A Dark Ride and Danse Macabre
Last night I went to Joel P. Jensen Middle School’s first quarter band and orchestra concert. My daughter plays violin in the advanced orchestra. The concert was fantastic. My heart is full from the way students from many different backgrounds unite in a common objective to make music. Ava is my fourth student to be a part of the music program at JPJMS. All of my students’ middle school music teachers have been outstanding.
The band and orchestra teacher at JPJMS is Ms. Erickson. Her creativity and high level of engagement with her students was apparent during the concert from the way she introduced each group with their inside jokes to the way she let beginning band rename familiar tunes with Halloween themed titles. Ms. Erickson’s collaboration with the beginning orchestra to use the earsplitting sounds made while learning to play violin, viola, and cello to create an eerie soundtrack for a spooky story she read was 10/10. I loved seeing and hearing each group of musicians working together to make something so big and beautiful. I loved being part of the wildly appreciative audience.
The concert started at 7:00. We arrived at 6:45. There weren’t enough empty seats near each other for us to sit together. When the concert started there were no empty seats, and many people were standing in the back.
Have you ever been in the Kiva at JPJMS? The Kiva is the auditorium. It is shaped like the inside of a very large cube. There are big steps that students sit on during assemblies. Chairs are set up on the steps when families and community members are invited to attend performances. The stage is a hardwood rectangle on the southwest corner with curtains on either side that hide storage space and stairs to the hallway. When you go to find a seat in the Kiva you will probably walk past stage crew members and their advisor working the sound and lights at their podium. The first time I saw the Kiva in the late 80s I thought it was really cool.
About five years ago I attended a production of Guys and Dolls at Sunset Ridge Middle School to see my cute niece in her acting debut. I was astounded by the beautiful auditorium. I immediately thought of the difference between the facilities at JPJMS and Sunset Ridge and felt a little sad. (Watching the play made me feel much better!)
Joel P. Jensen opened in 1984, the same year I started ninth grade at West Jordan High School. At that time middle schools in Jordan School District were for grades 6-8. In 1987 secondary schools in the district were rearranged because of rapid growth. Sixth grade moved to elementary school, and ninth grade moved to middle school. This move was pretty disappointing for me because I was looking forward to having my younger brother join me (and our dad) as a freshman at WJHS for my senior year. He was part of the lucky group that attended middle school for four years.
Before I thought about the history of JPJMS I was upset that other middle schools had much better auditoriums (and other facilities) than JPJ. I thought the Kiva was cool first time I saw it because it was cool and fit the needs of 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. The newer middle school auditoriums that I compared it to had been built for ninth grade high school students. I understand why JPJMS is the way it is. I hope that the Kiva will be updated at some point to better fit the needs of the student body. Until then my advice is to arrive at least 20 minutes before a performance if you want to sit by your family.
