The Lowell Center was bursting with creativity on the Friday morning before the start of March break.  The walls were adorned with paintings and drawings, the stage was filled with musicians and singers performing, and there were presentations of art work by DCD’s lower school students. The annual Lower School Visual and Performing Arts Assembly always delights the packed audience of fellow students, teachers, and parents! 

Mr. Claussen opened the assembly with a performance by the lower school band made up of students from grades 4 and 5. The Chamber Ensemble played a few selections directed by strings teacher Mrs. Nicholas.
 
Mr. Clifford’s woodshop students from grades 1 through 5 shared their projects, walking the audience through the creative process and some of the challenges they faced working in wood.
 
Students in grade 3 demonstrated their ability to collaborate and listen to each other as they played together as an ensemble using various Orff instruments along with drums, shakers, and gonkogui (double bells). The result was a well-coordinated and beautiful tune, Balifon, composed by Walt Hampton in a style similar to the music of Ghana.  
 
Selected students of Mr. Coakley talked about their work in the art studio, sharing examples of what they learned from pointillism to perspective drawing to logo design.  
 
Music students in grades 1 and 2 joined together to demonstrate their progress in playing the recorder. And, under the direction of Mrs. Glaser, the 4/5 chorus treated us to some selections from the Broadway musical “Oliver” by Lionel Barts.
 
Celebrating all of the creative endeavors that happen in DCD’s lower school was a great way to begin our March break. Enjoy a few excerpts from this special assembly by clicking the links below.