Historical Society gearing up for Fall Harvest Festival

By Kaysa Jalbert

There’s no better way, or better backdrop, to celebrate the arrival of autumn than at an event in Windham Center sponsored by the Windham Historical Society

The Windham Historical Society's Fall Harvest Festival
is a free family event being held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 7 at the historical society's Village Green
in Windham Center. FILE PHOTO

Members of the Windham Historical Society are hosting the Fall Harvest Festival for a day packed with old-fashioned family fun from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7 at the historical society’s Village Green in Windham Center.

Participants can look forward to a craft fair, food booths, fun games for kids, several crafters in pop-up tents and an assortment of local vendors. There will be three performances in the Village Green Gazebo throughout the event, one being the Maine Fiddler, Erica Brown and the Bluegrass Connection. Brown has performed as the opening act for Grammy-Award winning country music superstar Dwight Yoakum, and another legendary Grammy winner, Ricky Skaggs, along with collaborating with the Portland Symphony Orchestra and the Bangor Symphony Orchestra,

For those who like competitions, the Fall Harvest Festival will include a pumpkin carving contest, a pie eating contest, and a relay race, all with prizes available for winners that will be announced at the end of the event.

The Fall Harvest Festival is a first-time offering that the Windham Historical Society is hosting this year, but it is the goal of historical society members to make it an annual event in Windham.

“We hope that we can do this every year,” says Linda Lunt, Treasurer of the Windham Historical Society. “Many people don’t know who we are, and they don’t know what the Village Green is, so this is to show who we are and what we do.”

All Village Green buildings will be open during the festival for tours, including the Old Grocery that used to sit on the corner of Windham Center Road and Route 202 but made an historic move to the Windham Historical Society’s Village Green Living History Village on Oct. 30, 2020, where it has now become a living history museum that replicates a grocery store of the late 19th century.

“It’s just our past and it shouldn’t be forgotten,” says Lunt. “There are people my age who will come through and say, “I remember that!” or little kids that come through and say “wow!” and they don’t realize that there weren’t grocery stores and things like that around. We had to do canning and make our own foods and iron with cast irons, and it was very different back then. It’s nice to see their faces and see that they are getting a glimpse of the past and it’s nice to carry that on to our kids.”

The Fall Harvest Festival is a sponsored event that will be free to all ages with donations accepted throughout the event.

The Windham Historical Society purchased the land that once belonged to the Reeves family in 2010, when it included a house, a barn, a workshop, and a shed plus two acres of fields that abutted the Historical Society grounds. At first, the house was rented out for income as buildings started being moved onto the land. The South Windham Library was the first to move from its original location of almost 100 years on the Windham/Gorham town line to the Village Green.

Some of the old Reeve’s family buildings have been transformed, such as the Reeve’s Gun Shop that is now a genuine replica of a schoolhouse of the late 1890s. Windham students in grades 3 and 5 are given the chance to dress up and have living history classes in the schoolhouse.

A blacksmith shop was built on the land with the help of volunteers in 2018. The gazebo was added then in 2019 with hopes to host concerts or perhaps a wedding in this charming setting.

Most recently, in 2020, the Society raised $41,000 to fund the removal and relocation of the Old Grocery store from the corner of Windham Center Road and Route 202 to the Village Green grounds.

The Windham Historical Society aims to promote interest in the history of the town by presenting relevant public programs, providing educational opportunities, and maintaining historical facilities where displays of the towns past are available. <

Windham performer reflects on successful music career

By R.D. Frum

Con Fullam of Windham has been described as “Maine's musical maestro” because he combines lyrical genius and melodic magic to captivate your ears and win your heart. Fullam doesn't simply sing, he also orchestrates a symphony of passionate tales.

Musician Con Fullam of Windham has
performed with many bands and artists
such as the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, 
Aztec Two-Step, Razzy Baily, Gram
Parsons and Emmylou Harris. He is
also known as the composer of 'The
Maine Christmas Song.'
COURTESY PHOTO  

Fullam’s talent has taken him to stages around America and performances with legendary musicians and bands, but it all started where he grew up in Sydney, Maine on a gentleman’s farm.

“It was lovely and lonely,” Fullam said. “My closest peer was about six miles away, so I spent a lot of time by myself, and that’s where imagination comes in. My father passed away when I was 5 and so I inherited his ukelele, and that’s how I began to play. It was a huge help to me to get through some very sad times.”

Fullam’s entire family played music, further fostering his interest.

“My father played ukelele, my mother was a pianist and a voice teacher, my brother played the banjo and guitar, and my sister played the guitar, so we were a musical family,” he said. “Back in those days, I went to a Catholic school. I was the only kid without a father. It was a defining point at some level, but I found that I had something they didn’t have. I was the guy that played the ukelele, and then a four-string guitar, and it sort of set me up as somebody who could stand his own ground.”

