Gift of Leonard DeMaio in honor of the first electronic music class in Connecticut, 2023.69.7a-…

Plaque: State of Connecticut Music Composition Festival, 1986

Date1986

Mediumwood, brass

Dimensions(a) Primary Dimensions (overall height x width): 1 3/4 × 4in. (4.4 × 10.2cm)
(b) Primary Dimensions (overall height x width x depth): 7 × 5 × 1/2in. (17.8 × 12.7 × 1.3cm)

ClassificationsDecorative Objects

Credit LineGift of Leonard DeMaio in honor of the first electronic music class in Connecticut

DescriptionPlaque from the State of Connecticut Music Composition Festival XIV - 1986 Composer Award Fermi High School awarded to Scott Shelton and Dan Teigan of Enfield. The (a) plaque is detached from the (b) base.

Object number2023.69.7a-b

NotesSubject Note: The Pilot Electronic Project in Music Education program (Project PEP) was the first electronic music course for students in the United States. In 1967, the Connecticut State Department of Education sponsored the program. The program’s director was Lloyd Schmidt and the advisory committee consisted of musicians and composers including Milton B. Babbitt, Vladimir Ussachevsky, and Frank Cookson. The program’s first year was implemented at six public and private high schools across the state, including Enfield High School under the supervision of Leonard DeMaio. The objective of the program was to teach students a new understanding and appreciation of contemporary music through the use of tape recorders, tape splicers, sound-mixing devices, and electronic recordings. The goal was to encourage students’ imagination, creativity, and experimentation with modern electronic music. By 1970, participation in the program increased to 18 schools across the state and in 1974, 79 schools in Connecticut reported involvement in electronic music.

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