1 Reason to Be Happy

THE SAN FRANCISCO SCHOOL SPRING CONCERT

                                    May 24th, 2017: 6th – 8^th Grades

         Musical Directors: Sofía López-Ibor, James Harding, Doug Goodkin

                        6^th Grade— World Music from Five Continents

1.     Dance Piece/ The Flower Vendor (Iraq and Yemen)—Arranged by Sofia

2.     Ricik-Ricik: (Javanese Gamelan)—Arranged by James

3.     Caballo Blanco (Chile)—Re-composed by Sofia

4.     El Viejo y La Vieja: (Nicaragua xylophones)—Arranged by James

5.     Shuhplattler: Traditional Bavarian Dance and Music—Arranged by Doug

6.     Spanish Frame Drums (Sofia)/ Bewaa (Ghana xylophone)—Arranged by Doug

 7^th Grade— Classical Composition from Five Centuries

1.     Villano: Gaspar Sanz Renaissance Piece (Sofia)

2.     Concerto for Two Flutes in C: Vivaldi (Sofia)

3.     Pavanne for Sleeping Beauty: Ravel (James)

4.     Ecossaisse: Beethoven (Sofia)

5.     Reel: Lou Harrison (Sofia)

6.     Range of Light: Original student composition for Gamelan, Orff instruments and violin (James)

7.     Adiemus: Carl Jenkins choral work (Sofia)

8.     Acapella Medley (Sofia)

9.     America: Leonard Bernstein: Original poems, choreographed dance and music. (James)

8^th Grade— Jazz in Five Styles (All pieces arranged by Doug)

1.     A Thrill from the Blues (Milt Jackson)

2.     Scott Joplin’s New Rag (Scott Joplin)

3.     Opus One (Tommy Dorsey)

4.     Comin’ Home Baby (Herbie Mann)—Dedicated to Miki Walsh

5.     Minor Swing (Django Reinhardt)

6.     Moonglow (Irving Mills, Eddie DeLange, Will Hudson)

7.     Grandpa’s Spells (Jelly Roll Morton)

8.     Chameleon (Herbie Hancock)

9.     Oye Como Va (Tito Puente)

 The breadth, the depth, the height of over 100 young people’s accomplishment last night was a wonder to behold. 1000 reasons to despair over the future, but this one reason for hope overpowers them all. The glorious legacies of the past, the kids’ extraordinary presence in the present, the imaginative possibilities for the future all held hands and danced last night, so beautifully, so tenderly, so powerfully. It will never be aired on CNN or Fox News, but the World will feel the ripples from its healing practices. And tonight, the 1^st through 5^th grade.

In Buddhism, a Bodhisattva is someone who has attained enlightenment and qualifies for leaving the karmic wheel of death and re-birth, but chooses to be reborn to keep working on behalf of all sentient beings. Legend has it that a group of them are meditating day and night in some remote mountain area. Nobody knows who they are or where they are, but it is their efforts that is keeping this world together and moving toward our promise of light and love.

I don’t want to claim too much for enlightened music teachers, but the feeling is similar. This is difficult, endlessly challenging, monetarily unrewarded and most publicly invisible work, but the healing effects for those who participate and witness it are palpable. If you’re within shouting distance, come tonight for the little ones and see and hear for yourself.