Music for the Masses

"I’m the fun guy," jokes Brad Fredman, as he fiddles with his laptop while an energetic new wave tune thumps from the speakers in his office at the Hawthorne Country Day School in Westchester County, N.Y. He has just produced an album of songs performed by the school’s students. Fredman, the director of athletics, music and community relations for the Hawthorne Foundation, which provides services to children and adults with autism and other developmental disabilities, was clearly elated as he listened to the final cut.

"Wait until you hear the quality of the music , some of these kids have speech delays, are non-verbal or don’t socialize, so it was a real challenge," Fredman says. "They chose the songs. The best part is hearing their reactions to hearing themselves on an album." One song - a cover of Steppenwolf’s "Born to be Wild" - almost had a punk rock feel, with aggressive guitars and a growling vocal by a student, Harley. Another featured a raucous, groovy rendition of the Bee Gees’ "Staying Alive" with vocals by students Paul and Jose.

The album, recorded in May, is titled Eagle Ensemble, Volume III, and boasts 17 tracks ranging from a cover of Queen’s "We Will Rock You" to Roxette’s "Listen to Your Heart." The Eagle Ensemble performed at the school’s annual talent show on June 18, and four songs were played by several students and staff at Manhattan’s Copacabana during a June fund-raiser for the school.

"All the kids started dancing when they performed "Born to Be Wild," all kids of different ages," Fredman says. "There was even break dancing going on. It was wild."

For Fredman and many others, the students’ work on the album is another testament to the strides they have made at the school, where positive reinforcement and building pride are emphasized.

"This whole album doesn’t follow the rules," Fredman says. "There’s even yawning in it; different inflections. But it’s honest music, it’s true. And the kids have a lot of pride. It’s got the campus buzzing, and there’s a lot of electricity."

The Hawthorne Country Day School was created in 1984 by Eileen Bisordi and Dr. R. Douglas Greer, and is a New York State approved not-for-profit. It serves approximately 200 children ranging in age from 18 months to 21 at both its idyllic, 10 acre campus in Hawthorne and its Manhattan annex, and also provides services to adults at several group homes in Westchester in addition to early intervention services and parent education. In Hawthorne, there are 36 teachers, plus six at its Manhattan campus, and its students hail from not only Westchester, but Putnam and Dutchess counties as well as the Bronx and Manhattan.

Many say that the school has made breakthroughs that they thought were impossible. Some students who were once totally withdrawn, like Michael, who sings "Hey Jude," have become more social over the years.

"Now, he’ll shake your hand and say ‘hi,’" says Bisordi, who recently retired as the school’s executive director and now serves as its consultant. "I’ve never seen a happier child. It’s positive conditioning. Because they’re so withdrawn, a lot of parents, when they hear about our success stories, say ‘But you have different kids, they’re not like mine.’ I say no-we have a different kind of program."

A NEW APPROACH
It is that difference that Bisordi and others say makes them unique in their approach. Class sizes at the school are small, with an average of six to eight students, with one teacher and two or more assistants. Teachers here all receive training in Applied Behavior Analysis. The goal, according to the school’s literature, is to effectively change behavior for the benefit of the individual.

In other words, it takes a descriptive approach rather than a prescriptive one, and is used in part to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching strategies. The curriculum is individualized, based on the students’ IEP and testing, which specifies strengths and weaknesses.

"It helps teachers teach better," says Bisordi. "We’re partnering up ABA with education and guess what? The kids are learning better. It’s important for us that (teachers) get trained well, because our children need our services. The best example is when a parent calls and says, ‘My child just called me mom.’"
This was the first year that a Hawthorne Country Day School student, Leonard Munoz, graduated with a Regents diploma. Munoz, a higher functioning student who struggled socially, also sang "I’m Dr. Love" on the album.

"It’s amazing, especially for someone who was told he never had a chance," says Fredman.

"If you work with an individual with autism, that’s a real feat," adds Bisordi. "We hope he’ll be admitted to Westchester Community College. We have a couple of more students who are ready to go as well."

Although academics are an important component here, so to is developing social skills in the students. The school coordinates numerous activities and events for students and their parents, including an annual "March Madness" basketball game, as well as field trips and internships with local businesses, all of which have had a positive impact, teachers say.

"We want to give them the same opportunities that their counterparts in regular education have," says Jason Rosenfeld, a supervisor teacher and vocational coordinator, of a recent field trip to Washington, D.C. "If those kids get to go to the capital to learn about government, why can’t these kids?"

NEW MUSIC
Fredman wears lots of hats at the school, and it’s easy to see why he’s "the fun guy." His office is located at Sherman Hall and is filled with at least three drum kits, electric and acoustic guitars and synthesizers, many of which were donated by him, friends or parents.

