If the good vibrations emanating from the gymnasium of The Dorset School (TDS) recently are any indication, the future of music is in good hands. Middle school musicians held two live performances on December 13 to showcase their sounds. Fellow students from all K-8 grades made up the audience for an afternoon gig, followed up by an encore in the evening for parents and friends.
“These kids have done great work in class,” says TDS music instructor Dan Seiden, known by all at school as Mr. D. “It’s great that they have this opportunity to share. Thanks to all the people who put together this show.”
The concert kicked off with a performance by the Kitchen Sink Ensemble. The troupe is an eclectic collection of players on guitar, drums and keyboards. “It’s a group with various levels of musical skills and training,” says Mr. D. “Some have more experience, some have less, but they can all contribute to the music”
At the show they all joined in with their interpretation of Neil Young’s “Comes a Time,” featuring one member on vocals. They left the stage to cheers, applause, and fist bumps from the crowd.
Next up, a charismatic choral quintet featuring four girls on voice, with a fifth singer also supplying a pulsing drum beat. The crew commanded attention from the audience with a selection of songs ranging from the Celtic traditional “Evening Breeze” to Panic at the Disco’s “This is Gospel” to Billy Joel’s “Vienna.”
And since it was the birthday of Time Magazine’s Person of the Year, the girls couldn’t resist adding their version of Taylor Swift’s “Champagne Problems.” In a nod to the holidays the group included a medley of Christmas tunes featuring selections from the musical “Pitch Perfect.”
The TDS Middle School Band closed the show with three numbers including a rousing rendition of Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train” that brought the audience to their feet. In addition to pianos, drums, and guitars, the band adds woodwinds and a violin to the mix to expand the range of musical possibilities.
Both performances featured hugs, tapping feet, smiles and waves from the stage, whistles and cheers. The students basked in the adoration and showed confidence in what they had just done together.
In the words of a fellow musician, the recently departed David Crosby, “Music is Love.”
Drummer/vocalist Heidi Hehir-Matteson and vocalists (L-R) Ally Robillard, Ellie Cox, Jane Parent, and Ashley Francis performed songs ranging from a Celtic traditional to Tayor Swift's "Champagne Problems."
Matthew Francis jams on bass guitar in the Dorset School Band’s rendition of Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train.”
Music Director Mr. D keeps time as The Dorset School Band plays at the Dorset School Winter Concert.