It’s easy to bond with your own band, choir, or orchestra. After all, at DHS, bandmates, fellow choir members, and fellow musicians often have class together, practicing and synergizing every day. But rarely do the students in these ensembles get a chance to hang out with other departments—to create a cross-genre musical community.
From this idea, DHS Tri-M was born. A chapter of the Tri-M Music Honor Society, a national organization operating under the National Association for Music Education, DHS Tri-M seeks to provide a diverse musical space for bonding and community service. While the club mainly consists of students from the DHS band, orchestra, or choir departments, any musically inclined student is welcome to join. Co-Presidents Mihir Korupolu and Cathy Chen, DHS sophomores, run the club with assistance from secretary Sophia Lee.
“Last year, we noticed that there weren’t many opportunities to connect with students outside of our respective music departments. We wanted to make a club that could serve as a bridge between those different departments,” Sophia Lee, junior, tells the Shield.
On a more fundamental level, though, DHS Tri-M aims to utilize music to tell a story. These stories are often used for good, communicated at the club’s various community service events. Students create mini-ensembles and perform fresh pieces at places like the Dublin Senior Center. They also partner with local businesses for fundraising events, like their recent collaboration with Teazentea, in order to raise money for their own community performances.
“Music connects people together, which is why I think so many people resonate with [it],” Sophia stated in a statement from the club. “For band, orchestra, and choir, student musicians bond together by creating a story through every part they play.”
A natural part of this storytelling is connecting different people through a commonly understood medium. Just as they originally sought to connect students from band, orchestra, and choir, they now seek to connect Dublin across age gaps, races, and language barriers through their shared love of music.
“In our world, we have a lot of differences that make it hard to communicate with people around the world, such as language barriers. However, music is a universal language that can be expressed through notes instead of words, and can serve as a bridge to connect everyone,” Sophia explained.
Despite the club’s more serious aims, though, many DHS Tri-M members enjoy their experiences with the club. One member, Krista Chen, joined the club to find more opportunities to perform, and has relished the opportunities she’s had to do so. “My favorite part about Tri-M is getting to know others and having the opportunity to perform in front of others,” Krista stated. “Tri-M has helped me express my musicality even more by helping me work with others and gain confidence through performances.”
In the future, Tri-M plans to collaborate with more local shops, centers, and businesses to raise money and fund more local performances. The club continues to work towards its goal of connecting more people through its use of music as a universal language to unite the various people of Dublin. In short, DHS Tri-M continues to seek harmony for all with a love for music.
Anyone can support DHS Tri-M by participating in its fundraisers, which are always announced on their club instagram page, @dublinhigh.trim. As for membership, anyone with a passion for music is welcome to join.
