Photo by Emily Dehoff
It was that time of year again! When I went to conferences, I could see it on other elementary music educators’ faces. When I logged into Facebook, I saw over hundreds of posts about it from a variety of music educator groups. It was concert season time. Though this time of year kicks into high gear around November and settles down a bit, only a bit, around January before kicking back up again, it is a time of year that can be stressful and rewarding at the same time. It is the time of year when we feel that we need to clone ourselves so that we can accomplish everything professionally and personally. The message boards, facebook posts, tweets, and more, lit up with music educators asking many excellent questions, requesting advice, and feeling a sense of calm once all was said and done. Some of the highlights from these boards and posts I listed below with some resolutions (in time for the new year). I feel that whether you are a new teacher or a veteran teacher, you can never stop learning from other music educators’ experiences. It is for this reason that I find social media in the form of the music teachers facebook group and other groups like this, so valuable.
- Students Baptizing the Risers: Ah, yes. When you have elementary students on risers for concerts, there is bound to be that experience of when a student baptizes the riser through either vomiting or “showering” on it. Resolution? Remind the classroom teachers to take the students to the bathroom before the concert. Also check with the school nurse to see if students have gone home that week with flu-like symptoms. If you have a student who was sent home with a fever the day before your concert and shows up to perform, you might not have the authority to send the child home. However, you can place the child at the end of the riser on the first step to try to combat any situation that might arise.
- Losing Shoes (and or kazoos or fake candles or foam sticks) in risers/getting heals caught in risers: This year, we performed “One Candle, One Flame” by Linda Sobo, with the fake candles from SafeFlame. It was beautiful. However, I knew that at least one fake candle would fall into the riser. My students knew what to do if that were to happen: they continue performing the routine without the fake candle. They also know that if their shoes fall through the risers, then they have to perform without them. Resolution? Being proactive does help, especially if you know your students well and can foresee that there could be a problem. If you fear that you bring this up to your students and you know that it will result in many students purposely dropping their shoes, then do not bring it up. In addition, shoewear is discussed during the rehearsals or in classes leading up to the concert.
- What the first row of girls must wear: Now that I am a mom of two young girls, I realize more than ever how important it is for the girls on the first step of the riser to wear tights or leggings and to keep their knees together when not performing.
- Students falling from risers: This one haunts me. Resolution? Beginning about two days before the concert, I check with the nurse to see which students have been there and sent home for illnesses. If that is the case, I will move them to the first two steps of the risers and not have them on the top step. I also tend to keep wiggly jiggly students on lower risers so that they have a successful performance. If you have railings for the back of the risers, use them. If you have no railings, do not use the top step of the riser. In addition, place mats behind the risers as an extra safety precaution.
- Getting off with the recording: Recordings can add another sort of “ear candy” sound to the concert. There are times when I like to use a recorded soundtrack between many live accompanied songs just to switch up the sound. In addition, sometimes the recording has the sound that is needed for the type of song. Finally, sometimes accompanists are hard to find, cannot make the rehearsals, or cannot be covered by the budget, making recordings necessary. When I have had young students get off with the recording, I try a few things to prevent this. Resolution? Can the students hear the recording? If not, then monitors need to be set up, placed in front of them, facing them. That will assist greatly. In addition, if you are performing in a room that absorbs sound (hence, a gymatorium),you might need to move around your singers so that the strong ones are placed throughout the risers, but in close proximity to each other. If that is not working, one hopes that you have prepped them well enough to watch you so that you can silently conduct them back on track. Is that does not work, then find your strongest singers, stand in front of them, and sing at them. They will hopefully hear you and join you. Once your strongest singers are back on track, then the rest will follow.
- Finding an accompanist : This can be challenging if your rehearsals are during the day. Resolution? I try to book my accompanists in the beginning of the school year so that they have it in their schedules early on. I look for musicians who tend to gig at night or retired music teachers who would enjoy the temporary daily rehearsals for the week. Another solution is asking an older student who is seriously studying piano to accompany a song or two. That can be a viable, but challenging, solution because accompanying is a skillset of its own.
- Finding repertoire: Where to find repertoire? Music educators’ groups, Music Express, Music K8, pinterest, teachers pay teachers, reading through best sellers on JW Pepper, looking for reliable composers and arrangers such as Roger Emerson, John Jacobs, Mac Huff, Sally Albrecht, Jay Albrecht, Andy Beck, Cristi Cary Miller, and so much more.
