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Entering Cub Scout Troop 272 in 1995, Jay followed the trail crossing over to Boy Scout troop 179 and on to Eagle over the past 10 years. Jay ended his Eagle Scout ceremony by playing his bass. Thanks to all the leaders and fellow scouts who helped Jay through the years to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout. Scouting in Troop 179 has been quite an adventure. Jay brought his love for music into his Eagle Project. Birchland Park Middle School had a music program but lacked Jazz influence. The East Longmeadow High School has a great Jazz program but was loosing several senior performers who graduated in May. Jay thought that exposing the middle school to jazz would create a pool of new Jazz students for theHigh School Jazz Band and the More Jazz Band. Jay was already involved in an externship assisting Mr. Humason, the Music Director at Birchland Park, in teaching music. Jay gathered fellow jazz musicians Alex Syner, Matt Schoenberg, Jim Moriarty and Matt Hodge to perform a Jazz concert for Birchland Park. In this concert each instrument was demonstrated showing the transition from learning to play an instrument to applications in Jazz. He also put together informational pamphlets about each instrument with Jazz performers for suggested listening. Jay followed up by forming an after school Jazz Band at Birchland Park. Jay will be attending Westfield State College in September as a Music Major and hopes to become a music teacher and then move on to a career in music theory and composition |
