Visiting Randolph Middle School students from the incoming class of 2029 were treated to a dazzling performance from students in the high school’s Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) program on Monday, Feb. 3.
The showcase for RMS eighth graders, held in the RHS auditorium, included performances by members of the high school’s wind ensemble, acapella choir and dance program. It was designed to help next year’s freshmen decide whether they want to enroll in VPA electives for next fall, when they arrive as freshmen at RHS.
Following a warm welcome from RHS Principal Jessica Baxter and Dean of Students Lindsay Reilly, the performance began with the RHS acapella group singing the national anthem as well as “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, both of which were conducted by Music Teacher Matthew Swiss.
“We wanted to sing music that sounds impressive but is also fun,” Swiss said. “I hoped the song selections would help the choir program continue to grow participation.”
Next, the wind ensemble, led by Music Teacher Nicholas Fantazzi, gave the eighth graders a snapshot of what a high school band looks and sounds like.
“By having our upper-level band play for the incoming eighth graders, we were able to showcase what is possible at the high school level,” Fantazzi said. “I thought the eighth graders would appreciate hearing music that was relevant, since the movie “Wicked” was released recently. They seemed to really enjoy the performance.”
Members of the RHS dance program followed with an upbeat performance highlighting all three levels of dance: introductory, intermediate and advanced.
“Since the eighth graders will soon be completing their scheduling choices, this is a great opportunity to showcase our awesome dance students,” Dance Teacher Michele Adriano said. “It’s also great for the high school students to have an additional performance opportunity during the school year.”
These performances truly helped the RMS eighth graders picture themselves performing on stage during their high school years, should they choose to enroll in one or more VPA programs.
“I thought the performances were extremely informative,” RMS eighth grader Jake Shuster said. “As an incoming ninth grader, it was very helpful to see and hear all the programs I could join.”
