The Brockton High School Choirs
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? ...
Many alumni of the BHS Choral Program have gone on to pursue successful careers in the arts.
Here are some of them...
Penny Knight - Former Director
Penny Knight was the choral director at Brockton High School from 1980 through 2013.
In the 80's, the students of BHS joined the show choir movement and Harmonics was born.
In 1995 there was great enthusiasm to begin a jazz choir which later became an a cappella
group, Brockappella. The tradition of performing with the Handel and Haydn Society began in the
early 1990's and continues today. When Ms. Knight arrived in 1980, exchange concerts were the big event of the year. Students had a chance to stay with other students from other states and perform a major work together.
Competitive festivals became popular a few years later and Concert Choir students had the opportunity to travel to North and South Carolina, Washington DC, New York, and Canada to compete against choirs from all over the United States.
Ms. Knight handed over her baton to Matt Cunningham in the fall of 2013. A new and very exciting era has begun. Ms. Knight is currently playing violin in the Parkway Concert Orchestra and directing the choir at Fuller Village, a retirement community (no cell phone issues!). She also gives private piano lessons in her home.
James Hay - 1980
James Hay has a Graduate Performance Diploma (with Distinction) in Collaborative Piano from Longy School of Music. Previously, he studied Piano Performance at New England Conservatory of Music. Presently, Mr. Hay is on the faculty as both Visiting Lecturer and Staff Accompanist at Bridgewater State University and as Staff Accompanist at U-Mass Dartmouth. He is Accompanist of the Jubilate Chorale, Bridgewater State University Chorale, U-Mass Dartmouth Chorale and Organist at First Baptist Church in Brockton. Mr. Hay is also the Recital Accompanist for several voice studios in Southeastern Massachusetts. Previously, Mr. Hay was Music Minister at St. Basil’s Chapel in Bridgewater, Organist at Universalist Unitarian Church and Pearl Street United Methodist Church in Brockton and Studio Accompanist at the Voice Studio of Lin Schuller. Mr. Hay was a winner of the Longy School of Music Honors Competition in 2006.
Jason McCool - 1993
Jason McCool comes from a long line of people who have been asked, “is that your real last name?” Originally from Brockton, MA, Jason holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music (jazz trumpet performance) and the University of Maryland (historical musicology), and has been an adjunct professor of music at Montgomery College. In 2013, he began a PhD in musicology (after receiving a full-tuition Dean's Fellowship) at Boston University, where he recently completed teaching a course on The Beatles.
In June 2014, Jason founded Solas Nua in Boston, the first regional offshoot of Solas Nua, the only organization in the U.S. dedicated to contemporary Irish arts. Recently profiled in Dig Boston and on WGBH, Solas Nua in Boston is in residence at The Burren in Somerville, MA through 2016.
Formerly a part of the vibrant artistic community of our nation's capitol, where he returns to throw themed parties, Jason’s theatre work includes: OMG, part of the 2010-11 Mead Theatre Lab Program and for which he received an individual artist grant from DC’s Cultural Development Corporation to co-write, produce, act in and compose piano music; Solas Nua's SWAMPOODLE, a devised theatrical event which included development work in Ireland with Performance Corporation; and RIDING THE BULL, which he produced and acted in for the 2009 Capital Fringe Festival (Wash Post Editors' Pick; named "Best Male Actor" of Fringe, allarts4U). Other favorite acting work includes the title role in Forum Theatre's THE LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT (DC Theatre Scene's 2008 “Audience Favorite Play”), Solas Nua's SCENES FROM THE BIG PICTURE (named by Wash Post as "One of the Top 10 Plays of the Decade"), THE RESISTABLE RISE OF ARTURO UI with Catalyst Theatre (winner, Helen Hayes Award, ensemble), and DANCING AT LUGHNASA at the T. Schreiber Studio in NYC. He has appeared with Studio, Folger, Everyman, and Rorschach Theatres, Theater J, Washington Shakespeare Co, and at the Kennedy Center. Jason studied acting with Mary Boyer at the T. Schreiber Studio in NYC and with Joy Zinoman, John Emmert, Denise Diggs, and Nancy Paris at The Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory in DC, where he also took directing with Joy Zinoman, and he has recently studied at Improv Boston. He is a proud member of Actors' Equity Association. He has served as the #DCarts liaison for Social Media Club of DC, written reviews for DC's Pink Line Project and Boston Musical Intelligencer, and has consulted many arts organizations on social media. His terrier Fenway, picked up from animal rescue on October 24, 2004, is a karmic champion. Endless thanks as always, to his family. GO SOX.
Katie Cappiello - 1999
Katie Cappiello is a 2003 graduate of New York University, where she studied Theater at The Tisch School of the Arts along with Political Science, Women’s Studies, and Middle Eastern Studies. Katie also studied Art History in Florence, Italy.
Katie trained at The Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute, where she became fluent in method acting and eventually served as head teacher of the Young Actors Program.
