Band and choir show talents to parents and friends
By Maxine Bogle, Special Writer
MONROE — Woodland Elementary School was filled with music last week.
On Tuesday, Jan. 13, fourth and fifth grade students from the Woodland Elementary School performed its annual winter chorus and band concert.
For a little more than three months, the students have been preparing for this moment under the direction of their teachers Yale Snyder and Karen Swercheck.
“They have three-zero periods a week,” said Swercheck. “The fourth grade come in two mornings and the fifth grade also come in two mornings, for a 40 minute rehearsal.”
The joint performance, which was held inside the schools gym, started with the combined chorus singing the “Star Spangled Banner.”
Once the chorus finished their rendition, the advanced band took to their positions, where Mr. Snyder conducted them through such works as “Full Circle.”
Mr. Snyder, who is the band director as well as the percussion specialist, believes the student’s success is due in part to Monroe’s Vertical Teaching system.
“Every band director in Monroe travels to all the schools in the district,” said Mr. Snyder. “They only teach their specialty instrument and that’s called vertical teaching.
He then went on to explain in detail what vertical teaching means.
“I am the percussion teacher and I teach the percussion in all schools in Monroe,” he said. “I stay with them (his students) until they graduate high school, as do all the other instrumental band teachers.”
The other teachers that have taught students at Woodland are Chris Ciarlariello who teaches the clarinet, Janet Kaufman who teaches the flute, Alfred Hadinger who teaches the low bass, Robert Howatt who teaches the saxophone and James Cares who teaches the trumpet.
To conclude the event, students performed Bruno Mars hit song “Count on me,” while the parents in the audience stood up to applaud, as well as take a ton of pictures.