What happens to sailors who fall overboard during a storm? If they’re smart, equipped with scuba gear, and the subjects of Boone Elementary’s first-grade musical, they explore the deepest depths of the ocean.
The sailors were “a little scared at first,” Boone Elementary’s first graders told their audience on May 7. But the seamen managed to overcome their fear and encountered an octopus, some chill sea turtles, a few toothy sharks, a crab, and other beautiful and mysterious creatures before returning to dry land.
The journey wasn’t always easy for the sailors, and neither was staging the Under the Sea program for the first graders. The production involved singing complex pieces, playing instruments such as thunder drums and glockenspiels, and executing creative movements. But Boone’s students rose to the challenge.
“Show days are always my favorite. They are so excited to show the people that they love what they’ve done,” said Boone’s music specialist Hannah Crowley. “Working towards a show that’s hard is really rewarding, for both them and me.”
Bringing the sailors’ adventure to life was a team effort. The program itself was inspired by a student’s love of the song “Under the Sea.” Crowley wrote the show’s script, the first graders created some choreography themselves, and a class of third graders drafted rhythmic compositions that Crowley used to tell the story of the sailors’ octopus encounter.
Kindergarteners crafted decorations featuring colorful stingrays, starfish, seahorses, sharks, and fish during their under the sea unit. Teachers, staff, and parents helped with everything from getting students back on beat during rehearsals to covering up windows on production day.
“It is a community effort, always,” Crowley said.
About 20 students had speaking parts during the musical. The first graders auditioned for the roles, and those who didn’t end up behind a microphone were given other special tasks, such as playing the contra bass bars, whose fuzzy mallets are beloved by students, or assisting with choreography.
The students’ melody about “super cool sharks,” which featured special shark sunglasses, was a hit with their audience. In another sequence, students explored the deepest part of the ocean thanks to black lights, glow-in-the-dark tape, and jellyfish with fairy lights.
First-grader Lilly Womble said that her speaking role was her favorite part of the production. She had worked hard to learn her lines.
“I had a sheet of paper that I took home and I practiced,” she said.
Musical programs are annual events for every grade of Boone students. The school’s fourth graders stage the most complex performance, which involves costumes and sets.
Parents Vanessa and Terry Thanos said that they were impressed with the first-grade show and called performing a valuable experience for students.
“It gets them out of their shell,” Terry explained. “And makes them feel like they’re part of a bigger group that supports them.”
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