The sound of children singing Christmas carols flooded the halls of McMillan Early Learning Center on Friday, Dec. 13.

If you follow the sound of drums keeping the beat for the jaunty piano and playful guitar, you will slowly start to recognize the song “Up on the Housetop” coming from the gymnasium. There, kids are sat cross-legged, jingle bells in hand, waiting for Mrs Margaret Frazier to sing their cue which was, “Ho, ho, ho”.

All the Kindergarten and Pre-K classes gathered in the gymnasium to hear Mrs. Margaret Frazier and her family perform, joining in the fun with their teachers and aides throughout the day.

Mrs. Frazier began her career at McMillan as an aid and has been the music teacher for three years. For the past two years, she has also taken on teaching art. She sees 10 kindergarten classes and six preschool classes.

Since becoming the music teacher, Mrs. Frazier has brought her family in to school with her for this special concert. About a month in advance, she lets her students know what they will be singing and takes time in class to work on the songs so they have the opportunity to participate.

“They usually know these songs or they’re very familiar with them, so that’s why we choose them,” says Mrs. Frazier.

In attendance with her this year was her husband Jeff leading percussion, her son Grady on the guitar and vocals and her other son Haden who played piano.

The whole Frazier family is musically inclined thanks to their immersive upbringing. Mrs. Frazier and Jeff met in college at Missouri State when they sang together. They have been married for 37 years and have six children together.

“Over the years, our kids have sort of picked it up too,” says Jeff.

What makes this program so special for the kids is that it is live and interactive, especially since many of Mrs. Frazier’s students have never been exposed to live music before.

It’s different from listening to a CD or even me playing,” says Mrs. Frazier. “They like me playing the piano in class because they feel it, you know?”

Her students learn a lot more than the words in a song. They learn about rhythm and how to listen to the highs and lows of music; foundational teachings that are critical at their age. In between songs, Jeff also takes the time to teach the kids about some of the drums he uses.

The kids learned about the djembe and the conga drums, how they can create different sounds and how they contribute to the songs.

It is clear the Fraziers love what they do and make every effort to bring music to their community.

“We love children, so it’s fun for us to see their smiling faces, and it gives them so much joy,” says Mrs. Frazier. “We’re blessed to be able to do this.”