Students stay in tune during Summer Strings camp

By PAM SCHIFF
Posted 9/4/19

By PAM SCHIFF In the auditorium of Hugh B. Bain Middle School on Friday, Aug. 23, 28 budding middle school musicians performed a concert for family members and friends. Instruments included violin, ukulele, piano, guitar, cello, viola and double bass.

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Students stay in tune during Summer Strings camp

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In the auditorium of Hugh B. Bain Middle School on Friday, Aug. 23, 28 budding middle school musicians performed a concert for family members and friends.

Instruments included violin, ukulele, piano, guitar, cello, viola and double bass. This was the third year for the Summer Strings camp, and it was a true collaboration of students and the young musicians spent a week honing their craft and learning to work in groups.

“This really was a great group of kids. They learned from other, they spent a lot of time working on being a team and playing together,” said Sarah Wei, orchestra teacher at Bain and Park View middle schools.

Weir spoke of how the students bonded and worked together.

“We worked on ensemble practices – how to work together in a large group,” she said. “This will be what is most new for incoming sixth-graders, so we want to give them a chance to see how that feels before they commit for a full year. It can be a bit overwhelming at first, but we find that with time and positive effort we are successful in the end.”

Weir said the camp also offers students the chance to focus on their musical goals and received mentorship from older peers.

“These connections help students want to continue in public education,” she said. “It gives them something to look forward to and a reason to want to get to high school. All of these kids will be together in ninth grade at Cranston East. It’s nice to recognize some faces once you arrive.”

Students from Bain included Kiara Caraballo, Samrawit Gebremichael, Sebastian Louis, Arthur and Jaiden Lupien, Jaida McCallister, Aidan Gilbert, Scarlett Broadfield, Jefferson Shi, Gismary Jumelles, Celeste Cayard and Susanna Wu.

Park View students were Gwen Wohl, Helena Fisher, Antonia King, Liam DeRosa, Kacie Bailey, Caitlin Kiley, Caroline Brennick, Gwendolyn Grace, Grace Michaelson, Madison Watts, River Sath, Jaden Mei and Ahmara Spann.

Other participants were Talia and Matt Petit from Western Hills Middle School, Kayla Gilbert from Cranston East, and Harrison Fisher from Rhodes Elementary.

Prior to the concert, Weir thanked all the people who helped and volunteered at the camp, as well as her student helpers, Alexis Cayard and Elliot Fisher, both from Cranston East.

One solo was performed by Liam DeRosa on the violin.

“That piece that Liam just performed is usually played for students auditioning for Senior All-State orchestra, generally played by students in grades 10 through 12, and Liam is going into seventh grade," Weir said.

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