Farewell Forestville

In August of 2022 I will be joining the inaugural staff of Barton Pond Elementary as the music specialist. I have had an amazing time working with the students of Forestville and helping them to develop musical skills. I will take everything that I have learned from this experience and apply it to my next position.  I want to thank Mrs. Hafner and Ms. Owen for the chance to work at Forestville. I know the teachers at Forestville will continue to do a great job educating the children in this community.

Wendell Middle Band Performance

We would like to thank Mrs. Catherine Slade and the Wendell Middle School Band for giving an amazing concert for our 5th grade students! We were excited to see the familiar faces of students who have graduated from Forestville as 5th graders. Below you can see Mrs. Slade and the band performing. You can also see Haley Hauber and Savannah Burch holding their flutes. These were two students who were very active in Chorus, Ukulele, and Percussion Ensemble Clubs at Forestville as 4th and 5th graders. We are glad that they are still displaying excellence in music as members of Wendell Middle School Band. Keep up the good work Mrs. Slade and Wendell Middle School Band. We are looking forward to seeing you all next year!

NC Symphony Field Trip 2022

 On Wednesday, February 16th, 2022 at 10:30 a.m., the 4th graders at Forestville Road attended the annual North Carolina Symphony field trip. Students heard works by Edvard Grieg, Ary Barroso, Jesse Montgomery, Scott Joplin, Anthony Kelley, Katharine Lee Bates, Beethoven, and Mozart.  We had an amazing time at this concert and we are looking forward to attending the concert next year! Below you can see pictures from the field trip.

 

Caroling at FRES

 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.

Lou Sanders Music Award 2021

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.

Wendell and Neuse River Middle School Band

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

Rewriting Black History

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.

New Instruments!

The music program wants to give a big thank you to Mrs. Amy Nichols for writing a grant to get new instruments for our music program.  We have new tubano drums, boomwhackers, triangles, rhythm sticks, castanets, tambourines, cymbals, outdoor instruments, and more!  The students at Forestville will definitely enjoy making music on these instruments. We are looking forward to starting the new year by playing on our new instruments!

2020 Lou Sanders Music Award

Congratulations to Garren Breeden for winning the 2019-2020 Lou Sanders Music Award!  The Lou Sanders music award was created in 2015 after the head custodian at Forestville Road, Mr. Lucian Sanders Jr., passed away suddenly due to a heart attack in the fall of 2014.  The award was started by our current music teacher, Ms. Stephanie Sanders, the daughter of the late Mr. Sanders, to remember his life.   Recipients of the award must demonstrate excellence in music in the same manner that Mr. Sanders showed excellence in his janitorial work and they must exhibit character traits that remind the Forestville community of  Mr. Sanders' legacy.

While attending Forestville Road Elementary School, Garren was a member of the FRES Chorus and Percussion Ensemble.  Garren performed many wonderful vocal solos during her time as a member of the chorus and did an outstanding job with the speaking roles that she had in musicals.  She also did a fantastic job singing a solo part at the 2020 Wake County Elementary Honors Chorus event.  As a member of the FRES percussion ensemble, she skillfully played the bucket drumming routines and was a role model for other students in the ensemble.  The excellence that she displayed in the FRES music program undoubtedly mirrored the excellence that Mr. Sanders displayed in his work as Forestville's lead custodian.

Garren always had a positive attitude while participating in the music program in the same way that Mr. Sanders demonstrated a positive attitude while working at Forestville.  She would often be the first student to arrive at practices and her family members were avid supporters of the FRES Music program in the same way that Mr. Sanders showed strong support for musical endeavors at Forestville.  Mr. Sanders would often tell jokes to the students and staff as he worked around the building and added laughter and joy to everyone's day. 

We know that Garren will do great things in her life in the future and we wish her the best as she transitions into middle school.  Thank you Garren for carrying on Mr. Sanders' legacy of excellence and happiness.  Congratulations again on winning the 2020 Lou Sanders Music Award!

Stars in the East 2020

On Thursday, February 27th, 2020 the Forestville Road Elementary School Percussion Ensemble performed at the annual Stars in the East talent show held at East Wake High School in Wendell, NC. The group performed a bucket percussion arrangement of Justin Timberlake's "Can't Stop the Feeling" arranged by Sammy Foster. They did a phenomenal job!   Below you can see the group performing on the stage.  We are looking forward to performing at the show next year!

