Porter truly believes in the musical ability of children of all ages. When he was director of music education for the Berkeley Symphony, he had the orchestra perform pieces composed by 5-year-olds. And in past years, he has created opportunities for his elementary and middle school students to record their own albums, something he is doing for his current high school students.
Porter is the type of teacher who provides a safe space for his students to practice, hang out, and grab a snack after school. But this is Mr. Porter’s last year of teaching because he is retiring.
At this time, the future of music classes in Oakland public schools is uncertain due to imminent budget cuts throughout the district. Porter doesn’t want arts education to fall by the wayside, so he started a fundraising for Roosevelt music program.
“[The arts] It is an absolutely essential part of a child’s development. Music, art, physical education, manipulating things with their hands – that’s how kids learn,” he said. “That’s how a lot of people learn. And when you take them away, a certain portion of the population is left behind a little bit,” Porter said.
There are many benefits for students who study and play music. Research conducted by the Brain and Creativity Institute at the University of Southern California found that Learning music improves the auditory pathways in the brain.which could help with other learning systems affected by these neural pathways such as reading and language. In 2022, politics caught up with science when California voters approved Proposition 28demanding that the state provide additional funding for music and arts programs for public schools.
For students like seventh-grader Diego, Porter’s band class wasn’t a natural choice when he entered high school. “It was so strange,” Diego said of jazz music. “I thought, ‘Are people really going to want to hear this?’ At first I didn’t even want to play it.” But he kept going.
“I hesitated and then I moved on,” he said. “I like that there are so many different possibilities and combinations so you can make a different one.”
Another of Porter’s seventh-grade students, Imani, who plays guitar, became interested in playing Sun Ra’s music in band class. “All the parts are very different and they all come together in a chaotic happiness,” he said.
Some of Porter’s former students have reached new heights, like 10th-grader Ryan, who returns to Porter’s classroom at Roosevelt every Thursday to mentor high school students. When Ryan came to Porter’s classroom about five years ago, he had experience playing the violin and had learned the cello. But Porter’s jazz-filled band class presented something new.
“It felt exciting to be in music class…that’s when I started thinking, ‘Wait, I need to switch to an instrument that’s more suited to jazz,’” Ryan said.
So, at Porter’s suggestion, Ryan picked up his third instrument: the trombone. “It really opened up a new world for me,” Ryan said.
He now plays a total of fifteen instruments, is a member of the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars Band, and has played in a youth orchestra for three years, all thanks to Porter’s encouragement.
High school students belong to an age group that is famous in schools and among teachers for its unpredictability, high energy, and heightened social awareness. But if you can tap into their interests, the potential for growth is what Porter finds most interesting about this age group, he said.
He plans to be an active member of the local music education community in his retirement, but what he will miss most are the students. “I want to be helpful. I want to mentor teachers. I want to do what I can to see that things continue to be successful,” he said.
But he will also take some time to return to the world of professional music. This summer you can find Porter playing at one of his annual events. concertsChapel of the Bells.
