Holiday Jamboree brings MUSD elementaries together

A mass choir the likes of which has not been seen in Maricopa in years will perform the morning of Dec. 18.

Up to 140 students from Santa Rosa, Saddleback and Maricopa elementary schools will present “Holiday Jamboree” at 9 a.m. at MES. The brief concert is a step forward in the director’s vision of creating a strong choir program to feed the middle school and high school.

Bill Gomez, director of bands, estimates it’s been a decade since MUSD elementary schools came together for a choral concert.

“They are so excited,” Gomez said. “Having a mass choir of 140 kids is amazing. A lot of the kids have never done anything like this. Other kids are seeing we’re doing fun kinds of things, and more and more want to join.”

The Jamboree is short and snappy with a repertoire of Christmas songs from the ‘50s, with one exception. The finale is a song by B.B. King called “Peace to the World.” Gomez said it is a response to the violence in Paris and “all of the horrible things happening around the world.”

The choir will sing the song twice and go into the audience to shake hands and pass out candy and have the audience join them in song.

“Hopefully it will bring joy and happiness to the audience,” Gomez said.

Other numbers are “Jingle Bell Rock,” “Dónde Está Santa Claus” and “Everything Christmas Should Be.”

Gomez has worked with the children at their separate schools, and within the school he has split them up in teams. He will bring them all together for a rehearsal on the last day before the concert.

“They’ll sing, they’ll have a little bit of dance moves, there will be soloists,” he said. “We want to kind bring back what it used to be.”

After the Christmas break, Gomez will work with his advanced choir. Students also know him as a club softball and baseball coach, and that helps them be comfortable doing what he asks of them in the music room.

“Where I come from, music is a big thing,” he said. “That’s something I want to start in Maricopa. Music is another language. That’s what makes it so beautiful.”

Gomez is in his third year at MUSD. He was a music teacher for 10 years in California, where he had sixth, seventh and eighth graders in a competitive marching band. He said he found that being involved in a music program keeps kids off the streets and gives them a place to grow.

“I try to teach kids that music is awesome for everyone,” Gomez said.