As we begin the holiday season, we are grateful for your continued dedication and support to the Staples Music Department. We are proud of the determination our students have shown, as well as the resilience they have displayed in a less than ideal environment. As we prepare for Candlelight, each ensemble has demonstrated the desire to maintain the sense of community that is integral to excellence in music. As musicians ourselves, we hold true to the fact that music has the power to heal and transcend and we will continue to cultivate that environment at Staples. We hope to bring this to you through our performances this year and that you and your family have a safe and enjoyable holiday season!

From the entire music staff, we wish you and yours a Thanksgiving filled with love and joy. We look forward to the day our entire musical family can once again come together to create the music that we all love.

Thankful.

Glowing On....

The 80th Annual Candlelight Concert will be pre-recorded and live-streamed December 19 at 7:30pm. More information about the concert and how to obtain your "virtual ticket" coming soon!

Until our next live performance, we hope you enjoy our retrospective of the

2019-'20 Staples Music Concert Season featured above. "Reflections" highlights musical pieces encompassing the Fall Choral Concert, Fall Band Concert, Fall Orchestra Concert, Candlelight and the Westport Youth Concert.

A Retrospective in Music

Westport Music Department Once Again Recognized Among Best Communities for Music Education

For the eight straight year, the Westport Public Schools Music Dept. has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from the NAMM Foundation. Recognized for its outstanding commitment to music education, Westport joins 623 districts across the country in receiving this prestigious award for 2019. The recognition is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students.

Staples Receives Top Prize at Darien Jazz Jamboree

Friday, March 6, the Staples Jazz Ensemble was awarded first place at the seventh annual Darien High School Jazz Jamboree. Ten area jazz ensembles participated in the event, which was adjudicated by UCONN jazz faculty members Earl MacDonald and John Mastroianni. The SJE received consistently high marks in all captions, including perfect scores for Time as well as
Presentation/Programming from both adjudicators. Mastroianni described the rhythm section as “burning” and commended the ensemble for playing
“a difficult program very well. That goes for everyone.” The two adjudicators awarded an Outstanding Musicianship Award to junior drummer Dylan Goodman, who was heavily featured on the band’s closing number.
The ensemble received a total score of 186 out of a possible 200 points split among 8 captions, and while the top three bands were separated by just five points, Staples received minimal deductions. “When we finished our performance, it felt like it was the best we had played all year” expressed Phil Giampietro, who is in his first year as director of bands at Staples. “To me, that feeling is the most important takeaway from this event. I know that performing at such a high level is important to the students as well, and they are incredibly excited to be recognized for all their hard work. Considering the level of musicianship being displayed by the other bands at the festival, our students should feel very proud.”
 

The Westport Music Department’s Vision is to develop our students’ artistic literacy and global awareness by growing their ability to create, perform and respond to diverse music at the highest level in a safe and nurturing environment.