On Thursday, March 10, 375 student-musicians from Port Washington’s elementary schools, Weber Middle School and Schreiber High School took the stage of the Tilles Center at LIU Post for the first District Band Spectacular. The performance was made possible by the Tilles Center Arts Education Program at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts and was cosponsored with a grant from HEARTS, a nonprofit organization that promotes the arts in Port Washington. 
“Our student-musicians possess a depth of talent and range of skill that could rival any professional band ensemble,” said Dr. Kathleen Mooney, superintendent of schools. “Their performances at the District Band Spectacular on Thursday, March 10, were exceptional. The audience was treated to an impressive selection of pieces made all the more special by being performed at the beautiful Tilles Center. Congratulations to our students and band teachers for giving us such an inspiring night of music.”
The elementary band, with students from Daly, Guggenheim, Manorhaven, Salem and Sousa elementary schools, began the evening at 7:30 p.m., performing two pieces under the direction of Shane Helfner and Aaron Prindle.
The Weber Middle School band, with students from grades 6, 7 and 8, then performed three pieces, under the direction of Jason Cherry, Stephen Connolly and Elizabeth Andrew.
To cap the evening, the Schreiber combined band performed under
the direction of Rudy Johnson and Mark Brenner.
“It was exciting and a lot of hard work was put into the performance,” Michael Paul Scotto, 7th-grade baritone horn.
“The evening was a tribute to the timeless impression that music can make on those performing and those blessed to be present for that beauty. Thank you [to] all music teachers who share their passion with our students,” said Maria di Natale Scotto, parent of Schreiber High School and middle school participants.
“We are thrilled that over 350 band-students had the wonderful experience of performing at Tilles Center for the Performing Arts at LIU Post,” said Kevin Scully, director of Creative Arts, Port Washington School District. “For students from elementary through high school to be able to perform in this venue is wonderful in itself. When our young musicians and their parents are able to hear the talented and hard-working middle and high school students, it creates an excitement that cannot be matched. We are extremely thankful to all of our band students and teachers who put in so much work preparing for this event.”
The Schreiber band ended the night with “The Stars and Stripes Forever March,” by John Philip Sousa, sending the audience home clapping along, with so much pride in their Port students.
This event is sponsored by The Port Washington School District’s Creative Arts Department and HEARTS (Helping to Enrich the Arts), a nonprofit organization that promotes the arts in Port Washington. The concert was hosted by Tilles Center Arts Education Program at Tilles Center for the Performing Arts.
For more information on HEARTS, go to www.heartspw.org. For more information on the Creative Arts Department, please go to www.portnet.k12.ny.us/domain/25.
