By: Nora Warner
Photo: NAfME.org
For more than 40 years, March has been designated by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) as Music In Our Schools Month® (MIOSM). Music in Our Schools Month serves as a time to share the impact of music education programs by recognizing group accomplishments, highlighting programs’ impact, and advocating for support of music education in the future.
As March comes to a close, in order to celebrate Music in Our Schools Month, The Paupack Press would like to highlight our music program!
Performance Groups at WAHS
Wallenpaupack offers a variety of choral and instrumental opportunities. Members of the concert choir and concert bands rehearse as a class during school. Students have the opportunity to audition for several other ensembles. The show choir rehearses after school, combining dance and movement with singing. The chamber choir also rehearses after school and performs a more challenging repertoire of music. The jazz band rehearses once a week for a semester in the evening and performs a variety of music. The wind ensemble rehearses opposite the jazz band and performs a variety of challenging wind band pieces. In addition, many band and choir students also take part in our theater program. Wallenpaupack’s music ensembles maintain an active schedule performing throughout the year for our community. Students who are members of the WAHS performing groups also can try out for festivals.
Festivals
Wallenpaupack was well represented at this year’s PMEA (Pennsylvania Music Educators Association) festivals. PMEA offers District, Region, and All-State Level Festivals to students in grades 10-12.
18 students attended District Choir, with 12 students moving on to the Region Level.
7 students played in the District Orchestra, and 4 moved on to Regionals.
16 students participated in District Band, with 11 students earning seats at the region level.
Wallenpaupack will be sending three students to the PMEA All-State Choir and one student to the All-State Wind Ensemble this April.
20 Wallenpaupack instrumentalists joined students from Western Wayne, East Stroudsburg North, and East Stroudsburg South in the Northeast Tri-County Band in January.
In May, 4 of our 9th-grade students will represent the school at the District 9 Band Fest (A PMEA festival for middle and lower high school students)
To see the participating students in these events and for more information see our other stories!
Upcoming Events
On April 15, the WAHS concert band will travel to Monticello, New York, to perform in the KHS honor band. The event will combine students from Wallenpaupack and Monticello to perform a program under the direction of renowned conductor Dr. Peter Boonshaft.
On May 11, the WAHS Choral Program will be hosting a Spring Bingo Fundraiser. More information will be available soon!
Our marching band will be performing in the Hawley and Honesdale Memorial Day Parades.
On May 30, the WAHS concert band will travel to Music in the Parks at Hershey Park to compete against other bands from our region.
Upcoming performances and events at WAHS
WAHS Players Into the Woods (ticketed) – April 9,10,11 at 7 pm and April 12 at 2 pm
WAHS Spring Choral Concert (free) – May 6 at 7 pm
Featuring the concert choir, chamber choir, and show choir
WAHS Spring Band Concert (free) – May 19 at 7 pm
Featuring the concert band and wind ensemble
Performing Arts Gala (free) – May 26 at 7 pm
Honoring seniors and featuring performances from multiple performing arts students.
We are very grateful to have such a diverse music program at our school that wouldn’t be possible without our high school music educators, Mrs. Neenan and Mr. Warner, along with the many other music teachers from elementary through high school, both in and outside of school.
WAHS students continue to have the opportunity to learn and grow both as musicians and all-around people, thanks to the continued support of our school community. We encourage the community to come support our musicians and their hard work at their upcoming performances.
