On Monday, March 11th, we had our first dress rehearsal. And I was terrified. The students had fallen back into yelling on pitch instead of singing as beautifully as I knew they could. They were making faces and just generally being off-task on stage, and many of them had forgotten their lines. I did the best I could to help them fix their tone and stay on-task, and was somewhat reassured when Mrs. Hamilton told me that they had started school early that day, so the kids were a little thrown off by the change in routine. However, I still left stressed, overwhelmed, and nervous.
That Wednesday, we had another dress rehearsal, at which the class performed for two other fifth-grade classes. This time, I made sure to do vocal warmups with them before the performance, and I was astounded at the difference it made in their sound. Additionally, having an audience clearly motivated and excited them. They sang beautifully and enthusiastically, and I could tell that their audience enjoyed it.
Their two final performances were on Thursday. I wasn't able to catch the first performance because I had class, but I was hoping to get to Deerfield a few minutes before the second performance began. However, I got caught up in a rental car snafu and ended up missing the first half of the performance. By all reports though, the students did great at both performances (they were certainly great in the last couple of songs that I caught). The video clips that I caught aren't currently working, but as soon as I get them working I will upload them.
Overall, I am so grateful that I had the chance to work with Mrs. Hamilton and her class. These kids were so enthusiastic, expressive, and excited to sing. And Mrs. Hamilton...goodness, I cannot say enough good things about her. She was extremely supportive and I loved collaborating with her. She has so much passion for the arts, for education, and for her students. This was truly a fantastic experience.
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