The Fishers Island School Music Department is proud to support the musical interests of our students through solo and small group opportunities, ensemble performances, and academic music classes. Our 7-12 students have the opportunity to perform in our choral ensemble covering a wide variety of vocal literature as well as our instrumental ensemble which performs pieces ranging from classic marches, to orchestral transcriptions, to band literature written by contemporary composers. Our school wide participation rate for our choral and instrumental ensembles is 98%. With over half of our 7-12 students performing in both groups. Students in these ensembles have also worked with directors across the region. Some notable clinicians that have worked with our students are Richard Wyman, United States Coast Guard Band (Ret.) Assistant Conductor, Dr. Wendy Moy, Connecticut College Choral Director, and Dr. Stacy Dziuk, former Director of Bands and Eastern Connecticut State University.
Fishers Island High School students can choose to take elective classes in music that meet their interests in furthering their musical knowledge. Students can take our Music Technology course, which explores the use of recording, editing, notation, and production software. This course is ever changing to fulfill the interests of the students who are taking the class. Students can also earn college course credit, through Suffolk Community College, for our Music Theory class. Music Theory covers the inner workings of music from, analysis of musical form, keys, chords, and how those relate to existing music and music composed by the students.
Our students are able to compete on the regional and state level through our participation in the Connecticut Music Education Association. While we are a New York State public school, the CMEA has graciously allowed us to join their state organization. We have had several students audition for and be accepted to regional band and chorus at the junior high and senior high levels. This is a great opportunity for our students to perform alongside the best student musicians in our area andexperience nationally renowned conductors.
Fishers Island School has been the proud recipient of the National Association of Music Merchants Best Communities for Music Education designation for the past 7 consecutive years. In 2018, 583 school districts were chosen across the nation to receive this honor. School music programs are evaluated based on established criteria and schools that meet their high standards are then awarded the designation. More information can be found at https://www.nammfoundation.org/what-we-do/best-communities-music-education
Music education at Fishers Island is important because it brings the students together and enables them to be unique. It builds imagination and helps develop creative thinking which are two aspects of learning that are sometimes overlooked. -Brooklyn Redo; 2018 Fishers
Island School Graduate, 4 year Band and Chorus Member and 2018 Connecticut Eastern Regional Chorus
Member