Marlena Maura, a fifth-grader at Jefferson Elementary School in the Schalmont Central School District, had no idea that an essay written during a routine exercise in her music teacher’s classroom would end up being chosen among 24 others from across the country as part of the National Association for Music Education’s Music! Just Imagine contest.
Maura and the other finalists appear on a DVD for the National Association for Music Education’s `World’s Largest Concert `program reading their essays. The DVD is part of a sing-a-long concert linking students around the world through music, featuring music-related projects as well as songs.
`I was kind of scared at first because it was like I had butterflies in my stomach, but when I saw myself on the disc I felt relieved that it had already happened,` said Maura.
This fall, The National Association for Music Education, held an essay contest that asked kindergarten through sixth-grade students to write about the ways they were inspired by music.
Jefferson Elementary School music teacher Kathleen Bragle uses creative writing activities in her music classes, so she encouraged her students to participate in the essay contest.
`I’ve been here for 32 years, and I love to write,` said Bragle.
`I want the kids to really enjoy writing, and I love to have them write in the music room. I want them to be able to write in a setting where they know they’re not going to get a grade; where they can be as free as they want to be, and I think they’re finally starting to get it,` said Bragle.
Bragle makes sure students know that they’re not getting graded on their writing; she feels this allows the students to open up and express themselves freely.
`You can really see the tension leave their bodies [as they write],` said Bragle. `The theme is music. I put music on, and this is the stimulus and the objective of the lesson.`
Bragle picked three essays that her fifth grade students had produced and submitted them to the essay contest.
She said Maura’s selection as one of the finalists was `very exciting.`
According to Maura, it took her about 45 minutes to compose her winning essay.
`It just inspired me because I was thinking and she’s playing music ` that always helps me get a good writing thing going,` said Maura. `I started thinking of this world that only has music in it, and it’s always happy and it doesn’t matter what you do ` nothing is bad or good.`
In Maura’s essay, she brings to life a world filled with castles, dragons and magic.
`You have to believe that it is alive and comes to life. That’s my magic world. I wonder what yours is,` wrote Maura.
Maura said writing is a big part of her life.
`Maybe I’ll write about cats or something and then the next day I’ll write about two friends that play together every day and then there’s a problem,` said Maura.
`The World’s Largest Concert` program can be viewed by ordering a DVD through www.menc.org or on the local access TV station on Thursday, March 12. Check TV listings for times.
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