Fullam would play at church and civic events, and he and his brother played together as a duo on a radio show that his brother had in Waterville. When Fullam was 14, he started a band, and since then he hasn’t looked back. Music has transformed Fullam’s life because it is his life.

“Sometimes lyrics come to me, sometimes melodies come to me. There's no real set process that I go through,” Fullam said. “Writing a good lyric to me is hard and writing a good melody is hard because as far as I know there hasn’t been an original song written in many millennia. This is a 12-tone scale and there are 50 million songs written. It's then a matter of finding something that is as best you can do and unique to yourself.”

He said that he’s written a lot of songs and on any given day one particular song sticks in his head.

“But if I finish them then I generally think that they're pretty good,” Fullam said. “At some point you get to a certain level where you can sort of tell when something's going to actually breathe or not. So, if they breathe and I finish them, then generally speaking they go into the repertoire.”

Fullam has performed with many other artists like the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Aztec Two-Step, Asleep at the Wheel, Richie Havens, Tim Harden, Razzy Bailey, and more. And he’s co-written a song with Rex from Aztec Two-Step, who is also from Maine.

One of Fullam’s favorite places to perform is Max’s Kansas City in New York. There were three up-and-coming clubs during the time Fullam played in New York: The Bitter End, Gaslight, and Max’s Kansas City.

“I got to play all of them,” Fullam said. “I just had some great shows at Max's Kansas City. There was a great audience, always. It was a small, 200-seat room, very intimate. I played there with Richie Havens, Gram Parsons, and Emmylou Harris. It was always a special moment.”

According to Fullam, if a musician goes into writing a song thinking that they want to write a hit, they should probably find another profession.

“A hit song is a rare and unusual accomplishment and I warn people that in this business if somebody comes to you and says that they know what a hit is, you want to run away because they don’t, no one does,” he said. “Why something is a hit and why something isn’t, nobody knows.”

Fullam said if you don't play for yourself and about yourself, then you're never really going to capture an audience.

“The audience needs to see that you're genuine, that the songs you play or you're playing are coming from your heart,” he said. “And if that happens then as a rule the audience will buy in, and you know there's nothing better than to have people come up afterwards and say this song touched them. I wrote ‘The Maine Christmas Song,’ which is obviously special to Maine, and 35 years later, I still get people coming out and saying how much it meant to them and that's a very wonderful feeling. I never would have written it without Bob Elliot, who was the muse for the song.”

He also wrote a picture book inspired by “The Maine Christmas Song.”

“The book came absolutely out of the blue. Bob passed away several years ago, and it was two years ago that I got a call from this young publisher who grew up with the song, and she and her mom were talking about it and her mom suggested she thought it would make a great children’s book,” Fullam said. “I would’ve never thought about that in a million years.”

During his career, Fullam has served as the executive producer of the PBS children’s series, “Ribert and Robert’s Wonderworld,” for which he co-wrote, and co-produced the music. His co-creation “The Wompkees” has also aired on PBS and is now distributed in more than 40 countries around the world.

In 2005, Fullam founded Pihcintu, a multi-national girls’ chorus.

“The obvious and most immediate challenge is you lose your voice, literally,” he said. “They are coming in speaking Arabic or Portuguese or French or whatever it may be. That's obviously immensely difficult, so I formed the chorus to give girls their voices back.”

Fullam has a new 2-set CD called “A Song, Paintings, and Portraits” coming out with 26 songs.

“All of the songs on there made it because they’re important to me,” he said. “Some of the songs go back 40 years and some of them are as recent as months ago just before I finished compiling the CD.”

That CD will be available at confullam.com <

Windham Summerfest promises to be a day loaded with fun

By Masha Yurkevich

Starting with the opening parade at noon Saturday, June 24, Windham Summerfest will continue to be a day filled with fun activities, music, and food capped off by a spectacular fireworks show after dark.

Windham's popular Summerfest celebration returns Saturday,
June 24 with a full slate of free activities intended to bring
unity to the community at Windham High School. Events
include a parade starting at 10 a.m. and fireworks after dark.
SUBMITTED PHOTO 

Deb Matthews has served as the chair of the Windham Summerfest Committee for the last four years and has been with Summerfest off and on since about 2007.

“Summerfest has always been a family-oriented event,” says Matthews. “Our goal is to bring multiple generations of families together to spend the day enjoying each other and our many activities.”

It has been a challenge to keep Summerfest running smoothly.

“I was involved in the beginning when the committee asked me to coordinate a craft fair for them. I was in charge of the Windham Athletic Boosters Craft Fair at that time, Matthews said. “My husband and I were involved for a few years. About 2013 it was running out of steam, volunteers were exhausted and they struggled to find committee members. They discussed cancelling Summerfest. The Windham Parks and Recreation Department and many others tried to revitalize Summerfest. They started us on the path we are on today.”

