Beth Hankins
What started as a substitute-teaching job turned into a bold new music program. Beth Hankins moved to Lakewood in 1992 and started working as a substitute teacher. Though, she didn't plan on staying for more than a year, destiny had other plans for her. Originally from Michigan, Beth had just graduated from Oberlin Conservatory with a degree in Music Education when she found work in the Lakewood school system. Beth took over as middle school orchestra director for Emerson and Harding in the fall of 1991, and was middle school orchestra director until 1993. Beth was eventually hired to be the Lakewood High School Orchestra Director. At that time the high school orchestra consisted of just 20 students. Now the high school orchestra program includes four orchestras and a string quartet. The Chamber orchestra is a select group of 27 musicians who are very interested in music. The Symphony orchestra is a Full orchestra consisting of 80+ strings and 30 wind/percussionists. Along with the traditional-classic orchestra Beth has created an electrifying new rock and roll orchestra.
The Lakewood Project “rock orchestra” is a new group that rehearses outside of school. It consists of 26 musicians (4 electric violins, 2 electric violas, 2 electric cellos, 4 acoustic violins, 2 acoustic violas, 2 acoustic cellos, 2 acoustic basses, one acoustic harp, 2 electric guitars, one electric bass player, one electric keyboard and three percussionists). This group also consists of seven student technicians who learn and run sound and lights under the expert guidance of Trish Hendy and Doug Bunsey.
Pictures and more information about the Lakewood Project can be found at http://www.thelakewoodproject.org/ they are currently preparing their own Lakewood Project web page. As far as we know this is the world’s first high school rock orchestra. They performed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Friday, January 24, 2003 to a sold out crowd. They will perform again on May 23 2003 at the Lakewood Civic Auditorium.
What makes this new rock orchestra so innovative is how it encourages students not involved in music programs to join. Since it's conception the rock orchestra has attracted many students who would normally not be interested in music. It encourages string students and others to improvise and compose, and it opens the door to classically trained musicians to play the music they like on the instrument of their choice.
Along with the “rock orchestra” Beth also runs the “The Four Season String Quartet,” the Emerson Middle School String Choir, the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade orchestras, and is a teacher at Emerson Middle School. “The Four Season String Quartet” also practice outside of school and perform at community functions. And along with that busy schedule Beth has recently graduated (2002) with a Master’s Degree in Educational Technology from Baldwin Wallace College.
She has conducted the following musicals at Lakewood High School: Pirates of Penzance, Peter Pan, The King and I, and this year Oklahoma.
Beth’s most recent awards include:
Ohio Orchestra and String Teachers Association 2002 Public School Teacher of the Year.
Lakewood High School Educator of the Year 2002-2003
Lakewood High School Educator of the year House Two 2002-2003
Lakewood High School Educator of the year House Four 1998-1999About teaching children creative thinking Beth says, “I teach improvisation, aural skills, and composition in my classroom along with the techniques and skills taught 400 years ago. The world of rock and roll meets and coincides with classical music.”