Karry Kim ‘25
Tell me about your background. What was your experience with music like before coming to St. Mark’s?
Mr. Fontes has taught in four different schools in the past, and this year marks his 23rd year of teaching students music. Starting in the Fay school in 2002, Mr. Fontes has always taught vocal and instrumental music, specifically ensemble music. He majored in choral conducting and also plays the clarinet. Mr. Fontes enjoys conducting and leading music groups rather than performing himself, so he loves working with students in music ensembles.
While his current career revolves around music, he majored in biology as a pre-med student during his undergraduate years. However, his minoring in music and passion for music soon convinced him to change his major to choral conducting: “My parents weren’t even surprised. They were just waiting for it to happen,” Mr. Fontes explained.
What do you envision doing differently from the previous music programs at St. Mark’s?
Mr. Fontes’s overarching goal of the music programs at St. Mark’s is to give more responsibility and control to the students. He encourages them to choose the music they want to play and compose their own music for performances. Mr. Fontes believes that student-written compositions for the orchestra would better tailor the music to the group, especially as St. Mark’s orchestra is unique in its smaller size. Additionally, Mr. Fontes hopes to create a digital music class to make music more accessible. Students would explore modern music, such as rock and roll and hip hop, learning to use digital instruments to record loops and beats. He has already submitted the proposal for this course, so hopefully, students will be able to take this course starting next fall!
What are your first impressions of working at St. Mark’s? Is the orchestra and choir different from your previous experiences?
Mr. Fontes explains that one challenge in his first months conducting the orchestra and choir was familiarizing and getting to know all the students/musicians. He strives to balance spending time rehearsing for performances and fostering a connected group.