Music in our Schools Month – March 2024
March, at least in Maine, tends to be a dismal stretch – muddy, windy, and raw. But one bright note is that March also happens to be Music in our Schools Month, a series of concerts that kick off this Sunday when the Messalonskee High School and Middle School jazz bands take the stage with the professional Opus One Big Band at the Messalonskee Performing Arts Center.
The opening concert begins at 6 p.m.
Three days later, on March 20, the Messalonskee High School and Middle School concert bands will get their turn to play at the PAC.
Finally, on March 26, the choirs from both the high school and middle school will perform to close out the musical month.
The March 20 and 26 concerts are scheduled for 7 p.m. For all the events, admission is free but donations are suggested to support the music programs.
Messalonskee choir director Rebecca Reed said her students look forward to the concerts.
“A concert is an opportunity to celebrate and share with parents and the community and fellow students what we are learning in the classroom,” she said.
Messalonskee band director Andy Forster views the concerts as a final assessment of sorts.
“Performance,” he said, “should just be the culmination of the work we do in rehearsal.”
In some cases, though, students see performance as their time to shine, a time to step up their game to an ultra high level of intensity and precision.
Forster recalled a trombonist he had several years ago who did just that. The trouble, Forster said, is that the student’s playing caused the band to sound out of balance because the other musicians didn’t expect such an output.
It turned out to be a great lesson for the student, Forster said.
“After that concert, we were really good,” he said regarding his relationship with the trombonist. “He had a good understanding that your output in rehearsals should be exactly what it is in performance.”