LAUREL HALL
San Fernando Valley
Laurel Hall is a small elementary and middle school in the San Fernando Valley. It’s affiliated with Emmanuel Lutheran Church of North Hollywood. All the students at Laurel Hall School learn to play soprano recorders in 3rd grade. A year ago, Ricardo and I gave a recital in the 3rd grade classes. Afterwards four kids asked me if they could continue playing recorders with me. We have been working together all through 4th grade. Since then, we have participated in several church services and school events.
It was one of the year’s highlights when the kids played Warlock’s “Pavane” with the Los Angeles Recorder Orchestra during a concert at our church.
Another highlight was their mini-musical “The Final Star Wars Episode: How the Jedi Knights Defeated the Death Star with their Light-Saber-Recorders”. It started with the kids wanting to play the Stars Wars theme melody. While we were practicing, they started to develop the story that the music caused the Death Star to spin out of control and disappear into the universe. They enjoyed it so much that parents helped by installing lights into Yamaha translucent recorders and providing costumes. After the first performance during a cabaret program, they were asked to repeat it on several other occasions.
The group is growing. Four 3rd graders have just joined us.
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