Music & Performance

Music and the Performing Arts have a long and rich history at TPS, from Betty Darby’s early introduction of recorder and percussion instruments to Marcia Kravis’ many musicals and current jazz, string, and drum ensembles. Aaron Picht, music teacher and director of the Sandra Dean String Ensemble, shares the history of music innovation over the ensuing years.

During the time Sandra Dean was principal (1983 - 2006), students attended twice weekly music classes, which were eventually supplemented by once-a-week chorus classes. Each student experienced a chorus repertoire that was built upon theme study in their vertically grouped classrooms. The repertoire’s relevance to each student not only made chorus meaningful but also served as an additional pathway to understanding classroom content: for example, miners’ songs during a study of American industrialization, songs of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, and medieval Gregorian chants. As they sang, students stood in the shoes of people from historic times and, at the same time, shared the emotions and voices of composers and lyricists. Today music classes still meet twice a week and closely follow the thematic lead of unit projects. For example, during the study of China, Junior Unit students learn about Chinese opera, instruments, and composition. Seventh graders form a rock band each year to perform music that is expressive of what they are learning. Often incidental music for Shakespeare plays is composed and selected by eighth grade students.

Under Marcia Kravis’ creative leadership, chorus became the foundation of an extraordinarily robust musical theater and opera program. The subject matter was usually closely related to the all-school theme and featured student generated scripts and original music. One year, Primary Unit students created a musical entitled Swimmy, based on the Leo Leoni book. In 1987, Marcia, Judith Parker, and Sandra Dean wrote an original musical entitled The Great Experiment 1787, which celebrated the 200th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution.

Also noteworthy was the introduction of a cappella. After a performance by a high school group for our middle schoolers, our Middle School students could be found throughout the school trying out percussive sounds and harmonizing. Chris Taranta, Middle School advisor and science teacher, and Rob Redei, music teacher, formed a middle school group, named Measure for Measure. Measure for Measure performed in concert at TPS, at senior centers, and at community events, such as the annual Fitler Square Fair. After a pause because of the pandemic, a cappella, under music teacher Chris Gignac’s direction, has regrouped and is once again building a repertoire to perform here at school and in the community.

The origins of the TPS string ensemble program go back to 2003. Sandra Dean obtained funding to support violin lessons for a group of first grade students. Over the years, the ensemble grew and performed regularly at different school functions, including events for prospective parents, Board meetings, graduations, and winter and spring concerts. The string ensemble played a variety of classical and popular repertoire. During COVID, the ensemble was discontinued. However, thanks to the String Grant fund, nine kindergarten students started violin lessons this year and will undoubtedly form the nucleus of the next Sandra Dean String ensemble.