Whether they are playing instruments or singing their hearts out, our RCS student musicians have been hard at work preparing and performing for the last two months! Their performances have ranged from those for our local community to larger events hosted throughout the area and New York State. We are incredibly grateful for their commitment to our program and their craft!
“It has been a whirlwind of incredible music making and a thrill to be back at full speed with our winter festival and concert season,” said RCS High School Choral Director and K-12 Art and Music Curriculum Content Specialist Michelle McLoughlin. “I have seen so much musical growth in our students during these last few months as we returned to our traditional schedule and performances. We are very grateful to our district and community, who are so supportive of our program and students!”
It all started in October at the 2022 High School Band and Chorus Fall Concert, where seven students were inducted into the Tri-M Music Honor Society! The next major event was the All County Festival on November 2 and 4 at Greenville High School. Huge congratulations to all of the students who participated; they did a wonderful job!! Those students are:
MS students in the Junior Band:
- 8th Grade - Clarinet: Ryan Giangreco & Piper Weddell
- 8th Grade - Trumpet: Ryan Keiffer & Silas Dubois
- 8th Grade - Baritone: Louisa Englehardt
6th Grade students in the Elementary Chorus:
- Part 1: Angelina Alberts, Hayley Biel, Logan Billets, Sophia Bylsma, Caroline Gleason, Molly Kittle, Samuel Robertson & Elliana Walsh
- Part 2: Madalyn Babcock, Jaylah Correa, Makenzie Eggleston, Hailee Morehouse, Braelynn Maurer, Maksim Moya, Stella Weddell & Violet Wichmann
HS students in the Senior Jazz Ensemble:
- Alto Saxophone: Maximillian May
- Drum Set: Harry Lindamrk
- Guitar: Alivia Ortiz
- Trombone: Maeve Newkirk
- Trumpet: Howard (Brady) Engel
HS students in the Junior Band:
- Alto Sax: Laila Rabideau & Owen Smith
- Clarinet: Caileigh Burnham
- Trombone: Stephen Mathai
- Percussion: Autumn Lischak
- Trumpet: Aiden Boehme
HS students in the Senior Chorus:
- Soprano: Emma Banahan, Chloe Canham, Jenna Grogan, Elizabeth Robertson & Hannah Ryan
- Alto: Kendall Bullock, Carl-Hanee Coquillon, McKenna Slingerland & Abigail St. John
- Bass: Nicholas Cifone & Paul Truncale
A little later in the month, on November 18 and 19, we had a number of students participate in the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) Area All-State Festival at Saratoga High School. The students worked incredibly hard, and it all paid off, as they did a fantastic job representing RCS! Congratulations! The students who participated are:
AAS Orchestra: Harry Lindmark - Percussion
AAS Band:
- Alto Sax: Maximillian May
- Tenor Sax: Alivia Ortiz
- Trombone: Maeve Newkirk
- Clarinet: Ian Brisco
AAS Chorus:
- Alto I: Kendall Bullock
- Bass I: Nick Cifone
- Soprano I: Molly Engelhardt & Hannah Ryan
- Soprano II: Jenna Grogan
- Bass I: Kofi Opoku-Aning
- Alto II: Elizabeth Robertson, McKenna Slingerland & Abigail St. John
As we moved into December, RCS Junior Alivia Ortiz headed off to participate in the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) Conference All-State Festival as part of the Mixed Chorus, a huge accomplishment that was only sweetened by her acceptance into the 2023 NAfME (National Association for Music Education) All-Eastern Division Conference as part of the Treble Choir right before she left.
All of these wonderful performances set the stage for the 2022 Winter Concert Season! This season included performances for all four of our schools with performances from our 2nd, 4th, and 5th-grade students, the Middle and High School Large Ensembles, and Select Ensembles.
Our RCS Music Department and Student-Musicians did an absolutely amazing job! Congratulations again to all of our talented and dedicated students and staff!!
