Schools Band Together Elementary School Musicians Entertain Families, Friends And Each Other At Annual Spring Spectacular

FOR THE RECORD (March 27, 1997): Misidentified: A Wednesday edition photo of student musicians’ Spring Spectacular showed conductor Kent Meredith leading the sixth-grade band. The conductor’s name and the students’ grade were incorrect in the information beneath the photo.

Minutes before the start of Spokane’s biggest musical event featuring kids, fifth-grader Christina Butler needed her viola tuned.

But when Ferris High orchestra teacher Mike Delaney examined the instrument, the routine job became an emergency. The viola had a loose fingerboard and couldn’t be played.

“Christina, the glue came undone at an unfortunate time,” Delaney said. “Unless we can find you another viola, you’re going to have to fake like you’re playing.”

Christina’s sadness didn’t last long. Organizers of the Spring Spectacular turned up a spare viola and the Longfellow Elementary School student ran back to her seat in the string section.

“Now I’ve got the butterflies again,” the girl said.

About 8,000 moms, dads, grandparents and siblings heard performances from 2,300 budding musicians from Spokane School District 81 elementary schools.

The concert, held Tuesday night at the Arena, was revived four years ago after disappearing for 20 years.

“Its heyday was in the ‘50s and ‘60s,” said Kay Feely, the program’s technical director. “But money ran out in the early ‘70s, and it was stopped.”

With a rejuvenated emphasis in music and art in recent years, school officials decided it was time to bring back the big orchestra.

Fifth- and sixth-grade string players started the evening by performing “Somewhere in My Memory” by Boston Pops composer and conductor John Williams.

All of the kids concluded with the theme from “Star Wars,” Williams’ most recognized composition. The young players erupted in cheers when Darth Vader made a cameo appearance at the end of the show.

“That was one of my favorite parts,” said Jill Grabowski, a fifth-grade viola player from Browne Elementary.

“I had fun playing Star Wars,” she said. “I still haven’t seen the movie, but I heard it was cool.”

Asked to sum up her musical ability, Jill shrugged, “I’m not very good, but I have fun playing.”

That’s the point of the show.

“It’s pure joy to be able to bring an experience like this to these kids because music education is such an important part of their curriculum,” Feely said.

Midway through the concert, Ferris High’s Matern Studio Trombone Quartet took center stage, playing for the younger students and the crowd.

The quartet is led by Dave Matern of the Spokane Symphony. Seniors Marla Meekholf, Bruce Fatz and Ryan Bentz round out the quartet.

“It’s great playing in this because we can see where we came from,” Meekholf said. “It’s also neat for the younger musicians because they can have something to shoot for - being on center stage.”

Later, Ferris sophomore Emily Chong and her younger brother, Hermann, a seventh-grader at Sacajawea Middle School, performed a mesmerizing violin duet.

Both kids have been playing the instrument since they were 5.

Ashley Salaz, a Woodridge Elementary sixth-grader who plays clarinet, spoke for many of her peers when she admitted being “kind of scared at first.

“But I like playing with all the other schools, and in front of all the parents,” she said.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color photo