WESTFIELD – South Middle School band director Luke Baillargeon and a couple of dozen band students have been meeting for three hours
South Middle School band director Luke Baillargeon practices with summer band students for an upcoming concert this Friday, August 5, 6 p.m. at the Second Congregational Church. (Photo by Amy Porter)
on Friday mornings at the Second Congregational Church for the past month to practice.
Seventh-graders Charles Darling and Alex Fontanilles work on a trumpet part at practice. (Photo by Amy Porter)
Baillargeon, who started at South Middle School in the fall of 2006, said he has wanted to do a summer music program for several years.
“I always wanted to start something. When you do it in the school, it gets a little more complicated,” he said. He added that during the summer, students lose a lot of their cognitive skills. He thought just doing a little bit in the summer would help them to retain what they’ve learned.
This year, “proud band parent” and church member Jennifer Thielen opened up the church for the free summer program.
“It’s a labor of love. No one’s making any money,” Baillargeon said. In addition to Baillargeon’s direction, former middle school band alum Mike Santinello of Riverside Productions is helping out and playing bass guitar. Also helping, is high school band member Diana Stuzhuk.
“It’s fun to come back, nice to see the next generation of music,” Stuzhuk said.
After practicing “Mr. Saturday Night,” “Mercy, Mercy Me,” “Yakety Sax,” “Dixieland, USA,” “All-Star” and “God Bless America” on Friday
South Middle School band director Luke Baillargeon, here playing trumpet and drumming for a song, volunteered his time for the summer program. (Photo by Amy Porter)
morning, the band took a little break.
Eighth-grader Steven Bonacci and freshman Deajah Barbour play a saxophone duet during practice. (Photo by Amy Porter)
“I like playing. It’s fun,” said eighth-grade sax player Steven Bonacci. He said he was pretty sure that a lot of people in the room would agree with him, to which another band student volunteered that it was nice to have something in the summer.
“I just like music and band,” said Madi Curbelo, who is doing double duty in the band by singing a solo on “Mr. Saturday Night” and playing saxophone.
“I just love playing music, creating music. To me, music is a way of life. It describes you as a person,” said freshman saxophone player Deajah Barbour, who just graduated from the jazz band and concert band at South Middle School. “I also just love my band director,” she said of Baillargeon.
Also volunteering at the summer program is SMS band alum Mike Santinello of Riverside Productions in Westfield. (Photo by Amy Porter)
Next Friday, August 5, the band will perform a free concert on the front lawn of the Second Congregational Church on 487 Western Ave., beginning at 6 p.m. Parents and members of the community are invited to come and listen, and bring lawn chairs. If it rains, the concert will move into the sanctuary.
