Music.htm

LYNN - With interest in the Lynn Public Schools music program continuing to grow, the district is again partnering with one of the area's premiere professional chorus and orchestra organizations, the Handel and Haydn Society.

Members of Handel and Haydn were on hand for the first time this school year at both Lynn Classical and Lynn English Thursday, holding a workshop for students who will be trying out for the Northeast District Competition later this month.

The competition features both a choral and orchestra segment, each one choosing the top 200 students from a pool of thousands trying out statewide. Lynn students have traditionally done well in the competition and members of the music department are hoping that Thursday's workshop will help them be that much more prepared for the Nov. 22 tryouts.

Handel and Haydn is primarily a performance-based organization, but society members say they venture out to area schools four or five times a year thanks to various partnerships with school districts, including Lynn.

"We usually come here every year, we perform with them at the youth concert and other things, but this is our second time doing the vocal coaching," said society member Christian Figueroa. "The majority of what we do is performance, but we do this coaching maybe five times a year."

Figueroa joined fellow vocal coaches Emily Marvosh, Teresa Wakim, Rashaun Campell and pianist Jodi Hitzhusen in training the students. Society members do not just focus on vocal style, but also teach students how to feel the song and use their facial expressions and personality to enhance the performance.

Fine Arts Director Joe Picano says interest in the music program is high this year, and the training students get from Handle and Haydn, along with partnerships with other organizations like the Boston Symphony Orchestra is a big reason why.

"We are generating a lot more interest in the program this year, and a lot of that is because of the quality of teaching that we can offer our students," he said, noting that two new high school music teachers have also helped generate interest. "This year the high school teachers have also created a much increased number of students interested in the vocal music programs."

LYNN - The last few years have been successful for the Lynn Public Schools music department, but without the help of a scholarship and instrument donation program, many of the department’s most talented musicians would have never been given the opportunity to reach their potential.

In tough economic times, Lynn schools are among the only districts in the state that do not require user fees for sports, after school activities and other extra curricular activities. But while the music department does not charge a participation fee, students must still pay to rent their instruments, which can cost a family $200-$400 per year for one child, depending on the instrument.

Because of Lynn’s demographics, most schools have a high population of low-income students, most of whom could not afford to play an instrument under normal circumstances.

With these limitations in mind, the Lynn School Committee allows the Fine Arts Department to accept instrument donations, which are restored and given to disadvantaged students as part of a “scholarship” program.

The vendor that restores the instruments, who wishes to remain anonymous, does so free of charge or for a small fee providing the instruments are loaned to families who do not have the resources to pay the yearly rent fee for an instrument.

There are specific criteria to be accepted in to the scholarship program, and those students must participate in all musical performances and concert events.

The scholarship program, called “Little Loaners” often carries students throughout elementary, middle and high school, and affords students the opportunity to pursue music once they are out of the Lynn school system as well.

“Because of this scholarship program, we have been able to help students remain in the music program through high school, thus extending their high school resumes and assisting them to gain entrance in to colleges by making them a more desirable candidate,” said Fine Arts Director Joseph Picano. “In addition, the Band Booster Association awards scholarships to those graduating band seniors that are accepted in to college.”

Picano credits the loaner program with helping to keep the instrumental program running in Lynn, with enough interest to form a variety of musical groups at all grade levels.

Among the programs that Lynn offers include the elementary performing band and string program, a middle school concert band, middle school orchestra, middle school jazz band, middle school string orchestra, an award-winning high school marching band, high school jazz and concert band, an award-winning jazz octet, a high school string orchestra and a variety of small band instrument ensembles.

“The loaner program helps to keep the instrumental programs running for the benefit of the students of Lynn,” Picano said. “Many cities do not go after things like this, and as a result, their programs are not at the level of ours.”

The ultimate goal of all of these groups is to eventually perform at a high level, which students have done at every level, improving from “honorable mention” winners just a few years ago, to groups that consistently win gold, silver and bronze at various competitions.

“It is a very nice feeling to see the students earn these ratings,” Picano said. “Especially when I look up and see that many of the instruments that are being played are in the hands of students who would not have been able to have that part of their education fulfilled if it were not for the assistance of those people who have donated usable instruments and the budget that we have to repair and maintain them.”

The Fine Arts Department welcomes the donation of used band and string instruments from anyone who has such resources in their household that they are no longer using.

CONCERT:
THE ALL CITY CONCERT INCLUDED CLASSICAL HIGH, ENGLISH HIGH, LYNN TECH HIGH SCHOOL, AND INCLUDED THE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS. EACH WERE TO PERFORM ONE SONG AND THEN THEY HAD ALL THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT AND THE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS JOIN TOGETHER TO PERFORM A SONG TOGETHER.

MUSIC:
THE STUDENT THAT JOIN FROM THE GRADES OF 9 TO 12.
WE DO DIFFERENT TYPE OF MUSIC, FOR EXAMPLE THERE IS

    1. GOSPEL                       2. CLASSICAL
    3. JAZZ                            4. POPULAR FOREIGN LANGUAGE
    5. A CAPPELLA.               6. JAZZ ENSEMBLE

    GROUP 1: A CAPPELLA ENSEMBLE
    GROUP 2: GOSPEL CHOIR
    GROUP 3: POP ENSEMBLE
    GROUP 4: SELECT CHORUS
    GROUP 5: MIX CHORUS                                                                    Report/edit by: Sophy Ang
                                                                                        Helpers/written by: Socheath Son & Clarissa Bautista

Music Department Winter Concert was on Tuesday December 17^th at 7:00 p.m. in the Classical HS auditorium. . There were vocal and instrumental groups performing traditional holiday music as well as A Cappella, Gospel, Jazz and Doo Wop, Doo Wop with an audience sing-a-long!!! The Concert was repeated on Thursday, December 19th, for Classical students.

CONCERT: THE ALL CITY CONCERT INCLUDED CLASSICAL HIGH, ENGLISH HIGH, LYNN TECH HIGH SCHOOL, AND INCLUDED THE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS. EACH WERE TO PERFORM ONE SONG AND THEN THEY HAD ALL THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT AND THE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS JOIN TOGETHER TO PERFORM A SONG TOGETHER.

CONCERT:
THE ALL CITY CONCERT INCLUDED CLASSICAL HIGH, ENGLISH HIGH, LYNN TECH HIGH SCHOOL, AND INCLUDED THE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS. EACH WERE TO PERFORM ONE SONG AND THEN THEY HAD ALL THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT AND THE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS JOIN TOGETHER TO PERFORM A SONG TOGETHER.