For the past few years, our music department has created concerts based on a theme — one usually tied to theme. This year’s winter concert theme is Nature and Music.

As part of the preparation for this concert, Dr. Peggy Ho’s symphonic band students are going to us an iPad to compose music that reflects the different habitats in the Wheatley Woods. The completed project will require people to enter the woods to be able to access the music using QR codes.  Finished pieces will be 3 or 4 movements long.  The goal is to create music that is inspired by the nature we have in our backyard BUT that also requires one to experience nature first hand in order to hear it.  The music will go hand in hand with the environmental experience.

On Friday, Mr. Steve Finkelstein (one of our science teachers and resident expert on the Wheatley Woods) gave the band students a history lesson on the land, information on the different landscapes and  species of trees and plants we have back there as well as a few musical making experiences using percussive instruments. This information will help these young musicians prepare for the project ahead!

(Thanks to Dr. Ho for the photos!)