Malden High School welcomes new band director Lauren Foley. She is also an instrumental teacher preparing for the upcoming winter recital in 2022.
Foley, hired after Erin O’Brien Mazza moved out of state, is skilled in teaching instruments, especially the flute. After graduation from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Foley came across the offer of becoming a band director at Malden High school for her first teaching job.
The instruments and activities taught by Foley and the previous teacher Mazza are the same. “I think we’re doing pretty similar things….We do a lot of marching band stuff to start off the year, and then we dive into more concert music,” Foley said.
Different instruments that are located in the band room. ADA ZHANG
Freshman Dagny Boswell wants to play her best during the concert to show the hard work and the practice she does everyday. “During a concert, we really are going to be performing some of our best work, because that’s our time to showcase what we are. During pre-concert recitals, everyone should be really [focused],” said Boswell.
Foley is adapting to the new environment and the students’ schedule in band. “This year I’m trying to just figure out the routines of everything they do so that I can keep things going,” Foley explained. She wants to keep everything in a steady pace and know more of the program. She hopes the marching band can play at the football games during halftime as it is one of her goals for next year.
“There’s a difference between everyone’s teaching style and it always depends on the teacher and how they make sure the class is learning, but a lot of the stuff has stayed the same, especially because it’s a lot of the same instruments,” senior Lyra Gold stated.
“Mazza was a huge part of the High School community in general… She was like a pillar to a lot of us. She was a band teacher that I’ve known since I was in 6th grade so it was difficult to lose her, especially my senior year,” Gold explained. Mazza’s leave impacted a lot of students and the years they spent together. Foley finds the new environment such as the events and the students’ schedule in the band challenging but she is adapting quickly.
(L) Sophomore Laryssa De Souza playing the guitar. (R) Other instruments in the band room.
Students in the band are comfortable around her, “I think she’s really organized, she kind of has everything on her radar which is really helpful and she’s like very patient with us which is also really good to see,” Gold said. She continued, “She’s doing really great. This is very early in her career, she just got out of college, but she’s doing an awesome job and I’m impressed with the band. We’re all behind her and trying to do our best to help her do what she wants to do.”
Gold concluded with plans to “just to finish off strong and have a lot of fun and see the band program through.”