2020 Elementary All-County Honor Chorus Concert

On Friday, February 14th, 2020 and Saturday, February 15th, 2020 the Forestville Road PTA sent four students to participate in Wake County's annual Elementary All-County Honor Chorus event.  The students had the opportunity to work with Dr. Emily Williams Burch, the clinician for the event.  Dr. Burch prepared students to give a stellar concert by teaching them many musical strategies and techniques that allowed students to achieve optimal performance results.  The works performed on the concert included "It Don't Mean a Thing" by Duke Ellington, "Dolphins" by Emma Lou Diemer, "Cuckoo" by Benjamin Britten, "Come Closer" by Daniel and Christine Kallman, "Abebe", a folk song from Papua New Guinea, and "Senwa Dedende" a Ghanaian children's song.  Below you can see pictures of students at the dress rehearsal and after the concert.

Spring 2020 Music T-Shirts

We will be ordering music T-shirts for our spring performances.  Please fill out the FRES T-shirt order for and have your child return it with the $5 fee for the shirt.  All money and T-shirt order forms are due by Friday, January 31st, 2020.

2019 Winter Concert

On Thursday, December 5th, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. the musical entitled The Grumps of Ring-a-Ding Town by John Jacobson and John Higgins was performed at our school by our chorus and 3rd grade students.  The winter concert also included performances by our ukulele club, percussion ensemble, and 4th and 5th grade recorder ensemble.  We would like to give special thanks to the 3rd grade teachers for helping with the concert and Ms. Lyn Riggs for making the background on the stage for the event which can be seen below.  We are looking forward to having a phenomenal concert in the spring!

Preparing for the Winter Concert: Recorders

Students in 4th and 5th grade classes have been working hard to prepare music for the winter concert on recorders.  The concert will be held on Thursday, December 5th, 2019 in our school's cafeteria.  The songs that they have been preparing include "Hot Cross Buns" and "Hop Old Squirrel".  Below you can see students from Mrs. Wildermann's class preparing for the event with our music teacher, Ms. Sanders.

Congratulations

Congratulations to all of the students who passed their auditions and made it into the chorus and percussion ensemble!  We have had a great month rehearsing music for the upcoming winter concert.  I am looking forward to having a phenomenal year with our performing groups!

Fall 2019 Ensemble Auditions

         Auditions for the Forestville Road Chorus and the Forestville Road Percussion Ensemble will be held from Tuesday, August 27^th, 2019 to Friday, September 6^th, 2019 in the music room.  Students can report to the music room between 8:45 and 9:15 to have their auditions in the morning.  For chorus auditions, students should be prepared to sing a song of their choice that lasts no more than 3 minutes.  Please make sure that the song your child sings is school appropriate and does not contain any profanity or lewd content.  For percussion auditions, students should be prepared to count and play rhythms in 4/4 time containing quarter notes, eighth notes, quarter rests, and beamed sixteenth notes.  Students who pass the auditions will be notified of their acceptance into the chorus or percussion ensemble on Friday, September 6^th, 2019 with a letter. 

           If your child would like to be in the ukulele ensemble, he or she will need a soprano ukulele.  Soprano ukuleles can be purchased at the music stores listed below or online.  The first rehearsal for this club will be held on Tuesday, September 10^th, 2019 in the music room at 8 a.m.  At that time, your child will receive a rehearsal schedule and a copy of the rules and policies that govern the ukulele ensemble.  If you have any additional questions, please contact me at ssanders@wcpss.net.  I am looking forward to an exciting fall semester with our FRES ensembles.

Guitar Center

3100 Capital Boulevard

Raleigh, NC 27604

                               

Sam Ash Music Store

3131 Capital Boulevard

Raleigh, NC 27604

Music and Arts

5950 Poyner Village Parkway

Suite F101

Raleigh, NC 27616

Lou Sanders Music Award 2019

Congratulations to Haley Hauber for being one of the 2019 Lou Sanders Music Award recipients.  Every year this award is given to students who display excellence in music and who embody the character traits of the late Lucian Sanders, Jr., who was the head custodian at Forestville for many years and the father of the current music teacher, Ms. Stephanie Sanders.  The award was established to preserve the memory of Mr. Sanders who made sacrifices throughout his life so that Ms. Sanders could be a music teacher today.  He passed away suddenly in 2014 after a heart attack.

