Lakeview Elementary, Oak Park Showcase Musical Talents of Students

Two grant-funded projects based on Igor Stravinksy’s ballet, “The Firebird Suite,” brought together students from Lakeview Elementary, a traditional K-5 school, and Oak Park, a school for students with special needs. According to a school district press release, the project helped students from both schools celebrate their similarities and differences and culminated in a musical showcase on Lakeview’s outdoor stage in April.

As part of the We Are Family Reaching Out project, Lakeview music teacher Karen Johns and Oak Park music teacher Karen Rochon collaborated on the musical production. Lakeview chorus students and an Oak Park high school class learned songs and performed for both school populations, the release said. In the weeks leading up to the event, Lakeview chorus students visited Oak Park after school to rehearse with and get to know the participating students. During the rehearsal students from both schools discussed their families and their musical preferences and practiced the songs.

The project integrated several subject areas, including music, art and the study of various world cultures and appreciation of people with diverse abilities and needs. It was designed to reach students who learn in various ways: visually, auditorally and kinesthetically. For example, hearing-impaired students from Oak Park sat in the front of the audience and observed the songs while their teachers signed the lyrics for them, the release said.

Lakeview second-graders wrote and read two stories in music class and took one home to share with their families. Their stories centered around the firebird, a well-known figure in Russian folk tales. Back in the classroom, they wrote their reflections of Stravinsky’s suite. They chose partners and created stories that included bird characters. According to the release, over the next several weeks, the same students were instructed by a professional dance teacher, Leymis Bolanos-Wilmott, artistic director and co-founder of Fuzion Dance Company. The dance performance was performed to the finale of the suite.

Also in the performance, Lakeview’s fourth- and fifth-grade chorus sang as the third-grade Advanced Recorder Ensemble played. High school students from Oak Park shared their musical talents throughout the program. Many Lakeview and Oak Park students, parents, staff members and representatives of the granting foundations attended the performance.