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Despite her quiet demeanor, Savannah Loiselle’s presence can be seen everywhere at Putnam High School. She is a Student Representative of the Putnam Board of Education, treasurer of the Gender-Sexuality Alliance Club, Co-Chair of Relay For Life of Northeastern CT, treasurer of the PHS Chapter of the National Honor Society, and Class Secretary for the Class of 2024.
However, she is likely known to most as a talented musician performing with a multitude of PHS vocal and instrumental ensembles.
For her Capstone Project, she treated the public to “A Musical Informance” in PHS’ Black Box Theater Dec. 13. PHS requires all students to complete a Capstone Project before graduation that allows students to explore an area of interest to a greater extent than typical coursework. Students partner with a mentor who has expertise in their field of interest and create a product to showcase what they learned. Her interactive Capstone Project was designed to engage the audience and teach them about the intricacies of planning vocal and instrumental performances.
Skye Shogren, PHS music teacher and Loiselle’s Capstone mentor, said: “Savannah is an exemplary role model in the music classroom as both a dedicated performer and dynamic ensemble member. She is so reflective and refines her own skills while at the same time, contributing to the growth of each ensemble. Her work is inspiring to audiences, classmates, and teachers alike. It is such a privilege to work with Savannah and watch her build a sustainable community through music here in Putnam.”
Her musical presence extends well beyond the PHS community. This year, she earned her spot in the Eastern Region High School Music Festival. She prepared throughout the fall for a rigorous audition process and was selected to perform with both vocal and instrumental ensembles — an extremely rare feat. Forced with the difficult decision to select only one group, Loiselle chose to perform with the Festival Choir on Jan. 6 at UConn’s Jorgensen Center.
Of her upcoming four-song performance Loiselle said: “I am excited about so many aspects of the experience - performing in a great space, singing in a sizeable choir, and watching the other ensembles.”
She said she has always been drawn to music because it provides her and her peers “the opportunity to express themselves in a medium that feels like second nature and provides a healthy distraction from life’s stressors.”
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