Moorhead Public Schools

When middle schoolers sign up for band class, few think about if they’ll be performing a brand new, original composition. Fewer still think they could become part of the history of published pieces of music. Members of the 2023-24 Horizon Middle School 8th Grade Band, however, found themselves in exactly that position.
Late in the school year, the band presented an immersive performance centered on mental health called “The unBroken Project,” a new arrangement by Arkansas-based composer Randall D. Standridge.
“In all, the project consisted of five short movements the students performed, each depicting a different side or perspective on mental health issues,” said Tim Pipinich, Horizon band teacher. “The tone of the music really varies, from dark and kind of scary to soaring and uplifting. The original goal started as a way to invite genuine, authentic discussions in an instrumental music classroom.” But it didn’t stop in the music room.
This discussion quickly branched out to include every student at Horizon Middle School East. Pipinich reached out to the Horizon East counseling team to join the students in class to discuss mental health; the counselors, in turn, spread word of the project to school administrators Tera Sistad and Cory Holten. Administration then proposed performing “The unBroken Project” for the entire school.
Ultimately, all Horizon East students participated in “The unBroken Project:” not only did the 8th Grade Band play two live shows for 7th and 8th graders on the same day—plus their usual community performance later that evening—but there was also an interactive component. Earlier that week, each student listened to music from the show and shared their thoughts and feelings about the music. The students then participated in an open-ended art project where they created drawings with their reactions to the pieces.
“I think some people might think concepts like mental health could be a little advanced for middle schoolers, but I think the artwork the Horizon students created in response to ‘The unBroken Project’ shows that’s not the case,” added Pipinich. “So much of the art we received showed really interesting and mature responses to how the music made these kids feel.”
Horizon played an important role in the creation of “The unBroken Project,” joining a consortium of schools across the country that helped fund the creation of two pieces for the project, titled “Scream” and “Stay.” The school’s participation provided the 8th Grade Band the opportunity to be among the first groups to perform the project anywhere.
“The music was so new that we didn’t have published sheet music; we were receiving PDF files from the composer and printing them to put on the students’ music stands,” explained Pipinich.
Now, The unBroken Project has been published and the 2023-24 8th Grade Band is part of its history. In the notes accompanying Scream and Stay, the band is credited as being one of the pioneers for the pieces, having performed them in their infancy.
Horizon East also continues to honor the performance. Inside the staff lounge, a wall display shows dozens of art pieces created by 7th and 8th graders—an ongoing testament to both the talent and emotional intelligence of the school’s students evoked by The unBroken Project.
Stay tuned to Horizon Middle School website and Instagram for information about future musical performances.