My first grade students were privileged to attend The Queen’s Cartoonist performance on October 18, 2018. After receiving the email about our field trip, I asked my teaching partner, “Do we really get to go on a field trip?” These opportunities don’t come around often, so even the teachers were thrilled. The students were excited for a field trip with live music as well. We talked about how we listen to different songs at school, but getting to see the instruments and musicians in person can be more enjoyable.  Before attending the performance, some students listened to instrumental music at home so they would have an idea of what they would be hearing.  The whole morning the students kept asking me when we would get to leave. To say they were excited would be an understatement! 

Arriving at the theater, we were greeted by friendly volunteers that helped us find our seats. While my students waited for the performance to start, they were bouncing on their seats and moving around with excitement. They were looking at everything on the stage and talking about what they were seeing on the projection screen. When the performance started the students were in awe. They were anticipating eagerly what would happen next on the stage. My first graders felt like they were part of the show. Their heads would bop to the music and they would laugh at all the right moments. They were completely engaged. The music was interactive and I also couldn’t wait to see what song would play next!  When the performance was over I knew the kids were sad to leave. As a teacher, I was pleased that they enjoyed the performance and were able to tell me all about their favorite parts. In first grade, we are working on showing our students the importance of being a member of a community. We talk about the things we can do to help others and make Aberdeen a better place. From this experience, my students were able to understand that learning takes place outside of our textbooks and school. I am particularly glad that this was a musical field trip because some students do not get to experience that on their own. We are extremely grateful to the Arts Council for this opportunity and hope that they continue to bring experiences like this to our community in the future! Thank you for all you do!