Music education in the Lower School at Dwight-Englewood includes singing, movement, music appreciation and music history, as well as the skills of listening, reading, playing, and writing music. Another important aspect is giving children opportunities to perform.
It is our belief that although performance is an integral part of music education, children of a certain age should not feel overwhelmed or intimidated by the idea of performing on a stage with bright lights and hundreds of people watching. It is because of this that we provide an opportunity for children in Kindergarten and Grade One to perform a concert that is held in the music room and showcases some of the skills and repertoire the students have been working on throughout the year. We chose Valentine’s Day for two reasons. It is at that time of year when children have been taught the necessary skills in music and have had opportunities in their music classroom to perform for each other, and the other reason is simply because it is a wonderful way for us to show the love and friendship we feel for our family and friends.
This year, the children sang: Fanga Alafia, a Nigerian welcome song (K); Mail Myself to You by, Woody Guthrie (K); The Dream of Martin Luther King, a song about Martin Luther King and his work for freedom and justice (K, 1); Little Wheel Turning, a folksong (K); Count On Me, by Bruno Mars (K). Treasure Chests, a song about each of our cultures and heritage (1); Cancion del Amor, a love song sung in Spanish (1); and finally, Put a Little Love in Your Heart, a Valentine’s Day favorite (1).