The general idea and motto of this year’s Summerfest is "Bringing Unity to the Community.”

According to Matthews, Windham Summerfest is a family friendly event, and all ages are encouraged to attend and enjoy a fun-filled day.

“Each year we try to bring in new activities, demonstrations, music and fun. I want to see our neighbors interacting with all our vendors,” she said. “We encourage each vendor to make their booth fun, attractive and enticing to draw people in.”

This year the crafter and vendor village is full of beautiful items to purchase, and it could be a perfect time to get some early Christmas shopping done.

“The best thing for me personally is that the entire event is free,” Matthews said. “Non–profits sell food to raise money for their individual organizations. I want you to come and spend the day. If you cannot afford to spend money at this time, that is okay, pack a lunch and come play.”

This year, Mrs. Maine will also be part of the Summerfest activities. Amanda Shute, Mrs. Maine America 2023, is an Auburn resident and says she’s excited to proudly pay homage to her husband's hometown of Windham at Summerfest. Shute was selected as the local title holder of Mrs. Auburn in May 2022 and was awarded the state title on April 3 during the annual Mrs. Maine America Pageant this year. She will compete at Nationals at the Westgate Hotel in Las Vegas in August.

“My year consisted of making community appearances to advocate and fundraise for several charities,” says Shute. “In June of 2022, I launched a non-profit called, ‘Get Cyber Fit,’ which is aimed to educate families on creating healthier online habits. I have proudly invested over $60,000 in services to the community within the past year, working with Educate Maine's Tech Night, ran several tables at Family Events, and built a social media page focused on online safety education.

Shute said that as Mrs. Maine, she has a wider reach to equip families with the knowledge to have safer online experiences.

Holding the title of Mrs. Maine America awards her the opportunity to carry out her dreams by paying her success forward and amplifying her community work, along with elevating the voice of other women and the causes they are passionate about in the Mrs. America Program.

Shute’s mission statement is "Pay your Success Forward" and she’s ready to participate in Windham Summerfest.

“I have used over a decade of experience to identify a need and use my knowledge to help drive change for such a critical and growing need,” she says. The Windham Summerfest Parade will help to celebrate Shute's community impact. “

You can follow Shute’s journey and show support on social media by finding her on Instagram @mrsmaineamerica2023. She is still working toward her fundraising goals and can be supported through Venmo @Amanda_Shute.

Keeping Kids Safe will also be a part of this year’s Windham Summerfest. Its founder, Michael O’Neal, served as a part-time Deputy Sheriff for the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department for more than 17 years, and founded Keeping Kids Safe in 2008. The organization offers personal safety training and teaches the Grip, Dip, and Spin technique that could help save the lives of children from predators.

O’Neal also teaches various other child-friendly and educational programs like Anti-Bullying and Internet Safety Date escape.

“We teach our kids the Stop, Drop, and Roll method for fire safety, but we never teach our kids what to do if a stranger might grab them,” said O’Neal.

Keeping Kids Safe became part of the annual Summerfest activities in 2015 and has been helping to educate the community about simple methods to keeping themselves and their children safe.

Summerfest is entirely free to attend and kicks off with the opening parade down Route 202 to Windham High School and will be followed by many fun activities, bands, food, games and vendors behind the high school. <

Raymond singer composes songs for Ukraine

By Masha Yurkevich

There is no one word to describe it, but if tried, there might be a few. Destroyed. Fear. Despair. The war in Ukraine is no secret to anyone. To us, it is far away, and it is difficult to just stand up and do something. But singer/songwriter Marilyn Redegeld Ross of Raymond has found a way.

Singer/songwriter Marilyn Redegeld Ross of
Raymond has written and recorded songs
supporting the people of Ukraine during the
invasion by Russian forces. She's hoping that
the songs will be picked up and played by
radio stations across Europe.
SUBMITTED PHOTO   

Redegeld, originally from Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, graduated from Framingham High School. Her first instrument was the violin through the orchestra program at school. She also loved singing and joined the school chorus beginning in middle school. In high school, she was practicing the violin and singing every day and decided it was time to choose between the two.

“But before I made my formal exit from the violin after learning that the orchestra program was being canceled, I pleaded with the music director that he allow me to perform a solo in the music concert,” says Redegeld. “He was reluctant but decided that I could do it on the condition that he would give me private sessions to practice for it.”

According to Redegeld, she says that she was fortunate that her school offered music theory and that she took two semesters of it which help her in her songwriting today.

“When it was time to think about college, I had a discussion with my music teacher and he said it’s very hard to make it as a singer and that I shouldn’t expect to make money at it,” says Redegeld. “I think that is why I did not consider it my primary study in college although sometimes I wish I had gone to Berkeley College of Music in Boston.”

