Once a year, the weather starts to warm up, Easter decorations hit the stores, weekend festivals abound and the fifth graders that I teach are put through a grueling experience. No, not testing, not a spring dance, not a sports competition: the grueling experience is called "Mass Choir".
How can singing be so difficult? Children singing; just the words evoke sweetness and light, love, hope for the future, and everything that is right with the world. Most of the time, that is true for me. I love my school and I love the darlings that I teach. We sing the cutest, sweetest songs and have so much fun. Mass Choir, though, looms over me like a giant monster most of the school year. Here's the background, as I am aware of it. The superintendent declared that since the seven elementary schools feed into only two middle schools and one high school that the fifth graders should celebrate the end of the time in elementary and their coming together "as one" by performing an hour-long concert for their parents. Every fifth grader in the district. Whether they want to or not, whether they enjoy singing or not.
Have you ever experienced eleven-year-olds (or twelve or thirteen....) in the springtime? I am reminded of the young creatures that spring around the barnyard, all mischief, joy and self-awakening. I'm not saying they are badly behaved, I'm saying that by nature they are reaching for independence and acceptance among their peers. The way in which they do that reflects whether they already possessed good behavior or not. As planners of Mass Choir, the respective music teachers from each school do our best to find engaging and contemporary songs that these young adults will enjoy. We also attempt to keep their "antsy" young selves busy by adding "moves" (less than choreography, more than finger-snapping) to all the songs. From August to January, we choose songs and create moves. We teach songs, send home lyrics and CDs, have competitions, do any positive behavior encouragement that we can to prepare the students for the big night. We also take care of the logistics of the evening, but that's another complete story!
Imagine the last week of rehearsal. There are sixty students, in my case, one hundred at some schools, standing on risers together knowing that they're supposed to sing and move. The superintendent never sees this part of the process. It is the reason I came up with the term "grueling". If not for a super-supportive specials team, fifth grade teachers and administration, it would not happen! By nature, it is a Thunderdome of sorts - who can make whom laugh, who talks about someone else's mama, who can pass gas at just the right time - you get the picture. Somehow, some way, we manage to get them to sing and move enough to look like they know what they're doing. The only one that doesn't get the picture is the one that ordained it and will show up next week and talk about how wonderful that they can all sing together with energy and smiles and grow up to be the pride of the district.
Then the music teachers turn and smile and wave. Within the next week we evaluate the year's show and start discussing next year's engaging music. They all enter, they all come out, but the music teachers stay for another Thunderdome, year after year.
No comments:
Post a Comment