A letter of gratitude #solc24

(We had the High School Concert Band come and play for our Lower Elementary assembly this morning. Here is my letter of gratitude to the band Director).

Dear —–,

What an absolute treat to have both you and the very talented musicians from the High School Concert band perform for us at our Lower Elementary assembly. It was like we were all on a 240+ student field trip! Music can have such a transformational impact… I felt the energy in the theatre change as the tempo and mood of the pieces got more or less intense. The children couldn’t help themselves but clap along, smile, wave and applause in between the pieces. What a treat for us all and no better way to celebrate the International Day of Happiness. 

I think there are so many impacts of a concert like this. The children were introduced to many different instruments in the concert band. I really appreciated your demonstration and explanation of each group and that we got to see the instruments. Each section played beautifully and the music was as delicate as it was powerful. I thought our youngest students did really well to sit and listen for the duration of the show. 

So much of what we do with our students informs their attitudes to experiences that will come later on. For our Lower Elementary students, having their older peers model what it looks like and feels like to be part of a band, experiencing the joy and excitement of listening to the music, and being a community that values live music, will all go a long way in shaping how these children learn to appreciate this kind of experience.

I can’t wait for the next time the band can come to play- anything you  do to make a presentation like this, interactive, is always appreciated and listening and interacting in real and authentic ways was, in itself, spot on!

Thank you to you and thank you to the Concert Band.