By CHRISTOPHER KING
Moapa Valley Progress
In these divisive times, it can be difficult for people to get together and celebrate with neighbors. The student choirs from Grant Bowler Elementary in Logandale, Virgin Valley Elementary in Mesquite, and Joseph L. Bowler Elementary in Bunkerville used music to find common ground last week in an Area Music Festival held on Thursday, April 5.
This annual festival was hosted at Joseph Bowler Elementary School, thanks to the hard work and organization of Joseph Bowler’s music teacher, Lynette Leavitt. The Area Music Festival is sponsored by Clark County School District.
J.L. Bowler’s choir got the festivities off to a start, led by Leavitt. The songs that were performed were the folk song “Tumba” and “A Million Dreams” from the movie The Greatest Showman. The J.L. Bowler Choir left the audience speechless. The hosting group was clearly well prepared for the event.
Following their wonderful performance was Grant Bowler’s choir, led by local music teacher Trish Anderson. This performance was highlighted by the song “Riseldy, Rosseldy,” which took many in the audience back to their childhood and the Sing-a-Long movie Wee Sing in Sillyville. The Grant Bowler Choir displayed their love for music by giving a great performance.
Last, but certainly not least, Virgin Valley Elementary led by their music teacher Jenny Bennett took the stage. Bennett had recently put on a school wide production of 101 Dalmatians. So the audience was treated to the musical numbers from the play. The songs included classic songs from the Disney animated movie “Cruella De Vil” and “Kanine Krunchies.”
Once the students from Virgin Valley Elementary School completed their performance, the students from all three schools got together on stage to perform the song “I Love the Mountains” by Houaida. It was a wonderful song to end on, with a simple but catchy tune. All the students enjoyed singing together and it showed in their execution of the song.
“I thought it went really well,” said Lynette Leavitt of the festival. “Everybody was really well prepared and it showed. It was really great for the kids to all come together and sing and perform. It really makes this an enjoyable experience for everybody.”
Sue DeHart, Coordinator of Elementary Fine Arts for Clark County School District was also delighted by the event. “It is not just a chance to perform, it is a chance to cheer on neighboring schools and celebrate what others have done and share in their successes,” she said.
Trish Anderson added: “I’d like to thank Lynette for putting the festival together this year. She did a great job!”
