New band teachers come to Oak Park

Oak Park's high school and middle school have new band teachers this year.

Tom Pavia joined Oak Park High School, leading 98 students in the jazz, wind ensemble and concert bands. Elana Anatole is teaching 162 students signed up for jazz, beginning, intermediate or advanced bands at Medea Creek Middle School.

Pavia and Anatole are work- ing together to strengthen the district's band program. Pavia will spend time at the middle school working with band stu- dents, and plans to have high school instrumentalists perform for middle and elementary stu- dents. The Medea Creek Ad- vanced Band will join the high school band in performing at a school football game.

"There's a lot of talent in Oak Park," Pavia said. "A major rea- son I came to the high school is because I wanted to work with a higher level of musicianship."

Both teachers have similar backgrounds, a few years apart. Pavia is 30 and Anatole is 25. Both grew up in Thousand Oaks and graduated from Thousand Oaks High School where they were active in the music program. Both earned music education de- grees from Cal State Northridge and both play multiple band in- struments.

"Tom Pavia brings new ideas and great energy to our instru- mental music program," Oak Park High Principal Lynn McCormack said. "His exten- sive experience in the music in- dustry coupled with his deep commitment to providing the best possible music education for students have prepared him well to teach in Oak Park."

"Ms. Anatole's expertise in both instrumental and choral mu- sic, plus her enthusiasm and in- terest in expanding our music pro- gram, will really enrich our school," said Laurel Ford, Medea Creek principal.

'Link to the community'

Band is about much more than music, Pavia said. It's also about teamwork and time management, life skills that Pavia hopes to fos- ter among his students. It's also about increasing self-esteem through recognition from friends and the community when the band performs for the public.

"The band is the school's link to the community. We play a ma- jor role in providing school spirit for the community," Pavia said.

To help make the bands more visible, Pavia hopes to start a marching band. "I want the students to feel the

band is their home," Pavia said. "I told them, 'you make the pro- gram. I'm just a facilitator.'"

Pavia hopes to bring in in- structional assistants to work with students.

"When kids get to this level they get pretty advanced and you want to be able to challenge them and maintain their interest," he said.

Before coming to Oak Park, Pavia spent a year teaching band, choir and recorder to third through sixth graders in six schools in Santa Maria. His wife, a geology professor at CSUN, was commuting to the San Fernando Valley from Santa Maria. The Oak Park job brings Pavia back to his hometown and family and also makes his wife's drive much easier.

"I feel like I'm at home when I'm on campus," Pavia said. "I worked at all the local music stores, played in local bands and I know a lot of the local band di- rectors."

Pavia's primary instrument is the trumpet. As a high school stu- dent he performed with en- sembles at such events as Pasadena's Tournament of Roses Parade, the Santa Barbara Jazz Band Festival and a band event in Hawaii.

He hopes to provide opportu- nities for Oak Park High band stu- dents to perform within the com- munity as well as at festivals and competitive events elsewhere.

"It's a great opportunity for the school to get its name out there, for students to have the experi- ence of performing in public," Pavia said.

Singing backup at a ball

Anatole also sings classical and operatic music. A mezzo-so- prano, Anatole performed with her high school and college choirs at many events including a Demo- cratic Party gala with Barbra Streisand and Barry Manilow.

"I love the way music makes me feel, happy and positive. It brings people together," Anatole said.

Anatole began singing at a young age and learned to play saxophone, clarinet and flute in elementary school. Her father is a cantor at a Ventura synagogue where Anatole is leading the High Holiday choir. She credits him with instilling in her the love of music. Anatole says her love of teaching comes from her mother, an equestrian instructor.

"Through music you learn de- termination, concentration, focus and persistence," Anatole said. "Playing an instrument is one of those things where you know you're going to get better if you practice."

Although young and in her first public school job, Anatole is no stranger to teaching. She was a student teacher at several el- ementary schools and for the band program at Calabasas High. She has also taught religious school at a Culver City congregation, and runs her own swim school during the summer where she teaches swimming, lifeguard skills and first aid to adults and children.

Among her goals for Medea Creek are establishing a choir club and taking band students to perform at music festivals.

Anatole was a little nervous about starting the job but said the Medea Creek faculty and students are friendly and made her feel comfortable.

"The first day, the jazz band kids crowded around me, asking questions," Anatole said. "They wanted to get to know me and it was so nice."

Among the information the students learned from Anatole is that she lives in Hollywood, is getting married in April, and plans to earn a master's degree in edu- cation administration or music.

She hopes the band room will be a place where students will feel comfortable.

"I'm goofy and I like to laugh," Anatole said. "Students will work hard but they will have an immense amount of fun."