Episode 242: Students Rockin’ the Stage at Copper Canyon Elementary School

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. They are having fun singing their hearts out and really rocking it, taking the stage at Copper Canyon Elementary School.

On this episode of the Supercast, meet sixth grade students who make up the cast of Schoolhouse Rock Jr. and find out how their Beverly Taylor Sorensen teacher is helping them bring down the house during their performances of this energetic show.

We're here at Copper Canyon this morning with our BTS Theater Specialist and a few cast members for the production that is underway right now. Thank you very much for spending time with us. Introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about what's going on.

Sheri Harrington:
My name is Sheri Harrington and I am the Beverly Taylor Sorensen Learning Arts Specialist here at Copper Canyon Elementary. We feel very privileged and honored to have you here. We were surprised at it. So we are getting ready to perform this week the production of Schoolhouse Rock Live Jr. We've been practicing this since October. It is a musical based on– a lot of parents might remember when they were young on Saturday mornings– the Schoolhouse Rock cartoons. I'm just a bill, yes I'm only a bill.

Anthony Godfrey:
And I'm sitting here on Capitol Hill if I'm not mistaken.

Sheri Harrington:
Yes, see what you learned from it.

Anthony Godfrey:
I do remember, yes I did.

Sheri Harrington:
Conjunction, junction, what's your function? And so what I love about this musical,

Anthony Godfrey:
Picking up wood and freezes and clauses.

Sheri Harrington:
See, you remember that from how long ago?

Anthony Godfrey:
Did I get it right?

Sheri Harrington:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.

Sheri Harrington:
And how long has it been since you have heard that song?

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, let's talk about that. It's been a very, very long time. Decades, many decades. Back in the 1900s girls when I was listening to that.

Sheri Harrington:
Way back in the 1900s.

Anthony Godfrey:
So what made you pick this particular production that stirs so many memories for me and for some others? Now our elementary parents are a little bit young to remember some of this, which is a jarring fact for me to embrace this early in the morning.

Sheri Harrington:
Yes, me too. Some of them remember them and are familiar with them. But of course a lot of them are a little young.

Anthony Godfrey:
Even the concept of Saturday morning cartoons where cartoons were contained to one part of one day of the week, as opposed to being continually available.

Sheri Harrington:
Right.

Anthony Godfrey:
Even that concept is a little bit foreign to most people at this point.

Sheri Harrington:
Right. Well, one reason I chose this musical was because it integrates theater with all of our core subjects. The musical covers social studies and math and science and language arts. So it's not just a singing, dancing, fun musical. It's a musical that teaches students about conjunctions. It teaches students about how it works as a bill on Capitol Hill.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now it is a singing, dancing, fun experience.

Sheri Harrington:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
But there is that side benefit of having some things burned into your brain.

Sheri Harrington:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
That are really essential and really important about government and grammar and everything in between.

Sheri Harrington:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
What is a favorite song of yours in this production?

Sheri Harrington:
My very favorite number is called "The Great American Melting Pot." And I actually get teary-eyed every time I watch it. I would get teary-eyed in front of the students as I was teaching them the song because it's a song that talks about – In fact, I have the lyrics right here. It talks about how America accepts immigrants and you simply melt right in. It doesn't matter what your skin. It doesn't matter where you're from or your religion. You jump right in. "The Great American Melting Pot."

And in this number, we have -- there's about 25 kids on stage and they're all holding a different flag, a big world flag from countries all over the world. And they sing this beautiful song. I've got one of the soloists here. Both are soloists. That's right. And so two at a time, they put their world flags in this big melting pot and they shake hands. And after all of the world flags are put into this melting pot, we pull out a big, giant American flag and wave the American flag with our hands over our hearts. It makes me teary-eyed talking about it right now. It's just, to me, that's so beautiful.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me, what are the experiences that you hope students get from being a part of this?

Sheri Harrington:
Well, you know, when we first decided to do a musical here, it's been at least 10 years since Copper Canyon Elementary has done a musical. And when we first -- my principal, Patty Bowen, asked if I would do a play, and it could have been a play. I chose a musical. I have a musical theater background and love singing and dancing.

At first it was going to be an audition basis with the sixth-grade students being able to audition for the show. And when I introduced the show to the sixth graders and asked how many of them were interested, at first there were very few because they're sixth graders. And especially the boys were like, "I'm not going to sing and dance. I don't want to -- you know? No, this is embarrassing."

So we decided that we were going to make it non-optional, the entire sixth grade. There was some resistance from some of the students who, you know, have never danced and don't sing. And to do something like this in front of people, you know, they were none too happy about it at the beginning. However, the more we've done it, the longer we've done it, they've really started to enjoy it.

