Middle School Music Students “Show Us the Way”

Middle school music students and music educators from across the district collaborated to produce the fifth annual Office of Visual and Performing Arts All City Music Concert on Thursday, May 5th. The concert series began in 2017 with ten participating schools, and this year, the concert has grown to feature over 150 students from thirty-one participating middle school music programs. Band, orchestra, guitar, and choral ensemble performances included a wide range of repertoire. “Dragonhunter” by Richard Meyer, performed by the string orchestra, was dedicated to the concert’s honoree, Save The Music Foundation, for five years of generous instrument donations to music programs in our schools. Percussion dynamics were a standout during the band performance of “The Tempest” by Robert W. Smith.

Student musicians demonstrated Social Emotional Learning (SEL) competencies as part of the overall collaborative experience and especially social awareness, self-management and relationship skills during the rehearsal and filming process with peers from across the district and under the direction of music educators from a variety of schools. The concert concluded with choral students delivering a message of hope through the lyrics of “Give Us Hope” by Jim Papoulis. Rhythm and harmony moved the audience as students sang and reminded us that, “We are the future,” and the repetition of the chorus “My hand is reaching Give us hope and we'll show you the way.” Newark Board of Education is recognized as a Best Communities for Music Education by the NAMM Foundation for three consecutive years.