Potomac Falls High School’s music departments head over to River Bend Middle School to introduce the next generation to the pleasures of music. 

    Rising middle school students had the unique opportunity to attend the Instrument Test Drive earlier this month, where they experienced an interactive session with a variety of instruments that piqued their interests. The event, held at River Bend Middle School, brought together fifth graders and their parents, as well as musicians from RBMS and PFHS and their music department  representatives. 

    Although COVID-19 has modified the format of the event a bit, students still get to try instruments in various music departments and discover which instruments might fit their skills and interests. For example, the band department provided “the students the mouthpiece of the instrument [that] they would blow into [and] try to make some noise [as] I played my instrument and tried to get them to mimic what I was doing,” said junior Lily Schumacher.

    In order to attract new students to their departments, musicians answered questions and showed off their talents by playing popular tunes. “To appeal to the fifth graders, I taught myself the song ‘We Don’t Talk about Bruno’ from the movie Encanto and the Among Us theme,” said junior Grace Lafrancois.

    Middle and high school students gave the fifth grade students mini lessons on the technique to play each instrument and provided positive feedback to encourage them. “I would show them step by step the proper way to hold the violin and bow. [Then,] I would move the bow across the string to create sound and let them play,” said junior Maddie Lynner.

    Each music department offers different learning opportunities that enhance and emphasize the collaborative aspects of creating music. “Band offers a bigger variety of instruments to choose from and each instrument is unique,” said Schumacher. “Band [also] offers the opportunity to meet new people [and] go on a lot of trips.”

    Many high schoolers got their start in music when they attended the Instrument Test Drive as rising middle schoolers. “I thought it would be a good opportunity to share my interest in the violin with incoming sixth graders [since] I attended the Instrument Test Drive [and] it influenced my decision [to play the violin as a result of being] able to physically play the instrument [which] helped me narrow down my choices,” said Lynner.

    One of the most rewarding experiences of playing an instrument is participating in the ensemble and sharing the love of music with other like minded musicians. “Getting to see this huge product that you’ve put your effort and practice into come together [is] really fun and gives you a sense of fulfillment,” said Lafrancois. “Getting more people interested in [music] is really great because we [get to] build up the community and more people can find joy through music.” 

    The Instrument Test Drive allows musicians passionate in their instrument to share their love of music with upcoming middle schoolers. Inspiring young students to enter the world of music created by different instruments is the primary goal of the event and is a continued tradition of RBMS and PFHS.