Student STEM Beat musicians recently performed for an undergraduate music education class at UMass Amherst—which included teaching college students how to perform a section of one of their original musical arrangements.
“Not only did our students perform, they also spoke about our program, answered students’ and professors' questions, and had a chance to ask the undergraduate students questions about being a music education major at UMass,” said Holyoke STEM music teacher Aaron Di Pilla. “The professors and students were blown away by their skills.”
While at UMass, the STEM Beats performers toured the campus and enjoyed a meal in a UMass dining hall. “This was a win-win for all involved,” Mr. Di Pilla said. “Our students were able to picture themselves being college students, and they were humbled with compliments on their skills. It also gave us the opportunity to represent Holyoke and recruit future teachers. We already have a number of UMass students from the class reaching out to inquire about opportunities to do classroom observations and about potential student-teacher placements.”
The next STEM Beats concert is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 7 at the Holyoke STEM Academy, 1045 Main Street. Students will be performing their classics, past and present. Admission is free.