Last Day of School Show

Over the years I've done lots of shows on the last day of school. I always enjoy them. Everyone is in a good mood. Actually, the teachers are in better moods than the kids. Today, at Summit View Elementary, several teachers talked about seeing the ambivalence in kids about school being over. You can imagine that the home life they will be immersed in for the next two and half months may not be as positive or consistent or even affectionate as what they receive at school.
In any case, these shows tend to be high energy gigs. There's no pretense of tying into the curriculum, or singing songs that have to do with respect or the environment. It's just about fun, giving teachers a bit of a break, and, ultimately, celebrating together the end of another year. And in that sense, the most important piece is recognizing and building on the sense of community that's hopefully already there. Today, it was. Kids were pumped to sing, and teachers had fun, too.
So did I. And after the show, I had a wonderful conversation with Leah, the music teacher. We wondered together about the future of school assemblies, as we both acknowledged the importance of just singing together. Will the experience of singing joyfully together be relegated to camps and the rare concert where group singing is central? And the good music class, where teachers know that building delight in music is their main job. Kids will figure out what quarter notes are, but it's hard to reclaim the love of singing once it's lost.
I am grateful that Summit View, and many other schools, still recognize the importance of singing together.
If you're off for the summer now, take some time and sing with a group somewhere. Just for fun.