Dear Mitchell Families,
Our work in the music room
has recently been focused on preparing for our celebration of the life
of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The students have learned songs about Dr.
King and the stories behind them. The songs include Lift Every Voice and Sing, Shine/Is a Light, and We Shall Overcome.
As part of our preparations, the students have been studying the life
and works of William Grant Still, known as the "Dean of African-American
Composers."
To really make this day come alive for our
students and the entire Mitchell community, we have two very special
guests joining us for our event: Celeste Headlee, host of several NPR
programs and former co-host of PRI's The Takeaway, and Grammy
Award-winning conductor and violinist John McLaughlin Williams. Both
Celeste and John will bring their performances and stories of William
Grant Still as an African-American composer living during our country's
challenging times. In addition to their participation in the school-wide
performance, they will both be spending time with our students in the
music classroom, for more personal interaction. Please see below my
signature for more biographical information on each of our guests.
Please join us on Friday, January 18 at 9:30 AM here at Mitchell for this celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's.
Sincerely,
Dan TollyMusic Educator
Mitchell Elementary
Ann Arbor Public Schools
