IUP Professor spends day at Bellwood-Antis

Courtesy photo

Dr. Jason Worzbyt, a music professor at IUP, visited Bellwood-Antis music classes last week to share his instrumental knowledge.

Leah Farber, Staff Writer

Bellwood-Antis students from kindergarten through twelfth grade got a chance to see what music life could be like in college when a college music professor came to visit on March 13.

Dr. Jason Worzbyt, a professor at IUP, said it was fun to come to Bellwood and work with the kids.

“It was a true pleasure to work with Mr. Sachse and his terrific students at Bellwood Antis! There is a wonderful sense of community within the music program that I got to witness first hand during my visit,” He said.  “Music is alive and well at Bellwood, and I cannot wait until my next visit to see and hear all these fine students!”

According to B-A band director Mr. Patrick Sachse, Dr. Worzbyt assumed he was coming to instruct students pro bono, for nothing more than the cost of lunch; however, he was pleasantly surprised when Mr. Sachse gave him a check for $500 – the typical going rate for a visiting Ph.D.

“I think the students he worked with forgot he was a doctor because he was so humble, down to earth, and genuine,” said Mr. Sachse. “He worked very well with them.”

First, Dr. Worzbyt went down to Myers Elementary to listen to the fourth grade saxophones and clarinets.

After that he listened to the high school band, followed by a question and answer session.

Later that day Dr. Worzbyt taught middle school woodwind instrumentalists.

To rap up his day, he helped the high school bassoonist Hannah Hornberger.

“Working with Dr. Worzbyt both in a group and one-on-one was a great experience,” Hanah said. “He taught the groups some very important things about performing together and listening to each other when playing. In the individual lesson, he taught me about the sound to look for and what playing should feel like. Overall I feel a lot better about playing both in a group and as a soloist.”

Other students said they loved orking with Dr. Worzbytand learned a lot from him.

“Dr. Worzbyt was a very informational person. If you gave him a piece of music he could play it right away. He taught us that we needed good posture to play are instruments,” said 5th grader Leigha Clapper.