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Article: Bid to Diversify Music Program Turns Discordant
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- September 4, 1995
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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High school orchestra director Gretta Sandberg quit her job this
summer rather than do something she felt would gut her music program:
create a salsa band.
Sandberg, a 25-year veteran of the Arlington school system,
resigned in July because, she said, her principal asked her to inject
a Latin American flavor into the classical music program to draw more
Latino students.
She said she was told to do salsa or mariachi music and to cut
back on European compositions -- ostensibly because they do not
appeal to Latino students, who make up more than one-third of the
school's population. "I'm willing to try all kinds of things," she
said, "but nothing that is going to take the meat out of my course."