School of Music Staff and Faculty Mobilize to Help Students Succeed While Learning At Home
Students enrolled at West Chester University are guided by caring faculty and staff
members who firmly embrace WCU’s commitment to student success.
When WCU President Christopher Fiorentino announced that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students would transition to online learning for the remainder of the Spring semester, faculty and staff in the Wells School of Music rallied together to get students the instruments they need to continue lessons off-site.
Working tirelessly for the two days following the announcement, they rented, gathered
and organized instruments for students to pick up along with the remainder of their
belongings left on campus.
Through professional connections, Dr. Ralph Sorrentino, Instructor of Percussion/Interim Chair of Instrumental Music, was able to rent a total of 16 keyboard percussion instruments from Barry Dove of Dove Drum Rental (Baltimore, MD), and Glenn Paulson of "The President’s Own” United States Marine Band (Washington, DC). The instruments were delivered to Swope Music Building and then distributed for student use at home through the end of the semester.
Sorrentino says, “Percussionists require many instruments that are critical for continued
study. Most college students don't own the large percussion instruments, such as marimba,
vibraphone, timpani, etc. I am profoundly grateful to WCU staff and faculty who mobilized
so quickly on behalf of our students, and to Mr. Dove and Mr. Paulson for their assistance
and kindness. This collaboration has provided our percussion majors with the instruments
that they need for a successful conclusion to the Spring 2020 semester.”