Meadows Valley Holiday Concert
Meadows Valley School rang out with the sound of good cheer Tuesday, December 17 at their annual holiday concert under the direction of new music teacher, Linda Kollman. The students have been working all semester to learn new music to share with friends and family.
Linda Kollman is no stranger to teaching music. Over her 30 year career, Kollman has taught elementary music, middle school beginning orchestra and choir, high school choir, and was an adjunct professor at Northwest Nazarene University teaching elementary music majors. Kollman told me her primary instrument is piano, which she began playing at age three. She also played violin and has sung in choirs since high school.
This school year, Kollman has led Meadows Valley Students in learning about a different composer each month. Subjects have included Bill Withers, classical favorites Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven, and most recently Peter Tchaikovsky and The Nutcracker. Students have worked on learning the major scale, reviewed notes and rests, and begun learning recorder (2nd/3rd Grade), soprano recorders (4th Grade) and alto recorders (5th graders). Students have also been able to try and learn xylophones, metallophones, and chimes.
The concert showcased all of these learnings beginning with Dona Nobis Pacem performed with chimes by Stephanie Top, Melody Juica, and Natalie Ruth. The full high school and middle school bands then performed the dramatic Furioso followed by the middle school band’s performance of Winter Wonderland. Next up, elementary students performed Christmas favorites like Silver Bells, Feliz Navidad, and Holly Jolly Christmas both as a choir and with instruments. 2nd through 5th graders played recorders and chimes along with their choral arrangements. The youngest group of preschool, Kindergarten, and 1st graders performed three songs accompanied by metallophones and xylophones.
When the elementary students took leave of the stage, the high school choir and band returned for Something Told the Wild Geese, Jingle Bell Rock, and Stille, Stille, Stille. Middle School band rejoined to perform In The Hall of the Mountain King. The concert closed in candle light as the whole school Preschool - 12th grade choir and band performed Season of Peace. The song was preceded by a narration of the Christmas Truce of 1914 read by students Hunter Jessee and Mary Reynaga. Kollman told the crowd this song lit her vision for the whole concert.
During the performance, the new yearbook committee diligently took turns taking photos of the performances. The group of twelve students, led by para-educator and club leader Cathi Cochran, is looking forward to publishing the school yearbook next semester.
After the concert, Santa and Mrs. Claus took pictures with families and students.
The performances were accompanied by local pianist Tanya Hansen. The program hosted drawings by Lenina McDaniel and Santi Mendez Vargas.
In the new year Kollman looks forward to teaching students how to write rhythmic and melodic compositions that they can perform as well as helping them learn about moving to music by teaching some contra dances.