Redegeld continued singing and taking classical voice lessons. She was also very interested in poetry and kept a notebook of poems where she would write about life, thinking that she could turn them into songs.

“My mother played the organ and bought a synthesizer keyboard which was new technology and I taught myself to play since I could read music,” says Redegeld. “My father was a singer and formed a group to play in nursing homes for twenty years and he would have me come as a guest to play violin or sing. My aunt played the pipe organ in churches for 45 years and would invite me as guest soloist. I
also sang for weddings and was in the Heritage Choral and in the chorus at Framingham Union College and Immaculata College in Pennsylvania.” At Immaculata college, she studied violin a little more and

also took piano lessons off and on.

“My mother was very supportive raising me as a single mother paying for my violin and singing lessons all through school and driving me to lessons and taking me to concerts and Broadway shows in Boston, which I’m very grateful for,” says Redegeld.

After having a family and her four boys became adults, Redegeld had time to start focusing on her goals again. She never stopped singing and does it every day. She sings everything from opera to jazz to rock.

“Before my mother died from breast cancer, she told me she hoped all my dreams would come true. And I took that to heart,” says Redegeld. “It’s never too late to make your dreams come true. I decided if I wasn’t going to make it as a singer maybe I can make it as a songwriter and sing my own songs.”

Last fall, Redegeld began writing songs starting with lyrics, putting in a melody and then adding harmonies with chord progressions. She then began searching for other songwriters to collaborate with and found a 20-year-old college student from Brunswick named Cole Orr. In late February the unthinkable happened; Ukraine was invaded by neighboring Russia.

“I have a friend from Ukraine who has family there so I would always ask him questions,” says

Redegeld. I was very alarmed by the disturbing nature of the attack and decided to write my first song for Ukraine called ‘Heart of Ukraine.’ I then realized there are so many angles to the effects of the war on the Ukrainian people and decided I needed to write more songs. So I wrote With the Light of Love which is about Ukrainians fighting for the right reasons: to defend their people, their country and their freedom and that the light of love - God and heaven - is watching over them.”

In collaboration with co-writer Orr, she also wrote “Up So High,” a song for President Volodymyr Zelensky and all the Ukrainian defenders that they will rise up and go down in history. Orr also teamed up with Redegeld on two other songs so far: “The Essence of You” and “Only Heaven Knows.”

All these songs and more can be found on Redegeld’s YouTube channel, Marilyn Redegeld Ross.

After several sessions in the recording studio, the songs are getting ready to be formally released.

“I played the synthesizer/keyboard for two of the songs, ‘Heart of Ukraine’ and ‘With the Light of Love,’” says Redegeld. “I also envisioned a cello playing in these two songs and was fortunate to find master cellist Ben Noyes to add his magic to them.”

Redegeld has two more songs for Ukraine. One is called “Back For You” about President Zelensky telling his wife that she needs to be safe and stay away from the war as he promises that he will be back for her when it is over. The other one is called “War Criminal” and one other ready to go to the studio.

“I feel like my songs are a gift to the Ukrainian people from God and I am the instrument to get it to them. It’s sad that I need the war to continue in order for people to be interested in my songs, but I think the war has gone on long enough that the songs have real meaning to a lot of people,” says Redegeld. “My challenge now is getting this music to them and continuing my mission and finish my songs for Ukraine in the recording studio. Ukrainians are beautiful people who just want to live free and have a quality of life like we enjoy here. They have suffered and witnessed unimaginable horrors that seem unthinkable today. I will continue to support Ukraine until the war is over. As my ancestors are from Europe and Finland, it’s the least I can do for my fellow humans.” <

 

Teacher reaches four-decade milestone as a Windham educator

By Ed Pierce

If the purpose of life is finding your gift to give to others, Nancy Cash-Cobb has certainly found her calling.  After more than 40 years as a teacher in Windham, she’s eager to get started for yet another school year, inspiring students through music at Windham Primary School.

Growing up in Portland, Cash-Cobb developed an appreciation for music at an early age thanks to her parents.

Nancy Cash-Cobb has been teaching RSU 14 students for more
than 40 years and is currently the music teacher at Windham
Primary School. She has taught music there since the school 
first opened about two decades ago. SUBMITTED PHOTO 

“We sang in the car a lot,” Cash-Cobb said. “My dad played piano and violin by ear and my mom played piano and sang in choirs all of her life. I spent my childhood attending concerts and musicals. We loved it.”

Her interest in music grew when she sang in the chorus and played in the orchestras at Longfellow Elementary School, Lincoln Junior High School and Deering High School. She made the decision to attend college and wanted to follow in the footsteps of her teachers by becoming one herself.

She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in music education and a master’s degree from the University of Southern Maine.

Her first teaching job was for two years in Sacopee Valley in Western Maine, but in 1981 she landed a job as an elementary school teacher in Windham, and she’s been here ever since.

