Community Corner
Kids at Kitayama Showcase Timeless Holiday Music
Students at Kitayama Elementary School revealed their musical side at the school's annual Winter Concert. For many of the students, this is their first time performing in public.
Nothing makes the holiday season more heart warming than witnessing children perform timeless holiday music.
On Dec. 8, the students of performed in their school's annual winter concert.
This year, two groups of kids went on stage: a recorder ensemble and a group choir.
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The students showcased classic holiday songs such as "Deck the Halls," "Jingle Bells," and many more.
Jeff Weissman, Kitayama's music teacher, says he used to have the music department all to himself and is delighted to collaborate with a new teacher, Amanda Kairys. Weissman has been teaching at Kitayama for about ten years and each year he picks up something new from his diverse students, he said. His job the night of the showcase was to make sure the kids feel at ease because for most of them, the show was their first time to be in front of an audience.
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And though most of the kids did admit to be nervous, everyone put their best foot forward to impress their families in the crowd. The school's multi-purpose room was packed with relatives and friends with cameras in hand, ready to capture the moment their little ones first stepped on stage.
The parents say children should be encouraged to explore music and arts to develop skills that would complement not only the kids' academics but their life skills as well.
Meanwhile, Kairys said having the kids celebrate the holidays through music brings the community together and delivers the holiday spirit no other form can.
And deliver the kids did.
Reporter Richgail Enriquez was at the concert with the sights and sounds of the Kitayama Winter Showcase.
