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Eagle Hill Middle School Students Help Create Musical Composition Through Art, Essays, Melodies

A project that’s been a year in the making will culminate in about two weeks when 7th and 8th grade band students at Eagle Hill Middle School in Manlius perform a composition the whole school was invited to inspire.  Students worked with Band Director Terri Tallman and submitted essays, artwork, and musical melodies that reflected the theme “Beauty and Excellence.”  Symphoria’s principal pops conductor Sean O’Loughlin turned it into music.  He's also an experienced composer, and has worked with artists such as Adele, Kelly Clarkson, and Pentatonix.   O'Loughlin conducted the band students through practice during Friday's class.

Credit Scott Willis / WAER News
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WAER News
A student plays trumpet while practicing Hidden Wonders (see top left of music sheet).

"For me, being able to create something new, and work with the students on the seeds of it, to then have something grow into this beautiful piece to enjoy.  The kids have a real personal attachment because they know they were part of that process, they were part of the inspiration process to me."

Band Director Terri Tallman took on the project as a way to give back something lasting to the community and the school.  She said she wanted a composer to come in, and after talking with colleagues, O'Loughlin's name kept coming up.  

"Sean works with the kids really well.  He does not have any airs that turn off the kids and think he's in a different level than them.  He writes because he remembers how it was in middle school, and he really wants to inspire the kids."

O'Loughlin feels the end result fits the personalities...and abilities of the students.

"Between the physicality of playing the technical demands, and the emotional response the music generates from the kids, you have to keep the music in a spot that is aspiring yet not out of reach.  So it gives them challenges, but not so hard that they'll crumble and fall."

Eighth grader Peilin Lu plays clarinet, and submitted the winning art project to O'Loughlin as inspiration for the composition.

"To convey the message of beauty and excellence at Eagle Hill, we need to emphasize the dynamics.  So note-wise, it's not very hard.  But to play it with dynamics and articulation, that's the most important."

Seventh grader Allison Wong plays flute.  She submitted a top essay entry for her grade.

"I think it's easy to play through.  But if you want to add artistic things, it takes longer."

Eighth grader Eddie Elliot plays clarinet, and was one of many who wrote sheet music for the composition.  He feels good about their performance.

"I think we've come a long ways from the first time we were playing it.  We've gotten a lot better, especially with the advice he's been giving us about it."

The students will perform the composition “Hidden Wonders” June 4th at the Eagle Hill Middle School auditorium.   

EAGLEHILL-MUSIC.mp3
Hear the entire composition as practiced Friday with conductor Sean O'Loughlin.

The piece also marks the culmination of Band director Terri Tallman's career, although she says she didn't plan it this way.  She's retiring at the end of the school year after a 32 years in teaching, 29 of them at Eagle Hill.  She says she'll keep playing professionally and teaching on the side.

Grants from the FM foundation and The Arts and Ed foundation made the project possible.

Credit Scott Willis / WAER News
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WAER News
Symphoria Principal Pops Conductor Sean O'Loughlin conducts Eagle Hill Middle School band students who helped create the composition "Hidden Wonders."

Scott Willis covers politics, local government, transportation, and arts and culture for WAER. He came to Syracuse from Detroit in 2001, where he began his career in radio as an intern and freelance reporter. Scott is honored and privileged to bring the day’s news and in-depth feature reporting to WAER’s dedicated and generous listeners. You can find him on twitter @swillisWAER and email him at srwillis@syr.edu.