“When I first came to Windham I taught K-4 at Manchester School, then Arlington School, Field Allen School, John Andrew School and the Kindergarten Center,” Cash-Cobb said. “I helped design the music rooms at Windham Primary School and have taught there since it opened.”

Through the years, Cash-Cobb has been a champion for music education in the school district.

“Music enhances our lives and has the power to fill our hearts with joy as no other medium can,” she said. “Music improves connections in the developing brain and helps our problem-solving skills. Music is truly the heart in education.”

She’s Orff music education certified from Long Island University, Hamline University and the University of Illinois, and helped found the Maine Chapter of The American Orff-Schulwerk Association in 1987. That’s an organization of American music educators dedicated to using, advancing, and preserving Orff-Schulwerk, a developmental learning approach to music education created by composer Carl Orff and German music educator Gunild Keetman.

Cash-Cobb has been an active member of the Maine Music Educators Association Executive Board for 35 years and in 1999 was honored as Maine Music Educator of the Year. She’s currently serving as the Co-Conference Chair of the Maine Music Educators Association and is a longtime member of the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 148 in Windham. In fact, the Maine American Legion honored her at their annual convention in 2017 as “Maine American Legion Educator of the Year for 2017.”

According to Cash-Cobb, professional development offered by the school district has helped her sustain her career as an educator.

“In my opinion, the secret to my teaching so long in one place is professional development and keeping current and up to date with the best teaching practices,” she said.

In a lengthy career filled with memorable moments, Cash-Cobb says that she’s extremely proud of her work with younger students and opening their eyes to a lifetime of music.

“I still get teary eyed when I hear my students singing,” she said. “My favorite concerts have been the exchange concerts that we do within the district, especially the third-grade chorus with the Windham Chamber Singers. We have been doing that one for probably 30-plus years.”

Under her direction, student concerts at Windham Primary School are the stuff of legends, with three nights of Christmas concerts performed each year. WPS students at each grade level also perform annual concerts of their own with first, second and third grade concerts taking place in March and the annual kindergarten concert performed each May. 

As for her own musical ability, Cash-Cobb will admit to preferring vocals above all else.

“I am first and foremost a singer,” she said. “I play guitar and piano. I grew up playing the violin.”

In case anyone is wondering, her current favorite song to teach to her students is "Elephants have Wrinkles.”

She said there are too many school administrators to choose from to thank for helping her during her career, but she’s grateful for all of their assistance and understanding.

As far as her own favorite musicians, Cash-Cobb said one immediately comes to mind.

“John Denver is my all-time favorite composer and performer,” she said. “I have performed many of his songs at weddings and other events. I also enjoy performing Christian music.”

Family and faith in God have also been instrumental in her long and distinguished musical career. She and her husband, Jerry Cobb, enjoy being actively involved in music for their church and their daughter Sara is a pediatric registered nurse.

The family supports her work as a teacher and when school is out for the summer they enjoy traveling together, especially to Disney World in Florida and to visit relatives out of state.

Besides music, Cash-Cobb also likes swimming or kayaking on the lake and spending time with her 2 ½-year-old grandson, Jacob.

“His father is 6-foot-4 and Jacob is nearly as tall right now as I am,” she said.

Her current principal at Windham Primary School, Dr. Kyle Rhoads, said that Cash-Cobb has left an indelible impression upon her students over the past four decades teaching in Windham.

“Even after 40 years, Mrs. Cash-Cobb’s energy and enthusiasm for learners loving music remains at an unbelievable level,” Rhoads said. “Her passion and care for them shines brightly. A mark of a wonderful educator. What a legacy our learners have had by her teaching.”

RSU 14 Superintendent of Schools Christopher Howell said that Cash-Cobb can take pride in what she has accomplished as a teacher and playing a part in their educational development while leading them to  an appreciation of music.

“We are proud of the work that Nancy has done over her 40 years in our district. I am truly in awe of the number of students that she has taught and inspired over her career as an elementary music teacher,” Howell said. “She has worked throughout her career to develop and foster a strong musical foundation in her students. Her dedication has set the groundwork that ultimately develops into the talented musicians that RSU 14 is known for.” <

Windham Chamber Singers adapt to digital holiday performance

Members of the Windham Chamber Singers directed
by Dr. Richard Nickerson perform songs during 'A
Maine Family Holiday' concert on You Tube. The 
group's annual holiday concert has become a tradition
locally but was forced to switch to digital-only
because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
COURTESY PHOTO

By Daniel Gray

It wasn’t easy to shift from performing their popular “An American Family Holiday” Christmas concert live to streaming a You Tube event, but the Windham Chamber Singers are pleased with the result.

 

In early October, ongoing pandemic restrictions Chamber Singers Director Dr. Richard Nickerson announced the change with the first performance available online Dec. 5.

