We started school in mid-August this year, and I complained bitterly about it. My internal clock feels lazy in August and it is not until just after Labor Day that I get the urge to jump into the academic year. In addition, here in Southern California, August is typically one of the two hottest months of the year, with temperatures hanging in the high 90s or low 100s. I feel angry that our district which has cut funding for everything from nurses and librarians to classroom, music and P.E. teachers finds the extra dollars to shell out for the non-stop AC that has to run at that time of year to keep our brains cool enough to study.
At the opposite end of the year, we will be cramming all our year-end activities into the few weeks between Spring Break and the last day of school. Last year I was breathless from the breakneck speed of those last few weeks. This year will be worse.
The reason they have put forth for this backing up of the school year into the blazing heat of August is that the high school AP exams will align with college semesters, or something...I am sure I don't understand. But this year I have discovered my own reason to jump on board with the new schedule: "Jingle Bells".
"Jingle Bells" is probably one of the most recognized Christmas holiday songs anywhere in this country. The verse is a catchy little tune, but it is the chorus of this song that everyone knows. As such, it is a great song for beginning musicians to play. They know how it goes, it's fun and a little challenging, and-best of all- it has only 5 notes.
The thing is, in the old schedule, we would have about 2 months of classes- 8-16 depending on the school to get it down before Christmas. Sometimes we don't get the hang of three notes in two months, let alone 5. It is always fun to include it on a Winter Concert, but with only that many lessons, it used to be a stretch. Now, with the added month before the holidays, "Jingle Bells" is really do-able and rewards the work the kids put into it. Also, the nature of the song- its familiarity, the strokes they get at home for playing a song everyone knows, the little bit of challenge- is motivating and causes practicing to happen. They will be ready to perform it on the Winter Concert. And when we get back from Winter Break, they will be ready to tackle some real music.
Next year, when it's 105 degrees out and the lazy dog days of summer melt into the first days of school, I have to remind myself about this. I promise I won't complain, much.
