Gotham students spring into music

Students at Gotham Avenue School in Elmont celebrated the upcoming first day of spring by showcasing their musical talents on the morning of March 15. The school’s select group of musicians who performed for Founder’s Day in the district’s Jazz Masters program, in addition to its band, chorus, percussion and string ensembles, performed in front of parents and fellow students.

The musical show was performed by fifth and sixth-graders at Gotham. Under the direction of music teacher Daria Lemite, the band played selections that included Paul Lavender’s “Freedom Road” and Andrew Balent’s “Trade Winds.” Lemite also joined together with music teachers Anthony Pino and Dr. Patricia Benstock to perform “One Note Samba” and the sixth-graders used cups to create different rhythms in a performance of “The Cup Song.”

Gotham Principal Marshall Zucker said that the performance accomplishes more than just a celebration of the spring season.

“The idea of having a concert before the spring holidays is to give the musicians an opportunity to show all they have accomplished to date,” said Zucker. “It also gives the school a chance to hear and see the special ensemble group that performed on Founder’s Day.”