G-T music students
ready for first-of-its-kind concert
By Scott Mitchell Johnson
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — For the first time ever, SAD 1’s Gifted and Talented music students will take the stage next week to showcase their vocal and instrumental abilities.
“The idea really all started because this year I had a change in my teaching schedule where I actually had quite a chunk of free time,” said Jay Nelson, grade 5-12 vocal music teacher. “When I met with the curriculum director and some other folks in administration, I said, ‘What am I supposed to do with this time?’ Anne Blanchard, principal at Presque Isle Middle School, asked if I could do more with G-T music and I said, ‘Absolutely.’
Staff photo/Scott Mitchell Johnson
SAD 1’S GIFTED AND TALENTED music students 
will take the stage April 9 to showcase their vocal and instrumental abilities. This is the first time the G-T music students have performed in such a concert. Among those Presque Isle Middle School students participating in the showcase are, from left, front row: Tyler Levesque, Stephanie Winslow, Abigail Shaw and Sarah Morneault. Back row: Troy Nadeau, Tyler Ayotte, Aaron Swanson and Greyson Sonntag. Absent when the photo was taken were Michaela Dubé, Yessinia Vilar, Bailey Roderick, Dustin Alward and Logan Michaud. The free concert will be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the PIMS auditorium.
“Because of the schedule change, I was able to offer voice lessons, but not to all of my core students; just to those students who are involved in the G-T program. Because I teach at Zippel Elementary School, the middle school and Presque Isle High School, I’m able to give lessons at all three schools,” he said. “By having this G-T Music Showcase, we are giving these students a platform to showcase their musical talents.”
The showcase will be held Monday, April 9 at 6:30 p.m. in the PIMS auditorium.
Nelson said the performance, which is free, will feature predominately vocal students.
“At the high school level, it will be predominately vocal solos, but I also took all of the vocal students and put them together in a small ensemble, as well,” he said. “We have two elementary students (one at Zippel and one at Mapleton Elementary School) who probably will both be just singing individually.
Staff photo/Scott Mitchell Johnson
PRESQUE ISLE HIGH SCHOOL Gifted and Talented music students 
who will be participating in the upcoming SAD 1 G-T Music Showcase are, from left, front row: Christina Hallowell, Kate Campbell, Alecia daCruz and Miranda Flannery. Second row: Cameo Madore, Angela Hallowell and Chloe Rossignol. Back row: Jamison Getman, Brenden Goulet, Keith Clark and Austin Albert. Absent when the photo was taken was Jordan Buckley. The showcase will be held Monday, April 9 at 6:30 p.m. in the Presque Isle Middle School auditorium.
“There will be some instrumental performances, as well,” said Nelson. “Pat Bragdon, the band teacher at PIMS, has been working with some students on flute duets and he’s got a couple of students who are very talented piano players that he’s trying to get to accompany some of the other instrumentalists. He also has put together a full G-T instrumental ensemble that’s mostly percussion and keyboard instruments incorporating not only the instrumentalists, but also the G-T singers.”
Nelson said his focus for the voice lessons has been “delving into the realm of Broadway solo show tunes.”
“Each student from grade 5-12 has been working on two different show tunes; I’ve tried to have one more upbeat and one that’s more of a ballad,” he said. “Because there are so many G-T students, we’re going to have each student choose just one song to perform at the showcase.”
Nelson said he is excited about the upcoming concert and encourages the community to come out and support some of the district’s most talented performers.
“We do have a lot of talented people in SAD 1 that we don’t get to showcase in that solo realm, so this is a wonderful opportunity to be able to present that to the public,” he said. “This is something different than what we normally put out there for an audience because it is going to feature primarily solo performers as opposed to group performances which is the main focus of the music department with the band and chorus program.
“Anybody who likes Broadway music, in particular, will be thoroughly entertained. We’re working with songs, many of which are sung by characters of this age group on stage. We’re doing some songs from ‘Peter Pan’ and ‘Cinderella,’ said Nelson. “Because many of the musicals are so ‘guy heavy’ and we typically have more females that try out for the shows, a lot of the shows just wouldn’t work here in SAD 1 because they don’t fit the group of students that we have. I’ve tried to incorporate a lot of the songs from those types of shows that we might not be able to put on at PIHS as a full musical. Songs from ‘My Fair Lady’ and ‘Les Miserables’ come to mind, so the public will be able to hear some of those famous Broadway songs at this event.”
The concert is expected to last about an hour-and-a-half.
“I tell people our concerts are about the same amount of time as going to a movie or a basketball game,” said Nelson, “it’s just a little bit different kind of entertainment.”
Nelson said the original idea for the showcase was to feature both the G-T music and art students.
“We had been in discussion with the SAD 1 art department but we discovered that the music department was a bit ahead in the screening process of G-T students compared to the art department,” he said, “but hopefully we can have a full arts showcase next year.”
