Drury Arts Students Put on Full Concert for Winter Solstice
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — More than 50 Drury High School arts students performed, produced, and managed a Winter Solstice Concert that featured an array of musical styles and performances.
Media arts teacher Jamie Choquette was able to take the stage Monday night to play his own rendition of "Firework" by Katy Perry with a few of his students with complete confidence knowing his performing arts management (DPAM) students had the expertise to run the 32-channel sound board and 200,000 watts of lights.
"Everything up on stage had to be hooked to something, and this is not just about the cables. It is about learning how the organize a full show," Choquette said. "They are learning all of the intricacies of managing and producing a show ... they get to put on something together that is totally a new take on what they are used to doing in school."
The Drury concert was not your traditional high school holiday show. Devoid of jingle bells and carols, but loaded with vigorous rock 'n' roll, searing punk rock, and soulful rhythm and blues.
Choquette said students not only performed, but built the two-hour show from the bottom up. The only teacher involvement was an all-teacher band that played songs by the bands KISS and AC/DC.
Students handled lighting and sound control, equipment set up, advertisement, graphic design, and of course the actual playing of music.
"They put all of the songs put on a list and they worked it down until they found what works and what doesn't," Choquette said. "Honestly they have probably been only working on the songs for a few weeks so we put it together pretty quick."
Behind the choreographed transitions between performers and bands and the seamless tweaking of sound and programming of lights, Choquette said there are multiple educational benefits to the program that involves the school jazz bands, chorus, band, the DPAM class, and other talented students throughout the school.
"They really have the whole package," Choquette said. "They are learning how to manage, how to organize, and then how musically carry it through too."
The program already has produced students who have been accepted to competitive music, performing arts management, and music technology schools.
Students also learn real-world challenges that arise in the field — such as when equipment just won't turn on.
"Things can go wrong right before a show," Choquette said. "For instance, all of those amplifiers got turned off somehow, and they were back up before I got back. They had already trouble shot it and figured out where the power failure was so they are really learning how to think on their feet."
He added that many colleges with similar programs often visit the high school and are in awe of the school's equipment and student abilities.
DPAM will produce a more traditional concert on Jan. 12 featuring the chorus, Drury alum Michael Milazzo with his 11-piece a cappella group from Maine, and the all-city band.
On Jan. 28, they will produce a Drury After Dark show.
In February, Choquette said DPAM will host a rock show in the gym similar to the winter concert except twice as big on a 40-foot stage.
Tags: concerts, DPAM, Drury High,
