Valentine’s Day Music Concert

By Camilla Garrison

Today was the Grace School’s annual winter music concert, which happened to fall on Valentine’s day, and the Friday before the week-long February break. Months of planning and preparation had gone into this concert, and music teacher Ms. Jenn’s (as the oldest middle schoolers call her or Mrs. Damiano to the rest) favorite day of the school year had finally come.

This was the first year that Middle School (grades 5, 6, 7 & 8) took music class together instead of per grade level. Only a third of them would have class for the first trimester, and another group for the second trimester. Right now, we are in trimester two of the school year, so students who haven’t taken music yet, (they’ve been to art or tech class) would just be audience members.

So, middle school trimester one and two students would be performing, as well as all of the Elementary grades: Kindergarten, First, Second, Third and Fourth. There was some hard work leading up to this concert, with composing pieces in music class, practicing arranged music for different instruments, and rehearsals.

The days leading up to the concert went something like this: schedule, schedule, schedule, classes, lunch, rehearsal; scheduling, classes, lunch, rehearsal, repeat. When it was time to go to the gym for the concert, performing musicians were a little unsure. Children who had taken trimester one music, hadn’t practiced their songs in months before this week’s rehearsals, and those in trimester two, felt they hadn’t had enough time to practice. The kids were settling in, the instruments were organized per class in labeled laundry baskets and paper bags, and it was time. Families started filing in the large double doors at the end of the gymnasium that let in a cool breeze nervous students could feel as they were sitting on the floor, preparing their sheet music. Programs were shuffling and parents were chatting, until the principal Ms. B called their attention to begin the concert. First up were the little Kindergarten and first grade performing Heartbeat, Heartbeat accompanied by pianist Owen from the sixth grade. “Heartbeat, heartbeat, I can hear my heartbeat” they sang. Next was second and third grade singing the Song of Seasons along with Camilla, eighth grade, on the keyboard, followed by the second grader’s rhythm composition and Cidade: a Portuguese folk song sung by third and fourth grade. Camilla then played some interlude music before helping some third graders with their Blue Danube arrangement on boomwhackers. Boomwhackers are a type of colorful instrument in the shape of a hollow tube, the different lengths make different notes, and when played by many people, can create chords and sometimes melodies of a song. In between setups, there was another piano interlude by Owen, and two more from Camilla. After all of the Elementary performances were complete, and applauded for, it was time for middle school to shine. Students performed a Harry Potter Trap Remix on bucket drums, In the Hall of the Mountain King (which was a little tough and had to be restarted once, but finished strong), a Bucket Drum Composition composed and performed by middle school trimester one class and finally, the big finish: a Little Mermaid Under the Sea, played on bells, boomwhackers, percussion (multiple types of drums) and accompanied by the piano (Camilla again!)

After the successful concert, families and teachers were very proud of their students, and all that hard work paid of. Happy Valentine’s Day!