'SoundSport' Begins Rehearsals at City Hill Middle School

Pictured: Photos taken at the third SoundSport Rehearsal at City Hill Middle School Photos by Nancy Sasso Janis

SoundSport is a brand new and exciting extracurricular program at City Hill Middle School in Naugatuck. The program is an activity that is designed to introduce middle school students to an art form combining music and visual elements.

The director of SoundSport is elementary music teacher Emanuel Arboleda, a graduate of borough schools and Western CT State University. He explains that “the curricular focus, coupled with character and team building, will provide students with a valuable skill set to enhance their academic and musical pursuits both inside and out of the classroom.”

This enhancement in musicianship will benefit them at the middle school level where they work with Mrs. Kathy Dravis. It will also prepare them for higher-level music ensembles, specifically the award-winning marching band at Naugatuck High school under the direction of Mr. Robert Hughes.

SoundSport allows free membership for any musician interested in joining. The group rehearses on Monday evenings for two hours in the City Hill Band Room. At the first rehearsal, Mr. Arboleda held a parent/student orientation to fully explain the program.

There were eleven students who attended the second rehearsal. By their third rehearsal on Monday, the number had swelled to 19 students. There were students who played flutes, clarinets, saxophones, trumpets, some other low brass and a drummer. Mr. Hughes was there to lend a musical helping hand as the students played their first piece, a mash up entitled “Bang Bang/We Will Rock You” arranged by Mr. Arboleda. This piece sounded so great that I found it hard to believe that they had learned it in only two rehearsals. They then moved on to a new piece, another arrangement by Mr. Arboleda “Paint It Black/Bad Romance” by The Rolling Stones and Lady Gaga.

After a short break, the students moved to the CHMS hallway for their first movement rehearsal. It was amazing how quickly the students picked up the choreography that Mr. Arboleda described as “ten steps higher” than what the students are used to doing when marching in a parade.

Mr. Arboleda was clearly proud of how far his students have come in a very short time and noted that they are a committed group of young musicians. Kudos to these middle school students that took advantage of the opportunity to be a founding member of SoundSport.

SoundSport will be one of the groups performing at the Naugatuck High School Friends and Family Concert scheduled for April 10 at the high school.