On March 8 and 9, six Old Rochester Regional Junior High School students took part in the Southeastern Massachusetts Music Educators Association Junior District Festival.

The event took place at New Bedford High School and featured five ensembles made up of about 375 students total.

Eighth-grade students Brianna Cabral (clarinet), Mara Donnelly (flute), Isabella Perez-Dormitzer (voice), Erin Root (voice), Rebecca Schaefer (trumpet) and seventh-grader Sophie Zhou (trombone) were selected after auditioning in December 2023.

"I am incredibly proud of the dedication and talent our musicians displayed at the recent SEMMEA Junior District Festival," said Instrumental Music Teacher Richard Laprise. "Their hard work and commitment truly paid off with phenomenal performances that resonated with the audience. They are a shining example of the musical excellence we strive for at Old Rochester, and they represented our school with great distinction."

"We are extremely proud of every student who participated in the festival this past weekend,” Old Rochester Regional Junior High School Principal Silas Coellner said. "They have spent significant time practicing and it's great to see their hard work pay off.”