Notable window coverings for the BHE Music Room

In 2004 Austin voters approved bonds that included nearly $2.8M in improvements and repairs to Barton Hills Elementary, including addition of a new music room. Construction financed by the bonds began in 2007, and the new music room was completed in time for the 2008-2009 school year.

As Music Director for Barton Hills from 2001-2009, Mrs. Becky Dykhuis provided important input regarding the new music room. One of her lasting contributions that’s easily visible from outside the school is the creative window covering that features musical notes across a perforated silver screen.

One afternoon while walking on the BHE playground with my daughter I asked her what the notes represented, not really expecting her to know. To my surprise, she confidently responded “Beethoven’s Ode to Joy.”

“How do you know that?” I asked, surprised. “Mrs. Dykhuis told us,” she replied with a look on her face that implied I should have known that.

Mrs. Dykhuis retired at the end of the 2008-2009 school year, so I confirmed with Mr. Tabone that the notes are indeed from Ode to Joy, and asked Mrs. Dykhuis via email for the background story of how they were selected. Here is her reply:

When the music room was being built I was in on some of the decision making.  One of the tasks that I was given was to come up with a 10 note melody to put on the window covering staff.  After much thinking I came up with the Beethoven melody because of it’s universal musical theme and love by all. I figured that through the years and all of the changes that will take place at BHE and the world it will always remain a superior and much loved melody.

It took 15 notes so they had to work those in.  The workers unfortunately painted the top and bottom of the screen black which makes it look like the staff has too many lines.  Also I would have liked for them to put stems on the notes.  By the time they finished the room we were just happy to be in it on time to start school that year so it never got done.  Also, there was an idea by one of the architects to put movable notes on the staff so that the melody could be changed.  That got vetoed due to the possibility of the notes being stolen.  Also I was having trouble visualizing me out there on a ladder putting notes up and down all the time.

My own familiarity with Beethoven’s music for Ode to Joy stems from it’s inclusion in the Beatles movie Help! where the Fab Four lead a chorus of “famous Beethoven’s famous Ninth Symphony” to calm a tiger that has trapped Ringo.  Later I would discover the same melody in the hymn Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee, wondering in church if God minded me thinking about the Beatles while I sang it.

As you view the musical notes you might think they are the same on the east and north sides of the school. But if you view both sides from the corner you’ll see the 15 notes beginning on the left side of the east wall and continuing around to the right side of the north wall represent the entire first stanza of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy. For those like me who can’t read music, they are: e-e-f-g-g-f-e-d-c-c-d-e-e-d-d

Interesting facts:

• The final movement of Beethoven’s ninth symphony, more commonly known as Ode to Joy, is the music for the Anthem of the European Union.
• Beethoven never got to hear his Ninth Symphony performed, although he helped direct it’s premiere, because he was totally deaf by the time he composed it.

Now you can join me in thinking/humming/whistling Ode to Joy whenever you walk or drive by Barton Hills Elementary and see the Music Room window notes!

Glenn Chase (BHE Choir Parent)

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