On May 7, students in kindergarten, first and second grade at East Bethel Elementary School (EBES) participated in a concert for families and the community at the Performing Arts Center at St. Francis High School.
In the morning, students had the opportunity to get the jitters out and rehearse on the SFHS stage in front of high school students.
The preparation process and performance proved to benefit the students more than just musically.
“During this concert experience, I saw so much growth - not just musically, but also personally,” said EBES Music Specialist Sarah Meier. “These students not only learned music, but took on speaking parts, overcame fears of being on stage, learned to work together to create a bigger picture, and brought the joy of performing to their families!”
View photos from the rehearsal and the performance.
Each grade had its own unique performance:
Kindergarten performed "A Garden Hoedown" - A "garden/farm themed" mini musical taking attendees through planting and crops, various animals like worms, ducks, chickens and ending in a little hoedown dance.
1st Grade performed "A Very Very Gingerbread Man" - The music/lyrics/story is an adaptation by Carol B. Kaplan-Lyss. This mini musical follows the traditional story of the Gingerbread Man with a little twist. Along his journey, Gingie meets a unicorn with a musical horn, two cockatoos singing the blues, three bumblebees with bee-boppin' knees and finally the infamous fox.
2nd Grade performed "SQUIRM!" - The music/lyrics/story are by John Higgins and John Jacobson. SQUIRM is a mini musical all about the things that make people squirm - like bats, spiders, worms, snakes, but also how these creatures do good things and are maybe not so bad.
Meier said she hopes a 3rd-5th grade concert in December and a K-2 concert in May will become a tradition because she believes they provide a valuable opportunity and learning experience for the students and are a way to build connections with the community.
“The hard work they put in shone brighter than the stage lights and I am incredibly proud of every single one of them,” Meier said. "I am truly honored to get to make music with these amazing students everyday.”