Page 22 - Newsletter_Fall_2022
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Music Department
NEWS FROM THE MUSIC ROOM
By Kevin Mania, HHS Music Faculty
Gladness and sadness in the Music Room this fall...
Greetings from the music room! Maine Department of Education as our state Visual
and Performing Arts Specialist. During his time at
We are glad to say that we started the year off like any the department, he was a driving force to help keep
old year would start off. NO RESTRICTIONS! It Maine Visual and Performing Arts teachers moving
was nice to go back to normal and concentrate on in a positive direction during the pandemic. He was
making music with our students in an environment always a supporter of our program and cheered on our
that promoted expression. We had a fall concert in students. Even after he left our school, he was always
late October with a Halloween theme. It was only asking about how the kids were doing and always
fitting given the season. The concert featured our offered to help out if we needed him. For those of
Middle and High School band and choruses. It you who had the pleasure of working with him, I am
was a great night of music-making in our Houlton sure you can attest that he was something special.
Community Arts Center. Our students are starting to There has been a scholarship set up in Jason’s honor to
get back into the swing of things and moving ahead help send kids to music camp during the summer. If
nicely. The next phase of our year will be working on you would like to donate in his honor, you can send a
music for basketball and hockey games. The choruses donation to:
are working on putting music together to perform out Jason Anderson Scholarship
in the community as well as exploring new music to c/o Kevin Mania
expand their knowledge base. Our chorus teacher, Houlton High School Music Dept.
Nicholas Foster, is doing an exceptional job with the 7 Bird St.
kids. Houlton, ME 04730
Our fall musical this year is “Freaky Friday.” We Checks can be written out to Houlton High School.
have 42 students involved in our production this year. If you have any questions, please contact me. I would
It has been a blast putting this show together. Our love to talk about your experience with Jason. I
production team is such a joy to work with. This would be glad to forward your messages to his family.
year I am privileged to have Mike Hutchinson as He is surely missed by many.
the assistant director and both Nicholas Foster and
Jamie Sewell as associate directors. We have had some Well, from my corner of the building to your home,
bumps in the road during production, but without I wish you all a great holiday season and look forward
a skip we have all been there to keep things moving to catching up with you again in the spring. As
seamlessly. Our production is November 18 - 20. It always, please feel free to stop by if you are in the area.
will surely be a great show with many memories made It is always great to catch up with familiar faces and
to go down in the books for our department. meet some new ones from our music program.
One of our biggest bumps in the road was the passing Cheers my friends,
of Jason Anderson. Many of you may remember Mr.
Anderson for his bow ties. He taught with us from Kevin Mania
2010 to 2019. In his nine years here, he brought HMHS Music Department
us some great musicals and award-winning choral kevin.mania@rsu29.org
groups. He left us in the fall of 2019 to work for the 207-538-3860
www.houltonalumni.com PAGE 22
