Boston Pops Conductor Keith Lockhart Joins Foxboro High School Musicians For Special Lesson

FOXBORO (CBS) -- World-class music returned to the classroom at Foxboro High School – with a special guest!

Music students in the award-winning program in Foxboro had the opportunity last week to spend a morning at a Music Clinic with Boston Pops Conductor Keith Lockhart.

The pandemic changed so much about the high school experience, and for aspiring musicians like the students in Foxboro, it meant waiting to sing and play together again.

When asked what helped them push through the biggest challenge of their young lives, students agreed – it quite often was music.

"It showed me what I can handle as a student, as a person, my stress levels and actually showed me how to overcome that," said junior Sophie Sougaris.

For junior David Kenney Jr., the experience with Lockhart was a good sign. "It's refreshing to see a sense of normalcy back at our school," he said.

"I'm so excited, it's going to be a blast," added senior Sean Kelly. "He's an outstanding person, musician and conductor and I'm looking forward to what he has to offer us."

Maggie Pollart is a senior who truly understood the sacrifice of health care workers. "My Mom wasn't able to live at home during the pandemic, she's an essential worker in Boston," she said.

"Music has been an outlet to find my happiness again," said Juliana Preston.

Music Director Cami Tedoldi has taught in the Music Program in Foxboro for twelve years, and understands how crucial professional interaction is for her students:

"It's been almost two years since the start of the pandemic we did a lot of virtual guest stars," said Tedoldi. "But there's really nothing that replaces in-person experience and then to have it be Keith Lockhart be one of the first is special."

As for Keith Lockhart, for the past two years, he was a fellow musician also at home. Also unable to make music, he knew just how these students felt.

"Compounded by the frustration of not being able to perform for others - which has been my life for the last 40 years and to have that taken away so completely and suddenly is not something I ever anticipated," said Lockhart.

What is the most important thing he can teach high school students?

"I think the great thing about music is it teaches lessons that aren't especially about music. I can do technical things with them 'til the cows come home, but the most important is the importance of finding something you love and doing it to the very best of your ability, always pushing yourself forward. That lesson will work for them no matter what they end up actually doing," Lockhart said.

Other lessons include teamwork and listening to each other.

The Foxboro Music Program has a full schedule of spring concerts planned, as well as the State Music Festival. They've even commissioned a new work that they will perform in honor of the Classes of 2020 and 2021.