Welcome to WES
Department of Music and Performing Arts
Here’s a brief look what we like to do as emerging and experienced music makers…
WE PLAY! As early as PreK, we like to get our hands on instruments: xylophones, maracas, hand drums, rhythm sticks, shakers, triangles, finger cymbals, boomwhackers, guiros, cabasas…all in pursuit of using both hands to make rhythms, discovering the beat, creating patterns, and growing in our fluency in in reading, writing, creating, and performing patterns.
WE SING! Group, partner, and solo singing is an engaging, expressive and eclectic enterprise as music makers: folk, world, popular, jazz, blues, country, show tunes, chants and finger plays, patriotic, pioneer, seasonal, and, whenever possible, songs that coincide with the classroom curricula We love songs that tie in to math, language, science, physical fitness, as well as songs about community, manners, sportsmanship, kindness, friendship, and the countless other topics that are relevant to our young learners.
WE MOVE! Creative movement and dance are natural to children, inviting the whole body and imagination to be involved in expressing ideas with music. We like to stir imagination and build bilateral coordination by using silk scarves, tulle, hula hoops, ribbon wands, pom-poms, canes, lummi sticks, top hats, and for the older crowd- tap shoes.
We like Circle Dances, Partner Dances, Line Dances, Mexican Dances, and Formation Dances a lot. We often have music class in the gym, which not only gives us room to move, but enables us to combine music classes with gym classes, which is a special treat our students.
WE DO DRAMA! Children love to pretend, reenact, dramatize, choreograph, create props, scenery and costumes - and so do I! We love to revisit folk and fairy tales, recreate our favorite characters, rehearse and perform scenes from children’s literature, and jump at the chance to improvise. Our dramatic explorations serve not only our creativity and collaboration skills, but ultimately prepare us for the creation of our annual spring musical, a five month endeavor that engages every 6th grader in the various aspects of musical theatre production, and draws our school, family and community together for six live performances in the WES Auditorium.
WE PERFORM! In addition to our weekly classes, we have many performance opportunities throughout the year. These include the Grand Tradition Piano Recital, a November 6th Grade Chorus Concert honoring our Veterans, class visits to sing for our friends at the Harper Center, First Friday Spirit Day morning music and school-wide assemblies, grade level or individual class performances on special occasions, holiday sing-alongs, band and orchestra concerts, and the 6th Grade Musical.
For more information about the WES Department of Music and Performing Arts, please drop me an email at:
breali@williamstownelementary.org or stop by the music room:(2nd floor, room 224)