He is an amiable, young-looking 33-year-old, with a short, clean haircut, a yellow button down shirt and khaki pants. Like many teachers and administrators here, Fredman did not plan to work with autistic kids when he was in college. He has an undergraduate degree in exercise science and a Master’s in physiology from Penn State.

He is musically gifted as well. Fredman, who played a number of instruments since he was a child, including classical bass, guitar and drums, minored in jazz performance at Penn State and was part of the school’s jazz ensemble. "Music for me was always that relief from the science classroom, it was a nice break," says Fredman, who is married and has a 16-month-old daughter.

After he graduated, Fredman worked as a physical therapist for three years, and later did marketing. When he felt unfulfilled by his career, he made the jump to teaching and eventually found himself at Hawthorne as a physical education teacher. "I’m not a suit guy," he says. "Now I have music back in my life and pretty fulfilling work during the day."

Before he arrived at the school three years ago, its music program was pretty much non-existent. Though he was teaching physical education, Fredman wanted to implement a music program, and colleagues say that his tenacity paid off.

"Brad wanted to put a music program together, so he got a grant and just did it," says Rosenfeld. "There’s a certain freedom here that you don’t have in the public sector. Everyone has to wear a ton of different hats."

He brought in some instruments, including the drum set from his parents’ home, and quickly noticed that the kids were receptive. Last year, Fredman helped secure a $10,000 grant for music equipment, allowing Hawthorne to purchase 44 keyboards for its classrooms and homes.

"Music is a powerful tool," says Amy Davies Lackey, the school’s new CEO. "The one gift we can give them is music, because they can connect with other kids their age. And with some of the things that Brad has brought in keyboards, etc. the kids are really benefiting."

One of those students is 11-year-old Maor Edry. Fredman says that at first, Maor found it difficult to adjust to his new school and was not motivated. But
when the keyboards were given to each class, Maor took an immediate interest. The keyboards are programmed to play numerous songs and the keys light up when played. Maor quickly learned to play a classical piece as well as the Beatles’ "Hey Jude," which he also performs on the album.

"For some kids, dexterity is a challenge," says Fredman. "But seeing the keyboards and all the red lights, it could really stimulate them. To me, music, art and phys. ed. are just as important as any subject."

Eventually, Fredman broached the idea of an album, where the students would
perform songs of their choice. Through last year’s grant, Fredman found he had the resources to make a professional and polished album.

"Adam Caine, our guitar consultant, has really sophisticated software, and off that we brought the album to a wonderful studio in Brooklyn where we mastered it," Fredman says. "So it’s as professional as you can get."

About 25 kids played instruments or sang on the latest album, along with Fredman and other staff, and Fredman says he was pleasantly surprised by the songs they chose to perform.

"I was pleasantly shocked by a lot of the choices," he says. "There’s some great classic rock and then there’s a mid-80s power ballad. Definitely not what I was expecting. I was blown away by their choices. Paul, for example, who doesn’t talk much during the day, did "Staying Alive" in one or two takes. The album really captures the moment."

The album not only belies the preconceived notions people may have about the students, Fredman says, but musically, it’s really good. And for parents, some of whom were told that their children may never speak, it was pure amazement, Fredman adds.

"The reaction I get from the parents is, ‘We have an American Idol in our house now.’"

Fredman is hoping to use the album not only as a fund-raising vehicle, but to draw attention to the school’s growing amenities, including its nascent music program. He plans on sending copies of the album to MTV and other major networks in the hopes of getting the music heard.

"I think it’s important to be heard, and our kids should be recognized for what they accomplished," he says.

EXPANDING
In order to meet the demands of a growing student population, not to mention an adult one, the school is moving forward with a major expansion of its facilities. Parents are clamoring to enroll their children here, and Bisordi says that the school receives over 300 applications a year. The school also hopes to create more adult residential services as well, for those students who go on to become adults.

"We’ve been growing at a rate of 20 to 30 percent a year," says Lackey. "We accept the children from the age of 18 months, and provide programs for them throughout their lifespan. For those that need it, we’re there for them throughout their lives and their parents’ lives."

Next year, the school is expected to break ground on a new, sprawling 30,000-square-foot high school on the current campus, which will allow for additional programs and amenities, such as science rooms, a library and media room, and, of course, ample music facilities, including a theater with a stage.

"We’ll have the amenities that other schools have but take for granted," Lackey says.

Fredman says he is confident that the school could become known as the "prototypical special education program in the country. There are no limitations to what we can do here. I can’t imagine other people doing an album like this. I know this stuff can be heard by other people."