Thanks to the fourth graders and a pair of special musical guests, there were beautiful sounds coming from the LGI in the elementary school on February 9th.

Linda Littleton and Karen Hirshon of the State College based band Simple Gifts came to TAES with many instruments in tow.

Littleton and Hirshon taught a number of fourth graders how to play chords on ukuleles and sing songs for a concert that Simple Gifts and the children performed together that night in the Tyrone Elementary LGI room.

The concert both showcased the students and provided an enriching cultural experience in the community.  It was outreach that benefited both the students and the greater community.

“It’s a great opportunity for the students. It gives them the opportunity to preform live. Things like this don’t happen every day,” said TAES teacher Debbie Estright.

At the workshop, fourth grade students learned to play three chords on the ukulele and learned basic playing technique.  They learned two songs, and sang them as they accompanied themselves.   The students sang and played what they learned at the evening concert.

“Exposing the students to a variety of styles of music and styles they may not get to see outside of school is amazing. Seeing the fourth graders having a good time and experience making music is great to watch,” said Tyrone music teacher Brittany Hipp.

The fourth graders focused and engaged and seemed to be very proud of their performance at the evening concert.

“The concert was very successful,” said Hipp, “The students did a fabulous job. They were proud of their work and got a chance to showcase it to their families and to the community.  The performers were phenomenal and presented a variety of music on non-traditional instruments. The audience had a positive response to the event.”

The students all had smiles on their faces and seemed to enjoy the whole experience. Most had never played a string instrument before, but caught on quickly.

“The entire second grade attended an assembly with the group and they absolutely loved it,” said Hipp, “They had lots of questions for the performers, and it was cool to see their faces light up when they played and introduced unique instruments that they had never seen before.  The fourth graders were proud of their performance and were focused and engaged.  They had fun and got to experience a formal performance setting.”

Teaching students about different instruments and styles of music is a great way to get kids interested in the arts, and there is no better time to start than now.