PANAMA CITY — Lindsey Striplin’s shoulders bounced to the beat.
“Boom, boom” — pause — “boom, boom, oh yeah,” cognitively challenged students at Margaret K. Lewis School sang Monday morning along with unofficial music teacher Kimberly Striplin.
“I found a long time ago with Lindsey,” said Striplin, volunteer music instructor and Lindsey Striplin’s mother, “that music helped her with her speech, language, helped her understand better about different things: words, actions, sounds.”
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Over the years, Striplin has led Music Day class about once a week. On Monday, St. Patrick’s Day, the symphonic semicircle made up of adult students ages 18-22 showed off what they’ve been learning in Leanne Tally’s vocational class.
Alexis Dow shook a tambourine stick and Robert “Chris” Christien blew chords on a harmonica. Sounds of sticks, bells, maracas, sandblocks and a very special blow horn came together for a clamorous fanfare, one in which all students took part despite differing disabilities.
Using an instrument of their choice, each student rocked to their own rhythms in their own special way.
“Music is non-threatening,” Tally said. “So they let their guard down.”
Striplin makes storylines to go along with songs and Tally writes them on the smartboard so students can read and sing along.
The entire class teamed up to create “lyrics” — one of Monday’s music vocabulary words — to the tune of “An Irish Blessing,” to which Striplin had previously composed music.
At the board, some students pointed to the words in the lyrics; others called out letters.
“Music is motivating,” Tally added. They’ll strive to challenge music “because it’s so rewarding.”
The school recently was awarded a $500 grant to buy music instruments, including electronic equipment that enables students with motor impairments to participate in band.
“We have a few instruments, but they’re old and outdates,” said Margaret K. Lewis Principal Lori Hast. “I wanted to update what we had and we loved to start a little band if we could.”
The school has yet to purchase instruments; however, Hast already envisions MKL students performing at the annual Bay Education Foundation’s Arts Alive event.
“I know one thing: Our students really enjoy music,” Hast said. “It’s a huge incentive for our students and also it’s a way for them to learn math skills … and an opportunity for them to learn social skills.”