Communications High School (CHS) markets itself as a haven for artistic expression and creativity. This strong selling point raises questions about why some art forms seem to be pushed aside.
Currently, CHS does not offer music education classes. This missed opportunity to diversify the curriculum excludes students who want to express themselves utilizing various artistic mediums. The backbone of music at CHS is an unofficial club only founded last year.
Senior Fiona Griffin of Middletown transformed the choir club, an early CHS club, into what is now known as Music Club with the help of senior Tanner Grigoli of Ocean Township.
“I went to the first person I thought of when I thought of music: Tanner Grigoli,” Griffin said. “I said to him, ‘I don’t know what to do with this thing that I have, but I want to make it something better.’”
Many students at CHS want to participate in music-based activities and join the Music Club in hopes of more opportunities coming from it. Sophomore Kyler LaMonte of Tinton Falls is on the Music Club council and describes his experience from the very beginning.
“I joined Music Club freshman year,” LaMonte said. “Music is such an important part of my life, and I wanted to continue experiencing it here at CHS.”
There is a demand for musical integration at CHS, but Griffin is experiencing an uphill battle with funding.
“We are working on raising funds,” Griffin said. “We didn’t get a go-ahead [to become an official club] like some of the other clubs might have; we’ve instead had to be very creative to circumvent the issues with what we have.”
Griffin has not let these limitations stop her. Despite others telling her she could not succeed, she has persevered.
“For Music Club, the sky’s the limit,” Griffin said. “I’ve had teachers tell me it’s just not gonna happen, and sometimes they’ve been right, and sometimes it hasn’t worked, but other times, we’ve done what I’ve been told couldn’t be done.”
Griffin has often faced drawbacks in becoming an official club because Music Club is not linked to a subject that CHS offers.
“I can’t even begin to imagine that music is anything but a mode of communication,” Griffin said. “It can reach people across languages, it can make people feel things they’ve never felt before.”
In a similar vein, Freshman Zach Benner of Tinton Falls describes how he feels music has a place at CHS.
“[Music] fits with the theme of the school,” Benner said. “Music is a great medium of communication, and it helps round out knowledge of math and creativity.”
Griffin voices the common thought amongst CHS students: to have an opportunity for their arts program to become stronger and more inclusive. Griffin does not want to stop at Music Club, however. Her hopes for the future of music at CHS might even take part in a classroom.
“Music classes here would be amazing,” Griffin said. “I love my club, I love it to death, and I’m so glad that we can have a close-knit community, but music classes at CHS would be the ultimate end goal.”
Griffin has big dreams for Music Club, but these dreams require the funding and support to back them up. Griffin hopes that she can create a future for music to be further implemented into CHS.
“One day kids could come here, interested in music, and they could learn.”
