From flute players to singers to pianists, Perking Point was alive with the sound of music.

On March 10, 2017, Tri-M, the Honors program for music kids hosted its annual concert at Perking Point, a coffee shop in Hummelstown. This allowed students to perform in a more relaxed setting. Many people came, including alumni of Tri-M as well as the band’s student teacher, Brandon Buterbaugh.

Tri-M stands for Modern Music Masters and didn’t exist at Hershey until four years ago. That’s when Richard Miller, the previous band instructor, wanted to bring it back. With the help of other band members, Miller created Tri-M and held auditions for students who wanted to join.

Now the club is run by president Emily Nothnagle, a senior at HHS. It was her idea to play at a coffee shop last year. Megan MacNicol, Spanish teacher at HHS, helped the club reserve a spot in Perking Point, and now Nothnagle hopes the club returns each year for a concert.

The reason for choosing Perking Point was so Tri-M members had a chance to play in a less formal setting.

“It wasn’t a lot of pressure to do well,” Nothnagle said. It was more about having fun and enjoying the music.

Even Buterbaugh was there. He brought his trombone and had fun not only listening to the other students but also performing.

“It was a lot fun,” Buterbaugh said.

Besides the student teacher, past band members came to listen to the performance. Last year’s drum major for HHS’s Marching Band, Maggie Vanbrakle, attended the concert as well as other past members of Tri-M.

“It shows how important this club was for past band members,” Nothnagle said but more importantly she said, “It helps support our program.”

And that’s the goal. Even though Tri-M didn’t exist until Nothnagle’s freshman year, she hopes to keep the club going for not only band kids but for choir and orchestra members as well. She’s been keeping a book full of information to pass on to the next grade to help them keep the club alive.

However, Nothnagle isn’t worried. With all the support Tri-M had with just this performance, she knows the club with continue to grow.

As for the concert, Nothnagle believed the night was success. She was happy not just with the performers but with everyone who came to support them.

“I’m really proud of all the performers and I’m glad so many people came out to support us,” Nothnagle said.