Music teacher’s career hits a high note

District 13 orchestra teacher Mary Ann Cali was recently presented with a Pathfinder Award by the Town of Hempstead. She is joined by Town Supervisor Kate Murray, left, and Councilman Ed Ambrosino who nominated her for the award.

Courtesy Town of Hempstead

Mary Ann Cali doesn’t spend her days preparing children for state tests but her work as a teacher perhaps faces just as much public scrutiny.

Cali is one of the district’s two orchestra teachers, and presides over about half-dozen student concerts every year, each typically drawing crowds of a few hundred people. The music teacher, in her 33rd year, was honored at the Town of Hempstead’s Pathfinder Awards ceremony on March 6 celebrating Women’s History Month. She was recognized for her contribution to arts and entertainment.

“I was very surprised and very honored,” she said. “I feel very humble. I do my job and I enjoy what I’m doing.”

Cali teaches at the James A. Dever and Howell Road schools, and has taught at each of the four District 13 schools during her career. She was nominated for the award by Town Councilman Ed Ambrosino, who sends his children to Dever.

Each year, Cali teaches about 130 children in fourth through sixth-grade. Students learn to play the violin, viola, cello and string bass under her guidance. She meets with her beginning musicians twice a week and her advanced musicians once a week, in addition to two morning rehearsals each week.

The orchestra, consisting of fifth- and sixth-grade students, holds two concerts a year — one in the winter and another in the spring. In addition, her fourth-graders always perform on the night of the school budget vote.

Cali’s musicians at Dever also perform annually at the Music in the Parks competition each spring at Dorney Park in Pennsylvania, an event that Valley Stream always does well at. “We typically take first place with superior ratings,” she said.

None of it would be possible without the support of the district’s Board of Education and administration, Cali said, for their commitment to a strong and vibrant music and art program.

Board of Education President Frank Chiachiere said it’s a valued part of District 13’s curriculum. “We don’t want to lose the importance of music and art in children’s lives,” he said. “Let’s not lose sight of how important it is to educate in the whole child and we turn to our teachers engaged in the fine and performing arts to do that.”

Chiachiere said he awaits the opportunity to congratulate Cali in person on her accomplishment. He added that to be recognized by an outside agency is clearly a testament to her talents as a teacher.

Cali grew up in Elmont, attending the Clara H. Carlson school where she first started playing music. After graduating high school in Sewanhaka, she earned her bachelor’s degree from C.W. Post and later earned her master’s there in music education. She taught in Garden City before coming to Valley Stream.

She currently lives in North Valley Stream and her children attended Dever. Her son and daughter both caught the music bug, too, as they play the tuba and oboe, respectively.

Cali’s primary instrument is the violin. To keep her own skills sharp, she often performs with other music groups. Cali is a member of the Nassau Pops Symphony Orchestra and also plays in the Thursday night summer concerts on the Village Green in Valley Stream with the symphony orchestra. Additionally, she has performed in benefit concerts for the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau County. “I like playing music,” she said. “I like playing for people.”

In her students, Cali said she tries to foster a sense of dedication and perseverance. She also wants her musicians to know that every member of an orchestra is equally as important as the person sitting next to them.

Cali said she wants her students to continue playing their instruments long after their school days end in Valley Stream. “I try to instill a love of music in my students,” she said, “and hope that they continue. It’s a lifetime skill.”