Recently, the Center Moriches Union Free School District’s Clayton Huey Elementary School hosted their third annual Young Composers Showcase. The event marked the culmination of the school’s Young Composers Club, where elementary students spent months writing and composing original music before performing their work in front of friends and family.

The club’s advisor, Pam Basile, started the students on their musical journey by teaching them how to write lyrics and understand rhythms and pitches. Once they grasped these fundamentals, students were encouraged to develop their own creative processes—whether composing individually or collaborating in small groups. Through this student-led approach, the Young Composers developed the proper skills to reflect on their own work while providing constructive feedback to others.

The students used their new-found talents to create original pieces entirely on their own. At the Young Composers Showcase, the musicians performed the pieces they felt most proud of in front of their audience. They were able to debut as much, or as little, of their music as they felt comfortable with. Each student had an opportunity to take the stage.

“We here at Clayton Huey talk about being risk takers. I don’t know anything riskier than learning something new and sharing your new skill with others,” said Ms. Basile. “I am so proud of what they’ve accomplished and how they treated one another throughout the writing process. From the very first moment our club started, these kids have respected and supported one another.”

“Seeing the Young Composers Club evolve over the past three years has been a fantastic experience.  The students take such pride and ownership in their work and truly take significant risks performing in front of their loved ones,” said Clayton Huey School Principal Dennis Ricci. “I can't help but admire their courage and passion for their work every year. Ms. Basile does some amazing work with this group by allowing the students to share their voices and express creativity.”