I teach vocal music, tech theatre, music appreciation and French in a Title 1 high school. My students are very talented, but my school does not financially provide my students with the materials they need to be prepared for a university music experience. My students, who have the talent to continue their study of music at a university, cannot afford private voice lessons. My school does not buy sheet music for my choir students to use. The school does not provide money for us to purchase microphones or stage lights for our musical productions. My students and I have to fund raise for every item that we purchase.
For the past twelve years, I have produced a program called "Disney and Friends". My vocal music students provide a free, one-hour musical program for pre-school and elementary students in our city. In the past, we have had over 4,000 students come to our school and watch our musical productions. My students wear costumes, dance,and sing songs from Disney shows or Broadway musicals. Teachers accompany their students to our school's auditorium. Our productions provide free, live musical shows for many students who have never had the opportunity to see a live show. Many students write notes to us after the productions. They draw pictures of their favorite characters and thank us for the lights, for letting them come to the show, for the stage, etc. These items seem so common to us, but they are special to the young students.
Once again this year, my students will sing in "Disney and Friends". We need two lavalier microphones so that my soloists can be heard when they are not standing directly in front of the stage microphones. We are also performing a medley of songs from "Mamma Mia". For this number, we need a blue light on the stage to represent the movement of water, as in the beginning of the movie musical. I also have a few kids with blue material hanging from their arms to represent the water movement as they "float" in dance movements across the stage.
Using the lavalier microphones and the stage lights will prepare my students who want to major in music or in stage production in college. My students need to experience the total stage production --- costumes, costume changes, memorizing lines and vocal parts, using stage and lavalier microphones, dancing, stage directions, learning about curtains, scrims, lighting, ....everything involved in a stage production. The more students learn in high school about these things, the easier it is for them to feel and be prepared for their college productions.
More than three‑quarters of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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