Working in Concert with MS and HS music students

Working in Concert

When the Middle School Jazz Choir and Eighth-grade Chorus students had been invited to participate in a music workshop with the High School Chorale and Jazz Choir, the younger students were a bit nervous. They were awed by the upperclassmen’s achievements and were themselves unsure how they might include music in their High School curriculum.

The Music Workshop initiative—the brain child of Karen DiMartino, approved by Music Department Chairperson Jeff Hoffman, assisted by Middle School teachers Fred Diekmann and Christine Cirillo—was launched to allay concerns and assure the Middle School music students that it was possible to continue with the music program at Sayville High School.

As a music merger between many of Sayville’s most talented students, The Workshop proved to be both fun and informative. After showcasing their passion for music by performing various numbers for each other, both sets of students sat down for a discussion period. During the question-and-answers section, the High School students shared with the younger students how they have been able to include music classes and practice sessions in their rigorous academic schedules. After, a pizza lunch donated by S.M.B.A. (Sayville Music Boosters for the Arts), the Middle School and High students spent more rehearsal time preparing for a late afternoon performance of You Can’t Stop the Beat as the final collaboration. It was a joyful celebration at the end of the day.

Middle School music teacher Fred Diekmann noted that, upon returning from the workshop, the Middle school students were “all smiles.”  Not only did they have fun working in concert with the upperclassmen, they felt relieved to know they would not have to sacrifice their love for music when they moved up to the High School.