Rataj-Berard
While most students at Marquette Elementary School are out enjoying 30 precious minutes of recess, 50 are hard at work in the gymnasium.
Marvin Gaye’s “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” blares from a boombox, creating an echo between the wood floor and ceiling. For the Marquette Elementary School Show Choir, this is the last rehearsal before the final show of the year.
The choreography is tricky in this sequence. Still, 50 sets of arms spin with the precision of wind turbines in a pasture. The mighty, miniature voices travel out of the gym and down the hall, and pour through open screen windows onto Jenifer Street.
Under the direction of fourth-grade teacher and choir founder Carrie “Ms. B.” Beitlich, the troupe has swelled in numbers these past two years, attracting a cross-section of jocks, nerds, artistes and everything in between. The group has performed in programs across the school district.
“It really speaks to the power of music bringing different people together,” says Beitlich, who has taught at Marquette since 2005. “When we went on tour, I didn’t have one behavior issue. All the kids were so good. We sang the minute we got on the bus, we’d get off, perform, get back on the bus, and kept singing until we got back to school!”
“Ain’t No Mountain” comes to an end, and the gym goes silent. “Hold it,” Ms. B. directs. “Hold it...and...SMILE! Annnnnnnd good.” The group falls from their pose.
Singing and dancing at the same time, shoulder to shoulder on a crowded stage, is hard at any age. Getting in show shape requires teamwork of the highest order. Having the freedom to first fail is mandatory; it builds confidence.
“When we’re all together there’s no way to do anything wrong because you can’t really be judged,” says Will Spetz, a sandy-haired fifth-grader. “We’re all trying the same thing.”
“You get to learn songs your parents knew,” says fifth-grader Nikia Rowe. Sure enough, the next song in the rehearsal is Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors.” Ms. B. has woven American sign language into the performance for this number.
Ms. B. could be in the teachers lounge right now if she wanted to be. Drinking coffee and getting precious minutes of down time. But rehearsing now ensures that students who might not be able to make after-school practices can participate.
Beitlich performed in show choir at Onalaska High School. “It’s a gift that has stayed with me. It opened doors for me that I didn’t know existed.”
She’s talking about all the lessons of risk, teamwork and confidence that come with the experience. But there’s also the development of a singing voice — something that has, indeed, stayed with her. Just ask regular patrons at the High Noon Saloon’s Gomeroke shows. That’s where she belts out “Don’t Stop Believin’” like nobody’s business.
The last song of the show is the choir’s version of “Better When I’m Dancing.” Beitlich knows that for all the fun in dancing together, well, sometimes you gotta move your own way. So this number has a flash of freestyle in it. Dancers break out on their own, exploring the beat however it moves them.
“We’re all together. But we’re all different, too,” says Nikia. Will adds: “We all have ideas, so freestyle lets you do them. Dances that nobody else can do.”
Beitlich says potential can emerge on stage when it’s not always apparent in the classroom.
“At a time when we’re trying to close gaps, it seems that music and performance is something that we can use as an engagement tool,” she says. “I believe our little choir could be a model that could get kids of all backgrounds excited about school and being part of something big. Choir members can be leaders in a school, and that confidence can be powerful.”
Madison elementary schools with show choirs: Marquette, Sandburg and Mendota.
Number of Marquette Show Choir performances in the 2015-16 school year: 7
Number of extra dollars Beitlich is paid for hours devoted to show choir: 0
Marquette Elementary School Show Choir’s final performance of the year: Friday, May 13, 6 p.m., at the school, 1501 Jenifer St. The show is free and open to the public.
