JANSEN INSTRUMENTAL AT LEOPOLD SCHOOL

A handful of students at Leopold High School are playing around, being loud and exchanging notes during class. And their teacher is loving every minute of it ... even encouraging the students.

Not the notes, racket and horseplay that often find students in trouble with the teacher. These are musical notes that can be heard at around 11:30 a.m. each day.

And there's no telling what song you'll hear playing. It could be a symphony selection by Beethoven, or it may be a chart-topping country song.

Mary Jansen, a 15-year tenured music teacher at Leopold, has been introducing students to the guitar. She even sneaks in some history.

"We cover a variety of topics," Jansen said. "Everything from classical music to present-day sounds. And the students are brushing up on history at the same time."

The class studies composers, the great ones like Mozart, Beethoven, and the likes. They follow the historic trend of music, through the '60s folk and rock 'n roll performers right up to today's untame musicians.

Jansen introduces the students to a lot of 1960s music. "The thing that's great is that the parents of these students have the albums of the music we are studying. So homework isn't so much research, the music is in their own homes to listen to," Jansen said.

The eight-member class was learning the 1960s Led Zeppelin rock ballad Stairway to Heaven Thursday. And it's no easy tune to learn.

Jansen teaches the chords and solo notes to the song, having students break into sections to play both parts.

The students are learning basic chords and the keys in which they are played.

The large blackboard at the head of the class lists the chords F, Em, A, Am, D7, G, C and G7, along with their finger patterns. Also, a large chart is drawn which lists the individual notes, beginning with E and ending with G.

Instructional books and video tapes are also part of the classroom teaching. Daily finger exercising by strumming the chords and plucking the notes is also required.

The students must learn to change from one chord to another quickly, while learning to read the sheet music. The entire experience can be confusing at first, but students adapt well if there is a true desire to play.

"Unfortunately, it takes hard work and time to get good," Jansen said. "And many young people want to see immediate results. This doesn't happen," she said.

Two of the students are currently in their third year of playing, which helps alleviate some of the pressure from teacher. The experienced players can play the melody line while the beginners learn their chords and notes.

Students who enter the class simply to gain an easy credit soon learn that it is no free ticket. The class has homework and periodical testing, just like any other class. And music is no easy task to learn.

Mrs. Jansen's class is much smaller this year compared to last year's, where she taught 22 students in a single hour.

The guitars are borrowed from folks in and around the community. There's never a problem gathering up enough instruments to play.

Sometimes, Mrs. Jansen allows the students to bring their own music from home, just to keep them interested.

"Kids nowadays can be entertained by videos, television and radios," she said. "It's difficult to hold their interest in music courses."

Mrs. Jansen has been an instrumental figure in the lives of a few prodigal students, who she believes had a natural born gift before they ever played their first note.

It could be a hereditary factor. Cousins Sherry Nenninger and Danny Seiler are both incredibly talented individuals who sat under the teaching of Mrs. Jansen.

"Sherry teaches students piano and stays very busy," she said. "She plays weddings and stays busy all the time."

Seiler has designed an organ, building the instrument from the ground up. He also is an avid piano player, and replaced Mrs. Jansen as music director at St. Johns Church after she stepped down from the position.

Mrs. Jansen also gives piano lessons to children and students after school. She no longer offers guitar lessons outside of school.

"I just don't have the time or energy anymore," she said. "I am busy at the farm."

Mrs. Jansen and husband, Arnold, were the 1995 recipients of Conservation Farmer of the Year for land practices at their Leopold farm.

Mrs. Jansen's passion and enthusiasm for music may have crept into the senior class this year. As senior class sponsor she presented the class with several ideas for their senior trip. They unanimously chose Nashville, and will visit the Grand Ole Opry May 11 and 12. The students will also take a Cumberland River cruise and visit Kentucky Lake.

"This is the 70th year of the Grand Ole Opry," Mrs. Jansen said. "I'm so pleased that the class wanted to go there. There is so much history."

But in the meantime she will continue to teach students her love of music and hope that some are inspired along the way.