Each day, students in HHS’s new piano class sit in a semicircle while they are introduced to new notes, chords, and songs. During the second half of class, they are back at their keyboards practicing notes and songs. Choir teacher Bethany Houff has taken on the task of teaching the new piano class of students whose music experience ranges from musical backgrounds to others who have never held an instrument.

Houff who has been teaching choir for the past seven years and is excited about a new class that will enhance students’ musical talents.

“In music class, students become a part of a team,” Houff said. The class is comprised of roughly fifty percent of people who are either in choir or band, and fifty percent who are brand new to music.

“I really like the sense of success my students feel when they play a song all the way through,” Houff said. “When they do a song on their own, it’s really rewarding.” Her students agree that they feel a great accomplishment when they play their first full length song.

“I can play As the Saints Go Marching In and it’s quite exciting,” sophomore Nahala Aboutabl said. “At first songs sounded like a jumble of keys, but now the songs sound like actual music.”

 Aboutabl has never taken piano lessons before but was thrilled when the piano class became available.

“I like music a lot and my friend plays piano and since this class was provided I thought it was awesome,” Aboutabl said. However, unlike Aboutabl who chose this class, the class seemed to choose freshman Luis Cruz.

“It was either cooking or piano, and I didn’t want to cook,” Cruz said. Students do not need any experience with piano to join the class because Houff starts with the very basics.

Senior Chelsea Thurman is one of the students who has a musical background. Not only is she in the Honors Choir this year, but she has also participated in the annual musical since tenth grade.

“Having a musical background helped me in the beginning of the class because I knew all about notes and lines,” Thurman said. However, while Thurman is a singer, she is still a newcomer to piano.

“I have always wanted to learn the piano but never had the time or opportunity,” Thurman said. “And, then this class became available and so I decided to take the time to learn piano basics.” By the end of the semester, Thurman’s goal is to be able to look at a piece of music and have her fingers be able to play a song without hesitation.

     Houff sees music as another language, as a new way of thinking.