Katie is the writer and co-director of four original plays including Keep Your Eyes Open, Facebook Me, SLUT, and A Day In the Life. In 2015, she published her first book alongside Meg McInerney, entitled SLUT: A Play and Guidebook for Combating Sexism and Sexual Violence. She has developed theater arts programming for young people worldwide, and has been honored by the National Women’s Hall of Fame. Katie was recently named one of New York’s New Abolitionists for her theater-based work to eradicate human trafficking.
Katie is also considered one of the top acting coaches and teachers in the country. Katie’s students have appeared in numerous award-winning Broadway productions, critically-acclaimed films, and hit series including The Americans, Orange is the New Black, The Good Wife, Grey’s Anatomy, Law & Order Special Victims Unit, Mary Poppins, Chaplin: The Musical, The Lion King, Matilda, Billy Eliot, Dark Knight Rises, Lullaby, New Year’s Eve, The Switch. Specializing in performing arts school auditions, Katie is proud to announce that her amazing students have been accepted to New York University (Tisch School of the Arts), Wagner, Carnegie Mellon, UCLA, Northwestern, Emerson, Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, Professional Performing Arts Middle School and High School, LaGuardia High School, Frank Sinatra High School, and The Profesisonal Children’s School.
Edward Cleary - 2007
Edward was a 2007 graduate of Brockton High School, where he was an active member of Concert Choir and the Drama Club. He continued on to receive degrees from Boston University and Mannes College of Music in New York City. Between his time as the Reverend in Footloose and now, he has performed in many operas and concerts including the title role in Gianni Schicchi by Puccini, Dulcamara in L'elisir d’amore by Donizetti, Minksman in Jonathan Dove's Flight and Gideon March in Little Women. Edward was a 2016 Grant winner of The Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition. Also in 2016, Edward performed in Jerusalem with the Isreali Camerata for the opening of the Opus Arts Festival. He recently completed his first year as an Emerging Artist with Virginia Opera and traveled to Oslo, Norway to perform Sondheim’s A Little Night Music. Currently, Edward lives and studies in New York City.
Matthew Cunningham - 2008
Matthew Cunningham is the choral director at Brockton High School in Brockton, Massachusetts where he conducts five choirs, teaches piano classes, and is musical director for the spring musical. Choirs under his direction have consistently received superior ratings at state and national festivals. They have performed at the 2016 American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) Eastern Division Conference in Boston, MA, and the 2015 National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Eastern Division Conference in Providence, RI. Additionally, the BHS Concert Choir has sung at Symphony Hall in Boston as part of the MICCA Gold Medal Showcase in 2014, 2016, and 2017, and performed in concert with the classic rock band, Foreigner. They have had the honor of collaborating with the Handel & Haydn Society Orchestra of Boston, and have sung for the Prime Minister of Cape Verde.
Cunningham received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education with concentrations in Voice and Conducting from Providence College, graduating with honors. During his time at PC, he was the tenor section leader of the select choir, I Cantori, conductor of the Schola Cantorum at St. Dominic Chapel, and music director for many theatre productions. He has had the privilege of studying with Dr. T.J. Harper, David Harper, Dr. Sang Woo Kang, Dr. Michele Holt, and Lin Schuller.
Matt has conducted the 2017 Rhode Island All State Junior Treble Chorus, and the 2017 Southeastern Massachusetts Senior District Chorus. Previously, he has served as manager and assistant manager for both of those ensembles. He will conduct the 2018 Quabbin Valley Music Educators Association Mixed Chorus. Matt is an active member of ACDA, NAfME, MMEA, and RIMEA, and is a frequent adjudicator and clinician. He is currently the Vocal Adjudication Chairperson for SEMMEA and will serve as the Assistant Concert Chairperson for the 2018 Massachusetts All State Festival.
Additionally, Matt keeps busy as a freelance musical director and keyboardist for local theatre companies in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. He is also music director at St. Ann Church in West Bridgewater, MA.
Jacob Guzman - 2012
Jacob grew up dancing at The Gold School in Brockton, MA, under the direction of Rennie Gold. He trained rigorously in ballet, modern, jazz, tap, and other various styles. While at the Gold School, Jacob was a member of Project Moves Dance Company, a program aimed at ending bullying. He also participated in his high school’s choral groups, and with some of his classmates he had the opportunity to sing in the Senior Districts Choir. At 17, Jacob and his twin brother David moved to New York City to join the amazing Broadway Company of NEWSIES. After NEWSIES, they were fortunate to work together again in Neverland as the Twin Lost Boys in NBC's PETER PAN Live. Jacob has had the opportunity to perform on "Dancing with the Stars" twice, the first time with his home studio, The Gold School, and the second with the Broadway Company of NEWSIES. Jacob has also had the honor of dancing at the Fire Island Dance Festival with both The Gold School, and most recently performing the work of Al Blackstone. He is now very excited to be working with Bartlett Sher and Hofesh Shechter as he joins the Company of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF.
