Framingham Fine and Performing Arts

Beware the Ides of March

The soothsayer’s warning to Julius Caesar in William Shakespeare's play of the same name: “Beware the Ides of March” not only stuck , it branded the phrase—and the date, March 15—with a dark and gloomy connotation. Bur in actuality, the Ides of March once signified the new year, which meant celebrations and rejoicing.

I prefer to go with the latter- so Happy Ides of March!

We are tracking it and as soon as it arrives we will get it to you! I will ask Andy or Diane to do little video demonstration of how it all works and we will share that as weil. Please use this week to meet with your admin team to brainstorm where band will meet on a full return. Maybe your space is large enough? Cafeteria? Outside? Will the Wifi work outside?

All things to discuss before April 5. You should certainly have real numbers to work with this week.

Take a moment and click on these videos- the joy of in person is palpable.

I would love to highlight a lesson from you in this newsletter that celebrates March as Arts in Education Month. Feel free to share them with me. We learn best from each other.

Band directors: I am giving Zoom Brass Clinics for the Eastman Music Company. I’ve done a number of these in the past few weeks, and the band directors and kids are absolutely loving them! The most common feedback I am receiving is that the kids are incredibly engaged and playing much more throughout these sessions than in their usual virtual/hybrid ensemble rehearsals. A long-term effect is that they (and band directors) learn an efficient daily routine. Eastman has committed to helping with this project, so I’m asking for very little from the institutions. Please message me if you are interested in setting one up with your middle school, high school, or collegiate brass players! Joseph.r.wilson@maine.edu

I will try to include Dr. Tremblay as well. I know he would love to see these lessons in action!

It's Boston Symphony Youth Concert Series Time!

This concert is available to stream from March 5 at 12PM EST through Friday, April 30. Please follow the link below to access the concert for your classroom:

Access the Youth Concert:
ACCESS THE YOUTH CONCERT HERE >

You can feel free to share this link with your students to give them access at home. The link goes out straight to the recipients with no need for Zoom.

Lesson plans and other educational materials created for this concert can be found here:

2021 BSO Youth Concert Supplementary Materials >

Both captioning and audio description for the 2021 Youth Concert are available, inviting audience members from the deaf and blind/low vision communities to participate more fully in the concert experience.

Thanks to Sarah, Ben, Andrea, Sam and PJ for a very successful PD on our STEAM lessons. I would love a virtual or in person invitation to watch you teach these lessons and I am certain PJ would love an invitation as well. YOU are the A in STEAM and these lessons truly support how your creative approach to teaching can benefit learning for all kids in all disciplines. Thank you all so much for your commitment and energy.

Finally, our friend and colleague Marcia Manoogian from Potter Road is out on leave for the next few months. Her principal, admin team and school based peers have been very supportive but I am sure she would welcome a card, call or email from her K-12 friends. Her address is 11 Blue Rock Hill Lane, North Attleboro, MA 02760

Congratulations to Chris Dupuis who was nominated by her colleague Sami Goldberg for a Thank You Educators recognition by Wenger Music.

"Christine has remained a beacon of light and hope throughout the entire pandemic"

Nominated by: Samantha Goldberg

Certainly well deserved and a very nice tribute from a colleague!

Last night at 7:30PM the FHSDC announced to 70 anxious actors and technicians that we will indeed produce an in person musical at FHS this spring. Shrek, the Musical will be presented on Memorial Day weekend. Thanks to the Covid Team, Dr. Tremblay, Principal Banach, Scott Penrod and the wonderful Linc Lynch for working with us on this. We will be outside on the FHS campus and Chris, Ethan. Lauren and I will be directing with all the Covid protocols but we will be together. We are hoping for approval to host a live audience as well but the show will also be live streamed. This is a crazy endeavor but the kids, the teachers and most especially our seniors are beyond excited. It is a fun and funny musical to bring us out of this dark pandemic and it has a powerful message-just perfect for now! Here we go!

Our three middle schools will also be producing shows this spring. Cameron is planning an outside production of Honk!. Fuller is already in rehearsals for a production of Badger and Walsh is planning a virtual production of You're A Good Man Charlie Brown. We have so much to look forward to. Thanks to our tireless directors, Teri, Olivia and Sheron.

Director, Fine and Performing Arts Department

Email: dwresinski@framingham.k12.ma.us
Website: https://www.framingham.k12.ma.us/Domain/74
Phone: 508 782 7770
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FraminghamFPA/