On Dec. 7, 2024, Stroudsburg High School hosted the annual Musicfest from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Students grades six through twelve (middle school to senior year) performed in front of a large audience after all the hard work they put into practicing for their show.
The first half of the day included Craftfest, where people from the Poconos brought crafts to the Stroudsburg High School gymnasium.
Musicfest and Craftfest are funded by Stroudsburg Area Music Supporters also known as SAMS. All the money raised from the bake sale and concessions go towards the Stroudsburg Music Department: including choir, show choir, chorale, band, and orchestra.
In the second half of the day, friends and family came to see all the great performances that Stroudsburg’s band, orchestra, and choir had to offer.
Students were able to showcase their musical talent after many months of preparation. This was their first concert of the year and thanks to the hard work of their teachers, they successfully put on a great show for the audience that friends and family thoroughly enjoyed.
“I believe that Musicfest brought us all together as one of the many traditions that this small town has. The performances brought excitement and joy to our [audience and performers] evening, ” expressed Kendall Runkel, ’27.
Choir members Laila Coral, ’26, Tyler Finney, ’25, and Victoria Cambell, ’25 performed solo parts during the song “Children Go Where I Send Thee.”
Kaleb Gerard, ‘27, had a solo in the beginning of “Celtic Carol” and Lorie Sobieszczuk, ‘27, had a solo in “Secret Agent Santa” during the band’s show.
Soloists for juniors and seniors included Darrien Burke, ‘25, with violin and guitar, Colton Leeth, ’25, with the guitar, Mackenzie Dalton, ‘25, and Isie Miller, ‘26 on drums.
High school directors include: Harold Cassady for band, Janice Lee and Billye Kubiak for choir and show choir, Lee for chorale, and Wendy Wilson for orchestra.
Junior High school directors include: Ben Pritchard for 9th grade band, Hannah Graybeal for choir, and Shannon Smith for orchestra.
“Musicfest is always so great every year. It’s a really fun time of year that brings people together, and I love watching the performances and listening to all the many different songs,” commented Zeerena Diola, ’27.
Playing an instrument, and especially playing it beautifully, deserves to be celebrated and rewarded which is what Musicfest accomplishes without fail every year.
