Winter Concert

For the last few weeks, the Winter Concert has been before me, a date on the calendar that I was preparing for and...well, maybe kinda dreading. Here's my little secret: as a performer, I love concerts. As a teacher...I sorta don't love them. There's a lot of stress and organization and extra time spent worrying. I woke up Sunday morning after having a dream that my students forgot all the words to their songs.

And with this being my first performance as the music teacher at Petite School, I was particularly anxious.

My predecessor was big on performance pieces, but the approach to music at the school this year has been more theory-based. I've taught a lot of the concepts of music theory, and a great deal of music history, as my bosses (my principal and the school's two owners) asked me to when I was offered the job. That's actually how I prefer to teach music--an all-encompassing way that has the kids up and moving to music one minute, then sitting and listening to it the next. Singing, instruments, listening maps, games.

But I admit to worrying that this approach wouldn't make for a great concert. After all, my Fridays are spent doing songs that teach a specific musical idea, not practicing for performances. So a month ago, I started really thinking about what I could have the kids perform tonight, and after a few days of endless mind-changing and biting holes in my lip (nervous habit), I finally came up with what I thought were some great ideas.

For my five-year-olds, I chose "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," but with a twist. We demonstrated to the audience how the classes have learned to sing loud and soft, but also moving between these two volumes gradually, following a conductor. I took what was basically a fun game in music time and made a performance for it. Next, they sang "If You're Happy And You Know It" to a fantastic instrumental back-up, and we did an 8-bar "Happy Shuffle" in the middle that had the audience giggling in delight (I could hear them, even as I Happy Shuffled with my back to them).

For my first and second graders, I made up a song to the old tune of "Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush" in which we demonstrated some of the musical terms they've learned. We sang the song slow, and fast. We did a crescendo and a diminuendo. We sang staccato and legato.

After that, we brought out the real winner of the night. Several weeks ago, I found a gorgeous book with the lyrics to "Puff, the Magic Dragon" and decided to share that song with my students. Turns out they know it and love it. So we memorized the words (and it's not a short song) and they performed it tonight with so much sweetness that all I could do was smile at them and nearly burst with pride.

My third and fourth grade students played some recorder songs (by memory!) and I was happy to report to their families that this lovely sound came after those initial weeks of endless squeaking. The recorder is not as easy as it looks!

My orchestra class--of two--performed a duet of "Aura Lee" for piano and guitar, and a couple of songs on hand bells. Then my choir sang four songs, a couple with choreography.

Everyone did a splendid job--the kids were so bloomin' cute up on stage and beautifully behaved in the audience. My rock star colleagues helped them get on and off stage and watched them throughout the performance so I could worry about music and helping those on stage get through their songs. My bosses were all very complimentary and many parents remarked that they really enjoyed the performances. One father made my night when he happily exclaimed, "You just made my whole day!"

I'm so glad it went well...and I'm so glad it's done! There was a minor glitch in setting up sound equipment this afternoon when I couldn't find where one thing was supposed to plug in, and then when I realized that the iPod adapter was NOT among the items. Eeek! Fortunately, the guy from the shop we rented it from came to the school to help me and everything was fine. I managed to pretty much set up and tear down a simple sound system (two mics, two speakers on stands, and a mixer, all with endless cables, oy vey) all on my own. I'll just point out here that sound systems are not my biggest area of expertise.

And, of course, there was that one kinder who got on stage, and, despite all the times I reminded that class not to wave at their families, spotted his mom in the audience, got a huge smile on his face, and waved as big as he could. I just laughed...because in the end, that's how it's supposed to be.