Page 3-B m Thursday, January 27, 2011 • HERITAGE MEDIA/WESTERN REGION

By Joyce ErvinSpecial Writer

Alicia Upton and Shayla

Powell, instrumental and vocal music teachers at Milan Middle School, combined forces to cre-ate an entertaining and educa-tional afternoon with the first performance by the sixth-grade band and choir.

The school librarium was packed to capacity with fami-lies and students in kindergar-ten through second grade from Paddock Elementary School –– some sitting cross-legged on the floor near the stage.

Seventh-graders Allyson Sneed and Lindsey Burch greeted the youngsters as they arrived. It was a short walk from the elementary school to the middle school, and the children were bundled up with warm coats, boots, scarves, hats and gloves.

“I liked all the instruments,” student Cooper Trout said.

Upton cleverly introduced the students to the different sounds instruments produce and how they work together to make music. She used a meta-phor, explaining each instru-ment is a member of the band just as people are members of a family.

The musicians showed off their talent and their instru-ments by playing a scale so the younger students could hear the different sounds.

The flute was an example of the first member of the band family that sits in the front row and is a woodwind, Upton said. The second family member is the oboe, which has two reeds, she explained, before having Lily Feger play a few notes. Stephen Satarino demonstrated the clarinet.

Upton had the band play a few bars of “London Bridge” and told the children to listen for the clarinets.

The youngest instrument in the woodwind family, which is more than 200 years old, is the saxophone, Upton said.

Natalie White sampled the sound and the band, featuring the saxophones, played “Jingle Bells.”

Upton kept their attention explaining the instruments in the “brass family” have valves. Samantha Libby intro-duced them to the sound of the trumpet and then joined the band in a short rendition of “Skip to My Lou.”

Next came the trombones

and though there weren’t 76 of them, Chas Hall gave a good reason for playing one.

“I didn’t want to press any keys,” he said.

The children’s excitement seemed to grow, as did the size of the instruments the players held up, particularly the tuba. Upton said they were fortu-nate to have two tuba players, Dakota Droste and Simon Darling.

Upton cautioned them to listen for the tubas, and then the band played a few bars of the “William Tell Overture,” recognizable as the Lone Ranger’s theme song, played on the old TV western, Upton said.

One very interesting instru-ment introduced to the stu-dents was the baritone, which sounds like a tuba, has valves, but makes a lower sound, Upton said. Hunter Mellinger is the only baritone player. He demonstrated the sound.

The last member of the band family introduced was the percussion section.

“They play all the num-bers,” Upton said.

She then explained the bells play the tune and the drums play the beat or rhythm. Demonstrating, Daniela Page Sander played the bells, while Isaac Miller and Dylan Roe played the bass and snare drum.

The last lesson Upton taught was improvisation. Improvising is, making up music, she said. Henry Thiry on trumpet, Courtney Cole and Parker Glushyn on saxo-phone added that particular element as the band played “Hard Rock Blues.”

A Symons Elementary School student Seth Rose came to see his brother, Vaun, play the saxophone. Sharon Ost, a longtime Milan resident and graduate of Milan High School, came to hear her grandson, Victor Michaels, play. His younger brother, Duane, was one of the Paddock students. They are “a real saxophone family.”

“My husband played the sax and I was first chair when I was in school,” Ost said. “I taught my son, John, who was also first chair, how to play the alto sax.”

Upton praised the band, saying they had reached a milestone by learning to read sheet music in time for their first concert to play “Clash

Students put on musical performance

Photos by Joyce Ervin

Kyle Snyder, Hailey Roof and Lauryn Clark join, in back, Chas Hall and Amber Evans, sixth-grade band members, as they hold their instruments before their concert Jan. 12 at Milan Middle School.Right: Zach Miller and Blaze Thomas performed in the choir at Milan Middle School.

of the Warriors” by Grice and then turned the program over to Powell and the choir.

