School Students Try To Put The Happy Into Happy Holidays

For the past few weeks, school students in many places have been practicing and performing this holiday season with music and song.

Many students, at either the elementary, junior high or high school level, had their holiday performance earlier this month.

It takes practice and music education teachers say the show is partially dependent on the number of students available, talent and willingness to perform.

For some, the Holiday performance may be a students’ first time in front of an audience.

James Themig who is a music education teacher at Sagebrush Elementary School in Sheridan, says an inexperienced performer could be nervous come showtime, and explains what he tells his students to help them get over stage fright. 

“I tell them it’s about them and I have to tell them they have to pretend that their parents aren’t in the audience, so that they can look at me the whole time, and be just as successful as they were in all their practices as they will be for the performance.”

Themig says planning for a school holiday show normally starts in September, a list of songs is ready by Halloween and practice starts in November.