To the Editor:
Cider Mill School has the tradition of an annual sing-along concert on the last day before winter vacation, and I was invited by a student to attend.
It’s a remarkable event with all of the school’s 765 students sitting together on the floor of the gym. They were very enthusiastic but also very well-behaved, and the emcee of the event, music teacher and fine arts instructional leader Beth Bakst led all of the singing, handling this huge event beautifully and knowing just how to “work the crowd.”
I tried to imagine having the responsibility for focusing all of those students on the singing and keeping the program on track (it lasted exactly an hour). To do that well, you need good miking and voice projection at a minimum but also, and especially, an understanding of how to keep a huge groups of young kids (third- to fifth-graders) excited and engaged but also orderly and on task.
She did so by numerous techniques including having the students, all sitting by “house” divisions, try in succession by house (and very successfully!) to copy her as she did short “ringing-style” singing in various tempos and volumes (loudly often for sure, but also sometimes much more softly). The sing-along then moved into a variety of songs of the season (e.g., “Jingle Bells” and “Frosty the Snowman”) sung by all of these children very enthusiastically with lyrics projected on a giant screen. Several of the songs were in Spanish, another in phoneticized Hebrew, and one even in French, all sung by these students equally enthusiastically. Meanwhile, music teachers Andrew Pearson on piano (with his adult son Jeff on violin) and Jon Garcia on drums accompanied all of this singing in lively fashion!
A string ensemble of eight fifth-graders also performed under the direction of music teacher Ken Hayashi. They played the full instrumental version of “The Carol of the Bells,” and their quality of performance was extraordinary — what one might expect from a high school ensemble. This gym-full of young students was absolutely quiet and respectful throughout that performance.
As Principal Jen Falcone said, “The Cider Mill music staff work so hard to create an inclusive holiday experience for our students and staff,” and their hard work really shows. Their approach to their work is reflected across all of the teachers and staff of the school and extends throughout the school year. In addition to all of the academic learning, it includes understanding how to have fun while being respectful both in large numbers and individually and especially how to be thoughtful and kind to those around us. Reminders of that can be found all around the school, and one especially struck me as I departed after the sing-along. It appears on the wall of the school’s entrance, right where all of the students pass as they arrive and leave each school day. This sign reminds students how to behave on their school buses and ends with suggestions as to how to be helpful to the driver and encouraging to one’s fellow students.
In another wonderful singing experience — this one town-wide — Middlebrook music teacher and instructional leader Janet Nobles on the Sunday afternoon before winter break served in a leadership role similar to Beth Bakst’s and accompanied by music teacher Francesca Gray in the packed Middlebrook auditorium. The program ended with an audience sing-along, but the heart of the program was performances by the Wilton Singers (of which Janet’s a member) and by multiple singing groups from our Wilton schools with several very accomplished student accompanists on piano and drums — another wonderful singing experience!
All of this speaks tremendously well about what our schools are accomplishing, and that is something of which we all as a community can be very proud.
Steve Hudspeth