It is rare to find a group of nearly 200 students filled with seemingly boundless energy — especially on a Monday.
Those who dropped by the Dowagiac Middle School auditorium Monday, though, witnessed exactly that, as students passionately sang and danced alongside a group of talented professionals, from early morning to late afternoon.
The youth, ranging from third graders to seniors, spent last several days working with a group of more than 40 members of international music education program The Young Americans.
The students will show off their newfound skills during a concert, which takes place at 7 p.m. inside the middle school performing arts center.
Tickets cost $10 for adults and $8 for children, and can be purchased at the door.
The members of the professional music group, who arrived in town Sunday, are coaching the students. The group will stay through Tuesday before heading to Niles, the 20th and last stop of its current tour in the Midwest, said Dowagiac Choir Director Jeff Robinson.
“They have told us Dowagiac has the biggest group of the tour so far,” Robinson said. “We are happy to have such a great turnout.”
After teaching the children in smaller workshops focused on building their skills in singing, dancing, poetry and stage presence, the Young Americans members assembled the students on-stage Monday to practice for Tuesday’s show. The songs and dance routines featured will showcase how music and the arts enhance other areas of a child’s education, such as math and science.
The show will feature 107 solos from students, selected by members of the Young Americans, Robinson said.
“The show has a well-honed tradition of finding students and helping them shine on stage — especially the ones who you would not normally expect to find in the spotlight,” Robinson said. “It is one of my favorite things about the program.”
This is the fourth time the group has visited Dowagiac, with its last performance coming in the fall of 2013. Nearly half the children participating in this year’s program have done so before in the past, the choir director said.
Watching students work together and pull off a professional level show in three days time gives Robinson an incredible feeling, he said.
“Many of the kids leave the program having learned some important life lessons,” Robinson said. “They feel like they have a voice, they feel like they matter.”
The Young Americans’ visit comes with plenty of support outside the school as well, including from members of the Dowagiac Fine Arts Boosters who helped feed students, as well as from homeowners who lodged The Young Americans members at their residences over the last several days. Robinson also thanked people and businesses that donated for student scholarships for the program.
“I am always blown away by the number of people who come together to support this program,” he said.
Like in previous years, the choir director expects a packed house for Tuesday’s performance, and recommended that people show up early to ensure they get good seats.
“It is very unusual to see this quality of show, so close to home, for only a few dollars,” Robinson said.