On Wednesday, June 3, 2026, the Rocky Point Middle School’s 8th Grade Chorus, under the direction of Mr. Hayden Aron, 8th Grade Band, under the direction of Ms. Kyra Kenwood, and 8th Grade Orchestra, under the direction of Mrs. Meghan Walter, all performed at the Long Island Music Festival, held at Suffolk Community College’s Michael J. Grant Campus. The Long Island Music Festival provided the Rocky Point Middle School’s 8th Grade performing ensembles with an engaging and inspiring educational opportunity where students and adjudicators worked together in a productive and beneficial learning environment.

The festival day included a performance component paired with a recreational activity. First, the Rocky Point Middle School’s 8th Grade Band, Chorus and Orchestra members performed for a panel of music educators from a variety of educational institutions. These adjudicators provided Mr. Aron, Ms. Kenwood, Mrs. Walter and the students with written and verbal feedback based on their performances. Following their performances, the adjudicators then worked with the respective ensemble directors and their students in a clinic style workshop. During the workshop, adjudicators spent time discussing positive aspects of their performances while also demonstrating ways in which to improve musical nuances, considerations to enhance the musicality and artistry, and offered conducting/rehearsal strategies. This provided Mr. Aron, Ms. Kenwood and Mrs. Walter with helpful professional development and offered the students beneficial feedback on what they did well, and areas to consider for further developing their skills.

The students concluded the afternoon with recreation time at Adventureland, where they were one of the most well-behaved schools in the park! They were respectful of each other's apprehension towards certain rides, stuck together as a group, followed the instructions of their chaperones, and participated in pure fun on the park's many rides and activities.

A congratulatory message from Rocky Point Music Department chairpersons Mr. Craig Knapp and Ms. Amy Schecher: “We are very proud of Mr. Aron, Ms. Kenwood, Mrs. Walter and all of the 8th Grade Band, Chorus and Orchestra students that performed at the Long Island Music Festival. Thank you for representing the Rocky Point Music Program with excellence. We are incredibly proud of your achievements. We are very appreciative that we have such a hard-working music department faculty and we are thankful for all they contribute to the music program at the Middle School. Thank you to the families of these talented students for all of their support and encouragement. We are grateful that the Rocky Point School District administration and Board of Education supports and encourages these forms of experiences for the students and the music department.”