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By Katrina Margolis
Hometown Weekly Reporter
This past Thursday, the Tri-M National Music Honor Society of Westwood High School held its seventh annual Charity Concert. Tri-M (the three M’s standing for Modern Music Masters) works to inspire music participation, create an enthusiasm for scholarship, and promote leadership in the music students of secondary schools. “Anybody who is involved with music at the school can apply,” Anusha Manglik, a Tri-M member said. “It’s comprised of sophomores through seniors.”
The group has an advisor, David Jennison, as well as an executive board made up of six students. “We make most of the decisions,” Anusha added. One decision in particular was the Charity Concert. “This is the year we decided to really publicize it more.”
Each year, the group chooses a charity to donate the proceeds to. This year, they selected Project Step. This organization, based in Boston, recognizes the fact that certain racial and ethnic minorities are vastly underrepresented in classical music. “Our mission is to address this imbalance by identifying musically talented children, providing them with comprehensive music and string instrument instruction,” their website explains. “We set the highest standard for our students, provide mentoring and performance opportunities, and create a network of support for our students, their families and their communities.”
While the members of Tri-M are involved in the Westwood High School musical groups, this particular performance was just set up by them, not performed. “This is just volunteer people who decided to come and play for everybody,” Anusha said. “Anybody from the high school can sign up to perform, so there are a lot of local singers. Sophia Jane, for example - she is a singer-songwriter who is going to perform, and some of the bands at school, like, pop bands.”
Performers spanned from solo pop performances to a string trio to a four-person band called Ezzie Stone and the Minerals. Everything from Disney’s Moana to Coldplay to The Kinks was represented. The students asked for a suggested donation of five dollars, raising funds to donate to Project Step.
It is possible that some of the world’s next pop stars are hiding out at Westwood High.
The next generation of leaders is there as well.
