WESTFIELD – Several students from South Middle School have received some serious honors for their skilled participation in both chorus and band since the end of last year.
At the Massachusetts Music Educators Association Western Districts Junior Festival, held on December 13 at Westfield State University, seventh graders Aaron Muldrew and Hadleigh Leclair received recognition for their respective work with the trumpet and french horn in the school band, while eighth graders Diana Stuzhuk and Ruth Krapova were duly honored for their skill with the flute and percussion.
Having made the final cut, these students will be performing at the University of Massachusetts Fine Arts Center on Saturday, March 14, with other instrumental and choral students in western Mass.
In addition to the sterling work of Muldrew, LeClair, Stuzhuk and Krapova with percussion, brass and wind instruments, sixth grader Hannah Bruno, a soprano in the school’s chorus, also made it into the prestigious Massachusetts All-State Treble Chorus for the second year in a row, selected as one of the top 200 choral singers in the Commonwealth from a pool of 600 other auditionees in grades 4, 5 and 6.
Bruno, who in addition to singing plays clarinet and oboe in the South Middle School band, will be performing in the Massachusetts All-State Treble Chorus concert at the Boston Seaport Hotel on Saturday, March 21.
Regarding Bruno’s success, Richard Pope, her music teacher and chorus director at Juniper Park Elementary school, refers to her as “one of the most talented musicians I’ve taught in my tenure as a music teacher in the Westfield Schools.”
“Her work ethic and determination has led her to have much success in music and her kind nature makes her such a pleasure to work with,” said Pope, who worked with Bruno during the audition process for the All-State Treble Chorus a year ago.
“She was nothing but focused during each session, and she practiced diligently on her own time to improve her performance,” he said. “Because of this, she made it into the chorus and she represented western Massachusetts so well at the rehearsals and performance in Boston.”
Luke Baillargeon, the band director at South Middle School, is working with Bruno this year in preparation for the Boston show and said Friday that he has seen her confidence level surge this year in chorus.
“Her singing has gained some more expressive qualities and her sight singing ability has improved. She can sing a piece just by looking at the sheet music,” said Baillargeon, adding that Bruno is looking forward to working with Judy Bowers, a professor of Choral Music Education at Florida State University, who will be conducting the top 200 auditionees during the Boston performance.
“This will be an awesome experience for her. She’ll bring a lot back to South Middle School,” said Baillargeon. “Her leadership may get more kids interested in chorus. Maybe next year we’ll get four, eight, ten more kids.”
Though Bruno is only in grade 6, her energy has Baillargeon thinking she can continue to elevate the chorus.
“She’s blown us away. Sometimes are and experience doesn’t add up to passion and hard work,” he said. “With Hannah, it’s not about ego – it’s about passion for music.”
