Welcome to the Gibbons Middle School Music Department!
Welcome to the Gibbons Middle School Music Department! This department offers every student at Gibbons an opportunity to study and grow through music. All students in the 7th grade take General Music and all students have the option of joining our curricular Chorus, Band and/or Orchestra in both 7th and 8th grade.
Musical Performances online at Westborough TV
Many musical performances in the Westborough Public Schools is recorded by our local television company, Westborough TV. They do an amazing job with working with the schools to share with our community and the entire world the wonderful things our students do!
Please find past Gibbons Middle School Music Performances on their website by clicking HERE.
Please find past Gibbons Middle School Music Performances on their website by clicking HERE.
Gibbons Middle School Music Teachers
KRISTIN CHARTIER began teaching Orchestra in Westborough, MA in 2010. Her teaching responsibilities include directing the Westborough High School Orchestra, WHS String Chamber Ensemble, WHS Honors String Quartet, the Gibbons Middle School Orchestra, GMS String Chamber Ensemble, and the Mill Pond School Sixth Grade Orchestra. Before coming to Westborough, she taught middle school and high school orchestra in Chelmsford, MA from 2004 to 2010. Under her direction, Ms. Chartier’s orchestras have consistently earned high ratings at state adjudicated festivals.
Ms. Chartier completed her Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in 2004 and earned a Master of Music in Music Education from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell in 2010. A violinist, Ms. Chartier plays regularly with Symphony Pro Musica, a local community orchestra, and teaches privately at her home in Northborough. She is currently a member of the American String Teachers Association (ASTA) and the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). Ms. Chartier lives in Northborough, MA with her husband, James, and son, Alex.
Ms. Chartier can be reached at chartierk@westboroughk12.org and/or 508-836-7740.
Ms. Chartier completed her Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in 2004 and earned a Master of Music in Music Education from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell in 2010. A violinist, Ms. Chartier plays regularly with Symphony Pro Musica, a local community orchestra, and teaches privately at her home in Northborough. She is currently a member of the American String Teachers Association (ASTA) and the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). Ms. Chartier lives in Northborough, MA with her husband, James, and son, Alex.
Ms. Chartier can be reached at chartierk@westboroughk12.org and/or 508-836-7740.
KAREN WEEKS FORREST directs the Gibbons Middle School 8th Grade Band and Jazz Band. Concert and jazz bands under her leadership have received superior ratings at numerous state band festivals. In addition, the Gibbons Wind En- semble was invited to perform at the 2005 and 2009 Massachusetts Music Educators’ Association All- State Conferences in Boston.
A native of Shrewsbury, Mrs. Forrest earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Boston University, where she was a student of Ralph Gomberg, Prin- cipal Oboist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. She earned her Master of Music degree from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, where she also completed her certification in Orff-Schulwerk pedagogy. Mrs. Forrest began her teaching career in New Hampshire and also taught in Concord and Littleton, Mass. In 1992, she became Band Director at Queensbury Middle School near Lake George in New York. During her tenure there, she was invited to direct the 1997 Saratoga-Warren All-County Junior High Band. More recently, she was guest conductor of the 2007 Quabbin Valley Music Educators Association Middle School Concert Band and of the 2010 MMEA Western District Junior Jazz Band.
Mrs. Forrest serves on the executive board of the Massachusetts Instrumental & Choral Conduc- tors Association as Assistant Concert Chairperson, and has served on the executive board of the Interna- tional Association for Jazz Education. She has active memberships in the MMEA and the National Band Association. Mrs. Forrest lives in Grafton with her husband Rich and her two sons: Timothy and Bradley.
Mrs. Forrest can be reached at forrestk@westboroughk12.org and/or 508-836-7740.
