Music students learn from the best

Recognized as one of the nation’s 100 best communities for music education, the East Meadow School District has once again hosted its summer music program for Nassau County students in grades 4 through 12. The program boasts some of the most highly regarded music educators on Long Island.

While giving kids something to do inside during the months of June and July, the program gets young people excited about playing music while preparing them for a series of concerts this Thursday through Sunday, at which they will treat audiences to the results of all of their hard work.

The program, which began June 27 and ends Friday, took place at W. Tresper Clarke Middle and High School, and was attended by more than 400 students from all over the county. Open to a wide range of talent and experience, the summer program has classes for beginners, three bands, three orchestras, a chorus and four jazz ensembles.

“We have kids from at least 25 school districts in the program,” said one of its directors, Joel Levy, who is the music department chair and director of bands during the school year at East Meadow High School. Levy’s experience with music performance is extensive: He has a master’s in music performance from SUNY Stony Brook, and has performed numerous times with the Long Island Masterworks Orchestra and the New York Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra as well as several jazz ensembles. He has also played with the Broadway productions “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” “Fosse,” “Little Women” and “Sweet Charity.”

Levy runs the program with Abby Behr, the East Meadow district’s director of music and arts. Behr, too, has a long list of music education qualifications, including her past presidency of the Nassau Music Educators’ Association and her service on the New York State Council of Administrators and Music Educators’ Board for Nassau County. She was recognized twice with the New York State Congress of Parents and Teachers PTA Award for outstanding service to children and youth.

Levy and Behr also work together at Nassau-Suffolk Performing Arts, where Behr is the founder and executive director and Levy is the wind symphony conductor.