By Beth Wise, Program Director
It has been such an honor to work with Dr. Leslie Hart, who returned to Bing Nursery School this year after moving back with her family from Miami. In Florida, she ran and operated her Noise Lab classes, worked as a music specialist at a Head Start school in the predominantly Cuban suburb of Hialeah, and performed with the Naples Philharmonic, Palm Beach Symphony, and the Florida Grand Opera. As an accomplished French horn player, Leslie infuses her work with live performances and encourages children, teachers, and Stanford students to engage in music through improvisation and instruments. As a former music specialist at Bing, I was thrilled to sit down with Leslie to discuss coming back to the school and what she appreciates about being in the classroom again.
It’s been great having you back at Bing as the music specialist! What would you say has been the highlight of your year?
I’ve been most surprised by the peer-to-peer learning that takes place when children are given the opportunity to share music. They clearly have this ability at this age, and they are picking it up from each other and continuing to invent and create songs. One example of this was at the Bing sing-along, where a child sang a song they’d written about flowers. (Editor’s note: You can listen to the song at https://bit.ly/Bing-flower-song.) The next day, another child came in and wanted to share their song about flowers. The child had borrowed some of the music from the other child’s song, remembered the music, and composed a new song about flowers. This is just one example of many where children have clearly been inspired by each other. I’ve been surprised by how much revisiting happens in music at this age and how creative the children continue to be.
I notice that you’ve introduced many songs from other cultures, including rhythms and beats, which has been inspirational as you teach children how to gather and sing as a community. Tell me a little bit about how that’s gone.
I’m very careful about choosing repertoire, the body of music I feel is worth sharing. As I mentioned, you never know what direction it’s going to take or how the children will be inspired by the music. Therefore, I must be very thoughtful about what I choose. When I select something, I wonder if it will be popular or who will want to listen, so I may sing it again and see what sticks or generates creativity. I never know! For example, I recently sang a Korean song called “Song-aji” about a little cow that looks like its mom. I wasn’t aware of how many Korean speakers there were at the school, but seeing how the children embodied their native language and how that could be highlighted was beautiful! I look forward to introducing more tunes from other cultures; it’s all in the spirit of learning and appreciating the joy around music.
You organized and performed in an incredible Peter and the Wolf performance that helped relaunch the Bing Nursery School Performance Series after a long hiatus during the pandemic. Please tell us a little about that.
Yes! That was an exciting and fun introduction back to the concert series in February 2024. Peter and the Wolf is a classic, so I thought it would be wonderful and that many people would want to attend that concert, which they did. It was a huge success and a sold-out performance at Dinkelspiel Auditorium at Stanford. During the last week of the summer session, I read and sang the music from Peter and the Wolf three times in one session on the ukulele and the French horn. Children know the instruments, they know the animals, and they know the whole story.
I’ve heard the beautiful music coming from the yards outside when you’re playing your French horn!
Yes, it’s returning to the power of an excellent performance or a great tune that speaks to many children at the age of 3, 4, or 5, who are still revisiting it months later. Some of the children who started school this summer are just now hearing the story of Peter and the Wolf. It inspires them and will continue to, and I do not doubt that I will be reading that story for the rest of my time at Bing! It speaks to the power of what a concert can do to inspire children.
Looking ahead, what have you planned for the future?
We will start the year with a family concert on October 5, 2024, featuring jazz clarinetist Oran Etkin, who brings an unusual musical perspective. He has traveled the world, performing and learning music from various cultures. He integrates those experiences into his jazz, and he has a wonderful ability to communicate and share his talents with young children. On March 1, 2025, we’re excited to welcome my brass quintet, Emerald Brass, for a fun show featuring Mexican, Argentine, and Spanish traditional dance music with a story from 16th century Italian commedia dell’arte [comedy of professional artists]. Mark your calendars!
I’m also impressed with how you’ve inspired Stanford students who work and take classes at Bing to bring their instruments and join in your work with children.
Yes, I’ve supported a student playing piano, another who plays French horn, a vocalist, a saxophone player, and a percussionist. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Bing provides a beautiful model for teachers and students to learn in this amazing environment and bring their unique musicianship into it. I’m really excited about future possibilities too.
We are very lucky to have you back at Bing and look forward to an incredible year ahead!
Thank you. I’m so happy to be back!