Your Backstage Pass with Director of PMP Shanna Lin
Controlled chaos – that is how the PMP team likes to describe our program-wide events. Our latest concert, the Spring Concert at John F Kennedy High School in Paterson, included over 150 students who performed in 7 different ensembles, and rotated into 3 choirs. We started the day bright and early. Admin staff picked up equipment from the PMP office and arrived at the school to set up. Students arrived on a rotating schedule over the course of about 3 hours. Morphing from an instrumental rehearsal to a choir, we only took a break for lunch.
After a brief snack break, we were ready for our concert! We started with the instrumental ensembles and after each performance, students hurried backstage to pack up their instruments in preparation for the choir songs. Meanwhile, PMP staff and teaching artists were conducting, playing in the ensembles, guiding students on/off stage, and acting as stage hands, while resetting the stage and moving equipment around. To help us buy time during staging changes, some of our youngest percussionists played and riffed on some bucket songs, led by percussion teaching artist, Mr. Jay.
When the concert began, our youngest students in Pre-Orchestra kicked off the singing followed by two more choirs. And, of course, we ended, as we always do, with a tutti performance. All participating students and staff came together for a joyous, energetic joint finale! Their parents, grandparents, and family members were clapping and singing along, as the students proudly beamed at them. This time we ended our spring concert with “This Old Freedom Train”, an African-African traditional, that was performed in a 4-part round with a hand-drum ensemble.
After the concert, and lots of pictures and hugs to celebrate the last official event of the year, the PMP admin staff, teaching artists and volunteers loaded a truck with more than 100 instruments to be taken back to the office for inventory. A couple of hours later, after unloading the truck at the PMP office, we were finally done with our day!
As exhausted as we are at the end of the day, we wouldn’t have it any other way. Nothing compares to the fun and excitement of having so many students, so many ensembles and so many different types of music all being presented in the same concert. As we always say, it’s never a dull moment at PMP!