- Mental Health Day/Sick Day: Can’t take the day, so what to do? Resolution? Stay hydrated. Use aspirin or cold remedies to power you through the day. Don’t hug other people. Try to take a sick day or a mental health day if you can. Sometimes, one day can mean so much for your body and mind.
- Etiquette for audience: Try this cute, lyrical poem from MusicPlay (see page 3).
- When is the concert? This question can spur so many feelings because you Holiday Concert K-3 have tried to get the message out in as many ways possible. My theory is to send the date, time, and dress code out in as many ways possible: newsletter, website, bulk email, bulk text, remind me app, Seesaw Learning Journal, etc. In addition, I post to their Seesaw Learning Journal the day before the concert with a picture of the risers and labels of where the class will be standing for the concert. I have had parents thank me profusely for that picture.
- Transitions when your performers are finished: I have the best classroom teachers who assist greatly with this. In addition, I have learned over the years that transitions need to be rehearsed as well as the actual concert music. This might mean that those involved must be educated about the importance of rehearsing transitions and give you ample time and help to rehearse them in order for them to flow smoothly.
- Utilize any help offered to you and thank them: I cannot pull off a concert by myself. I need help. If help is offered, I will happily take it and utilize it the best way that I can. In addition, I thank them from a simple thank you email, to a thank you note, to a gift card, to a few scratch off lottery games with a thank you note, etc. I try to let them know how much I appreciated their assistance.
Finally, one of my favorite quotes I read this year and it came from a music educator quoting her young student: “Stressed is desserts spelled backward!” – priceless!
Here was our K-3 Concert Program:
Holiday Concert 2016
“We Wish You a Musical Holiday!”
- Holiday Hand Jive by Greg Gilpin http://www.jwpepper.com/3298361.item. Performed by students in grades K-3. This song is upbeat and has familiar melodies (Deck the Halls, Jingle Bells, and We Wish You a Happy Holiday). I included a boomwhacker routine that one of my third grade classes performed beautifully!
- Burn Little Candles – Traditional. Performed by students in grades K-1. One class in grade 2 acompanied this Hanukkah song on Orff and percussion instruments (drums and cabasas). This is slower and in a minor key to change the mood.
- North Pole, North Pole by Teresa Jennings from Music K8. Performed by students in grades 2-3. This song is based on Sinatra’s New York, New York, with a fun, familiar, kick line at the end. This selection was upbeat and a huge crowd-pleaser. I found the choreography on YouTube and thank the music educator who posted it there.
- One Candle, One Flame by Linda Sobo (http://www.jwpepper.com/3297823.item#.V6vN75MrL8M). Performed by students in grades K-3. This is a sweet, slower song, that sounds beautiful with young singers. We had a parent play the cello with our pinsist. We also used our battery-powered candles to enhance the the words of the song. In addition, flutes (4 flutists in grades 5, 6, and 8) and a grade 2 class on tone chimes accompanied the song as well.
- Chinese Dance from the Nutcracker: Performed by students in one class of grade 3. With the recording slowed down a little bit (edited in Audacity), the third grade students played the response phases on Orff instruments while other students created and performed a small parachute dance.
- African Noel arranged by Victor Johnson (http://www.jwpepper.com/African-Noel/3025954.item#.V-C7OJMrL8M). Performed by the students in grades K-1 with faculty choir. Our drummer and bass player performed the percussion parts found free on the website.
- Hanukkah Hanukkah arr. By Paul Jennings https://www.musick8.com/html/current_tune.php?numbering=122&songorder=11 Performed by students in grades 2-3. The clarinet part was performed by violinists in grades 2, 3, 6, 7, and 8. One third grade class performed the recorder part.
- The Twelve Days of a Regifted Christmas – by Greg Gilpin http://www.jwpepper.com/The-Twelve-Days-of-a-Regifted-Christmas/10604621.item#.V-C0MJMrL8M. Performed by the students in grades K-3. This song is upbeat, familiar, and hilarious. For example, “On the first day of Christmas somebody gave to me an album by the Partridge Family.” This song’s accompaniment was edited in Audacity to change the key so it only had one key change as opposed to numerous key changes. In GarageBand, I edited the tempo to keep it friendly for young students. When there was any distortion from all that editing of the accompaniment recording, I recorded my piccolo playing the melody, which covered the distortion very well. In addition, I creacted pictures on the screen to accompany the words. This was a fun and terrific concert-ender. The parents loved it.
To see the music we use at our concert, please follow my Pinterest board at https://www.pinterest.com/awillisburns/.