A native of Shrewsbury, Mrs. Forrest earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Boston University, where she was a student of Ralph Gomberg, Prin- cipal Oboist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. She earned her Master of Music degree from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, where she also completed her certification in Orff-Schulwerk pedagogy. Mrs. Forrest began her teaching career in New Hampshire and also taught in Concord and Littleton, Mass. In 1992, she became Band Director at Queensbury Middle School near Lake George in New York. During her tenure there, she was invited to direct the 1997 Saratoga-Warren All-County Junior High Band. More recently, she was guest conductor of the 2007 Quabbin Valley Music Educators Association Middle School Concert Band and of the 2010 MMEA Western District Junior Jazz Band.
Mrs. Forrest serves on the executive board of the Massachusetts Instrumental & Choral Conduc- tors Association as Assistant Concert Chairperson, and has served on the executive board of the Interna- tional Association for Jazz Education. She has active memberships in the MMEA and the National Band Association. Mrs. Forrest lives in Grafton with her husband Rich and her two sons: Timothy and Bradley.
Mrs. Forrest can be reached at forrestk@westboroughk12.org and/or 508-836-7740.
TED HAGARTY directs the Gibbons Middle School 7th Grade Band.
Mr. Hagarty can be reached at hagartye@westboroughk12.org and/or 508-836-7720.
Mr. Hagarty can be reached at hagartye@westboroughk12.org and/or 508-836-7720.
JOSEPH STILLITANO has been teaching music in the Westborough Public Schools since 2001. He was both the high school and middle school choral director 2001-2012. Since 2012, he has been conducting the Gibbons Middle School Chorus and Concert Choir, and teaches 7th Grade General Music to all students in the district.
Mr. Stillitano has a Master of Music Education degree and Bachelor degrees in Music Education and Vocal Performance from Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY. He was the founding conductor of the Handel and Haydn Society's Young Men's Chorus, conducting the ensemble 2006-2014. Prior to teaching in Westborough, he taught and conducted at West Genesee High School in the Syracuse, NY area. His choral arrangements have been performed throughout the country at every level, from elementary school choirs to collegiate and community choirs. Outside of his own classroom, he has conducted All-County, Area All-State, and District Festival Choirs at the high school and middle school levels in Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont. He has also been a clinician/presenter for ACDA, MMEA and NATS.
Under Mr. Stillitano's direction his choirs have earned various awards and recognitions at both the state and national level; including being selected to perform at the MMEA All-State Conference. His choirs have performed at Symphony Hall, Faneuil Hall, Jordan Hall, Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood, and throughout the East Coast. He is currently a member of ACDA, NAfME, and Phi Mu Alpha and Pi Kappa Lambda, honorary music fraternities. He has also performed as a member and soloist for the Boston area choirs the Masterworks Chorale and the Mystic Chorale, under the direction of the late Allen C. Lannom and Nick Page, respectively.
Mr. Stillitano can be reached at stillitanoj@westboroughk12.org and/or 508-836-7740. Email is preferred.
Mr. Stillitano has a Master of Music Education degree and Bachelor degrees in Music Education and Vocal Performance from Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY. He was the founding conductor of the Handel and Haydn Society's Young Men's Chorus, conducting the ensemble 2006-2014. Prior to teaching in Westborough, he taught and conducted at West Genesee High School in the Syracuse, NY area. His choral arrangements have been performed throughout the country at every level, from elementary school choirs to collegiate and community choirs. Outside of his own classroom, he has conducted All-County, Area All-State, and District Festival Choirs at the high school and middle school levels in Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont. He has also been a clinician/presenter for ACDA, MMEA and NATS.
Under Mr. Stillitano's direction his choirs have earned various awards and recognitions at both the state and national level; including being selected to perform at the MMEA All-State Conference. His choirs have performed at Symphony Hall, Faneuil Hall, Jordan Hall, Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood, and throughout the East Coast. He is currently a member of ACDA, NAfME, and Phi Mu Alpha and Pi Kappa Lambda, honorary music fraternities. He has also performed as a member and soloist for the Boston area choirs the Masterworks Chorale and the Mystic Chorale, under the direction of the late Allen C. Lannom and Nick Page, respectively.
Mr. Stillitano can be reached at stillitanoj@westboroughk12.org and/or 508-836-7740. Email is preferred.
