RSU 16 Music

06/17/2026

Finally!

After quite a few technological hiccups over the last couple of weeks, I am so excited to share this "Monday" post. It features the wisdom of four of my students, all excellent leaders in their own right. I can't wait for you to hear from more of my phenomenal students, because maybe you'll learn as much from them as I get to.
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We are spending the next few weeks taking a look at how music and the arts can foster the crucial "durable skills" as outlined by America Succeeds. This week's focus is LEADERSHIP.

Blake, Liv, Max, Irelyn, and I took a few moments to explore the different modes of leadership within the ensemble and how their development of leadership skills within our ensemble parlayed into leadership opportunities beyond the music classroom.

Some highlights they brought to my attention that I wouldn't otherwise have thought about:
- Leadership has more to do with connecting to people than it has to do with what we possess individually.
- The beauty of a successful ensemble is that everyone is leading in one way or another, and that can look like many different things.
- Enjoying the success of those around you (or, as Irelyn so beautifully put it, to "watch others bloom") is crucial to being a good leader.
- The subjectivity of music and the arts means there are myriad different ways to be "right," and they can look and sound very different. This fosters flexibility, open-mindedness, and tolerance.
- Emotional regulation makes you better prepared to lead others. The arts play a major role in helping us stay regulated!
- Ensemble music is made better by the fact that everyone brings something slightly different to the experience, which encourages the participants to celebrate diversity and synergy.

I learned so much more from these awesome humans, but I guess you'll have to listen to hear it from them!

Educate Maine Maine Art Education Association Maine Music Educators Association Maine Arts Education Maine Arts Education Partners in Leadership Maine Teacher of the Year and Maine County Teachers of the Year Regional School Unit 16 RSU 16 Music

06/12/2026

Thank you, Mr. Hawley, Mrs. McNally, Vicki, Mrs. Madsen, Mr. Anderson, Mr. Hayashida, Mrs. K., Mrs. Storer, Ms. Camire, and especially Ms. Harvey!!! What an amazing day.

06/09/2026

What a beautiful night we had at Poland Spring Preservation Society's All Souls Chapel. We are so grateful for this community tradition, and for the invitation and support from Laura Brown.

These are just the snippets we were able to collect for now, but gosh! What a great start to our final week of school.

Huge thanks to the seniors who returned for one more performance, and to the families, friends, and community members who braved the heat to enjoy some evening music with us. We are the luckiest!

06/05/2026

On Thursday, Whittier students had the opportunity to hear the impactful story of Pedro Tovookan Parris (1833-1860) in Antonio Rocha's compelling performance of "Once Upon a Hill in Maine." The performance was made even more palpable and meaningful to our chorus students who sang throughout it. The songs, both written and typically performed by Rocha, outline the major moments of the story.

In the performance, students learned the true story of Pedro, an African boy in the 19th Century who was abducted at the age of ten and trafficked through the slave trade in Brazil. After being freed by an American consul at age 12, Pedro was brought to Maine to live with the Parris family on Paris Hill in Oxford County, where he died peacefully just 15 years later.

According to Rocha, Thursday's performance was the first time the songs have been sung by people who were actually the same age as young Pedro at the time he was freed. The songs carried the audience through each stage of Pedro's journey, and we were so honored to perform them alongside Rocha's masterful storytelling.

Thank you, Antonio, for being so encouraging and inspiring in how you keep these stories alive! We were grateful to work with you and hope to do it again!

Major gratitude to Portland Ovations for producing and supporting this event, to Ms. Karaffa for connecting Antonio with the chorus, and to Antonio and our amazing students who brought a special energy to this story!

Julia Edwards: 2026 Maine Teacher of the Year

05/28/2026

26 seconds of the Class of '26 heading out into the world from their final moments as classmates. This is a timelapse of one of my favorite traditions, the "clap out." It is a bookend to the "clap in," the very first experience they have as freshman, where the entire faculty gathers by the front door to applaud the students' entry into their new learning environment. Tomorrow night, we usher them through the door that brings them from students to alumni, and they are so ready for that moment. Congratulations, PRHS Class of 2026!

05/16/2026

So proud of these RSU 16 singers! Max, Cayden, and Scarlett made us proud as they participated in the 2026 MMEA All State SATB Choir. The program they saying was so powerful, they received two standing ovations! We are grateful to have the support for our music program that allows us to provide opportunities like this for students like these. They work so hard to develop their skills. Hard to believe this was the last one for Cayden and Max, but we are so excited for what they will accomplish beyond their time at PRHS. Well done, you three! Thanks for representing your school, district, and yourselves so well!

03/10/2026

Hey folks! Happy Music In Our Schools Month (MIOSM)! As we gear up for our district-wide All Choral Concert this Wednesday, Mrs. Edwards is wondering if you'd take 5 minutes to fill out this survey about what it means to you to have music in our RSU 16 schools. Thanks for your support of our programs -- it means so much to our students, truly! We hope to see you at the concert!

Hi everyone! March is Music in Our Schools Month (MIOSM). In addition to our concerts on March 11 (chorus) and March 25 (band), I'd like to find a way to get our community involved in the national conversation regarding the value of having music in schools. Before the chorus concert I often like to....

01/24/2026

ONE HOUR LEFT!!! Our students are bundling up in lots of layers in the hopes, they can encourage more people to come see the great mattresses on display in the middle school gym. Thanks to everyone who has already visited, please make sure you stop by if you haven't already! The mattress sale goes until 4 PM.

01/24/2026

✨TODAY ONLY✨ It's here!!! Our annual mattress sale for Indoor Track and Music! We are serious about these deals, can you tell? It's only an hour in and many local friends have walked away happily with purchase slips for the mattress of their dreams!

Come see what it's all about and support our amazing students (and your precious sleep!)