Charity scavenger hunts? A trombone stuck on a shoelace mid-performance? Our Kindergarten-8th grade music teacher, Dianne, is an expert at navigating the unexpected and problem-solving on the fly both in and out of the music classroom. Scroll down to read more about the part of our upcoming March Spring Concert that she is most excited for and her love of creative pursuits!
What is one secret talent or expertise you have that you hope to one day include in your music classes at Saklan?
I used to participate in GISHWHES (greatest international scavenger hunt the world has ever seen), which was a weeklong charity scavenger hunt where each team completed as many curious, kind, and collaborative challenges as possible. This incredible annual event had me dancing in costume with friends in a supermarket, building a 4’ tall 120-sided die, and bringing eclairs with chocolate ladders to my local firefighters. One standout challenge for me was to play “A Little Help from My Friends” by the Beatles on four stringed instruments, but each instrument must be played simultaneously by at least three musicians. I rallied my summer camp crew, and we spent much of the time laughing through our creative struggles and successes. I would love to lean into this idea at Saklan, combining whimsy, compassion, large-scale building, and intense collaboration to make music in wonderfully weird ways.
The Spring Concert is a memorable Saklan event each year. What are you most looking forward to as you prepare to direct your first Saklan Spring concert?
To paraphrase Arlo Guthrie, “can you imagine 50 people singing in harmony; they may think it’s a movement!” I’m most excited to hear our whole school singing together in harmony.
With the MS musical, Shrek Jr. just around the corner, what is your favorite musical performance memory from childhood?
I was in a production of Guys and Dolls as a trombone player in the mission band. A small group of us would march down the theater aisle playing, while intentionally sounding like we couldn’t quite play. We then had a scene on the stage before we were meant to march and play off stage. During the scene I rested the slide of my trombone on my shoe, but didn’t notice the lever for the spit valve getting caught on my shoelace. When we were meant to play our way off stage, I couldn’t lift my trombone because it was caught on my shoe. I had to march off, keeping my leg aligned with my trombone while facing my friends off stage who were giggling hysterically at my comical walk. I love the unexpected challenges of live theater!
