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Choir concert
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .Sandra Wigley (left) and David Santiago each sang a solo in the song "Magical Sleigh Ride," which honored the composer Leroy Anderson. To add to their song, the Robinwood fourth-graders got to sing their song in a shiny red sleigh.
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A "Brotherhood Award" was given at the concert to fourth-graders in each classroom who showed a giving, kind, and happy attitude. The winners were, from left, Courtney Griffin, Rachel Bendel, and Tim Fowler.
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Composer Leroy Anderson had a passion for finding the music in everyday sounds, and the composer found that the click-clack of typewriters had a certain musicality. Zachary Hillard (left), Katie Reilly, Rachel Bendel, Delaney Pollak, and Gina Degenaro became typists during a song that honored Anderson's love of typewriters.
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The fourth-graders of Robinwood Elementary celebrated their love for America in their red, white, and blue clothing, and by singing a selection of songs about their country.
By SARAH FOOR
The stage at Robinwood Elementary was lit up like the Fourth of July, but the date was actually March 29.
That night, music teacher Dean Wilson led the school’s fourth-graders in a chorus concert that celebrated contemporary American composers.
The program, called “I Write the Music in America,” was a mixture of music and acting that shared quality music and a bit of a history lesson. For the show, the students were decked out in bright shades of red, white, and blue.
“For our chorus, we just ask that the students give one day a week to enjoy music and give their time, and we’re happy to say that about 80 percent of our fourth-graders are involved,” said Wilson. “I think the dances are particularly fun for the kids, although it was a hard sell for the boys at first. We did manage to get everyone excited in the end.”
The excitement showed in the students who were involved in the show.
Delaney Notar read a speech during the show about Amy Beach, one of the first female composers.
“She was inspiring to learn about,” Notar said. “She was the first woman in a male-dominated field.”
During the show, students read speeches about composers like Beach, along with musicians like Aaron Copland, Leroy Anderson, William Grant Still and Leonard Bernstein. The songs after each dialogue celebrated the messages that each composer championed.
For example, William Grant Still was the first African-American composer, and the students sang a song celebrating blazing a trail and “Being the First.”
Student David Santiago read about composer Aaron Copland during the show, but said he learned a lot more than a few facts about Copland.
“My composer wrote songs that he hoped sounded like America, that reminded him of cowboys and the Wild West. But, for me, our whole show tonight makes me think of America, and I really like that,” Santiago shared.