 

To many in the community, "An American Family Holiday," is a traditional Windham Chamber Singers event that happens every year featuring various holiday songs and guest stars in the Windham High School auditorium. But the pandemic couldn’t stop that yearly tradition, it just led to the concert being performed digitally. And for this year, the concert was renamed "A Maine Family Holiday" to celebrate Maine's bicentennial celebration.

Nickerson said that the project was fun and engaging for himself and the singers.

To pull it off, each student filmed their part separately, and then sent the file to Nickerson to splice them all together. When completed, the result turned out to be a spectacular show with other guest stars spliced into the mix of songs.

During the hour-long video, host Kim Block showcased the Windham Chamber Singers along with special guests John Cariani, Con Fullam, and our own U.S. Senator, Angus King. For musical accompaniments, the Chamber Singers were joined with Daniel Strange and his wife Ashley Liberty, Robyn Hurder and Clyde Alves, Travis James Humphrey, and some former WHS Chamber Singers that lent their voices to the concert. Even the beautiful dancers at Maine State Ballet were included making for a gorgeous show for us at home.

According to Nickerson, all around, it was an amazing performance and a wonderful job of everyone who was involved and added their talents and stories.

A personal favorite song during the whole performance for Nickerson was toward the end with the song “O Holy Night,” with the reason being they had Chamber Singer alumni from all over the globe reach out to sing along. There were former graduates all the way back from 1991 to 2019, for which he was very happy to hear from. Other songs featured in the video include “The Maine Christmas Song,” “Jingle Bells,” “Lo How a Rose E'er Blooming,” and many others.

With the video now topping more than 3,800 views on You Tube and steadily climbing, Nickerson said it was originally intended to only have the video up on the Windham Chamber Singers You Tube channel for a limited time, but he had changed his mind when a snowstorm hit Maine and knocked the
power out of many homes.

Nickerson said that not only were Mainers viewing the stream, but he noticed people from all over the globe were tuning in to watch.

 

"I was monitoring the live feed, and we had people from all over the country watching. People from as far away as Mexico and even people in Europe,” Nickerson said. “It was very exciting to be able to interact with people from literally all over the world."

 

Even though the end results were something truly amazing, Nickerson said performing digitally t isn't something that he and the Windham Chamber Singers would like to continue doing. It was a fun process for them, but it just isn't what the Chamber Singers do. They all love the excitement and joy that comes from a live performance on stage, not exactly staying at home and recording on a laptop or phone.

 

Nickerson said he encourages everyone to watch the video and await the return of live performances by the group.

 

“It's a way to bring the joy of the season,” he said. “Even in a time of restrictions of what we can and can't do, this concert was certainly making lemonade out of lemons. I’ve got a couple irons in the fire for things that we might be able to do next spring, but we’ll have to see. The only thing that is predictable is that things are unpredictable right now.”"

With the holiday concert serving as the Windham Chamber Singers only fundraiser for the whole year, things were a bit different with the introduction of an entirely free video on the internet.

If you would like to donate to the Windham Chamber Singers, they have a website where there are several options of donating. Please visit windhamchambersingers.com for more information. <

RSU 14 middle school music programs shift focus during pandemic

Seventh-grade students rehearse for an upcoming
video concert with Applied Arts Coordinator
and Music Teacher Morgan Riley during band
class at Windham Middle School on
Wednesday morning. PHOTO BY ED PIERCE

By Elizabeth Richards           

Middle school music programs in RSU 14 have been altered this year because of the pandemic and CDC guidelines, but that’s not stopping students from learning and creating music in innovative ways.

Chorus has been put on hold at both Windham Middle School and Jordan-Small Middle School.

"According to the guidelines, if we were to sing together, we would have to have the kids spaced 14 feet apart, all wearing masks, and all facing the same direction. And if possible, be outside," said JSMS Chorus and Orchestra Director Rose Underkofler. "Singing in a mask is also very difficult as it's hard to take a very deep breath with masks on, and it's hard to hear yourself sing because there's really no place for the sound to go."  

General music and band classes have a different focus this year, since wind instruments can’t be played inside and sharing instruments isn’t possible. Morgan Riley, Applied Arts Coordinator and music teacher at WMS, said students are learning how to play percussion instruments one day each week.

In these classes, students work on rhythm, playing as part of an ensemble, and performing, essential aspects for all musicians, Riley said.  

In addition, Riley creates lessons/play along videos for students to use on days they are at home, to
allow students to play their wind instruments and keep their skills sharp.

JSMS music teacher Alex Adams also said band students are working on their instruments at home. On Fridays, they have a private lesson via video chat to help meet individualized goals.

“Some of that has been really great for individual attention and differentiation for students but for some kids it takes away the experience of being in a band with others and the joy of making music in school on wind instruments,” Adams said.

