By Reilly Hungerford – Staff Reporter

For over 30 years, Music In Our Schools Month has been celebrated nationwide.

Jonathan Law’s Music Department has many events and activities planned to celebrate.

Jonathan Law’s Choir, directed by Ms. Jones, is preparing multiple songs to practice with Foran’s Choir, directed by Mr. Stammen. This event will later turn into a workshop, being directed by the director of choral activities at UConn, Dr. Jaime Spillane.

“Choir is preparing varying choral repertoire to have the opportunity to perform and hopefully experience a choral worship with our peers in Milford under the direction of Dr. Jaime Spillane, director of choral activities at UConn,” Jones said.

The Choir students are very confident in their performance skills.

“I am super excited for MIOSM,” junior Choir Manager Kalli Kinsman said. “We have created an environment where people aren’t afraid to mess up or try new things and this leads us to improve quickly and sing stronger than before.”

Choir students are very excited for this in-school field trip.

“Of course, I’m excited for MIOSM,” junior Choir member Hannah Sullivan said. “I remember going to the middle schools when I was a sophomore and it was so fun.”

Jones also hopes to do something to celebrate with one of her other music classes, Peer Assisted Music.

“I hope to highlight our peer class as they have been showing such great progress on their drumming skills during the month of March,” Jones said.

Jonathan Law’s Band, directed by Mr. Pelaggi, is also doing some fun activities for MIOSM. They are commissioning a piece from Kyle Brenn, a composer from New York City who writes music for many musical ensembles.

“Our students are performing a piece specifically written for them by Mr. Brenn,” Pelaggi said.

They will then go into a workshop about the piece with Brenn.

“We will also be having a masterclass style workshop with Mr. Brenn in person at the end of March/beginning of April,” Pelaggi said.

The Band is very excited about their commissioned piece. They are also very confident they will do well when performing it all together.

“I am confident that the Band will successfully execute the new piece as well as our two other pieces that are very different from one another and focus on different aspects of our ensemble,” junior Band member Katie Servas said.

Band will be performing this piece at a music concert in May.

Pelaggi’s other music classes – Orchestra, Music Tech, and Music Theory – will also be doing fun activities for MIOSM. Orchestra will be making a video.

“For Orchestra, we are planning on making a video about our students’ experiences,” Pelaggi said.

For Music Tech, the students’ music will be displayed at the beginning of each Eagle Eye News episode as a theme song.

“In Music Tech, I am planning on having some students share their music with the school,” Pelaggi said.

In Music Theory, all of the students are working with another class in the music department.

All regular COVID-19 protocols will be followed when these events are celebrated.