The choir didn’t play sec-ond fiddle, garnering plenty of applause in its own right. Accompanied by professional pianist MaryAnn Balduf, the choir sang in Hebrew, “Hine Ma Tov,” a folk song arranged by Henry Leck. They also sang a Russian folk song, “The Little Birch Tree,” which is sung to soft music, Powell told the children.

Powell explained melody and harmony to the students and had the choir illustrate sing-ing “Promised Land.” Singing harmony is not an easy task, Powell said.

The choir’s closing num-ber, a patriotic rendition of Joyce Eilers’ “My America,”

included solo parts sung by Zayhnna Pinard, Hanna Sielaff, Taryn Sommers and V’Niecia Dupree. This was the choir’s second performance.

Members sang at the school’s annual 2010 Senior Citizen Holiday Tea.

Zach Miller was anxious to get on stage and sing, but

he did admit to being a little scared the first time.

Joyce Ervin is a freelance writer. She can be reached at jlervin42@yahoo.com.

$140 to take classes through May 4. Classes will be held 4 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesdays in the Harvest Elementary gym. For more information, visit www.sali-neonline.org or call the Saline Community Education Offi ce at 429-8020.

■ “Karate – Kids Power” will be offered through Saline Community Education. The Kids Power Karate Program offers traditional martial arts training to children ages 6 through 12 and emphasizes self-defense, physi-cal fi tness, confl ict resolution, team work and anti-kidnapping techniques. The program is designed specifi cally for chil-dren and teaches prevention fi rst. Wear loose fi tting clothes. A responsible adult must remain in attendance during class. The fee is $35. Classes will be held from 6:15 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays through March 9 in Liberty School, Room 30. For more information, visit www.sali-neonline.org or call the Saline Community Education Offi ce at 429-8020.

■ “Karate – Little Ninjas” will be offered through Saline Community Education. The Little Ninjas Karate Program is an introductory karate class specifi -cally designed for children ages 4 and 5. It focuses on teaching children 8 years old focus, memory, teamwork, discipline, self-control, fi tness, balance and coordination. Wear loose-fi tting clothes. A responsible adult must remain in attendance dur-ing class. The fee is $30. Classes will be held from 5:30 to 6 p.m. Wednesdays through March 9 in Liberty School, Room 30. For more information, visit www.salineonline.org or call the Saline Community Education Offi ce at 429-8020.

Beginning Wednesday, Jan. 26 or Thursday, Jan. 27

■ Spanish will be offered through Saline Community Education for pupils in kinder-

garten through third grade. Students learn useful Spanish words, phrases and dialogs and have fun participating in every-day conversations. The interac-tive class includes games, songs, and culture. The class includes a review of the fall ses-sion and new material for new and returning students. The fee is $108. Weekly classes will be held from 3:40 to 4:40 p.m. on Wednesdays at Harvest Elementary or Thursdays at Woodland Meadows. For more information, visit www.salineon-line.org or call the Saline Community Education Offi ce at 429-8020.

Thursday, Jan. 27■ The Readers Bee will be

held at the Saline District Library from 7 to 7:45 p.m. Youth in fourth through eighth grades team up to match quotes with book titles. Prizes will be given to all participants. The program is free, but registration is required. For more information, call the Saline District Library’s Youth Department at 827-1245 or visit http://www.saline.lib.mi.us.

Sunday, Jan. 30■ A workshop with Saline

Fiddlers will be held from 2:15 to 3:30 p.m. at the Saline Middle School orchestra room. The workshop is free to enrolled stu-dents in sixth through 12th grades interested in learning to fi ddle. To register, call 1-866-257-5333, ext. 1. For more infor-mation, visit www.salinefi ddlers.com.

Monday, Jan. 31■ Take Off Pounds

Sensibly, a support group for weight loss, will host an open house. New members are invit-ed to stop by from 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. at the Saline Area Senior Center, 7190 N. Maple Road. For more information, call 429-3518.

Thursday, Feb. 3■ Saline Fifth Grade

Beginning Band Concerts will be held at Saline Middle School

Auditorium at 6:30 and 7:45 p.m. The concerts are free and open to the public.

