Macopin’s musical eighth graders perform at Passaic County arts festival

Students from the Macopin Middle School’s eighth grade band, chorus and members of the Highlander Pipes and Drums performed at the Passaic County Teen Arts Festival at Passaic County Community College last Friday, May 13.

The Passaic Teen Arts Festival is a county-wide celebration of the arts dedicated to inspiring teen artists, educators, professional artists and arts advocates from all across the county to unite as one “grand and all-inclusive community.” The festival is designed to accommodate dance, vocal music, instrumental music and theater performances.

This was the first year Macopin Middle School musicians participated in this festival. Macopin was represented by two small eighth-grade student-led instrumental ensembles: a French horn trio and a brass trio consisting of a trumpet, French horn, and baritone.

These talented musicians and singers selected their own performance pieces and practiced hard, even outside of class, with the help of their teachers Erica McPartland (band), Susan Kaczor (chorus) and Joseph Smolinski (pipes and drums).

The festival provided in-person workshops, along with the performances, and gave the students a chance to come together with their peers and enjoy the arts.