Emily Goldberg ’12
Web Sports Editor

Staples students know how fortunate they are to have so many resources, especially in terms of music. However, they are also aware that many other schools aren’t so lucky.

The students involved in the Tri-M Music Honor Society at Staples have found a way to give back to these less fortunate communities.

Tri–M is a club through the music department whose main goals are to raise awareness of the music within the school and to give back to the music department and the greater musical community, according to Tri-M president Andrea Sherman ’10.

The Tri-M members have decided to volunteer their time tutoring music students in Bridgeport schools.  They will go to the Beardsley and Columbus schools, starting mid-winter, working with students in grades 1-8.

“The best part was that I never had to ask them to do this, they came up with the idea all on their own,” said music teacher, Nick Mariconda, advisor to the Tri-M Club.

Tri-M has paired up with the Bridgeport organization, KEYS (Kids Empowered by Your Support) for their project.

According to executive director and founder of KEYS Rob Silvan, KEYS’ mission is to bring one-on-one music lessons to under-served school children in Bridgeport.

Bridgeport’s school music programs have been heavily hit by budget cuts, Silvan said.

The program is anticipated to have positive effects on both the Bridgeport students as well as the Staples students.

What will be just as strong and empowering will be the effect those same kids will have on the Staples students,” said Silvan.

The program will hopefully help Bridgeport musicians channel their musical interests and abilities into their school work, and other aspects of their lives.

“When kids are creative it translates into math and reading. This gets kids excited and motivated,” said Principal of the Columbus School, Manuel Rocha.

Staples students are looking forward to being able to make an impact in the lives of their fellow musicians.

As well as being their tutors, our students hope to be a resource for the Bridgeport kids for other matters as well.

“High school kids are a great resource for younger students regardless of context, so it will be nice for us to interact on a social level as well as a musical level,” said Tri-M secretary Seori Sachs.

Staples Tri-M students are also looking to expand their involvement with KEYS as they are working to organize a music camp for the Bridgeport kids over a school vacation.

“It would involve giving the kids an opportunity to come to Staples, and the experience would culminate in some sort of performance. I’m really excited to be involved in that if we do it.” said Patrick.

Mariconda is very pleased with his students’s passion for music and their desire to help their musical community.

“Through this program Tri-M will continue to enforce our philosophy that music should be available for everyone,” Mariconda said.