After a year and a half of virtual concerts, the Aragon Music Department kicked off the school year with the Tri-M Honor Society Induction Ceremony on Sept. 17. The ceremony was held in the theater and lasted from 7-8 p.m.
In order to comply with COVID-19 regulations, John Chen, the Director of Choirs and Orchestras, and Kevin Gallagher, the Director of Bands, allowed audience members to choose where they sat amongst the socially distanced family pods. They also required face masks for all attendees and provided extra masks and hand sanitizer at the entrance to the theater.
Chen and Gallagher prepared for the ceremony with a different mindset compared to previous in-person concerts and worked with the space they had. They held the ceremony in accordance with the national Tri-M Honor Society by-laws, which require all chapters to hold a ceremony in which selected students are commended for their talents.
The ceremony gave the musicians’ families, friends and other members of the Aragon community the opportunity to publicly celebrate and learn who the Aragon Chapter, Chapter 3534, members for this school year are.
The musicians performed classical arias, conciertos, sonatas and jazz standards. These pieces, requiring a small number of musicians to perform, highlighted the musicians’ talent. The student performers were mainly section leaders who consistently practiced over the summer, or the past semester, making it easier for them to prepare for this early concert.
“I think it’s a great experience to be a part of something with … other[s] who love music”
Chen and Gallagher kept the musicians distanced from each other on stage by rearranging their stands and chairs. When it was time for a musician to give a solo performance, they left their seat and went to the center of the stage and then returned to their seat once they finished.
“This [ceremony] is a little easier to space out just because the performances are [in] smaller groups,” Chen said. “[With] solos, duets and quartets, [there is] not too much traffic jam on-stage.”
During the Tri-M Honor Society Induction ceremony, Chen and Gallagher inducted the Aragon Chapter’s officers and the officers gave a joint-speech describing how the Honor Society had gotten its name and what being part of the Tri-M Honor Society meant for its members. The Chapter’s officers then inducted each individual musician, and throughout the ceremony different members of Chapter 3534 performed.
Junior Wreetom Dutta, who was inducted and sang at the Tri-M Induction ceremony, is satisfied about being a part of in-person activities for Chapter 3534.
“It’s my second year this time and [since] my first year was kind of scuffed because of COVID-19, I’m really excited to be a part of the actual Tri-M,” Dutta said. “[I was] able to do my activities in person, see what it is actually like and bring music to the community.”
Senior Katie Lau, a violin player inducted at the Tri-M Induction ceremony, also enjoys her experience with Chapter 3534.
“I think it’s a great experience to be a part of something with … other people who love music as much as I do,” Lau said. “There’s so many groups of musicians and a lot of interesting areas and it’s great to be a part of [the group].”
The new members of Chapter 3534 will continue showcasing their music for the rest of this school year, sharing their musical talents with the Aragon community and beyond.
