Musician helps school spark more talents

Above: Boy Scout Kevin Basko, of Millstone, shows Millstone Township Middle School students how to use the workstation he built for music classes to fulfill his community service for earning the rank of Eagle Scout. Below: Kevin Basko and Michelle Prendergast, of Millstone, demonstrate how middle school students used school laptops in the music department prior to Basko building the classes a new workstation. Millstone Township Middle School band students had no choice but to balance expensive laptops on chairs or music stands before Kevin Basko came along.

The 16-year-old Millstone Township Boy Scout, who commends the middle school music department for encouraging his musical talents, wanted to give something back to the school and music teacher Gwen Parker. He had the opportunity to do so this year through his Eagle Scout project.

Kevin called his former teacher to inquire what he could do for the department, and she told him about the students not having a proper way to use the laptops, which were funded by a $15,000 grant from the Millstone Township Foundation for Educational Excellence, and their instruments at the same time.

"I thought it was a good chance for me to do something," Kevin said. "Mrs. Parker gave me my start. Without this education, I would not be where I am today."

Kevin played the alto sax in the middle school band. He currently plays the instrument in the Symphonic Band at Allentown High School, where he is a junior. He also plays the drums in the Redbird Marching Band and guitar in a classic rock band called Finale Hill.

Parker's former student visited the school and reviewed the laptop situation. He decided to design and construct a 16-foot-long multi-functional workstation that includes two retractable piano keyboard trays and two file cabinets suitable for holding sheet music and oversized music folders. The music lab workstation has counter space to hold the laptops, so students can sit and play their instruments along with computer programs that teach scales and music theory and record music.

Kevin sought donations for the project, which was funded through contributions from Home Depot in East Windsor and Millhurst Mills & Ace Hardware in Manalapan.

His father, Glenn, who is good at carpentry, helped him design the workstation, which took five months of planning and over two months to build. He said fellow Scouts helped him every step of the way, and he thanked Scoutmaster Bill Mayer for his continuous support. Kevin also commended the school district for helping him obtain the design approvals and for agreeing to let him do the project.

"It's definitely a big help," he said. "A custom design like this would have cost the school thousands of dollars."

He continued, "Students can plug the pianos into the back of the workstation. Kids come in here during class or on their own time and use the headsets so they don't bother each other. They can play into the laptops, which record and grade them."

Kevin, who joined Boy Scouts as a Cub Scout in the second grade, earned the rank of Eagle Scout in Troop 116 after completing the workstation project and attending the Eagle Court of Honor held Nov. 29 in the auditorium of St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Millstone.

He said he and many of his friends joined the Boy Scouts because they wanted to learn about the outdoors, but learned so much more along the way.

"It definitely helped me with my leadership skills, to get stuff organized, and made it a lot easier for me to take charge of situations," he said.

Kevin served as a troop guide and troop instructor and attributes these positions to helping him gain the confidence to start teaching guitar lessons.

His mother, Patty, said she has seen a tremendous transformation in her son since he joined the Boy Scouts. She said his first camping trip with the Scouts was a winter camping trip to Klondike in Connecticut.

"He went in February and packed five T-shirts for subzero degree temperatures," she said.

Patty said it became obvious to her how much Kevin has learned and changed in the Scouts when he recently attended a campout in Resica Falls, Pa. She said a young Scout couldn't manage to hike with his backpack into the campsite, so Kevin, who had a pack of his own on his back, wore the young Scout's pack on the front of his body to help him.

"The Boy Scouts has been a tremendous experience toward leadership and friendship," Patty said. "Camping is just the setting for scouting."

Kevin said he is not finished with Scouting and plans to help with the troop when he has free time.

"I'm definitely interested in not being done with it," he said. "I enjoy it too much."

When he turns 18, he hopes to attain the title of junior assistant scoutmaster.

In the meantime, he will continue to pursue the musical career for which the Millstone Township Middle School and Boy Scouts served as the catalyst. He invites area residents to enjoy his musical abilities by attending a Finale Hill show at Finnegan's in East Windsor on Jan. 31.