Voices from Around the Globe Will Sing Along with the World’s Largest Concert® on March 13, 2008
Popular Event Sponsored by MENC: The National Association for Music Education Raises Awareness of the Importance of Music in School
RESTON, VA (February 15, 2008) — MENC: The National Association for Music Education will once again produce the World’s Largest Concert® in March 2008. The World’s Largest Concert (WLC®) has been the highlight of Music In Our Schools Month® (MIOSM®) since 1985, with one break in 2007 during which time MENC focused on events commemorating the association’s founding in 1907. As a sing-along concert that linked students around the world through music, the WLC reached an estimated 6 million students, teachers, and music supporters in recent years.
“Thank you to all of the dedicated teachers and state leaders who voiced their desire to see the return of the World’s Largest Concert,” said MENC President Lynn Brinckmeyer. “Once again, in March 2008, MENC members and their students will have the unique opportunity to participate in music-making with other students across the nation and around the world.”
The Hal Leonard Corporation of Milwaukee, WI, provides the vocal and piano accompaniment sheet music for use with the concert. “Music has an extraordinary power to make us feel joy, courage, energy, and even sadness, but what’s even better is that music has the power to bring people together,” said Emily Crocker, vice president of choral publications for Hal Leonard. “Hal Leonard supports teachers, students, and music education, and we are honored to be part of MENC’s World’s Largest Concert.”
The 2008 WLC will not be televised on PBS in 2008. Local public access channels may carry the show (check local listings). A DVD of the concert, featuring video recordings of school ensembles from around the nation, is available for purchase from MENC. Teachers are encouraged to play the WLC DVD at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, March 13, 2008, and to invite the rest of their school and members of their communities to attend and sing along. However, the WLC can also be shown at other times during March.
The concert program is “The Star-Spangled Banner,” “There’s a Song in Me,” “Fanga Alafia,” “Hallelujah, Get on Board,” “Hala lala layya,” “This Little Light of Mine,” “Spirit of America,” and “Music Rocks!” A free 2008 Teacher’s Guide, including the WLC vocal and piano music, lesson plans, activities, and more is available online at www.menc.org/wlc. Sibelius Music, USA is assisting MENC by providing the sheet music in a format that allows users to view, listen to, and print each piece all in one place — www.sibeliusmusic.com.
The school ensembles featured in the concert, all of which are directed by MENC members, are listed below.
Alamo Elementary School, Alamo, TN (Deborah McLean, teacher)
Bains Elementary School, St. Francisville, LA (Sally Hermann, teacher)
Ballard Elementary School, Bradenton, FL (Charlie Willis, teacher)
Canterbury School, Fort Myers, FL (Catherine Truesdale, teacher)
Cherry Valley Elementary School, Newark, OH (Cara Bieber, teacher)
Citrus Cove Elementary School, Boynton Beach, FL (Nicole Lee, teacher)
Doswell E. Brooks Elementary School, Capitol Heights, MD (Jerry Hill, teacher)
East Central Upper Elementary School, Ocean Springs, MS (Eric Funches, teacher)
Emma E. Booker Elementary School, Sarasota, FL (Francesca Veglia-Dansky, teacher)
Grandview Preparatory School, Boca Raton, FL (Joanna Craik, teacher)
Grass Lake Elementary School, Kent, WA (Patricia Deming and Sharon Johnson, teachers)
John M. Sexton Elementary School, St. Petersburg, FL (Katie Reynard, teacher)
Johnson Upper Elementary School, Westland, MI (Karen Danke, teacher)
Manchester Elementary School, Spring Lake, NC (Samantha Closz, teacher)
Mary T. Murphy Elementary School, Branford, CT (Christine Cohen, teacher)
Meadow Park Elementary School, Port Charlotte, FL (Sonja Rozier, teacher)
Meadowlane Intermediate School, West Melbourne, FL (Eldean Hagans, teacher)
Meadowview Elementary School, Selma, AL (Martha Harris, teacher)
Northbrook Middle School, Houston, TX (Mary Ann Drawl, teacher)
Parkwood Elementary School, Warner Robins, GA (Bonita Thomie, teacher)
Peace River Elementary School, Port Charlotte, FL (Angela Navarro, teacher)
Robins Elementary School, Robins AFB, GA (Sheila Clopton, teacher)
Royal Oak Middle School, Royal Oak, MI (Diane Mehringer, teacher)
Solomon Schechter Day School of Essex and Union, Cranford, NJ (Rina Maimon, teacher)
Southdale Elementary School, Kettering, OH (Rebecca Childs, teacher)
Sugarmill Elementary School, St. Marys, GA (Catherine Pickren, teacher)
Tommy Smith Elementary School, Panama City, FL (Sandy Rosengren, teacher)
Vineland Elementary School, Rotonda West, FL (Beth Morrison, teacher)
Vintage Math Science Tech Magnet, North Hills, CA (Sue Michiels, teacher)
White Rock School, Jefferson, NJ (Jan Courtney, teacher)
MENC: The National Association for Music Education, the world’s largest arts education organization, marked its centennial in 2007 as the only association that addresses all aspects of music education. More than 130,000 members represent all levels of teaching from preschool to graduate school. Since 1907, MENC has worked to ensure that every student has access to a well-balanced, comprehensive, and high-quality program of music instruction taught by qualified teachers. MENC’s activities and resources have been largely responsible for the establishment of music education as a profession, for the promotion and guidance of music study as an integral part of the school curriculum, and for the development of the National Standards for Arts Education.
###
