Dallas Independent School District
11/13/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/13/2025 10:01
Dallas ISD News: Dallas ISD is building young men's character through music
Dallas ISD is building young men's character through music
Editor's note: Spanish story included below
DALLAS -
Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy at A. Maceo Smith Glee Club students are learning more than musical notes and scales; they are gaining self-confidence and forming relationships.
"Choir is like exposure therapy," said Christian R. "It's a safe environment, so the pressure of performing in front of others is lost very quickly and will help you be more confident in every aspect of your life."
A senior, Christian, joined seven years ago as a way to learn more about music. His favorite parts of being in the glee club are the friends he's made along the way.
"Choir helped me meet so many different people from my school and is a means of connecting to people that aren't from my school," he said. "It's a meaningful experience that bridges strangers together."
More than an extracurricular activity, BOMLA glee club prepares students for life after high school, a responsibility Dustin Barksdale, choir director, takes seriously.
"My main goal as an educator is to teach students to be good people. I want them to go out in the world and spread positivity, not hate," he said. "I want them to be able to express themselves articulately, yet sensitively. Music is merely the tool we use to develop the social and emotional skills needed for life."'
Being involved in choir helps students learn soft skills like time management, collaboration, and organization. And earning state accolades and awards at UIL competitions helps them stand out on their college applications, Barksdale said.
Participating in competitions builds confidence, but also teaches students how to work toward a goal and how to handle disappointment, he added.
"Life is a constant wheel of highs and lows, yeses and no's, good times and bad times," Barksdale said. "The results are not always what they want them to be. While it can be upsetting to them at the time, this is one of the best lessons a choir can teach a student."
More than anything, Barksdale hopes they graduate with a sense of self.
"I want students to leave the choir knowing how to show emotion, knowing how to work with others, but most importantly, being empowered to be themselves," he said.
That is a lesson Frederick W., a senior, is learning.
"Choir helped me learn how to express my feelings and work hard for things I want," he said. "By putting me on the spot in certain situations, I have become more confident in real-life situations."
Frederick said he's learned patience, resilience, discipline, and passion, which he said will help him after he walks across the graduation stage.
"I've been a part of it for four years and I've been rewarded with experiences I would have never thought possible," he said. "It gave me a view of life I had never seen and opened a career path for me."
Looking back at his experience, Isaac M., who graduated from BOMLA in May 2025, joined the glee club to have a space where he could express himself through music and be part of a family.
Now, majoring in neuroscience and behavioral biology at Emory University, he applies the lessons he learned at BOMLA to his classes.
"In college, there are so many things going on at once that sometimes it feels overwhelming," Isaac said. "Choir taught me how to balance responsibilities and stay committed even when things get hard."
The deadline to apply to application-based schools, like BOMLA, for the 2026-2027 school year is Jan. 31, 2026.
Spanish story:
Donde la música moldea el carácter
DALLAS - Los estudiantes del coro de Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy at A. Maceo Smith aprenden más que notas y escalas musicales: están aprendiendo a ser más confiados y a formar lazos con otros.
"El coro es como terapia de exposición", dijo Christian R. "Es un ambiente seguro, así que la presión de cantar delante de otros se esfuma rápidamente y me ayuda a sentirme más seguro en cada aspecto de mi vida".
Christian, quien cursa último año de preparatoria, se unió hace siete años para aprender más sobre la música. Lo que más le gusta del club son los amigos que ha hecho a lo largo del camino.
"El coro me ayudó a conocer a muchas personas diferentes de mi escuela y es un medio de conectarme con personas que no van a mi escuela", dijo. "Es una experiencia significativa que comparten desconocidos".
El club de canto, más que una actividad extracurricular, prepara a los estudiantes para la vida después de la preparatoria, responsabilidad que Dustin Barksdale, director del coro, toma en serio.
"Mi objetivo como educador es enseñarles a ser buenas personas. Quiero que vayan al mundo y transmitan positivismo, no odio", dijo. "Quiero que se puedan expresar de manera articulada y sensible. La música es meramente la herramienta que usamos para que desarrollen las habilidades sociales y emocionales que necesitan para la vida".
Estar en coro ayuda a los estudiantes a aprender habilidades como gestión de tiempo, colaboración y organización. Y obtener premios estatales en competencias de la UIL los ayuda a destacarse en sus solicitudes universitarias, dijo Barksdale.
Participar en competencias les da confianza, pero también les enseña a trabajar hacia una meta y a lidiar con la decepción, agregó.
"La vida es una rueda de altos y bajos, de momentos buenos y malos", dijo Barksdale. "Los resultados no siempre son lo que uno quiere. Si bien en el momento puede ser desalentador, es una de las lecciones más importantes que pueden aprender en el coro".
Más que nada, Barksdale espera que se gradúen sabiendo quienes son.
"Quiero que dejen el coro sabiendo expresar sus emociones, sabiendo trabajar con los demás y, lo más importante, con la confianza de ser quienes son", dijo.
Es una lección que Frederick W., de último año, está aprendiendo.
"Coro me ayudó a expresar mis sentimientos y a esforzarme por las cosas que quiero", dijo. "Al ponerme en el foco en ciertas situaciones, me he vuelto más seguro de mí mismo en la vida real".
Frederick dijo que ha aprendido paciencia, resiliencia, disciplina y pasión, lo que dijo que lo ayudará luego de cruzar el escenario de graduación.
"Llevo cuatro años en coro y he tenido la satisfacción de tener experiencias que de otro modo no hubieran sido posibles", dijo. "Me dio una visión de la vida que no tenía y me abrió una posibilidad profesional".
Al rememorar su experiencia, Isaac M., quien se graduó de BOMLA en mayo de 2025, se había unido al club de canto buscando tener un espacio en el que pudiera expresarse a través de la música y ser parte de una familia. Hoy estudia Neurociencia y Biología Conductual en Emory University, y aplica lo aprendido en BOMLA a sus clases.
"En la universidad, suceden muchas cosas a la vez y a veces uno se abruma", dijo Isaac. "Coro me enseñó a llevar todas mis responsabilidades a la vez y seguir determinado incluso cuando las cosas se ponen difíciles".
El plazo para enviar la solicitud de admisión de 2026-2027 a escuelas que requieren una, como BOMLA, cierra el 31 de enero de 2026.
Dallas Independent School District published this content on November 13, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on November 13, 2025 at 16:01 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]