How middle school music grew to five times its size in less than a decade

With the Wareham Middle School winter concert less than a month away, over 120 kids will take the stage to perform two shows for friends and family, but it wasn’t long ago the program had under 20 kids in it.

Nine years ago, Caitlin Francese arrived as the school’s new music teacher, overseeing general music classes, band and chorus. At the time the band had six kids and the chorus had 12 but in her tenure, Francese has helped sprout the program from the small club to something nearly 25% of all Wareham Middle Schoolers do.

“We did two performances and started building something crazy and band got put into the school day which allowed more students to participate,” Francese said. “I had 22 students signed up for band the following year and since then it’s grown exponentially.”

Now, the band program has grown to 102 kids with each grade level, 5, 6 and 7, having their own band. Additionally the chorus has grown to 40 kids and Francese said about 20 kids are involved in both.

“I came in Aug. 1 and I had parents emailing me asking ‘how can my child be in band,’” Middle School Principal Sara Russo said.

The growth of the program has not been a result of one thing, said Francese, but it has become an annual practice for her to visit the fourth graders and promote her program.

“When the fourth graders get to fifth grade I’m like ‘do you remember that day a crazy person came down and ran around the cafetorium trying to get you to sign up for band,’” she said.

“‘Yeah I do,’” Francese said the kids say.

“That was me and now I’m your music teacher,’” she tells the kids.

Russo added in her first year as principal, she’s seen the long-lasting connections Francese makes with not only students but families too.

“I have a former student right now currently in college for music and they frequently reach back out and check in and they have a sibling that’s now at the high school doing the same,” Francese said. “If I can be a positive adult in the kids’ lives that they remember as they get older and hopefully continue with music — that’s my whole goal at the end of the day.”

During class, the ‘Queen of Chaos” as Francese is called by her students said she keeps the kids engaged by making her class an outlet for expression, noise and communication and called it “chaos in the absolute best way”

“I see a very different side of students than in other classes because I want them to uniquely be themselves and as a result of that I am uniquely myself,” she said. “Because I am unapologetically myself the kids get comfortable very quickly and I think that’s huge.”

And Russo agreed, saying what Francese is encouraging in class aligns directly with the district’s goal of encouraging students to find their voice.

“She supports students in being able to find their voice and share it with others,” she said.

Francese added the school has been running out of instruments to give kids because of the increased popularity. She recently applied for a grant to acquire more instruments but is still waiting on if she will get the money.

The middle school concert on Wednesday Dec. 10 will feature two performances from the band, chorus and jazz band beginning at 5 p.m. and again at 7 and Francese called the concerts an “open house” into her classroom.

“You can expect to learn what the children are learning,” Francese said. “I want the parents and students to have a different appreciation for what the kids are doing down here because as much as it’s fun, they’re working real hard.”

Tickets for the concert will be sold through the Wareham Middle School Music Facebook Page called WMS Music. Sales will begin a few days prior to the concert.

Additionally the chorus will be performing “God Bless America” at the minor league hockey affiliate of the Boston Bruins, the Providence Bruins, Friday Nov. 21 and at the Wareham Parent Teacher Association Holiday Fair Saturday, Dec. 13.