In the Spotlight

When Powers Music School’s Registrar, Maegan Conroy, heard that a new community band for adults was forming in Spring 2025, she wondered if she should hit the Enroll button.

Though Maegan was raised by two musically-inclined parents and played flute throughout middle school, she pivoted to theatre in high school and moved away from the flute for a while.

“By the time the band started rehearsals, I had been playing flute for a grand total of 6 months after having last touched one 20 years ago,” she says. “I was hesitant because I didn’t know if I was going to be good enough, even for a band of amateur players.”

She wasn’t the only one with this worry, either. A number of adults in the community were also wavering about their decision to join, unsure if their skills and muscle memory would return quickly enough to keep up with their peers.

Maegan’s flute teacher, Powers Associate Director Dr. Meghan Miller, felt she was ready. “When we started putting together the details with POMS, Dr. Miller immediately turned to me and said I should join. And I thought, “Well if she thinks I’m good enough, I have to trust her on that!”

She says, “I knew I needed to build up my stamina for playing the instrument since the band rehearsals would be 90 minutes each time. But the biggest challenge for me was going to be progress over perfection.”

Maegan sat down at the first band rehearsal with Conductor John McLellan, a well-known band leader and member of Belmont’s music community, and 70 other adults of varying skill levels. Many were picking up their instruments after years of work, parenting, and other phases of life, and working through their own challenges.

Says Maegan about learning during rehearsals, “When you’re playing a piece with a large group like that you have to work through mistakes in the moment so you don’t get left behind. Being able to acknowledge passages that need work without letting it totally tank my evening was a big breakthrough for a perfectionist like myself.”

Her own hard work during and outside of rehearsals paid off for her.

“You know what your part sounds like when you’re practicing at home on your own, but hearing it all come together with everyone – there’s nothing like it. To make music with a group, to hear how your sections play with and against others, to return to an instrument you thought you’d put down permanently; it’s such a feeling of accomplishment and camaraderie.”

Maegan’s advice to other adult beginners?

“We can always start again, and this community band is one of the most fun ways to do it.”