this information shows how much our music program means to me, as a student at BKW.

William West

BKW sixth-grader