Thursday, Feb. 10■ Saline Middle School

Bands Pre-Festival Concerts will be held at Saline Middle School Auditorium. The seventh-grade band plays at 6:30 p.m., and the eighth grade band plays at 8 p.m. Both concerts are free and open to the public.

Sunday, Feb. 13■ Auditions for Saline

Fiddlers will be held from 2:15 to 3:30 p.m. in the Saline Middle School orchestra room. To be eligible, candidates should maintain a 3.0 grade point aver-age and be enrolled in a Saline High School music class at the start of the 2011 school year. Violin, viola, cello, bass guitar, guitar, mandolin, banjo, dobro, drum set, piano and sound tech positions are open. To register, call 1-866-257-5333, ext. 1. For more information, visit www.salinefi ddlers.com.

■ The Kiwanis Club of Saline will host an informal Have a Heart dinner at the Saline American Legion Hall. Fun and fellowship will start at 3 p.m. with dinner at 4 p.m. Pre-sale tickets are $12 on a fi rst come, fi rst served basis. Ticket sales end Feb. 4, and only 150 tickets are available. The evening will

include snacks, door prizes, a 50/50 drawing and a silent auc-tion. Proceeds will benefi t ser-vice leadership programs. For more information, e-mail WJSDRS@sbcglobal.net, or call Dianne Schwab at 428-8976 for tickets.

Friday, Feb. 25 through Sunday, Feb. 27

■ Saline High School will put on the musical “West Side Story” at the Saline High School auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 25 and 26 and at 2 p.m. Feb. 27. Tickets are required. Call the high school at 429-8030 for more information.

Tuesday, March 1■ The Saline seventh- and

eighth-grade Pre-Festival Choir Performance will be held 7 p.m. in the Saline Middle School auditorium. The perfor-mance is free and open to the public.

MILANThursday, Jan. 13

■ Milan Area Evening Social after hours will be hosted by and held at Edward Jones, 525 W. Main St. in the West End Plaza. The social begins at 5 p.m. Winners of the Christmas

Parade Float and Christmas Decorating Contest will be hon-ored. The event is free. Reserve a seat at info@milanchamber.org or 439-7932.

Wednesday, Jan. 19■ Brian Shelby of Willis, an

expert in cemetery restoration, will be the featured speaker for the Milan Area Historical

Society meeting, 7 p.m. at the Milan Senior and Community Activity Center. Shelby has served as volunteer cemetery sexton for several years at Childs Cemetery on Tuttle Hill Road. The historical society meeting is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, contact Martha Churchill at 439-4055 or Shelby at 461-6140.

CALENDARFROM PAGE 1-B

SHOWCASE4100 Carpenter Rd., 734-973-8380

NP BLUE VALENTINE - (R)1:30p 4:15p 7:05p 9:45pNP RABBIT HOLE - (PG13)12:15p 2:35p 5:00p 7:20p 9:40pNP 127 HOURS - (R)12:30p 2:55p 5:15p 7:40p 10:00pNP THE RITE - (PG13)11:40a 2:15p 4:50p 7:35p 10:15pNP THE MECHANIC - (R)12:45p 3:05p 5:25p 7:45p 10:10pNP INSIDE JOB - (PG13)1:25p 4:05p 6:40p 9:25pNP NO STRINGS ATTACHED - (R)1:40p 4:20p 7:00p 9:35pNP NO STRINGS ATTACHED-RWC - (R)12:05p 2:40p 5:20p 8:00p 10:35pNP THE WAY BACK - (PG13) 3:35p 9:10pGREEN HORNET-IMAX - (PG13)1:45p 4:45p 7:30p 10:20pGREEN HORNET -DIGITAL 3D - (PG13)12:00p 2:45p 5:30p 8:15p FRI/SAT 11:05pGREEN HORNET - (PG13)1:00p 4:00p 6:45p 9:30pTHE DILEMMA - (PG13)11:50a 2:30p 5:10p 7:50p 10:30pSEASON OF THE WITCH - (PG13) 10:25pCOUNTRY STRONG - (PG13) 10:05pLITTLE FOCKERS - (PG13) 1:05p 6:35pTRUE GRIT - (PG13)11:30a 2:05p 4:40p 7:15p 9:50pBLACK SWAN - (R) 11:45a 2:25p 4:55p 7:25p 9:55pTHE KINGS SPEECH - (R) 12:50p 3:45p 6:30p 9:15pTRON LEGACY-DIGITAL 3D - (PG) 9:20pYOGI BEAR - (PG) 1:15p 3:30p 5:45p 8:05pTHE FIGHTER - (R)12:20p 3:00p 5:40p 8:20p FRI/SAT 11:00pTANGLED - (PG) 11:35a 2:00p 4:25p 6:50pHARRY POTTER:DEATHLY HALLOWS - (PG13)12:25p 3:40p 6:55p

