Rockville Centre All‑District Chorus celebrates Music in Our Schools Month; two scholarships awarded

Katie Mark, director of the arts for Rockville Centre Schools, opened the district’s All‑District Chorus concert and framed the evening as part of the district’s celebration of Music in Our Schools Month. “This is the fortieth year that we’ve been celebrating March as Music in Our Schools Month, and we are thrilled to be here in support of the arts in our schools,” Mark said.

The program included performances by combined fifth- and sixth‑grade ensembles, South Side Middle School chorale, Chamber Singers and other high‑school ensembles. Student narrators and senior members of Chamber Singers introduced pieces and spoke about the personal and community value of school music programs. Senior student Kaylee said Chamber Singers “perfectly encapsulates the energy of the Chamber Singers,” and Connor Riley described the ensemble as “a family.”

Sponsors of the Arts president Debbie Cuevas presented two scholarships during the concert. Cuevas read excerpts from winning applicants’ essays; one writer described music as a daily source of comfort and storytelling: “Music will always be everything to me,” the essay read. The second scholarship winner wrote that picking the violin in fourth grade felt like “a piece of me that had been missing was just put into its place.” Cuevas announced the awards for Lila Burns Sharrock and Tatum Gallagher.

Mark gave logistical notes for families: fifth‑ and sixth‑grade students would exit the auditorium and be available for pickup in the second‑floor cafeteria at the end of the night. The concert program also listed upcoming school musical productions, including The Lion King at the middle school and Newsies at South Side High School; Mark noted a “save the date” page in the program for those performances.

Several selections highlighted cultural and thematic variety: a Hindi song referencing Diwali, an African American spiritual, and arrangements from Broadway shows such as Into the Woods and Wicked. Student announcer Nick Golia introduced a piece tied to climate change, saying the song “highlights the global climate crisis that we’re facing right now, and it reminds us, each and every one of us, that we all can make a difference.”

The program combined student performance, short commentary from student leaders and recognition of community support through the Sponsors of the Arts scholarships. No formal actions, votes, or policy decisions were recorded during the concert.

The district’s celebration and the scholarships emphasized continuity of music education across elementary, middle and high school ensembles and encouraged younger students to continue in chorus and music programs.