Members of Walpole High School’s Music Department travelled to New York on April 26 to perform in a festival on Staten Island where all three of their ensembles came in first place.
“Each ensemble getting first is an insane accomplishment that I really do attribute to the faculty,” senior Rachel Tetrault said. “Being in the music department for four years, it has been incredible being able to watch each ensemble grow.”
Early Friday morning, students from the Walpole High School Concert Chorus, Orchestra and Band boarded two coach buses and headed for New York, where they competed at the College of Staten Island in the Performing Arts Consultants Big Apple Classic Music Festival. Students were able to watch ensembles from other states perform and given the chance to work one-on-one with an adjudicator afterwards.
“It was cool performing in a different space. I feel like that’s good for a performer because they learn how to work their voice in a new setting,” sophomore Cassandra Stelmash said.
The awards ceremony for the festival was held at Medieval Times in New Jersey where students were awarded with their trophies, given dinner and watched a jousting show. Concert Chorus, Band and Orchestra all received first place with a gold medal rating, with WHS Band being given first overall instrumental ensemble at the festival.
“I’ve been in [the music program] for four years, and we’ve definitely been waiting for a big trip like this to happen,” senior Erin Parquette said. “Since the Pops Concert is the only one we have left, it’s a nice way to round out the official concert season.”
Students were also offered the opportunity to visit the Museum of Moving Image on Friday, where they learned about the history of film, cameras, set design and costuming. From there, they boarded a cruise for a guided tour of Manhattan, which included landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge. After their performance at the festival, students were able to spend the afternoon at the Bronx Zoo.
“I guess I would have to say that my favorite part of the trip wasn’t necessarily one of the things we did; it was more or less the bonding element that trips like this create an opportunity for,” chorus teacher Ashley Prickel-Kane said. “My favorite thing about trips like this is how close people can get in a short amount of time because of all the shared bonding opportunities and memories.”
Music students spent their final day in New York City, first at the 9/11 Memorial Museum and later in the heart of the city: Times Square. Their final hours were spent at a matinee performance of the broadway show “The Prom.”
“I really liked seeing ‘The Prom’ because it was such a good show,” freshman Colin Wilber said. “It was so upbeat, and I think it left everyone in a good mood, happy and ready to go home.”
Although the trip served as an opportunity to display students’ musical abilities and see other musicians, it also was a way for students to spend more time with each other and form closer bonds.
“Of course there were the musical opportunities of performing again and seeing other schools, but honestly, the social aspect is a little bit more of my priority,” Prickel-Kane said. “I hope [the students] take away the opportunity of making new friends, whether it was a new friendship or strengthening a bond that they had with someone else, I think that’s really crucial.”