In late March, Oldfield Middle School band students traveled to Harborfields High School for a bridge-building session with their older counterparts. Seventh and eighth graders sat in on an 11th and 12th grade band rehearsal, sightread a small section of that ensemble’s “How to Train Your Dragon” medley, witnessed them rehearsing concert overture classic “Hounds of Spring,” and performed a Taylor Swift medley from their own repertoire with the upperclassmen. The middle schoolers also had a chance to ask the older students about high school band and their experiences transitioning into the building, High School Band Director Allison Scilla answered questions and spoke briefly about the program as a whole, and all of the students had time to socialize over a pizza lunch before returning to the rest of their school day.
“We feel strongly that fostering these types of connections, offering younger students an opportunity to explore and experience what band is like in the high school setting, and giving our juniors and seniors a chance to share their experiences are all important ways to go about creating a cultural continuity that allows musicians of different ages to relate to one another,” Middle School Band Director Dan Bilawsky said. “I'm so glad that Ms. Scilla and her band were able to host us and offer the seventh and eighth graders a look at what their future in band can be.”
Date Added: 4/25/2024