The Mayo Performing Arts Center is thrilled to continue our Music Student of the Month (MSOM) program. This student recognition program was recognized as “outstanding” by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and has honored hundreds of students over the last twenty years.

Now in its 20th year, the Music Student of the Month program honors Morris County middle and high school students nominated by their music teacher, not only for their excellence as musicians but for the dedication, leadership, and commitment to their entire school community. Each month teachers are asked to nominate an outstanding musician in a particular category including, Jazz Musicians, Brass Players, Wind Players, Percussionists, Guitarists, Pianists, Orchestra Members, Band Members etc. Students are honored before a chosen performance where they receive recognition on stage and complimentary tickets to that evening’s show.

All students who are honored throughout the course of the MSOM season will have the opportunity to participate in a recital on stage at MPAC. Press releases and pictures of the award recipients are also sent out to local papers monthly.

Nominate a Student

We handle all nominations through email. To nominate students, please have your MSOM representative email the following information:

  • Nominating instructor and contact information every month (including phone number, email address and school address)
  • Student’s name
  • Student’s grade level
  • Description (at least a paragraph) as to why they should be chosen

Music Students of the Month

May 2025

Msom May2025

tudents from Mt. Olive, Randolph, Morristown, Parsippany, Mendham, Boonton, Hanover Township, and Pequannock were honored as MPAC Music Students of the Month – Outstanding Band Members -- at the Friday, May 9 performance of HMS Pinafore by the New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players.

Students were nominated by their teachers, based on their commitment to and excellence in the performing arts.

The Theatre will honor a group of students every month throughout the season and invites area teachers to nominate students for this honor. A year end recital will be held on Wednesday, June 4 at 6 pm.

The 2024-2025 Music Student of the Month program is supported by The Walter F. and Alice Gorham Foundation, Inc.

About the Music Students of the Month (bio supplied their instructors.)

Will Beattie  

Grade 8; Mount Olive Middle School; Nominated by Jacqueline Burkat

Will should be chosen because he is a dedicated band member who always seeks to improve. He is a role model for other band members and helps his classmates whenever necessary. Will has worked hard and greatly improved on the tuba over the past few years and it is due to his hard work ethic and commitment to the instrumental music program. The tuba is such an integral and vital instrument in a wind band, and he wholeheartedly fulfills this role. It really completes the band in terms of blend, balance and sound. I cannot think of a student more deserving for this honor than Will Beattie.

Jacqueline Carangelo

Grade 8; Mountain View Middle School; Nominated by Leigh Carpenter

Jacqueline Carangelo is an indispensable member of our band program.  She is knowledgeable in music theory, is advanced in her playing both technically and musically, and analyzes her and our group’s performance levels giving thoughtful suggestions for improvement.  Jackie is self-motivated and loves learning. Jackie is a valuable member of our band; she voluntarily took on new roles to fill in holes in our sound where we lacked instruments. This year, in addition to playing her clarinet, she has learned to play bass clarinet, alto saxophone, and percussion, and used her piano skills to accompany a Spanish ensemble, special ensemble, as well as our orchestra.  Jackie’s versatility and willingness to help is a boon to our music department.

 

Oleysa Cybyk

Grade 8; Brooklawn Middle School; Nominated by Carrie Sack

Olesya Cybyk is the lead alto saxophone player in Brooklawn Middle School’s 8th grade Concert Band.  She has matured tremendously as a young musician moving beyond just practicing notes and rhythms, and demonstrates a love and appreciation for context and composer’s intent as well. As a result of Olesya’s drive and attention to detail, she will be a featured soloist in one of the selections we will be performing in our Spring Concert in May.  In addition to her commitment to the school’s concert band, Olesya has successfully auditioned for our jazz band and pit orchestra and acts as lead alto sax in both ensembles.  Aside from her musical accomplishments, she is also always very polite and responsible to directors and fellow band members alike.  Olesya’s musicianship and demeanor make her an excellent choice for this month’s MSOM.

Priya George

Grade 12; Randolph High School; Nominated by Nick Fantazzi

Priya has really stepped up in her Senior year as a model member of our Band Program.  She has participated in all three major ensembles: Marching Band, Jazz Band, and Wind Ensemble, and has been a leader of those groups in both her playing and leadership.  We are proud of her development over the past four years in our program and think she is worthy of this award!

Shannon Koba

Grade 8; John Hill School; Nominated by Yvonne Manca

Shannon Koba has been an asset to the music program here at John Hill School. She has been playing the flute since 4th grade and has taken private lessons all throughout her school years. She has performed multiple solos with our school band. Shannon is an exceptional flute player whose dedication, talent, and passion for music shine through every note she plays. Known for her expressive tone and impressive technical skill, she consistently brings life to every performance, whether it’s a solo piece or part of an ensemble. Her commitment to practice and growth sets a high standard for her peers, and her ability to lead by example makes her not only a standout musician but also a valued member of the band community. With a bright musical future ahead, she continues to inspire those around her with her artistry and determination.

