Students at Lawrence Road Middle School brought back the sound of classic holiday music, taking the stage with orchestra and choir performances during their winter concert held at Uniondale High School’s theater on Dec. 18.
The annual event has become a seasonal tradition in the Uniondale community, built over months of fall rehearsals.
The concert, which drew hundreds of parents, families and community members, featured more than 250 students, of all skill levels, from the middle school’s orchestra and choral programs. Ensembles included choirs from the sixth, seventh and eighth grades, an advanced choir and a full orchestra.
Between choral selections, students took turns stepping to a ground-level podium to introduce each piece, explaining its theme and musical elements to the audience. The brief introductions gave students an opportunity to practice public speaking while helping listeners better understand the songs being performed.
One student introduced “The Snow,” a playful and magical song in which one of the most recognizable features is a repeated musical phrase or rhythm called an ostinato. The note helps with a sense of motion and creates a “catchy backdrop.”
“We need some help,” choral director Juan Carlos Tavarez said to the audience. “We mentioned an ostinato, which is a musical idea. The idea keeps repeating, so I said ‘What if we include the audience?’”
Each time it was the audience members’ cue, he pointed in their direction while conducting at the same time.
“Considering we only have a few months to practice, students always rise to the occasion,” Tavarez said after the performance. “I think it’s a nice opportunity for families to really see the work that’s been put in.”
The winter concert marked Tavarez’s second year at Lawrence Road as director and teacher — however almost 10 in the school district — where he’s seen students grow more willing to step outside their comfort zones. He referred to one student who was unable to perform in the concert and had never sung in a choir before, but “he took that risk” anyway, Tavarez said.
The performance gave students a chance to build confidence and work collaboratively with classmates, he added.
Tavarez said the school’s choral program is structured to build skills gradually, beginning with basic vocal techniques in sixth grade and advancing to more complex harmonies and voice parts by eighth grade. Students selected for the advanced choir represent the highest skill level and are invited to participate by their teacher.
“I like to call it a level four musicianship,” Tavarez, who has taught in Uniondale overall for a decade, said. “Sixth grade is more about beginners finding their voice and matching pitch. By seventh and eighth grade and students are singing in parts.”
The concert also featured new elements, including a performance by the Lawrence Road Spirit Squad’s lyrical dance group, alongside the advanced choir. Performing as the “Holiday Angels,” the five dancers wore long white gowns as they spun gracefully across the stage.
Lyrical dance, a style that blends ballet and jazz, focuses on interpreting song lyrics to convey emotional meaning through movement.
Another memorable moment came when eighth grader Carter Nicholson led the orchestra in “La Ti Do Re,” a piece by Hebrew Canon.
Carter, 13, described his first time conducting in front of a live audience as “nerve-racking,” but said the experience became less intimidating once the performance began.
“It’s hard to look at somebody and then do all this at the same time,” he said, gesturing with the hand movements of a conductor. “Because I can’t multi-task very well.”
His opportunity to conduct was all landed by chance, he said. Tavarez had asked students who would like to be this year’s conductor, and while many raised their hands, Carter was chosen.
Although he had no prior experience conducting, Carter said music was already familiar territory for him. He previously played trombone in the school band, but said scheduling conflicts prevented him from participating in choir at the same time.
“In band, I feel like you’re not really seen as much, because you’re not in the front,” he said. “But in chorus, you’re all out — there’s not a lot of people too,” he added, noting that the advanced choir consisted of no more than 20 students compared to 12 last year, while the orchestra filled the stage.
“You’re seen by more people. And it’s just nervous to be seen by that many people in the crowd,” Carter said.
He wasn’t the only one chosen to lead a program at the concert. Stephen Mendez, a bass player, performed a choral selection of “Ding- a Ding- a Ding,” words and music by Greg Gilpin.
“We were truly proud, because he really kept that foundation, that bass part really going, Tavarez said. “He challenged himself in getting those higher notes that he was really scared about.
A favorite piece for both student and teacher was “Autumn Gives Her Hand to Winter,” with words and music by Keith Loftis. Tavarez explained that it was his favorite because of the imagery and connection.
“The lyrical component and you can truly see the imagery as you’re performing,” he said. “And I think the students really connected with those lyrics.”
Carter agreed, saying that he felt a connection to the lyrics that he couldn’t explain. Carter’s music career will be taking off, having been nominated by Tavarez to perform for the All-County Music Festival, representing Lawrence Road as its tenor.
