On Thursday, December 16th, 2021 at 3 p.m. the FRES 3rd grade team and Ms. Sanders hosted the 1st caroling event at our school. The 3rd grade students performed the following songs at the event: "Hip Hop Reindeer" by Teresa Jennings, "Up on the Housetop" by Benjamin Hanby, "Jingle Bells" by James Pierpont, "A Time for Love" adapted by Nancy Dervan, and the traditional English carol titled "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". After their performance with Ms. Sanders, they led the school in singing the following Christmas songs: "Feliz Navidad", "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", "Jingle Bell Rock", "Frosty the Snowman", and "Deck the Halls". The staff and students thoroughly enjoyed the event and are looking forward to the event next year. Below you can see some of the 3rd grade students who participated in the event.
Congratulations to Grae Gaston and Madalyn Roberson for winning the 2020-2021 Lou Sanders Music Award. Grae Gaston was a member of the FRES chorus during her time at our school. She was a role model for other students in the club and she demonstrated leadership by performing solos and participating in leading roles in various productions.
Madalyn Roberson was a member of all three music clubs at Forestville Road: chorus, ukulele club, and the percussion ensemble. She demonstrated stellar musicianship and she was a dedicated member of the FRES music program. We hope that both students are doing well in middle school. You can see Grae (top) and Madalyn (bottom) pictured below.
If you are interested in information about joining the Wendell Middle School band under the direction of Mrs. Catherine Slade, please visit their website at the following link: https://www.wmswolvesband.com/new-band-students.html
If you experienced the band presentation given by Mrs. Slade and her students, you can fill out the survey for the presentation at this link: Wendell Band Presentation Survey
If you are interested in information about joining the Neuse River Middle School band under the direction of Mr. Eric Van Cott, please click the following link to their website: Neuse River Band
Each year as we enter Black history month, I enjoy teaching students about music that gave African and African American slaves the hope to believe that one day they would be free, allowed Black Americans to create a sound so loud that the government could no longer ignore their cries for justice, and that continues to raise awareness about issues of racial inequality. This year I am pleased to share with the community the song "We Need a Rescue" by Tarsha Patriz of Greensboro, North Carolina. She is a singer, pianist, songwriter, and worship leader from the Piedmont-Triad area who is passionate about raising awareness about racial injustice to bring about societal change. I had the honor of providing piano accompaniment for this song and being a part of a mission to cry out against racism and discrimination.
Music played an important role during the American civil rights movement and continues to play an integral role in challenging systemic racism and oppression. As music educators and musicians, we have the potential to teach tolerance and appreciation for diversity. As you think about Black history this month, do not just think about the past, but think about what you can do to create a more fair and equitable society so that we do not repeat the horrors of the past as a nation. By striving to ensure equality for all people, we can begin to write narratives of Black experiences in which African Americans not only survive in the world, but thrive, thus creating a new Black history. I want to personally thank Tarsha for writing a song that continues the legacy of Dr. King and the American civil rights movement so that we can continue to make progress toward equality for people of all races. You can hear the song in the video below.
