Arts in Spring!

Spring is usually associated with flowers blooming, snow melting, and warmer weather. But, here at 158, for many students and staff, Spring is full of events and concerts for the Band, Chorus classes, and the Theater Club! So, let’s go into a deep dive of the things to come as of April 17th, 2026!

Music in the Parks

In the morning of May 8th, 2026, 8th Grade Band and select Chorus students and their teachers will set off on a bus ride to Allentown, Pennsylvania and Dorney Park for the Music in the Parks adjudication festival! Our second annual trip to the festival will comprise of two parts:

• The first part does not take place in the amusement park; it instead takes place at a local high school around the park. This is the adjudication segment of the festival, where the ensembles perform in front of a judge, usually a band or chorus teacher (retired or current). The ensembles then get scored on their performance, which will be revealed much later in the day, along with their placement amongst other groups..

• The second part is having fun after the performance in Dorney Park! Students will be put into groups and will explore the park! Each ticket comes with a meal voucher to use for lunch. After a few hours, the scores and ratings are released and the placements are revealed! Last year, our Band got a rating of Superior and our chorus got a rating of Excellent!

Senior Spring Concert

A sentimental event for many, this is the last concert at MS158 for many 8th Grade Band and Chorus students. This will showcase the pieces prepared by our hard-working Band and Chorus students in the second half of the 2025-26 school year. Additionally, there will be performances by cJazz Band and Chamber Chorus! Save the date for May 20th for one last hurrah for our Symphonic Band and 8th Grade Chorus!

NYSSMA Adjudication

On the last weekend of May and the first week of June, the NYSSMA Solo and NYSSMA Major Adjudication Festivals are being held! 

• The NYSSMA Solo/Ensemble Festivals are being held across the 5 boroughs of New York. The festival involves students signing up for an evaluation on an instrument or voice, being adjudicated by a judge. Students can pick a difficulty level of I to VI and get scored out of 28 for levels I-IV and 100 for levels V and VI. A few weeks after, scores are released and a rating of either "Outstanding", “Excellent”, “Good”, and “Needs Improvement”. 

• The MS158 Symphonic Band will be going to the NYSSMA Majors Ensemble Adjudication Festival, with the decision to go made by the students, with the majority voting in favor of attending the festival.. Much like the first part of Music in the Parks, the band travels to a local auditorium and plays a (in our case) 3-piece program, including a mandatory concert march-style piece. Then, the ensembles are given a rating of either “Gold With Distinction”, “Gold”, “Silver”, “Bronze”, or a participation award. Our band has been given the highest award, “Gold With Distinction”, for two years in a row as of April 2026!

High School Musical Jr.

The Theater Club invites you to watch their annual theater performance. This year, they are staging a production of High School Musical Jr.! Based on the essential 2006 Disney Channel Original Movie, the story is set in the halls of East High, when students Troy and Gabriella audition for the spring musical. The story is about perseverance, resilience, and not sticking to the status quo! The cast has been hard at work since January learning lines, music, choreography, and blocking to make the show the best it can be, with Stage Crew and Set Design hard at work behind the scenes. So, go see them on May 29th at 7pm and May 30th at 3pm for an amazing time!

Junior Spring Arts Festival

The last concert of the year is the Junior Spring Arts Festival! This concert will feature our 6th Grade Beginning Band, 6th Grade Chorus, 7th Grade Intermediate Band, and our 7th Grade Chorus! This is the first concert for the class of 2028, and the final 7th Grade Concert! The music from the 7th Grade Spring Concert is way more advanced than 7th Grade Winter Concert, so come see the major improvements that the students have made while also seeing our beginners put on their first performance!

That just about wraps up the events surrounding the arts at 158 for the year! The arts are really a central part of our schools' culture, so come see the shows surrounding them and support your fellow students!