Morgan Mahanna     

Grade 7; Randolph Middle School; Nominated by Tom Davidson

Morgan Mahanna is a clarinet player and choir member in the seventh grade at Randolph Middle School. Morgan has been involved in Randolph’s music programs since 4th grade, when she joined the choir and the orchestra, learning the cello. Morgan had to decide between the orchestra and band in 5th grade, so she decided to switch to band and learn the clarinet with hopes of playing in the marching band in high school. Morgan took a few private clarinet lessons before the start of school and has held the first chair position since 5th grade. Morgan has attended the Randolph Music camp since the summer after 5th grade, where, in addition to learning more challenging clarinet pieces, she also learned some guitar, piano, and music mixing/technology, and will continue that for a third consecutive summer, this year.  In 6th grade, Morgan was nominated for the NJSMA Elementary Honor Band Festival and was selected to participate in the spring of 2024. In 7th grade, she was nominated for the North Jersey Junior Area Band, but was not selected during the lottery. This past fall, Morgan tried out for and was accepted into the Randolph Middle School Jazz Ensemble. She’s loved the experience of jazz ensemble and decided to participate in the Montclair Jazz House’s Chica Power Spring Residency in Spring 2025.

Stephen Quad

Grade 8; Frelinghuysen Middle School; Nominated by Timothy Beadle

Steven Quad plays the French horn and trumpet in every possible ensemble at Frelinghuysen Middle School.  Always reliable and dependable, he came to FMS as a 6th grade trumpet player and quickly tried out French horn to fill a need for the band.  He has never looked back!  Af FMS Steven plays in the band, the jazz band, the after-school wind symphony, the symphony orchestra, and even the musical.  He has also represented FMS in the North Jersey Area Band and NJSMA Int. Region Band since he was a 7th Grader. Congrats Steven!

 

Carolos Ramirez     

Grade 12; Parsippany High School; Nominated by Greg Dalakian

Carlos Ramirez has been a dedicated member of our music department since his freshman year. He is a talented instrumentalist who has contributed to every aspect of our instrumental music program, through his participation in Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, Pit Orchestra, and Marching Band. Carlos has served as a student leader for the past 2 seasons and even assisted with conducting during the PHS Marching Band season and on our recent trip to Washington, D.C. He has also successfully auditioned into both the North Jersey Area Band and the NJSMA Region I Band on Baritone Sax multiple times during his high school career. Carlos is someone we can always rely on and always represents PHS with Pride, Honor, and Spirit. He always goes above and beyond to improve himself as a musician and as a member of our band program.

 

Ella Semeraro

Grade 8; Pequannock Valley Middle School; Nominated by Michael Kertesz

Ella is an eighth-grade trombonist at Pequannock Valley Middle School, and she exemplifies the highest standards of musicianship, leadership, and character.  Ella plays trombone in our 8th Grade Band and serves as the lead trombone in the Jazz Band, where her strong tone, musical sensitivity, and stylistic awareness help drive the ensemble. She also made a splash this year in the school musical, taking on the leading role of Ariel in The Little Mermaid—a performance that showcased not only her musical talents, but her confidence, charisma, and commitment to the arts.  In addition to her musical accomplishments, Ella is a standout leader in our school community. She serves as both a Peer Leader and the President of our Tri-M National Junior Music Honor Society chapter. Through these roles, she consistently demonstrates maturity, kindness, and a passion for helping others. Whether she’s guiding younger students, organizing events, or uplifting those around her, Ella is someone who leads by example.  What truly makes Ella special is her infectious positivity—she always has a smile on her face and a kind word for those who need it. Her dedication to her craft, her peers, and her school community makes her not only an outstanding band student, but an extraordinary human being.

Emily Thormann     

Grade 8; Brooklawn Middle School; Nominated by Joseph Stella

Emily is a talented lead trumpet player in our 8th grade band.  She is always very conscientious of learning her parts for band and has improved a great deal in her time at the middle school.  She also has a very big trumpet solo in one of our pieces this year.  Outside of the school’s concert band, Emily has successfully auditioned for our jazz band and pit orchestra as a lead trumpet in both ensembles.  Aside from her musical accomplishments, she is also always very polite and responsible.  Emily’s musicianship and demeanor make her an excellent choice for this month’s MSOM.

Katherine Trabachino       

Grade 10; Morristown High School; Nominated by David Gallagher

Kate is an all around amazing band student who has stepped up in every way possible this year to be outstanding in all of their ensembles. Kate is primarily a trumpet player, participating in our marching band, jazz band, and wind ensemble. However, we had a need for additional French Horn players this year in our festival literature and pit orchestra and Kate learned the new instrument in a little over a month. She is now an equally talented French Horn player as she is Trumpet player. Her dedication, hard work, and positive attitude are infectious to those around her and she is an outstanding member of every ensemble she participates in. ‘

 

Jack VanSeggern    

Grade 10; Whippany Park High School; Nominated by Carl Sabatino

Jack is a very talented musician with a high level of drive and determination.  As a freshman he ran the tables in his auditions and made it all the way to the All State Band.  His musicianship and very strong work ethic are paramount in his early success.  Most students would be satisfied with that level of achievement early on but Jack has looked to further challenge himself and he auditioned for the Juilliard Pre-College program as a sophomore.  He was successful in that audition and as a result has been attending sessions every Saturday in NYC.  We look forward to all that Jack will accomplish throughout his HS career and being selected for this honor would certainly be appropriate.

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