In my role as our 5th and 6th grade band teacher, I am so lucky to see young people experience the gifts of music every day. I get to watch their pride grow as they become more confident in their music reading and instrument playing. I get to see their joy the first time they play in harmony. I get to see their grit and courage grow as they tackle new challenges and their enthusiasm and confidence soar as they experience success.
I get to see our kids connect and build community through their music - perhaps the greatest gift of music. Our 5th graders get the opportunity to lead their classmates as they learn and play our concert tunes. It’s so wonderful to see their smiles as they encourage each other, and you can feel the growing sense of belonging and community among the kids. Our 6th graders have the opportunity to perform in our “Happy Birthday Club”, in which Norway kids play “Happy Birthday” for staff members. In sharing their gift of music, they bring joy to our Norway community and build connections with each other. At the end of the year, our 6th Grade Band will participate in our growing tradition of learning to play our “Benton School Song” while the 5th Grade Band and community members sing along. Shared music-making experiences for a supportive audience are so beneficial for young people, bringing our kids feelings of connection and belonging in our community.
At Norway, we’ll have our “Songs for a Snowy Day” Concert on Tuesday, December 10. We hope you can join us! It’s so fun to see the kids so nervous and excited to perform, then absolutely glowing afterwards as they are congratulated by family and friends. We would also love to invite you to Madrigal on December 7, the Middle School Concert on December 11, the High School Choir on December 15, the High School Band on December 16, and Holiday Java on December 18, so our Benton kids may share their gift of music with you!