STATE THEATRE233 State St. at Liberty, 734-761-8667

BLUE VALENTINE (R) FRI/MON/TUE/WED 7:15 & 9:30 SAT 5:00, 7:15 & 9:30 SUN 4:00, 6:15 & 8:30BLACK SWAN (R)FRI/MON/TUE/WED 7:00 & 9:15 SAT 4:45, 7:00 & 9:15 SUN 3:45, 6:00 & 8:15

MICHIGAN THEATER603 E. Liberty, 734-688-TIME

THE KING’S SPEECH (R)FRI/MON 4:30, 7:00 & 9:30 SAT 4:45, 7:15 & 9:45SUN 3:15, 5:45 & 8:15 TUE/WED 4:15, 6:45 & 9:15TODAY’S SPECIAL (R)FRI 4:00 SUN 5:30 & 8:00 TUE 9:30SOCIAL NETWORK (PG13) TUE 4:30 & 7:00 WED 9:30CEDAR RAPIDS (R) FRI 7:30OUR SCHOOL’S ET (PG) SAT 2:00

QUALITY 16Jackson Rd. at Wagner Rd., 734-623-7469

NP THE MECHANIC (R)11:45, 2:05, 4:35, 6:55, 9:15FRI/SAT LS 11:35NP THE RITE (PG-13)12:05, 2:35, 5:05, 7:35, 10:00NP NO STRINGS ATTACHED (R)11:50, 2:15, 4:55, 7:20, 9:45 FRI/SAT LS 12:05NP 3D THE GREEN HORNET (PG-13) $2.50 PREMIUM PER 3D TICKET11:00, 11:30, 1:35, 2:10, 4:10, 4:50, 6:45, 7:30, 9:20, 10:05FRI/SAT LS 11:50NP THE GREEN HORNET (PG-13)11:15, 1:50, 4:25, 7:00, 9:35THE DILEMMA (PG-13)11:10, 1:50, 4:20, 6:50, 9:25 FRI/SAT LS 11:55COUNTRY STRONG (PG-13)11:10, 1:35, 4:05, 6:40, 9:10 FRI/SAT LS 11:40SEASON OF THE WITCH (PG-13)8:45 FRI/SAT LS 11:00GULLIVER’S TRAVELS (PG) 4:15, 6:20THE KING’S SPEECH (R)11:25, 2:00, 4:30, 7:05, 9:40LITTLE FOCKERS (PG-13)12:30, 2:55, 5:10, 7:25, 9:40FRI/SAT LS 11:55TRUE GRIT (PG-13)11:05, 1:30, 4:00, 6:30, 9:00FRI/SAT LS 11:30BLACK SWAN (R)11:40, 2:20, 4:45, 7:10, 9:30FRI/SAT LS 12:003D TRON: LEGACY (PG) $2.50 PREMIUM PER 3D TICKET11:00, 1:40, 4:20, 7:00, 9:50THE FIGHTER (R)11:20, 1:55, 4:25, 7:15, 9:55CHRONICLES OF NARNIA:THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER (PG)11:20, 1:45, 8:25FRI/SAT LS 11:00TANGLED (PG)11:10, 1:25, 3:45, 6:15

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