SANTA MONICA, Calif. May 7, 2015 – An hour before the doors opened for the 2015 Spring Concert, parents and members of the community were lining up outside the music hall at Lincoln Middle School in anticipation of the event.
Once inside the lights dimmed and it seemed we were listening to professional musicians performing at the Walt Disney Concert Hall as sixth, seventh, and eight grade students performed music from Bach, Sheldon, Shaffer, Owens, and Brubeck.
Some may think that middle school kids can’t really play and that this is just an opportunity for parents to be proud of their children. But nothing could be farther from the truth. ALL of the students who participated in Spring Concert last night are outstanding musicians in their own right.
The first group to perform was the Jazz Band. The band started out with a piece called Take Five by Dave Brubeck and finished with Just a Little off the Top, by Jay Chattaway.
Click on this link to hear how incredible these kids sound.
After the Jazz Band finished, Ms. Klenk, IA for the student musicians, stepped onto the podium to conduct the Symphonic, Intermediate, Concert Bands, and the Wind Symphony.
Klenk, an accomplished musician herself, in an e-mail wrote, “seeing kids grow in their confidence and abilities,” is one of the rewards of teaching.
Klenk added that for many youngsters, confidence and the fear of performing is a big challenge for some students. While many students don’t always overcome this fear of performing, Klenk said, “students learn to cope and use it as a tool for the rest of their lives.”
The Concert Band performed several compositions by Robert Sheldon. The kids were incredible. To experience their music, click here, close your eyes and relax.
The night ended with the Wind Symphony playing Puszta by Jan Van der Roost. As the applause echoed throughout the Music Hall, I realized that the students and the music they performed united everyone in that Hall as one community. The music transported us to a different place and for a few brief moments we left our jobs, conflicts, and other issues behind. For that brief hour – we were all a community of musicians.
The music performed here was by students for academic purposes. The content is not for resale or to be distributed for personal gain. Photo courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.net and Mister GC.
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