Haley demonstrated excellence in music throughout her entire time at Forestville in the same manner that Mr. Sanders showed excellence in his custodial work.  She was a member of the chorus, percussion ensemble, and ukulele club and she performed skillfully while she was a part of these organizations.  She was also chosen as one of four students to attend the All-County Honors Chorus event because of her exemplary vocal skills. Haley continued Mr. Sanders' legacy by being kind and warm to everyone she came in contact with just like Mr. Sanders.  Mr. Sanders always had a smile and a joke for everyone he came into contact with and Haley also emitted joy and laughter when interacting with students and staff. 

Mr. Sanders often supported the music program by setting up equipment for concerts and performances and by cheering the students on before and after performances.  Haley showed substantial support of the FRES music program by joining all three music clubs, demonstrating musical leadership at concerts, and inviting her family to help with various celebrations held within the music department.  We want to thank Haley for all of her hard work this year, for supporting the FRES music program, and for carrying on the legacy of our beloved Mr. Lucian Sanders.  We know that Haley will do great things in the future! You can see Haley and her mother Billy Jo Hauber pictured above.

  

Spring Concert 2019

On Thursday, May 2nd 2019 the Forestville Road Elementary School music department gave its annual spring concert.  Students performed works from great Disney movies like The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, and The Jungle Book.  The program included performances by the FRES percussion ensemble, ukulele club, third grade students, and the FRES chorus.  We would like to give a special thanks to the third grade teachers, Ms. Lyn Riggs, our art teacher, the PTA, and all of the parents who made the program success.  We are looking forward to having a great winter concert in December!  Below you can see pictures of students in the ukulele club who participated in the event and 4th grade students who participated in the recorder ensemble.

The FRES Music Program Springs into Action!

The FRES music department has been busy doing amazing things for the spring semester.  On Saturday, February 9th, 2019 Forestville sent a delegation of four students to participate in the annual Elementary All-County Honors Chorus event held at Wakefield High School in Raleigh, NC. The four students that were chosen have consistently demonstrated excellence in the area of vocal performance. Students spent time preparing songs composed by Dr.Rollo Dillworth, Mary Lynn Lightfoot, Greg Gilpin, and other prolific composers.  Some of the songs included on the program were "Pie Jesu", "Shine on Me", and "Why We Sing".  Students that participated in the event had the opportunity to work with Mr. Danny Yancey, a GRAMMY-nominated music educator.  Below you can see pictures from the dress rehearsal and concert.

On Thursday, February 21st, Forestville Road hosted a hip-hop and jazz band called "The Beast" from Durham, North Carolina.  They talked to the students about the history of African American music.  Students learned about improvisation, jazz, hip hop, spirituals, and other topics related to African American music. Below you can see a picture of "The Beast" performing for the students of Forestville. This performance was sponsored by the United Arts Council of Raleigh and the FRES PTA.  We would like to thank these organizations for supporting the arts in schools!

On Tuesday, February 26th, 2019 the 4th graders of Forestville attended a North Carolina Symphony field trip.  Students heard works composed by Haydn, Dvorak, Higdon, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Strauss.  Students also had the opportunity to perform "Ode to Joy" in English and German.  Below you can see students standing outside of the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts where the event took place.

On Thursday, February 28th, 2019 the FRES percussion ensemble performed an arrangement of "Uptown Funk" by Tom Anderson at the annual Stars in the East talent show held at East Wake High School in Wendell, North Carolina. Students had fun performing for the community at the event!  Below is a picture of the group hanging out in the green room  before the show.  We are looking forward to performing at the show again in 2020!

Winter Concert

On Thursday, December 6th, 2018, the Forestville Road Music Department put on the musical Elflandia at 7:00 p.m. in the school's cafeteria.  The chorus performed songs from the musical including "Elflandia", "Silly Humans", and "Elfie Selfie".  There were also performances by the Forestville Road Elementary ukulele club, percussion ensemble, and recorder ensemble.  The program was a huge success and we would like to thank the PTA, the fourth grade teachers, our art teacher Ms. Lyn Riggs, and all parents and teachers who supported the program.  We are looking forward to having a wonderful concert in the spring.