The Beamz Go to the Phoenix Union High School District

On the 9^th of September, 2009, Beamz inventor Jerry Riopelle and his assistant, Becky Byrkit, spent the entire day with approximately 30 Occupational Therapy, Music Therapy, and general Music Studies instructors from the Phoenix Union High School District. Our day was divided into two three-hour demo and training sessions, to familiarize instructors and district staff with the capabilities of the Beamz and to inspire teaching implementations with the instructors.  And WOW, what a DAY!

Louis Kireopoulos, Technology Educator in Special Education at PUSHD, had previously purchased 13 sets of Beamz and requested a training demo. Jerry and Becky travel to schools (hospitals, too) to introduce the Beamz, to train on the Beamz, to continue support and invite feedback relative to the Beamz, and, on somewhat more rare occasions, perform on the Beamz.

Two instructors, Maureen Tiernan and Anne Martinez, had already implemented Beamz in their classrooms with Significantly Cognitively Disabled students. Special Education Director Diane Wray was also in attendance (see an interview with Diane and Jerry on Channel 12 news!). It was an incredibly eye-opening day, great fun, and wild with ideas! 

Excerpt from a letter from our friend Louie Kireopoulos, received after the training day:

Dear Jerry and Becky,

Thank you very much for spending the day training our teachers with how to use the Beamz.   I believe our teachers not only learned how to play music, but were enlightened to the endless possibilities your product provides for our students.  These possibilities ranged from stimulating awareness, to music therapy, to motor development skills.  I look forward to visiting the classrooms to see the Beamz being used by our students …

… This morning I sent the teachers the following questions:  What were the most beneficial ideas you learned from the training?  What questions do you still have about the Beamz product or software?  What strategy will you use to implement The Beamz?  I will be happy to share their responses with you.  Many teachers already expressed positive feedback upon leaving the training.

… I am also excited to show them how they can use it with the SMART Board.

… I enjoyed working with you, and look forward to a continued relationship with regards of how to best implement the Beamz.

*

Less than a month later, Jerry and Becky visited a class led by Anne Martinez at Camelback High School, accompanied by Louis and the school’s Public Relations advisor, Craig Pletenik. Anne’s students, joined by another class (around 18 students, total), played the Beamz and other instruments, danced and participated in Anne’s lesson, that included musical cues for “Go” and “Stop” and “Right” and “Left” as well as a variety of really fun interactive lessons for the kids. Anne’s student Patrick (whose parents were there), a student with cerebral palsy, had clearly completely connected with the Beamz. His mom, Sandy, was visibly very moved as she noted his reach with his right arm extended beyond any previous reach, as he moved toward the top right “guitar” beam on the Beamz system.

Louie wrote to us later. We’re still getting over it.

… Thank you for visiting Anne Martinez’s classroom last week.  Having you there made Anne’s music lesson more meaningful for her students.  Not only seeing Patrick’s face light up as he played the Beamz, but seeing the other students excitement as he played made Anne’s music lesson all the worthwhile.

… I sincerely believe your outreach program will be a success and will also help you achieve your goal of getting music into people’s hands, no matter what their gifted talents or capabilities may be.  I am sure someone once said, “ It is not how much wealth you accumulate that measures success, but the significant impact have you made upon the world.”  I know for sure, for our small student population we are working with, you already have started to make an impact on their world.