Music students welcome new honor society to Fossil
124 new Tri-M members are called to the stage one at a time to be inducted.
September 29, 2018
Besides the National Honor Society, Fossil Ridge High School offers honor societies in many different fields. Students of high achievement can find something special for their personal interests with opportunities such as National Art Honor Society or Mu Alpha Theta. On September 26, music students were inducted to the Tri-M Music Honor Society for the first time at Fossil. The chapter has high hopes for the upcoming school year, and will bring the next leaders in music chances to get involved within the community.
Tri-M Music Honor Society was founded in 1936 under the name Modern Music Masters. Formed with the intention on recognizing students for their musical achievements and giving new leadership opportunities, the society continues that vision today. Tri-M members become involved leaders throughout their communities by celebrating music culture and communicating with others through sound. These members are selected based on excellence in music classes, character, leadership, and willingness to serve. Out of the 456 students involved in music programs at Fossil, 124 applied and were accepted into the honor society.
Orchestra students who attended an honor orchestra festival in the previous school year learned about Tri-M Music Honor Society from students from other schools. Louie Silvestri, the Orchestra and Music Theory teacher, was excited about the information students brought back to school, and helped to make it happen.
We can bring a positive change, make a difference in our community, and put Fossil Ridge on the map not only as ambassadors to the community, but as ambassadors of music.
— Louie Silvestri
Students responded well to the idea, and worked to make it happen in the 2018-2019 school year. Student leaders helped organize fundraisers, recruit incoming freshmen through middle school visits, and coordinate volunteer opportunities in preparation.
This year, Tri-M members will participate in community outreach while using their musical talents. Some performed in a concert at a retirement home on September 29, and will do many of these throughout the year for retirement communities and hospitals. Within Fossil, students will help as ushers at concerts and be active leaders during their music classes. They also plan on helping to organize Fossil’s Got Talent, the school’s annual talent show, this spring.
Currently, six percent of Fossil’s population is involved in Tri-M. Mr. Silvestri hopes to bring more into the program, and have ten percent of students inducted by 2020. He believes the volunteer opportunities will help make Fossil’s music department more well-known, and also generate more student interest for the society. Tri-M Music Honor Society will help musical leaders to learn about service while bringing help to places in the city that might just need a little music.
