 
In January of 2003
the band department contacted Rita Grethen Jarrard to begin
a commissioned work for performance with the 6th grade bands.
The work, entitled Dance of the Happy Hippos, was
delivered March 1st. The collaboration was a resounding success
for the students in both rehearsal and performance, so the
following year the band department once again commisioned Mrs.
Jarrard
and
premiered
her second
work for CMS, Kaliedoscope, in the 2004 spring concert. The
following is the write-up that accompanied the spring concert
programs,
in
which
each
work
was premiered.
Rita
Grethen Jarrard grew up in Turtle Lake, WI and played clarinet
and piano. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Music
Education at Wisconsin State University in River Falls,
and a Master’s Degree at Michigan State University
in East Lansing. She taught music for 31 years, 27 of which
was spent in elementary band at Apple Valley. She retired
in 1998 and has since authored a series of elementary lesson
and rehearsal books now used in several schools throughout
the state, including CMS. Rita was commissioned by CMS
and the Band Boosters in January to write a piece for our
6th grade bands, The Dance of the Happy Hippos/Kaliedoscope.
She traveled to CMS last week to work with each 6th grade
band
and share
her insight in the musical world. She writes …
"Music
has always been so important and fulfilling to my life, and
that is why I like to share it either by playing it or writing
it. The greatest joy in my life is in helping someone else
develop both the skills and the appreciation for music. This
is why I loved teaching. The reason I began writing band
music for children is that the books I had to use for teaching
were often unnecessarily difficult, so I wanted to make the
learning for students easier and more enjoyable. I wanted
students to become comfortable with their instruments by
having all the notes and rhythms presented clearly and in
logical order. Then, in playing with a band, I wanted all
students to have interesting parts to play, because many
songs for band have very boring or very awkward parts for
some of the instruments. If the parts have nice melodies
or counter melodies, I know students play with better tone,
play better in tune and learn a better appreciation for the
music."
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