Have you ever attended the FHS Annual Winter Concert? How about the Spring Concert, or Pop’s Night, or the Jazz Cafe? Unless you’re in chorus/band/orchestra, or forced to attend, a lot of people would say no. But what about if these same people were asked if they’ve ever attended an FHS athletic event? The answer would, in most cases, be a definite yes.
Have you ever considered joining band, chorus or orchestra? If you’re an underclassmen, you have limited options to choose from, but you should know that outside of the FHS Athletic Department, there is a lot to get involved in, and choosing music is definitely the right option.
Most people in our school don’t know how amazing the Music Department is at Franklin High, and how hard the students work to maintain a good reputation. At our school, we have a Chorus, Select Chorus, Concert Band, Wind Ensemble and Orchestra. We also have Sincerely Seven (an a capella group that I happen to be a part of) and also two other up-and-coming a capella groups.
Playing an instrument or singing takes immense skill and talent. Senior Emily McLean is a tenor saxophone player for the band, and she says that every year the music has gotten “harder and harder, and for MICCA, [they] play level 4 music, which is extremely difficult”.
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Mr. Sansoni, the director of Chrous and Select Chorus, has a passion for languages, resulting in the two choruses singing in different languages such as Finnish, Spanish, and German. All of the songs Mr. Sansoni chooses present a challenge; some contain complex rhythms while others have disonant harmonies.
If you’re looking for an “easy A” class, Chorus isn’t the class to take. If you do, however, want to broaden your musical horizons, Mr. Sansoni is definitely qualified and passionate enough to help you.
Click here to learn more about Mr. Sansoni’s education, and how much musical knowledge he has to give.
Just as the football team practices every day, so do all of the musical ensembles. While the football team goes to playoff and championship games, the music students go to an array of music auditions and competitions, including Central Districts, All-states, and the MICCA Festival.
Central Districts is an audition-based festival that only accepts a certain number of people from the central region of Massachusetts. Sophomore Chris Rich and Senior Johnny Kinney were both acccepted into Central Districts for voice. Seniors Cindy Swanson, Rachael Harvey, and McIntyre were all accepted into Central Districts for band as well as Junior Josh Klingenstien and impressively enough, Freshman Andrew Samson. In Orchestra, Seniors Sarah Kinney and Andrew Perrin were invited to audition for All-States (which only invites the best musicians from Massachusetts). Juniors Sean Pryhoda, Andrew Chang and Laura Murphy, as well as Sophomore Abhilasha Borhuah, were all accepted into Central Districts.
Click here to see what Mr. Sansoni really thinks of the Music Department at FHS.
Chorus rehearses in the dilapitated lecture hall with a horribly out-of-tune piano. The football turf, however, is fairly new (seven years old to be exact). Sometimes, the chorus is even forced to rehearse in the wrestling room (which is, no offense to the wrestlers, GROSS!) Is the school really that apathetic toward the music department, that we don’t even deserve to have a room big enough to fit all of us and an in-tune piano?
Hundreds of Faculty, Students and Parents bundle up and brace the cold weather to dedicate their Friday nights to High School Sports events, while the Horace Mann Auditorium is not even filled halfway for the Music Department’s concerts.
“It’s kind of disheartening,” says Senior Kelsey Baker, member of Select Chorus, Chorus and Sincerely 7. “We put so much time and effort into our arrangements and preformances and I wish more people cared enough to come see us do what we do best,” she says.
I agree with Kelsey – most people don’t know truly how much time musicians put into making themselves better. It’s frustrating that students who are not involved in the the Music Department don’t bother showing any support or appreciation for our time and effort. Try and make it to the next concert – you’ll be amazed at how talented the students in the Music Department truly are.
Even better than supporting the Music Department- join it!! No matter what skill level you are, all are welcome (even you too, shower singers!). And if you have no desire to be in chorus, band, or orchestra, don’t fret! Mr. Sansoni has a lot of ideas about more classes involing music of all different styles!
Being apart of the Franklin High School Music Department for the past four years has been truly rewarding. I invite and encourage everyone to become a part of the Music Department – whether it’s picking up an instrument or singing, or even just attending a concert and experiencing the magic for yourself.