After two and a half years without live performances, Hull High School’s band is back! On the 24, they performed an “Evening of Jazz” for Music in Our Schools Month.
The free concert, which took place at 6 p.m. in the high school gym, featured the school’s jazz band of 17 students playing popular tunes like “On Broadway” and “Thriller.”
Ian Barkon, the band teacher and conductor, described them as “a jazz band post-COVID.” Because of the COVID19 pandemic, the band program experienced a drop in participation. Normally, Barkon teaches a concert band as well, but “the numbers we had left suited jazz band better, [so] concert band became jazz band.”
But despite the low enrollment, it was important for Barkon to still bring music to students and the community.
“It’s a great outlet socially, and it helps build music experience,” he said.
Many of his students took band as an elective in middle school and learned to love it, and Barkon wishes to offer them the opportunity to continue in their pursuit of the art.
“It’s so important for so many people,” he said.
The concert is part of Music in Our Schools Month, an effort to raise awareness about the importance of music education. According to the organization’s homepage, “March has been officially designated by the National Association for Music Education for the observance of Music In Our Schools Month, the time of year when music education becomes the focus of schools across the nation.”
You can visit hullpublicschools.org to see more upcoming events, or visit https://nafme.org/programs/miosm/ for more information on Music in Our Schools Month.
And congratulations to Bridget Fleming, Ronni Fleming, Petey Menice, Tim O’Hayre, Odin Ruiz, Stevie Ryan, Connor Sordillo, Matt Sullivan, Sasha Green, Austin Strong, Patrick Dwyer, Connor Hipp, Ethan Rickard, Tony Alibrandi, Troy Healey, Anthony McLellan, and Matt Cooper on their excellent performances.
Victoria Dolan is The Hull Times school correspondent. This column expresses her student viewpoint. For questions or news tips, please email dolan.victorialani@gmail.com
