Fifth graders learn about Billie Holiday, sample jazz on Lincoln Center trip

By Malia McLellan and Emma Spencer, Student Life Editors

NEW YORK — Lincoln Center celebrated the famous jazz singer Billie Holiday when the fifth grade classes visited on Feb. 6. Billie’s real name was Eleanora Fagan. She chose her new first name from the actor Billie Dove and she got her last name from her father.

During the visit by the fifth graders, there was a jazz band at Lincoln Center, including bass, saxophone, clarinet, trumpet, piano, drums and vocals. There was a singer who sang some of Billie Holiday’s songs.

“I liked the field trip,” said Rowan Proffitt (5V). “I also liked that the seats were arranged in a way that everybody could see the stage. It was different then I thought it would be because I thought it was going to be more like Carnegie Hall. I think the vocalist was really good and sounded like Billie Holiday from what I heard.”

Nick Sarcinella (5M) said, “I loved it and thought it was good stuff. I thought the musicians would’ve been more active instead of just sitting on the stage. I think it was different than Carnegie Hall in a good way because it was less loud and freakish.”

“I thought it was okay, and I didn’t really think the lights were good and there were a lot of people,” said Josh Handleman (5v).

Brenna Rini (5v) said, “I thought it was really good, and I liked how they described Billie Holiday. I thought the lights were really pretty, and the music and singing was really awesome.”

This story also appears on the Colonial Times website.