Music teacher helps turn cacophony into harmony

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Students in Antonio Iandolo’s music class at M.S./H.S. 368 In-Tech Academy in Kingsbridge were practicing the song “Clocks” by Coldplay for the school’s upcoming pep rally later this month.

Dressed in a short-sleeved black polo style shirt and dark gray jeans, he stood in the center of the room and in front of his music stand, directing students with his baton with energy and enthusiasm. Students were playing instruments such as the saxophone, flute, clarinet, guitar, trumpet and tuba.

After a run-through of “Clocks,” students broke off into smaller groups based on their instruments to discuss and fine-tune their parts of the piece. Three ladies, who play the clarinet, huddled together, while one adjusted her instrument. The six guitar players in the front of the room turned towards each other to discuss their portion, while the percussion section in the back conferred in a small group.

Mr. Iandolo, who plays the saxophone, trumpet and classical guitar, joked the toughest part of his job is “having tolerance,” “patience” and “being able to tolerate all the sounds that are coming in and trying to adjust and fix them, and make them sound harmonious and beautiful.”

His classes are open to students at all skills levels. He added that part of the challenge is getting a student who is new to an instrument accustomed to holding it properly.

“I try to motivate them and inspire students to love music as much as I do,” Mr. Iandolo said. “I love to see kids go from not knowing how to play music from understanding the language and eventually expressing themselves on an instrument not having done any music prior to that.”

The instructor has also motivated his students. Chelsey Sarante, a junior who plays the clarinet and guitar, has been a student in Mr. Iandolo’s class since the sixth grade. She called him a “phenomenal” teacher.

“He’s really enthusiastic about music and so his enthusiasm has rubbed off on me and I’m pretty sure other students as well,” she said.

Because of Mr. Iandolo’s class, she added, “I actually learned how to read music, like on the staff and all that. Before, I wasn’t as motivated to play guitar and to play instruments at all. But, after being in his class for so long that I’ve grown this new type of love for music and for playing instruments.”

This year, Chelsey was accepted into New York’s All-City Concert band, where applicants must audition and are chosen from the five boroughs. She credits him for helping her to select her audition piece.

In his class, students suggest some the songs the class should learn.

“As long as it’s teaching the elements, I approve it if they choose the song,” he said. “For example, they chose ‘Clocks.’ I chose ‘Hey Ya.’ [It] is more my generation. ‘Clocks’ is something current and it definitely teaches a lot of music elements.”

Musical elements include pitch, rhythm, melody, timbre, dynamics and texture.

“Wow… He is the best of the best,” said Julia Brito, Chelsey’s mother. He helps students develop their talents, she said in a telephone interview. Chelsey played in the Macy’s Parade two years ago and she credited Mr. Iandolo for telling her and her daughter about the opportunity so Chelsey could apply.

Mr. Iandolo said that he wants all of his students to take away an appreciation for music and teamwork.

“That’s the most important thing. How to get things done as a team. Listening to each other, complimenting each other, working with each other, becoming sensitive to how we all learn together and eventually how to make an end product that is the product of all of us working together,“ he said.

He has been at In-Tech since the school first opened in 2000 and has been teaching music for over 20 years. The school was first located in the Whitehall building, and later moved to its current location on Tibbett Avenue. All of the school’s sixth graders take his course as part of their curriculum. Later, they can choose Mr. Iandolo’s class as an elective for the remainder of middle school and all of high school.

Mr. Iandolo said his junior high music teacher, Mr. Lazarus at Thomas C. Giordano Middle School 45, inspired him to teach music as well, and that he knew what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.

“I remember sometimes after our shows, like our winter gala or our spring gala, I would drive home with my parents. They would say, ‘Wow! He really loves what he does by the way that he smiles and the way that he enjoys conducting. You can tell by the way he conducts it.’ I said, ‘Yeah, you’re right because it’s true. You can see it in class giving us our cues and he would just have the biggest smile. It’s great, just seeing someone being that happy and enthusiastic about what they do,” Chelsey said.

In Tech Academy, Antonio Iandolo, Chelsey Sarante, Music teacher

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