By Shirley Schrader
PORTLAND – Sandwiched between a cloudy Sunday and a torrential Tuesday, the students in grades 3, 4 and 5 from Rangeley Lakes Regional School were privileged to spend a perfect Monday at Merrill Auditorium with the Portland Symphony Orchestra.
This year the Youth Concert was titled “Sounds Like Art.” Weeks prior to the concert, students were invited to paint, choreograph, or write poetry while listening to composers such as Stravinsky, Beethoven ,Vivaldi, and Richard Danielpour . On the day of the concert, pieces would be chosen and displayed on the “big screen” above the orchestra during their performance.
To the delight of all of us the first and second place winners were Lauren Eastlack , grade 4; Autumn Skye Williams, grade 3 and an honorable mention to Amber Morrill, grade 5. The Rangeley contingency was proud of their accomplishments. As the hour-long concert continued our students were on the edge of their seats quietly playing air violins and cellos, clarinets and drums. They were mesmerized and totally involved as the Pirates of the Caribbean finale took them by surprise.
As if that wasn’t stimulation enough, the Rangeley Friends of the Arts arranged for a special visit to the Payson Art Gallery on the University of New England campus. The exhibition, Lullaby for Maine, by artist Rebecca Goodale was whimsical and informative at the same time. Her artist books of images of Maine’s rare flora and fauna were filled with color and patterns. The gallery itself, tucked away on the campus, is a hidden treasure with a stone labyrinth and permanent sculptures, which delighted everyone.
As the students discuss and discover creativity for the last quarter of the school year this was the perfect field trip to inspire them to reach for the stars. RLRS would all like to thank the Rangeley Friends of the Arts for having the vision to arrange, support and inspire our children to look to the arts as a reflection of life.
