The Halls Are Alive With The Sound Of Music

Instead of hitting the beach every day, a determined group of Massapequa schoolchildren spent six weeks of their summer vacation hitting the sheet music instead.

Massapequa High School's Baldwin Auditorium was the location of the Summer Music Concert this past Tuesday evening. The event was a rousing success, not only for the youngsters showing off hard-earned skills honed over the break, but also for friends and family gathered to listen and support their efforts.

Andrew Dwork, coordinator of the Massapequa Summer Music Program, outlined his goals for the youngsters participating in it.

"It's a great program to keep kids playing throughout the summer and pushing forward in their skills," he said. "The main goal is to keep them performing, and keep them enjoying it."

The concert opened in grand style with a woodwind sextet performing "The Wild Horsemen" by Robert Schumann, followed by a full orchestra doing a rendition of Soon Hee Newbold's "Honor and Glory."

At one point a cell phone started obnoxiously ringing, delaying the start of "Concert Piece for Strings" by Ellion Del Borgo. However, conductor Michael Molloy kept the mood light, turning to the audience and exclaiming, "Tinkerbell?"

Dwork emphasized the diversity in the Summer Music Program, noting that kids of varying ages get to work together as a group.

"This is a program that starts with incoming fourth-graders and goes all the way up to High School," he said. "We have a mixed group - The older kids played some music on their own, but the younger kids actually played some pieces with the older kids as well."

Not only did the children in the program brave the sweltering heat for every practice session, but most went even further to prepare for the concert.

"The advanced kids are only required to come once a week," he said. "But many choose to come to the two extra rehearsal days each week. We have kids that will go above and beyond."

As the concert went on, the audience was treated to a chamber ensemble performing "Country Club" by Scott Joplin and a full band doing "The Enchanted Wizard" by John O'Reilly. And for something completely different, conductor Pam Kronowitz lead her orchestra through belting out "Da Blues," a hyped-up Jazz piece by Randy Sabien. Drums, bass, and an electric guitar backed multiple violin and cello solos, and the audience was clearly eating it up.

"I think they performed outstandingly," said Dwork with pride after the event. "The orchestra did a Jazz piece, with kids taking solos? It's very difficult to get band kids to take Jazz AND do solos on this level. That was fantastic."

Dr. David Gaines, District Director of Massapequa's music program, was delighted with the evening's outcome, and appreciative of those who made it happen.

"I'm very proud of my staff, most notably Andy Dwork, for coordinating the entire summer music program," Gaines said. "They kept things on track, and kept the kids playing through the summer."