“Kettering has an outstanding, well-rounded music program that collaborates on such a large undertaking. Many schools, even if they have solid music programs, do not work together in such a fashion,” said Fairmont High School music director Brody McDonald.
The theme for this year’s concert is “Holiday Music From Stage and Screen.” The event will feature select band, orchestra and choral ensembles from Fairmont High School, choirs from Van Buren and Kettering Middle Schools, and musicians from Greenmont, Oakview, Orchard Park, and Southdale Elementary Schools. This adds up to more than 700 musicians in all.
The award-winning a cappella group Eleventh Hour will sing Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You.” The group has a history of success dating and the student-group several years ago appeared on NBC’s “The Sing-Off.”
The popular Disney movie “Frozen” will be included in songs by two soloists. “Do You Want to Build a Snowman,” from the same movie, will be sung by 200 elementary students accompanied by the high school orchestra.
These same youngsters will also sing “Hot Chocolate” from the Polar Express movie. The Fairmont Jazz Ensemble will perform “Christmas Time is Here” with elementary musicians. Southdale Elementary School will feature 41 students playing a special African-inspired holiday arrangement. The Fairmont Wind Symphony will perform “Sleigh Ride,” a holiday tradition for the past 20 years.
The Symphony Orchestra will perform “Trepak” from “The Nutcracker.”
This is the fourth year of the Holiday Community Concert. The concert is performed as an assembly for all Fairmont students at 9 a.m. on Dec. 18. The average attendance has been 2,000 in the past few years for the evening performance.
In March of 2017, Kettering City Schools was named one of the “Best Communities for Music Education” by the NAMM Foundation. It is the National Association of Music Merchants based in Carlsbad, California.
“We have received this award for the past six years consecutively, more than any other district in Ohio,” said Michael T. Burning, coordinator of music/director of bands.
The NAMM survey compares school districts across the country on dozens of criteria: music programming, funding, staffing of highly qualified teachers, and overall support from the district/community. The awards program recognizes the overall effort to make music education part of the curriculum.
NAMM and University of Kansas researchers also evaluate school districts on commitment to standards and access to music instruction. Only 36 Ohio school districts, a little over 5 percent, were given that distinction this past year. Troy and Lebanon were also in that select group.
About the Author