Music director Serge Beaulieu will be going “over the edge” with percussion director Keith Veale and senior Sam Parisi in order to raise money for the indoor winter percussion ensemble. This fundraiser is run by United Way who set up the equipment on the Brady Sullivan Tower for groups in NH fundraising to repel off the side of the building with a rock climbing rig.
“There’s a lot of different organizations and a lot of companies will have a team go and raise money for cancer or a memorial scholarship. We’re just one of 50 or 60 different groups,” Beaulieu said.
This is the third time the music department has participated in this fundraiser, with Beaulieu repelling down the building during his first year.
“It was super scary [the first time], especially getting up on top of the building,” Beaulieu said. “I’m excited this time. It was funny because I was really scared and I went down really fast but when I got to the bottom I was like ‘it was fun, I want to do it again.’ I think this time around I’m going to enjoy it a little bit more.”
Beaulieu will be joined in repelling off the building by Parisi who will gain a whole new experience from this event.
“I have no idea what I’m doing, which is a little terrifying but also I think is going to be a good experience,” Parisi said.
This fundraiser is important to Parisi since he wants to do “all he can” to support the music department.
“I’m very involved in every facet of our music department,” Parisi said. “I’m really passionate about it, and I just want to support it in any way that I can and that happened to give me the opportunity to climb down a building which is awesome.”
Parisi has been a member of the music department for all four years of high school, having it being a big influence on his plans for the future.
“My cousin kept asking me and telling me I had to join marching band. I kept saying no and eventually I changed my mind and it completely changed the way my high school career has looked,” Parisi said. “Because of it, I want to be a music teacher, I want to go to college for music and that wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t started my freshman year in band.”
The event will be taking place on Friday June 28 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Parisi “hopes” a lot of people come to watch.
“I’ve heard a lot of people asking where they could go to see it because objectively it’s just really funny to see both myself and Mr. Beaulieu repelling from this massive building when neither of us know how to do it,” Parisi said.
Each person that will be repelling down the building needs to raise $1000 in advance. You can donate here at: https://www.lancermusic.org/events/fundraising