Westfield music educator Kent Knappenberger leads a large group of students in a musical presentation at a recent meeting of the board of education. OBSERVER Photo by David Prenatt.

WESTFIELD — Westfield Academy and Central School District Board of Education members received a special and unanticipated presentation from the music department at their regular meeting last month.

Music instructor Kent Knappenberger led nearly two dozen high school students, members of the Westwinds Choral Group and other high school vocalists, in performing two songs for the board. Their performance was followed by a power point presentation on the music departments activities and accomplishments by band director Helen Ihasz and Knappenberger.

The first song the students performed was an example of Scottish mouth music, so named because only the performer’s mouth moves, Knappenberger explained. It was arranged by Michael McGlynn, who is the director of the vocal ensemble Anuna, that was featured on the vocal tracks of Riverdance.

The song, featuring Hayden Backus as soloist, was done entirely in Scottish Gaelic. “Scottish Gaelic sounds like something you’ve never heard before,” Knappenberger said. “It was an exciting experience to learn all that Gaelic!”

The second performance was a rendition of the Cuban folk song, Guantanamera, which was popularized by Pete Seeger. Solos were performed by Richard Barney, Isaac Caballero, Lillian Nichols, Savannah Lashbrook, Dhananjay Patel and Grant Richard.

After the performance, Ihasz led the presentation describing the entire music program at WACS. She stressed that the purpose of the music department is to promote a “lifelong engagement to music,” in the students’ lives.

Ihasz told board members that the program consists of academic classes, choruses and performances. With the curricular component, “Everyone gets at least 10 weeks of general music,” she said.

Of the 689 students enrolled at WACS, Ihasz said, 66 students are enrolled in elective academic music courses. Those students are in grades 9 to 12, Knappenberger added.

The extracurricular offerings of the music department include band, chorus and performing ensembles, such as Westwinds, Firecrackers, steelheads and handbell ensemble, Ihasz said.

Ihasz went on to note that 100% of the 6th grade takes is involved in chorus. A total of 263 students in the school participate in performing ensembles, and 106 were involved in the school’s production of Newsies, she added.

Also, Ihasz said, 63 students are members of honors ensembles, either all county, all state or national. “We touch all levels of honors ensembles,” she said.

Ihasz summed up the presentation by thanking everyone for their support of the music program at Westfield. “We are working hard to stay strong in our numbers,” she said. “Our wonderful students and all of their accomplishments continue to inspire us.