I've had students who, at the beginning, said, "Can I just be on stage crew? Can I just be a tree?" And slowly, one at a time, they came forward and said, "Miss Sheri, can I sing the song? Can I say these lines? I would like to do it." And now the kids are fighting over, "No, I want to do it. I want to do it." I actually heard a comment the other day, some boys behind the curtain, and they literally said, "You know, I didn't want to do this at first, but it's actually really fun." And I was like, "Yes!"

Anthony Godfrey:
They thought the curtain was protecting them from being exposed to actually enjoying the singing and dancing. Well, that's great. What I love is that you're giving them experiences that they didn't really know they had in them, finding some abilities that they didn't realize were nestled deep within.

Sheri Harrington:
And most of them will probably not go on.

Anthony Godfrey:
Sure, it doesn't mean that they're going to be on Broadway.

Sheri Harrington:
Some of them might. I have some very talented young ladies here today. But, you know, whether this is the first and only musical they do, or whether this is one of many, I have witnessed these students become so much more confident over the last several months. All of them, actually, you know, just more confident in their abilities to perform in front of others, to speak in front of others.

We work on projection a lot. I don't let the students depend on microphones, even though we do have microphones to assist their voice. I really think it's important for students to learn how to project their voice and talk loud enough for whatever audience they're talking in front of. So we've worked on that, and students who have, you know, a naturally quiet voice have learned how to speak louder. And I think that right there is a very important skill to learn in life.

Anthony Godfrey:
Absolutely. It's an unforgettable experience with some skills that will carry them for a long time.

Up next, sixth-grade students in the cast of Schoolhouse Rock Junior talk about their roles and how much fun they are having performing this musical.

Break:
Hello, I'm Sandy Riesgraf, Director of Communications for Jordan School District, and we want to invite you to connect with us. So many exciting things are happening in your child's school, your neighbor's school, in every school here, every day. Don't miss out on following the fun or simply staying informed when there's important information we need to share. Join us at jordandistrict.org, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @jordandistrict. We can't wait to connect.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, let's talk with some of the stars of Schoolhouse Rock Junior Live. Introduce yourself and tell us what grade you're in.

Nadia:
I'm Nadia, and I'm in sixth grade.

Emma:
I'm Emma, and I'm in sixth grade.

Brynli:
I'm Brynli, and I'm in sixth grade.

Rory:
I'm Rory, and I'm in sixth grade.

Anthony Godfrey:
You were all giving sixth-grade vibes. I just have to be sure, you know. So tell me, what has it been like being in this performance for you?

Nadia:
It's been really fun, actually. I love to do my song, to dance. Like, performing is fun. Yeah, it's just been really fun.

Emma:
I also would say it's been really fun and kind of like an amazing adventure to go on. Because when I started sixth grade, I was like, this is mostly going to be like the hardest year of elementary school. And then we started the play, and it felt like it was just so much fun.

Brynli:
I also think it was fun. So, at the very start, I guess, I wanted to be in it, but like not actually sing or dance. But then, when the whole sixth grade is doing it, I still got cast as a singer. So, I guess, the more that I sang, the fun it was.

Sheri Harrington:
She's amazing. They're all amazing. I can't believe, I had no idea the talent of some of these students. I'm so proud of them.

Rory:
I think it was a lot of fun and exciting to be on such an exciting play, and getting to dance and have fun with other of my friends. And it was just a lot of fun being with them.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about your favorite part of your performance. What do you do in the production, and what's your favorite part?

Rory:
I like being with my friends and being able to have a fun time learning them and performing them after. One of my favorite songs is "Interjections” or “Nouns." And they're both the very first or last song, but they're really fun to do.

Anthony Godfrey:
Interjection. Yes.

Students sing:
Or emotion. They're generally set apart from a sentence by an exclamation point, or by comma when the feeling’s not as strong.

Anthony Godfrey:
Once you start, you can't stop. It feels good. That's awesome. How about for you? What's your favorite?

Brynli:
My favorite song is "Interjections," because I have a microphone on that one.

Sheri Harrington:
She's a soloist.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, great. How about for you?

Emma:
My favorite song probably has to be “Nouns”, because I feel like it's kind of a really fun number. And it gets you to know the teacher and all of the ideas that go along inside her mind. And also because I sing it, and I think it's really fun.

Nadia:
Oh, my bad.

Anthony Godfrey:
Go ahead.

Nadia:
My favorite songs are "Interjections" and "Unpack Your Adjectives," because I sing in that one. And "Interjections," I just love the emotions and the dance moves. It's just really like high energy.

Anthony Godfrey:
And introduce yourself and tell us what your favorite song is to perform.

Sheri Harrington:
Oh, hi, Nephi.

