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WILKES-BARRE — Students of the Lake-Lehman High School chorus walked onto a stage set up at the Wyoming Valley Mall, opened their music folders and began to sing the song “Why We Sing,” written by Greg Gilpin.
Yes, it was one of the songs selected for the evening, but there was more involved than students entertaining shoppers.
“This is 30 years of promoting music in our schools,” said choir director Becky Burdett. “Promoting music education, promoting student musicians ranging from all age, from elementary to high school and to college.”
According to Burdett, the event at the mall was part of NAFME, or National Association for Musical Education, which helps promote musical education in all schools.
The Lake-Lehman High School chorus sang seven songs, including the Leonard Cohen version of “Hallelujah,” a Christmas song “One Candle Lights the Way,” “Something About December” by Kristina Perri, “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost, a rendition of “Pretty Little Horses,” “Amid the Falling Snow” by Enya and “Why We Sing.”
Burdett said that, out of 70 students, about 20 were on hand to sing at the Wyoming Valley Mall. Performances were also offered by the Dallas Middle School choir, string ensemble and drama club students this week.
While this is not the first time the Lehman students performed in front of mall shoppers, it is the first time they performed at the Wyoming Valley Mall.
“We’ve been doing this event at the Viewmont Mall (in Scranton) for the past few years,” said Burdett. “Our kids locally in the Back Mountain area, I said I couldn’t get them up there as easily, and asked if we could go more towards Wilkes-Barre. A few emails and phone calls later and here we are.”
Burdett then praised the Wyoming Valley Mall staff for helping to set up a stage for the students as well as loaning a digital piano.
The students were eager to perform at the mall, especially for the opportunity of spreading awareness for music education.
“We’re coming to support the music in our schools month,” said sophomore Gerald Pender, 16. “I guess they’re trying to keep music in our schools as an active class. Some schools are cutting it due to budget cuts.”
Pender, along with freshman Kaelyn Adams, 15, and senior Bethany Taylor, 18, talked about preparing for events such as this and when rehearsals take place during school hours.
Adams said the best part about rehearsals is that they are held at the end of the school day.
“It’s a great way to end the day,” said Adams.
“I grew up with these kids,” said Burdett, who was the elementary chorus teacher for nine years before moving to the high school position. “When I first came to Lehman, some of my ninth-graders were my kindergartners. When we had staff changes, it was interesting that I had the opportunity to follow them and take them to the next level.”
While the idea to sing at the mall was part of NAMFE to support music education, Burdett said there is no lack of support for the music department at Lake-Lehman.
“We are lucky and I am very fortunate to have a lot of support from the administration at Lake-Lehman,” she said. “We have a lot of people who are willing to back the arts and I’m thankful for that. We have people in the administration who are musicians who get what we do, and I know that’s not always the case.”