Music has been what keeps the students of Wilmington Friends School alive and focused; it was a way for them to express themselves through songs that make them happy. But what happens when that song is threatened? Imagine a school day without music, in classes, awkward silence fills the rooms as students work quietly, jittery and unfocused. No more happy tunes uplifting the students when they’re stressed. The Wilmington Friends School staff plans to block all apps that generate music, such as Spotify, Apple Music, and many more. Will the music return in the coming years… or will it be gone forever?
As the academic year is close to an end, the teachers are getting more annoyed and stressed with the loud and rowdy classrooms. The IT team is going to do something about it. “We are tired of hearing all this incessant, noisy, loud music in the hallway. It is distracting and stresses us all out.” Kate Hendrix claims, as a teacher known for being nice but stern. While she understands why the students love the music, she believes that even if they are upset in the beginning, they will get over it.
In response to her message, Ryan Berry, the computer science teacher, reveals, “We have been working on a code that no one can hack, so we can put the music to an end.” Rumors around the school are saying that the IT team is working all day and all night to make an unhackable code to stop music entirely for Wilmington Friends students, so if they try to get it back, it won’t work. But as the rumors grow, the students become more suspicious of what is coming in the future of Wilmington Friends School.
While all the teachers seem to know, now the students are being left in the dark. Teagen O’Donnell ‘29 cannot even begin to fathom the questions asked of her. In disbelief, she says, “You must be joking, they can’t take the music right?” This certain quote is louder than any actions the students can produce in a reaction to the music being gone. It expresses the confusion and worry the students will endure once the music is banned.
The students of Wilmington Friends are left pondering the one question on everyone’s mind. Will the music return? Are my favorite songs gone forever? Are we forced to finish work in silence now? We asked these questions to Todd Tyler, one of the main Computer Support Technicians at Wilmington Friends. He stated, “ We have no plans to return music to Wilmington Friends school because we have gotten so many overwhelming complaints from different teachers from upper school to middle school, even lower school!”
The ban on music at Wilmington Friends School represents a shift in the daily lives of the students. As the school moves on with the ban, the students are left wondering whether the silence will improve learning or if the absence of music will make the school seem less welcoming and inspiring.