Instead of choosing instruments this year, JSMS fifth-grade students are learning pre-band skills through a curriculum based around learning popular music and rock band instruments, Adams said.

These unique times have led to a broader focus in music education.

“Music isn’t just Band or Chorus, though we hope those will be back soon,” Adams said. “It’s all
around us all the time and there are hundreds of ways to be a part of music.”  

Students are learning the technique and art of recording and editing sounds by working to create oral history podcasts as a class, Adams said.

“Students are going to be interviewing each other about the current moment in history and editing together a podcast with a script, student generated score and interviews that tell their own perspectives in their own words about this remarkable time we’re all living through,” he said. “Our work not only allows us to master some skills that are essential to recording and making music in a modern context, it also allows for some curricular integration with History and English.”

Underkofler said that sanitizing challenges that make teaching instruments difficult have led to more creating and composing in general music classes.

“Asking students to think outside of the normal general music box has been really interesting, not only
for the students, but for me too,” she said.

Orchestra classes are being held as usual, with students safely distanced. The biggest difference, Underkofler said, is the goal the orchestra is working towards, since they know there’s no safe way to have an in-person, live concert.

“We're working on these pieces and learning all of these new skills with the questions looming over our heads of ‘how do we showcase this to the community?’”

Underkofler said her goal is to have a virtual concert around the holidays to showcase student work and show the community that they are still making music during the pandemic. They may even create a combined piece with the orchestras from both middle schools, something a typical year may not have allowed for, she said.

In addition to a  fifth to eighth-grade video concert that will include filmed in-class performances of rock band songs and virtual bands made up of at-home recordings, they plan to release the oral history podcasts on streaming sites so the community can hear both the perspective about the world today and the audio craftsmanship of the young folks at JSMS, Adams said.

Riley said he plans to use the district videographer several times throughout the year to record
performance videos to share with parents.

While the pandemic has presented many challenges, educators also look for the positives.

“We've gotten the opportunity, even during this awful, uncertain time, to look at our program through a different lens,” Underkofler said. “We're getting to do these creative and new activities with our students that's giving them new knowledge of what music can be and how we can experience and create! We aren't trying to put a square peg in a round hole. We've just changed the board.”

Adams said students say the smaller class sizes are helping them understand the material better and have better class experiences.

“One student told me last week that they wished that school could be back to full time but with the same sized classes because they got more teacher time and felt like they understood the material better,” he said.

“The bottom line is that the student musicians of WMS are being given an outlet in music, whether they are playing the instrument they started with or not, and are eager to share their progress with staff members who pop in to class,” Riley said. “They are ecstatic to be able to make music with their peers
again. COVID-19 won't stop music at WMS.”

“Students are creating great work even while coping with an entirely new school experience. Parents, students, and teachers are all in a new and difficult situation and from my perspective we’ve come together as best we can and are doing some amazing things both in spite of and because of the situation before us,” Adams said. “I would say a big thank you to the community for rising to these challenges and supporting our programs.” < 

Windham Chamber Singers to present ‘An American Family Holiday’ concert online

By Elizabeth Richards

The Windham Chamber Singers holiday show, “An American Family Holiday,” is a much-anticipated community event. This year, the show will go on, virtually.

Dr. Rick Nickerson, Director of Choral Music at Windham High School said that his subject matter presents unique challenges this school year.

“Every teacher had to adapt the way we teach. In music, we were the only ones who had to adjust what we teach, which has been an enormous challenge,” he said.

Because of the pandemic, the popular Windham
Chamber Singers holiday show 'An American 
Family Holiday' will be presented virtually this
year and available on You Tube.
FILE PHOTO

The Chamber Singers have been especially challenging, Nickerson said, since it is an afterschool activity rather than a class. In classes, he said, students can do projects around theory, history, and techniques. They can also use a program called SmartMusic, which allows students to sing along with computerized singers and record their work.

Nickerson said that the Chamber Singers, however, are all about singing together, which is prohibited inside the school. Current guidelines allow for singing outdoors only, masked, spaced 14 feet apart. This year the Chamber Singers, who have traditionally met on Wednesdays from 4 to 7 p.m., have had virtual rehearsals and a couple of rehearsals on the baseball field where they can space out appropriately. The program is important to keep going, not only because of what it provides students musically, but also what it provides them socially, Nickerson said.

The baseball field rehearsal was far from ideal, Nickerson said. Even the wind made it difficult for students to hear each other. But the students were excited to be together and wanted to continue rehearsing that way. For some students who were selected for the group after video auditions in the spring, these rehearsals were the first time they’d been with the whole group in person.

Nickerson acknowledged that the ability to meet outside will change as the weather turns colder. Already, the rehearsals are much shorter than usual so students can be home before it gets too cold. They’re taking things one step at a time, Nickerson said.

