What a difference a (school) year makes.
The general consensus from the four musical directors from the Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School—Tim Nuzzetti, Caty Butler, Ashlen Udell and Barron Caromano—is that the orchestra and band students have matured into skilled musicians
That statement was quite apparent when the Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School Spring Music Concert was performed on the evening of Thursday, May 15.
The school’s auditorium was filled with an appreciative audience who were treated to a total of nine group performances.
The concert was launched when the 7th Grade Orchestra played under the direction of Mr. Nuzzetti, followed by the Lunch Orchestra that was directed by students Cooper Rago, Joseph Iannuzzelli, and Sebastia Perez.
“I'm so proud of the 7th Grade Orchestra and their ability to keep pushing. From the winter to our performance at the Festival of the Arts in March, and then finally our spring concert, the group continues to improve,” Mr. Nuzzetti said. “This is a testament to the students' dedication to improving and working hard. As a first-year teacher, I've gotten so lucky with a talented, driven, and kind group of students!”
The 8th Grade Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra then followed with their splendid sounds.
All three sparked under the guidance of Ms. Butler.
“I am very proud of how hard the students have worked throughout the year in all the ensembles,” Ms. Butler said. “Across the board, students really stepped up to the plate to perform rigorous, exciting music and put on a great concert!”
The second half of the concert then featured the band students.
The Clarinet Ensemble and the 7th Grade Band performed the first two acts after the break, before the 8th Grade Band played and then the show was capped by the Wind Ensemble.
Dr. Udell, who directed the Clarinet Ensemble, the 7th Grade Band and the Wind Ensemble, spoke about how the students have grown over the course of the year.
“I am incredibly proud of our students—their growth since September has been remarkable,” she stated. “The student-led groups and the diverse repertoire made this concert extremely fun to showcase for the community!”
Mr. Caromano agreed with his colleague.
“I am very proud of what our students have accomplished,” Mr. Caromano shared. “All of the groups performed at a high level and continue to show their growth and maturity!”
Matt McCarthy, the Supervisor for Arts Education in the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District, was a pleased spectator.
“The Bridgewater-Raritan Band and Orchestra students presented a fabulous performance on Thursday night,’ he said. “These ensembles have grown in recent years and it is great to see so many young people making music a part of their scholastic experience. The instrumental music staff does an amazing job of inspiring students to explore music making across style and genre.”
Mr. McCarthy also reported on the musical event that was held the evening before, on May 14.
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“The Middle School held a coffee-house style concert for the modern band, which featured student-led groups performing rock and pop, and the Jazz band, which incorporated improvisation in their selections,” he shared. “This pair of concerts highlighted Bridgewater-Raritan’s holistic approach to musical inquiry, one of the aspects that sets our program apart.”
Click on the link below to view the entire program from the Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School Spring Music Concert.
BRMS Spring Orchestra/Band Concert program
Here are short video clips of performances during the Spring Music Concert.
The video clips below begin with the 7th Grade Orchestra, followed by the 8th Grade Orchestra and then the 7th Grade Band and the 8th Grade Band.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/11BTZowDfs7f3O16bQrwSae3rNJEPTz12/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Rd4cpOBJ0xL0n9cSQ0_REQFRd_KSO_Gh/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KQ04wkJJQ19GF18PjFvIabq6Pr8Ufu3m/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hSlyr0WRy80KiOr6i969l_LvjryKjr1o/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JlzmhSBoWV7ectuuNyWDiILZbok4rtd_/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oQmCZ9iotq9YTAbRd8qzNtRyPAkeuAXr/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/18Tn3fvb8X6pdsi3Fo7YDzCnLa45HRsic/view?usp=sharing