Sweet symphonies fill the halls day after day. The sound of jazz, the choir and the band have been highly regarded as a foundational part of OTHS for decades. Many rising musicians and artists stem from these halls, and senior Bethany Polega is no exception.
Polega started her musical journey back in third grade when she first joined choir; a year later she picked up a clarinet and joined her elementary school band. Once coming to high school, she found a passion for music and dove headfirst into the arts. She has been involved in concerts, school musicals and community theater along with occasional gigs playing at local restaurants.
Polega’s talent is bringing so much pride to her teachers, directors and family. Freshman Christopher Polega said, “My sister has inspired me to join the choir once I got to high school, and even though we aren’t in the same choir, it’s still fun. I’m really proud of her, and I’ll miss her when she graduates this spring.”
Polega is currently studying with music teacher Andrew Jacobi to learn a variety of instruments like the piano, flute, trumpet, trombone and the oboe. “Bethany learns anything I put in front of her. Instead of saying a piece is too difficult, she just says she needs to practice more,” Jacobi said.
Polega plans to go to college for music education in hopes of becoming a music teacher one day. “I am fortunate to have had amazing and talented music teachers throughout my whole schooling career,” Polega said. “They really inspired me to want to be that inspiration for other kids.”