“I told them the other night if we keep meeting these challenges head on, eventually when this is over we’re going to be a stronger group, and we’ll realize just how much of everyday life we’ve taken for granted,” he said.

Currently, the group is focused on creating a virtual version of their annual An American Family Holiday concert. For this year only, the concert is being renamed A Maine Family Holiday, and will have a Maine theme, in celebration of the state’s bicentennial.

The 90-minute concert will premiere on the Windham Chamber Singers You Tube channel at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 5. The program will include virtual choirs and much more.

“Now that we’re moving exclusively to video, while it limits what we can do musically, it also opens up some other possibilities,” Nickerson said.

His original brainstorm for the An American Family Holiday concert was to model it after old-time variety shows. A virtual show lends itself well to that format. Guest stars can participate much more easily since no travel is involved, Nickerson said.

Nickerson said they aren’t releasing names of guest performers, since they want the premiere to be full of surprises. “Some of the exciting things that are going to happen the students don’t even know about,” he said.

With a virtual concert, many elements must be ready earlier than for a live concert, since the editing process takes time.

“With a traditional concert we were working towards a specific date. With this, because it’s a video project of this magnitude, we’re going to have lots of different dates we’re working towards,” Nickerson said.

They’ll take it one song at a time, and the editing process will begin in just a couple of weeks, he said.

This concert is typically the Chamber Singers biggest fundraiser. Donation pages will be available for those who wish to contribute to the group towards future needs.

“I don’t know what the spring is going to hold, but eventually down the road we will be back to normal, whatever that normal is,” Nickerson said. “For me, normal just means we can have all the choirs in the choir room singing.”

While this format is certainly not his preference, Nickerson said, “We’re trying to make the best out of a terrible situation.”

 He knows how important the concert is to the community, he added, and has already received phone calls asking if they were going to do something. Nickerson said he’s very excited about what they are putting together.

“It’s going to be great. It’s not only going to celebrate our town, we’re looking forward to celebrating this great state of Maine,” he said.<

Dr. Nickerson semi-finalist for the 2017 Music Educator Award - By Elizabeth Richards

For the second time in four years, Dr. Richard Nickerson, director of choral activities at Windham High School, has been recognized as one of the top music educators in the country. Nickerson has been named a semifinalist for the 2017 Music Educator Award to be presented by the Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation. 

 

Nickerson was named a quarterfinalist for the prestigious award in April of 2013. This year, he is one of 25 semifinalists from an applicant pool of thousands from all 50 states. In December, 10 finalists will be chosen. The final winner will be announced in February 2017, and flown to Los Angeles to receive the award and attend the Grammy Awards.

“It’s a little surreal,” Nickerson said on Tuesday afternoon. “There’s a lot of excitement around here. The students are very excited.”  

The Music Educator Award was established to recognize current full time educators from kindergarten through the college level in either public or private schools “who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and who demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in schools.”  

Anyone can nominate a teacher for the award. Nickerson was nominated by another music educator, he said. Once nominated, educators are notified and invited to fill out an application that included both school data points and essay questions on teaching philosophy, Nickerson said. After being selected as a quarterfinalist, Nickerson was asked to submit three videos and a written resume. The videos detailed specific points such as teaching philosophy, how he has dealt with challenges, and an uninterrupted video of him teaching, Nickerson said. Now, as far as he knows, the only thing to do is wait for the announcement of finalists. 

Nickerson said he is overwhelmed with the support he feels from the community, especially the people reaching out in the past few days as word got out that he is a semifinalist. “It’s been very humbling,” he said. “I just continue to be so thankful and feel so blessed that I am so well supported by this community, and that they’ve enabled me to take risks, to try different things in this incredible journey that I’m on and bring my students along for the ride.”

Recently, the Windham Chamber Singers performed a nearly sold out show with a Queen tribute band at the Windham Performing Arts Center. “It was so different from anything we’ve ever done, and I think that was one of the things that the community was really into,” Nickerson said. The energy generated that evening was unlike any concert the students have performed, he added, with people literally dancing in the aisles. 

Nickerson has taught at Windham High School for 30 years. He conducts three choirs, teaches music courses, and is the music coordinator for the district. He is also the Minister of Music at North Windham Union Church. 

Nickerson has won many awards, including Maine Music Educator of the Year and Maine Distinguished Choral Director of the Year. In January 2009, he was named one of ten “choral directors of note” in the US by Choral Director Magazine. Nickerson has also been runner-up for Maine Teacher of the Year. Nickerson has conducted in major concert venues throughout the world, and made his Carnegie Hall debut in 1998. Last April, he returned to Carnegie Hall to conduct a festival choir made up of singers from Maine.

Nickerson and the chamber singers are hard at work preparing for the American Family Holiday concert on December 3rd, 2016. In April 2017, the group’s spring tour will take them to New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.