Twenty-six students at Watchung Hills Regional High School were inducted into the Tri-M Music Honor Society on Thursday, Oct. 22, in the Performing Arts Center at the school.
It was the first such induction to the Music Honor Society at the school, according to choral music teacher and Watchung Hills Honor Society chapter advisor, Angela DiIorio Bird.
The Tri-M Music Honor Society has added 470 new chapters in the past two years to raise the total number of chapters to 1,700, including 24 international chapters in 15 countries. There are now some 67,080 members of the society.
The society is a program of the National Association of Music Education (NAfME). According to the NAfME Web site, www.nafme.org, “The Tri-Music Honor Society is the international music honor society for middle/junior high school and high school students.
It is designed to recognize students for their academic and musical achievements, reward them for the accomplishments and service activities, and to inspire other students to excel at music and leadership.” Tri-M offers chapters and members webinars, chapter resources, service project and fundraising ideas, awards, scholarships and merchandise.
The students who were inducted for vocal performance are: Nikhil Bhat, Krishti Bhaumik, Jillian Carbone, Allison Horvath, William Johnson, David Kalwicz, Sarah Kelly, Hannah Melillo, Veronica Mu, Jack Pacetti, Jordon Reynolds, Julia Sluyter and Amelia Stapperfenne.
The students who were inducted for instrumental performance are: Chris Barry, Ryan Branco, Owen Di Donna, Stella Hung, Andrew Morrison, Ethan Marmolejos, Laura Osborne, Justin Panzarino, John Ray, Emilie Ricciardi, Alyssa Rosenblum, Simon Yang and Isis Zhang.
The students named as officers of the Watching Hills chapter are: President-Vocal, Jillian Carbone; President-Instrumental, Andrew Morrison; Vice President Jordon Reynolds; Secretary, Alyssa Rosenblum; Treasurer, Justin Panzarino; and Isis Zhang, historian.
Guest speaker for the induction ceremony was Angelika Nair, an Austrian-American mezzosoprano opera singer and voice professor.
In addressing the students, their parents and teachers in the audience, Nair said she wanted to share two lessons she has learned during her more than two-decade-old career.
The first lesson, she said, is “Be curious, never settle and work hard.” The second is, “It’s not just playing/singing the right notes.”
(above) The newly inducted student officers of the Watchung Hills Regional High School chapter of the Tri-M Music Honor Society gather with their faculty advisor, Watchung Hills Music teacher Angela DiIorio Bird, fifth left, and guest speaker, Mezzo Soprano Opera Singer and Voice Professor Angelika Nair, fourth left. From left are: students Alyssa Rosenblum, chapter secretary; Isis Zhang, chapter Historian; and Jillian Carbone, vocal president; Nair; DiIorio Bird; and students Andrew Morrison, instrumental president; Justin Panzarino, treasurer; and Jordon Reynolds, instrumental vice-president.
