Unified music at East: ‘A life-changing experience’

This year Lincoln East High School started a unified music class, which pairs special education and general education students. They sing together, they listen to music together, they get crazy and dance together.

But this class goes well beyond music.

“We’ve all developed a relationship with each other and I didn’t realize this was going to be such an important part of my life,” said senior general education student Claire Ehlers. “But now unified music has become something that I really love and I know a lot of other students in the class feel the same way…genuinely this is a life-changing experience.”

Students coined a name for the class - Elation. At first it was simply intended as an alliterate extension of the three East show choir groups - Express, Elegance and Elevation. Students had special Elation t-shirts made and on the back it includes their motto: “Crazy. Happy. Proud. Fun!”  

“I would say that pretty much sums up every day,” Ehlers said.

Elation class member and junior special education student Analise Breton embodies this motto. She can barely contain her happiness when asked why she likes going to Elation.

“I like it and I like seeing everybody in class. I get excited,” said Breton, who’s also known as one of the top performers during the “dance party” portion of the class.

The class’s teacher is Aaron Zart, now in his third year at East. When he first arrived he taught an adaptive music class, which offered a musical opportunity for students with special needs but did not include general education students. He admits he was a bit intimidated because he had never taught a class like that. It quickly became his favorite and that feeling has only intensified since it transitioned to a unified class.

“I know that every day, fourth period, I get to go and see some of the coolest people at East High School,” he said. “And I get to learn more about them, learn more about music but also learn more about myself.” 

Zart said the class is obviously about music - “about giving students the opportunity to experience music.” But like Ehlers and Breton said, it’s so much more. It provides meaningful relationship-building opportunities.

“Every Monday we start with ‘how are you, how was your weekend,’ and I’m hearing stories about students in our Life Skills programming going to movies, hanging out and going to Paint Yourself Silly with our general education students,” he said. “It’s another person to interact with in the hallway and say hi to - another connection.”

During a recent class, all of the students practiced singing “I Can See Clearly Now” by Johnny Nash. Most of them also performed the song through sign language.

It's gonna be a bright, bright

Bright, bright sunshiny day

“Elation,” said Zart, “that’s what we do.”

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