Practice, Practice: Instrumentalists Prepare for Upcoming Spring Concerts

After months of practicing, through numerous accommodations and adjustments in order to navigate myriad COVID-19 protocols, Middle and Upper School student musicians are nearing a grand spring performance that is sure to please. The students weren’t able to perform last year, so this one is truly a long-awaited event. Song selections will include a variety of traditional marches, blues, and a few other surprises. “The musicians have done an amazing job persevering through a host of challenges this year,” said instrumental teacher John Rising. “It’s hard to hear and see each other due to the multiple layers of PPE, which are vinyl barriers, bell masks for brass and woodwinds, and air purifiers, etc. The big take-away is that we have been able to play, thanks to the resources and support of the school.” Rising continued, saying that everyone is excited to play a concert live! “There might be some audience capacity restrictions and we will be using every inch of that stage to make sure the players are distant and that all safety procedures are followed. It was extremely difficult to send off last year’s seniors without a final performance, especially for the kids who had played for seven years.” Rising said he would love to see the auditorium packed with family, friends, and teachers this spring, but it will not be possible this year, due to social distancing and safety measures. Seven Hills instrumental spring shows will take place May 8, with the Middle School Concert taking place at 2 p.m. and the Upper School Concert taking place at 4 p.m., both at The Schiff Center.

Click here to view a gallery of photos of the Middle School instrumentalists during one of their many practice sessions. Look for a gallery of Upper School musicians in an upcoming Buzz!

DIY Chia Pets in Sixth-grade Art

Sixth-graders in Elissa Donovan’s class recently blended fun and function as part of an art class in which they created clay chia pets from scratch. During this hand building ceramic unit, students learned techniques for sculpting and joining clay to create animal figures. “Once fired in the kiln, the animals were soaked in water and coated with chia seeds which rooted into the textured surface of the clay,” said Donovan.

Virtual Art Show at Doherty

Doherty students will soon host a show featuring their works of art. Art teacher Kacey Watkins said she is preparing the virtual show, which will launch the last week of April. Proceeds from the fundraiser go to Cincy Book Bus, which is a mobile library run by local philanthropist Melanie Moore. “The book bus is coming to Doherty on Friday, April 23, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.,” said Watkins.

Music in Springtime

Pre-kindergarten students in Robin Wilson’s music class are enjoying various activities involving moving to the music of children’s songs, “Sleeping Bunnies” and “Rain, Rain Go Away.” Wilson said music and movement go hand-in-hand with early childhood students. The blend of activities allows young students opportunities to follow directions, build skills in fine motor development, and focus on rhythm. Wilson said the students also enjoyed moving and waving scarves to composer Frederic Chopin’s “Raindrop Prelude.”