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OGDEN, Utah (AP) -- Ludwig van Beethoven likely never imagined adding lyrics to his Fifth Symphony, but Debbie Rowe did.
A music teacher, Rowe added lyrics to about 70 classic works from Mozart, Beethoven, Vivaldi and others as a means of teaching her students the history behind the masterpieces and the details of the composers' lives.
The results? Students with traditionally low performance started acing tests.
Rowe first began writing the lyrics three years ago, while teaching classical music at a treatment facility for juvenile offenders. Rowe's brother-in-law, who holds a doctorate in musical arts, helped her with arrangements and made any necessary musical tweaks to accommodate the words.
Rowe says the lyrics help expose kids to a new world of music. She says many of her students have never attended a symphony.
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Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
