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Meredith Scribner, Giunta Middle School

By HELEN ANNE TRAVIS
Published December 30, 2005

Meredith Scribner has had Times Square shut down for her.

The Giunta Middle School music teacher spent six days in New York City with her students to sing in the 2004 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The night before the parade, the city closed off Broadway for a practice run.

It was a phenomenal experience for the kids, Scribner said. In between rehearsals, the students went sightseeing and were able to meet performers from the Broadway shows Wicked and Phantom of the Opera. They also volunteered in a soup kitchen to serve Thanksgiving dinner to the city's homeless.

Back at home, her students helped her organize a bone marrow drive for a Tampa girl diagnosed with leukemia. She also did a gift drive to collect presents for homeless teenagers.

Scribner, 34, comes from a family of musicians. She started playing the violin in second grade and has fond memories of her father subjecting visitors to family performances on their home's hearth.

After her early fireplace performances, Scribner went on to study music education at the University of Tampa.

"I just always knew I was going to do something with music," she said.

In her 11 years of teaching music, her focus in the classroom lies not only in performance but also in music theory and sight reading.

"I feel that if they leave me and don't understand the black dots on the paper, then I've failed," Scribner said.

She also tries to teach students the art of singing in a choir. At a time in pop music history when the radio is filled with young solo artists, Scribner said she believes that students have to learn how to sing in a group.

Scribner credits her administration and co-workers for her success.

"It's easy to be great when you work at a great place," she said.

[Last modified December 29, 2005, 08:39:05]