Ranney Vocal and Instrumental Concerts Open to the Community

Ranney School’s Performing Arts Department is hosting several events open to music-loving members of the community this February and March. Music will fill the Ranney School Parents’ Association’s Panther Hall on February 10th and again on March 1, 2011, as the school presents a series of All-Division faculty-inspired concerts featuring music with American roots as well as international flair.

Beginning at 7 p.m. on Thursday, February 10th, Upper, Middle and Lower School singers will take to the stage with a “Roots and Wings: America’s Musical Heritage All-Division Vocal Concert.” In light of a recent professional development trip to China, in which music and chorus teacher Lilly Torrente learned that students of Chinese descent study their own musical heritage as a means of appreciating unique cultural differences, “Roots and Wings” will showcase Ranney’s vocal students looking to the past for a deeper understanding of American history and traditional music.

Throughout the night, vocalists, grades four through 12, will grace the audience with folk songs, spirituals, Native American songs, jazz and blues ensembles, and pieces from American classical composers such as Copland and Gershwin, to name a few. In addition, Ranney’s Upper School Honors Chorus will pay tribute to early Broadway and film creation through song, while the Upper School’s Rhythm Band will perform Ray Charles’ “Georgia on My Mind” and more.

Moving from vocals to instrumentals, Ranney will then host an All-Division Instrumental Concert on Tuesday, March 1st at 7 p.m. Presented in the spirit of an Irish ceilidh, or social gathering, the evening will feature musical presentations from a diverse mix of performers — including Ranney’s fifth grade band, Middle School concert band, Upper School jazz band and all-division string ensemble led by music teacher Dorothy Sobieski. The audience will hear an eclectic mix of music, from traditional tunes to classical pieces, and even jazz throughout the show.

Inspiration for the Instrumental Concert came from All-Division music and band teacher Kevin Cotter, following a professional development trip to Ireland this past summer. During his nine-day excursion throughout The Emerald Isle, Mr. Cotter studied various cultural influences and the ways in which they impact Irish music. “Studying music-teaching with some incredible performers helped me to further define the approach we here at Ranney take with our students,” said Cotter.

Just two of many professional development opportunities presented to Ranney School teachers, summer study programs enrich student achievement, contribute to professional collaboration, and depict one of the many ways in which professionals at Ranney pursue opportunities to sustain the school’s culture of academic excellence. Comprised of some very talented student-performers and a well-educated and culturally enlightened Performing Arts Department, vocal and instrumental concerts at Ranney are sure to provide a sense of what is experienced during faculty excursions, as well as give a true taste of both history and international music.