Nephi:
Hi. My name is Nephi Vilifiti, and my favorite song for the play is "Three is the Magic Number."

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, yes, “Three is a Magic Number.” I remember that now. You guys are stirring things way back in the cobwebs. That's pretty awesome. What do you like about that song?

Nephi:
I'm the father, and I have to pick up Elone.

Sheri Harrington:
We have about 95 students in the show, and so most of them have done the practicing and the rehearsal during their theater rotation times. However, the soloists come very early in the morning, and they're here by 7.50. So – school starts at 8.35?

Students:
8.55.

Sheri Harrington:
8.55. So, you know, they're here almost an hour early. And Nephi shows up every day very early just to say, you know, "Ms. Sheri, what can I do to help you get ready for rehearsal this morning?" So I've just been impressed with the dedication and the hard work from these students. They really have worked hard.

Rory plays the part of the teacher. There are ten musical numbers in this show with some dialogue in between each number, and Rory literally is on stage from the beginning to the end. She dances every musical number and sings every number, and she doesn't stop. She doesn't get a break.

Rory:
Well, I don't do “American Melting Pot”, I just sit on the stage.

Sheri Harrington:
Yeah, I gave her a break. But you're there.

Anthony Godfrey:
So are there particular teachers that you've known over the years that you're kind of channeling and using as inspiration when you try to play a teacher?

Rory:
Well, my mom's a dance teacher at Copper Hills.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, okay. Awesome.

Rory:
Yeah, so I know, and that's where I got my costume. She brought some of the things home from school because she has a lot of costumes that she doesn't use. So we've got a lot of things that we don't need.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's awesome. What is it like being in a production in sixth grade like this?

Nadia:
At first, it was kind of like embarrassing because I don't really like to perform in front of other people. But I mean, when I got cast to the role to sing, I just decided, like, okay, I'm going to sing so I can't be nervous anymore. And during this, I've gotten more confidence. So I think I might join some more plays or musicals over time.

Anthony Godfrey:
Great.

Emma:
Well, it's kind of like Nadia said. I got a lot more confident with this because I don't know. It just helps me feel like I can perform on stage without being nervous.

Nephi:
Very embarrassing because, like, whenever I got put to be the dad for “Three is the Magic Number”, I felt really nervous because, like, “Oh, what if I drop Elone? What if he doesn't run into me?” Or like, “Oh, what if I just let him go or something?” And that, like, made me scared because there's, like, more than 400 people that's coming and, like, I can't mess up. So then I practiced with my little brother. So it's easier now.

Sheri Harrington:
What Nephi is talking about is in this number, he plays a dad and one of the other sixth-grade boys plays a baby. And so at the end of this number, the sixth-grade boy, this other one, Elone, runs and jumps in Nephi's arms. So Nephi has to catch him. And so he was worried about dropping him. But he's doing a great job. I cast him as a dad because I knew he was very strong and he could do it.

Anthony Godfrey:
All right. Stand up. Give me kind of a dad stance. Show me how you -- wow. That is good dad energy right there. That's really good. You guys, you all, all five of you have some real poise and the confidence really comes through just as I'm sitting here talking with you. So those 400 people are in for a treat. This is really exciting. I'm thrilled for you guys that you get the opportunity to learn from Miss Sheri and you're getting such great skills and experiences from it. So thank you for letting me talk with you about this. This is really exciting. And I know these performances are going to be awesome. Is there a song that you all sing that we could hear a little snippet of?

Student:
We're all in “Nouns.”

Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now, if I recall, a noun is a person, place or thing if I'm not mistaken, right? All right. Let's hear it.

Sheri Harrington:
All right. Emma, take it away.

Students singing:
A noun's a person you can know
or any place that you can go
or anything that you can show.
You know they're nouns.

A noun's a special kind of word.
It's any name you've ever heard
I find it quite interesting.
A noun's a person, place or thing.

Oh, I took a train, took a train to another state.
Choo choo.
The flora and fauna I saw were really great.
We saw some bandits chasing the train,
I was wishing I was back home again.
I took a train, took a train to another state.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, that brings back a lot of memories. That sounds fantastic. I don't know why taking a train, taking a train to another state brings back memories like it does. But, wow, I am right back in Terre Haute, Indiana, sitting in front of the TV watching Saturday morning cartoons. You guys are going to transport people, you're going to teach people, and they're going to have a blast. And you, I know, are going to have a blast as well performing. So thank you for letting me sit and talk with you about this and have a great time.

Sheri Harrington:
Thank you for coming and talking to us. We feel very honored and privileged and we appreciate your time.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thank you very much.

Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, education is the most important thing you will do today. We'll see you out there.