In the News: Band Keeps the Crowd Rockin' at Fryeburg Football Games

Bachman, Bart. (September 7, 2017). Band keeps the crowd rockin' at Fryeburg football games. The Conway Daily Sun. 

FRYEBURG — A high school football game just isn’t complete without a band.

The Fryeburg Academy band will be performing both on the field and in the stands at several of the Raiders’ football games this season.

“At the football games, the band keeps the crowd involved in the action on the field,” said band director Mike Sakash. “I also feel the band supports a feeling of school pride and spirit.”

Sakash, in his seventh year as full-time music instructor at Fryeburg Academy, said the band generally has 50 to 60 members.
 
“Most students played an instrument in junior high,” Sakash said, “although a handful of students begin a new instrument in high school.”

Fryeburg Academy has long been known for its outstanding and diverse music program.

“Our specialty is jazz,” Sakash said. “We have six different instrumental jazz ensembles and two vocal jazz ensembles. The jazz groups perform at festivals throughout New England. Our students thoroughly enjoy performing in a wide variety of venues and receiving feedback from top musicians and educators.”

The marching band performs in the Grand Parade at the Fryeburg Fair every October. Its first football game will be the homecoming game on Sept. 23.

“For the homecoming game, we will play selections from the band Earth, Wind and Fire,” Sakash said. “In the stands, we will also play a wide variety of pop and rock tunes.”

After homecoming, the band will play at “selected” home football games, Sakash said. “For the football games, the band typically performs in the stands, but does not do a field show,” he said.

The band does not have formal marching uniforms but wears Fryeburg Academy shirts and jackets.

“We fund-raise throughout the year,” Sakash said, “but we devote most of our resources to traveling with our jazz groups.”

There are three seniors who Sakash considers standouts in the music program. They include vocalist and trumpet player Ciara Neidlinger; percussionist Owen Burk; and vocalist and guitarist Christian Martin.

“All three students have been active in band and our vocal jazz and instrumental jazz groups throughout their high school years, and have made outstanding progress,” Sakash said.

Sakash himself is a saxophone player and is a member of several jazz groups in Mount Washington Valley and the Portland area. Before coming to Fryeburg Academy, he was associate professor of music at Washington and Jefferson College in Washington, Pa.

“While some of our graduates go on to music school and careers as music teachers and performers, the majority of our students will study other disciplines after graduation,” Sakash said. “It is my goal to build the foundation for our students to be lifelong music makers and lifelong music appreciators.

“The Fryeburg Academy music program exposes students to a wide variety of music and deepens their appreciation for the art form,” he continued. “We work hard to perform frequently and perform at a very high level, which I believe leads to a greater participation in music making after graduation.”

Sakash added: “It s gratifying to hear from so many Fryeburg Academy music alums who are in the music profession, or continuing to play in more recreational groups such as community bands, chamber ensembles and jazz groups and rock bands. The well-known local band Junco is a great example of this. This successful group is composed entirely of Fryeburg Academy alums. So exciting.”
 



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List of 5 news stories.

  • Fryeburg Academy Fall 2023-24 Honors/High Honors Roll Recipients Named

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    Mia Grandchamp
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    David Kim
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    Kardelen Lacinok
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    Celine Lee
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    Winter Raymond
    Dustin Rhoda
    Gideon Richard
    Leah Rokes
    Margherita Rossi
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    From October 31 through November 3, five members of the Academy's FFA Chapter (Future Farmers of America) and faculty member Jennifer Solter Jones attended the National FFA Convention held in Indianapolis, Indiana. 

  • FA's Falls Sports Assembly Honors Student-Athletes

    On Thursday, November 16th, Fryeburg Academy celebrated the fall sports season with its annual fall sports awards assembly held in the Leura Hill Eastman Performing Arts Center. The following student-athletes were recognized for their outstanding performance during the fall 2023-24 season:
     

  • Joseph R. Manning Installed as the Academy's 55th Head of School

    Fryeburg Academy and the Board of Trustees announce the installation of Joseph R. Manning as the Academy’s 55th head of school. The Installation Ceremony was held on Friday, November 3, 2023, with members of the Fryeburg Academy community, the Board of Trustees, and former head of school Erin P. Mayo in attendance as a guest speaker. Manning steps into this new leadership role during the school’s 232nd year, following a long-tenured and successful career at the Academy spanning twenty years of service. 

  • FA Students Earn Letters of Commendation in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program

    Fryeburg Academy seniors Tyler Bartick and Jiwon Choi have earned Letters of Commendation from the National Merit Scholarship Program (NMSC) for their performance on the 2022 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®).

Fryeburg Academy

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Fryeburg Academy is an independent boarding and day school, serving grades 9-12 and postgraduate. We invite you to explore our site and learn how students from around the globe find their place in the world through our exceptional academic, art, and athletic programs.