Rocky Point Middle School’s 8th Grade Chorus, under the direction of Mrs. Emily Farrell, 8th Grade Band, under the direction of Ms. Kyra Kenwood, and 8th Grade Orchestra, under the direction of Mrs. Meghan Walter, all received Superior ratings at the Long Island Music Festival, held at Suffolk Community College’s Michael J. Grant Campus on June 6. The Long Island Music Festival provided the students with an exciting and fun educational opportunity. The goal of this event was to bring students and adjudicators together in a positive learning environment.
The festival day was comprised of a performance component paired with a recreational activity. First, the Rocky Point Middle School’s 8th Grade Band, Chorus and Orchestra members performed for a panel of music educators from a variety of educational institutions, mostly at the collegiate level. These adjudicators provided Mrs. Farrell, Ms. Kenwood, Mrs. Walter and the students with written and verbal feedback based on their performances. Following their performances, the adjudicators then worked with the respective ensemble directors and their students in a clinic style workshop. During the workshop, adjudicators spent time discussing positive aspects of their performances while also demonstrating ways in which to improve musical nuances, considerations to enhance the musicality and artistry, and offered conducting/rehearsal strategies. This provided Mrs. Farrell, Ms. Kenwood and Mrs. Walter with helpful professional development and offered the students a great deal of feedback on what they did well, and areas to consider for further developing their skills. Mrs. Farrell, Ms. Kenwood, Mrs. Walter and the students appreciated the immediate feedback that they received. Students commented that the feedback presented to them “made us feel more confident,” “made us think of how to perform the music in different ways,” and that it “helped us to better understand the music.” Upon receiving the Superior ratings, the students were beaming with pride and delight. They were eager to hear the judge’s written feedback and excited to receive their rating sheets and trophies. Dr. David Fryling, Director of Choral Activities at Hofstra University, commented that Mrs. Farrell is clearly a special choral director. He was impressed with the 8th Grade Choir’s musicianship, tone, but most of all, the camaraderie and mutual respect exhibited by the students. Despite being a group of individuals with varying degrees of musical ability, this event brought them together as a team striving for a particular goal. They were ecstatic and extremely proud to have achieved success together.
The students concluded the afternoon at Adventureland, where they were one of the most incredibly well-behaved schools in the park! They were respectful of each other's apprehension towards certain rides, stuck together as a group, followed the instructions of their chaperones, and participated in pure fun on the park’s rides and roller coasters.
A congratulatory message from Rocky Point Music Department chairpersons Mr. Craig Knapp and Ms. Amy Schecher read: “We are very proud of Mrs. Farrell, Ms. Kenwood, Mrs. Walter and all the 8th Grade Band, Chorus and Orchestra students who performed at the Long Island Music Festival. Thank you for representing the Rocky Point Music Program with excellence and congratulations on your Superior ratings. We are exceptionally overjoyed with your achievements. We are incredibly appreciative that we have Mrs. Farrell, Ms. Kenwood and Mrs. Walter as part of our hard-working music department faculty, and we are thankful for all they contribute to the music program at the Middle School. Thank you to the families of these talented students for all their support and encouragement. We are grateful that the Rocky Point School District administration and Board of Education supports and encourages these forms of experiences for the students and the music department.”
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Date Added: 6/11/2024