OLL kids full of 'Glee' this season

Third, fourth and fifth graders at Our Lady of Lourdes School in Malverne recently embarked on an exploration of oft-overlooked instruments: their voices.

Acting on a suggestion from OLL Principal Mary Carmel Murphy, music teacher Helen Mochwart asked students if they’d be interested in starting a glee club; When she received an overwhelmingly positive response last month, the club was born.

“The children seemed to want that kind of an organization, so we went with it,” Mochwart recently told the Herald. “They seemed to be very excited about it and I think that the show ‘Glee,’ the popularity of that show — they all want to be like that show. So, I said, ‘I don’t think it’s going to be quite like that show,’ but they seem to be very interested in it anyway.”

Although still new, the glee club, which practices for half an hour on Thursdays and Fridays, has already put on several performances, included one on Dec. 4 at the Lighting of Malverne and at liturgies and prayer services. The club’s 25 members will also sing in the school’s upcoming spring concert.

“That’s just for starters, for the first year,” said Mochwart, whose been teaching at OLL since 1992. “And then maybe we’ll think of other things for next year, like possibly going into homes for the elderly, that kind of thing. And singing for Christmas time, that was in my mind, but, for this first year, I think that’s a little much.”

While the glee club may be an elective — a supplement to their general and music education — it serves an important purpose, according to Mochwart. “It’s absolutely part of their growth in their music, bringing out their giftedness,” she said, noting that OLL’s music program draws out students’ potential and helps make them more well-rounded.

Beyond that, it’s important for kids to explore their own capabilities, according to the 25-year music teacher. “Not too many youngsters think about their voice as an instrument,” she said, “and I think it’s important that they explore it as far as they can.”