Spring concerts scheduled for next week

It is officially spring concert season, and Newcastle Elementary School will kick it off with two concerts in Crouch Auditorium at Newcastle High School. The first concert, featuring third through fifth graders, will be on April 22 at 6:30 p.m. and the kindergarten through second grade concert will be April 23 at 6:30 p.m.

“For our spring concerts, I always include one patriotic song for each grade level, as well as an instrument feature. For the songs with instruments, every student learns the instrument parts in class, and then we have a few from each class play those parts at the concert,” said Sara Whipple, NES music instructor.

She noted that the school also tries to tie in music that relates to what each grade is learning in their classrooms.

“For instance, in second grade, the students learn about the national anthem, so they learn how to sing it for the concert. We also learn about Francis (Scott) Key (the composer of ‘The Star Spangled Banner’) and the history behind how/why he wrote the lyrics, and how President Herbert Hoover was the one who signed into law that it would be our national anthem,” Whipple said. “This year we also are including a fourth grade song about the Pony Express, which is something they learn about in their Wyoming History class.”

As for why the concerts are important, Whipple said they are an opportunity to share with the community what music standards the students have been learning.

“And it allows the students to do so in a way that they feel excited and proud about because it gives students
recognition for the hard
work they’ve put in during class,” she said. “Concerts can help motivate students to practice their music outside of school, as they provide tangible goals to work towards, and it offers them the ability to showcase their skills in individual and ensemble settings.”

Whipple noted that the students also build confidence by performing on stage, which also improves skills in areas such as public speaking.

Future spring concerts include the Newcastle Middle School and Newcastle High School choir concert on May 13 at 7 p.m., and the band concert, including fifth grade, on May 14 at 7 p.m. Both concerts will also be held in the Crouch Auditorium.