At the heart of Enloe’s immensely talented musical departments are the passionate students perfecting their art each time they take the stage. Yet after the curtains are drawn and the applause subsides, what we don’t see are the hours of musical volunteering and community engagement many Enloe musicians partake in through our school’s Tri-M club.  

Tri-M is a national music honor society dedicated to providing student musicians with a platform to volunteer in their school and music communities. The organization allows them the opportunity to apply their musical talents through teaching, mentorship, and service. Enloe’s Tri-M chapter was founded last school year, and its impact can already be felt throughout Enloe and Wake County.

Students in the club volunteer independently and collaboratively through music-based service opportunities such as teaching music lessons to young children, performing at community arts centers, and organizing Enloe’s library of music used for concerts across all departments.  

For Maya Spencer, Enloe Tri-M’s logistics manager, one of her favorite memories so far was performing the national anthem before a sports game, where she recalls the thrill of practicing with fellow singers and of hearing her name announced right before their performance.

“I never would have thought I’d hear my name announced at a sports game,” says Spencer. “It was crazy.”

More importantly, Spencer finds that community is a key facet of musical performance and volunteering — something she hopes can be strengthened through Tri-M to better bridge together Enloe’s music groups.

“It can be pretty separate when it comes to people in different instrumental communities,” says Spencer. “So part of the reason why we started a Tri-M chapter at Enloe was to bond and get closer together as a full music arts department.”

Josie Milner, Enloe Tri-M’s social media manager, agrees, noting the importance of the cross-departmental collaboration that occurs within the club.

“Sometimes band, orchestra, and chorus are very [separated],” says Milner. “I’ve gotten to know more band and orchestra people through Tri-M that I think I otherwise wouldn’t have.”

Because Enloe’s Tri-M chapter is so new, Milner emphasized her work as a board member to develop the club into what she hopes it can be: a diverse community of student musicians collaborating for the betterment of music education. As social media coordinator, her goal is to increase the club’s outreach and spread more awareness about Tri-M’s work in hopes of getting more interested students involved. 

Spencer also encourages any interested Enloe musicians to consider applying to Tri-M next school year.

“If you have a strong desire to help out […] and give back to a community that has been there for you through music, Tri-M is a great way to feel connected to people around you in ways that you aren’t able to do [through] your normal ensemble,” says Spencer.

The application, which opens in late September, requires a music resume, a few question responses, and a transcript of your grades from the previous school year. However, Spencer commented that what’s most important is the student’s initiative to volunteer rather than their musical skill level.

“When it comes to experience, it’s more about people who are willing to do the work,” says Spencer. “We don’t need the best musicians, we need good musicians who want to help out.”