Richland One to Present Arts Advantage 2007
March will be a month of feasts for art lovers in Richland One. Every week hundreds of student performers will be displaying their talents in jazz, ballet, classical music, opera, the theatre or some other art form. This amazing celebration is called Arts Advantage 2007, a month long series of art event at schools throughout the district. A few highlights are listed below.
A gift to the community: Free public concert
Arts Advantage 2007 kicks off on Saturday, March 3 with a special gift to the community. Fort Jackson’s 282nd Army Victory Band will perform in a free public concert featuring the Lower Richland High School Chorus. Prior to the performance, musicians in the Army Band will conduct master classes with the high school’s band students. The concert begins at 7 p.m. in the Lower Richland High School auditorium, 2615 Lower Richland Boulevard
Hampton University Concert Choir
The nationally-acclaimed Hampton University Concert Choir will be performing with members of the District One Honors Chorus at Lower Richland Auditorium on Tuesday, March 13 at 7:00 pm. This concert is FREE and open to the public.
Operatic performance for fifth-graders and the public
Students from Eau Claire High School and surrounding elementary schools, in collaboration with the SC Philharmonic Orchestra and Maestro Nicholas Smith, will perform the children’s opera Noye’s Fludde (Noah’s Flood). This charming operatic version of the familiar bible story of Noah’s Ark was designed for young singers to play the animals that go onto the ark. The opera will combine professional and student musicians in the orchestra, a high school chorus, and college level soloists and professional singers.
Performances for district fifth-graders will be held on March 20 at 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. and on March 21 at 9:30 a.m. at the College Place Methodist Church, 4801 Colonial Drive on the Columbia College campus.
Public performances will be held on March 21 at 7:00 p.m. and on March 22 at 5:30 p.m. at the same location. Tickets are $5.00 per person and can be purchased at the door
National Anthem Project: Restoring America’s Voice
Arts Advantage 2007 will end with a patriotic bang. The finale event on March 31 includes having every Richland One student (numbering 25,000+) sing the National Anthem at the same time. This event coincides with a national movement to teach students the National Anthem and its importance in our history and culture. A recent Harris poll "found that 70 percent of Americans who know this song learned it in their school music classes. The same poll found that almost two-thirds of Americans don‘t know the national anthem, despite its ubiquitous presence at sporting events and other national celebrations." (Details about the time, etc. of this event will be provided as they become available.)
Every school in Richland One is being encouraged to plan an artistic event for students, parents and the community during the month of March. In addition to having a great time, the overall goal of Arts Advantage 2007 is to show the advantages of the arts in education. Research shows that students involved in the arts perform better on SAT’s, are more successful, have fewer absences and discipline problem, and are more successful in other subjects.
Webber Elementary presents its 3rd annual Spring Fling and History Fair
March 27, 6:00 p.m., Webber Cafeteria
The Webber Chorus will perform a set of springtime songs, and students in grades 3, 4 and 5 will present skits and songs based on units of study in their social studies curriculum. Time periods from the early South Carolina settlements through the Harlem Renaissance will be represented.
Students will also be performing dances relating to South Carolina and history, including the shag, the waltz and The Big Apple.
Details of individual school Arts Advantage events will be posted on www.richlandone.org as they become available. Parents are encouraged to contact their child’s school for more details. Media questions should be directed to the Richland One Office of Communications at 231-7510 or 231-7504.
