Madison Gosselin

Madison Gosselin is an accomplished senior of the class of 2025, who in her free time values her interactions with nature and music. As president and first chair of the orchestra she has learned “how to be a leader and help others who are in need.” Over her four years at SBRHS she has accumulated many accomplishments including winning a silver rating for her solo performance at the MICCA Solo and Ensemble Festival, as well as placing 2nd in the Will McDonough Essay Writing Contest this year. She also placed 5th in the 2023 Massachusetts Envirothon Competition and won Engineering Design Student of the Year Award for the 2023-2024 school year. On top of being involved in orchestra all four years of her high school career she has been a member of SBRHS’ Envirothon Team (2021-2025), Science Olympiad (2023-2025), Math Team (2023-2025), Chamber Ensemble (2023-2025), Big Buddies (2023-2025), and Blue Raider Marching Band (2024 Fall-Winter). She has also co-created the Gardening Club which ran during the 2024-2025 school year, alongside fellow senior, Aiden Cronan. Madison will be attending the University of Maine in Orono to study Ecology and Environmental Sciences in the fall. She wants to “spend her life helping the planet and spending time in nature.” She plans to continue playing music in a community symphonic orchestra and is debating doing marching band due to the fun she had playing marimba here at SBRHS.

How many years have you been playing the violin? What has this journey been like for you?

I have been playing the violin since 3rd grade! So that is about 9 years, almost a decade!!! My journey certainly has not been easy but it has been very fun. I remember starting out in a tiny practice room at the Right Note with my private instructor Ms. Alycia and learning how to pluck the strings on my tiny violin for the first time. I have always had a talent for playing fast notes and rhythms, I have no clue why, it just comes easy to me. Whenever there is a fast section of sixteenth notes in a passage I am always able to fly through them with ease. However, I do have some challenges when it comes to slower and smoother notes. I have recently been working on my vibrato skills and really using the full length of my bow to get a full, smooth, resounding sound. It has taken many years of screeching and out of tune notes for me to get to this point and I still have so much to learn! Overall I am very proud of my accomplishments thus far and I thank my music teachers Mr. Monte, Mr. Schaefer, and Ms. Isidoro as well as Ms. Alycia for helping me become the best violinist I can be!

What values have being a member of the SBRHS Music Department taught you?

Being in an orchestra has taught me so much and I have really noticed my growth not just as a musician, but as a person too. I have learned how to be a team player. When playing in an orchestra it’s not about playing as loud as you can so the world can hear you, it is about working with the people around you to blend in and make your collective efforts sound beautiful. I have also learned how to be patient, as I’ve said before some musical things come easier to me than with others, so I try my best to have patience and help those around me develop their skills as well. Everyone in the orchestra is at different levels of playing but I have noticed immense improvement in our abilities and sound over the years (Hooray for us!!). I have also learned how to be thankful, and take pride in being able to play instruments in an ensemble. Not many people get the opportunity to learn an instrument or perform on a stage, so I am very grateful for the opportunity to do so each and every day. Being able to communicate with one another through music and emotion is a very unique skill and I cherish it very much.

What are three words that describe you as a person and why?

There are certainly many words to describe me, but three that stick out to me are Creative, Adventurous, and Colorful!

• I am creative because I love art, music, writing, and all of that fun stuff! Ever since I was a kid I loved to make things. Whether it be painting or drawing or even my recent obsession with embroidery, I love creating things! Writing is another one of my passions as well, creative writing and coming up with stories and characters is just so fun! Maybe one day I will write a book! I have also always been told by my loved ones and teachers that I have good ideas and creative solutions.
• I am adventurous because, well, I love to go on adventures! Ever since I was a baby you could find me in my backyard lifting up rocks to see what cool critters lay underneath (still one of my favorite hobbies!). I love hiking, fishing, biking, and just doing anything outside in nature. I have been described to be a very curious person by my family because of this. I love to try new things, especially foods. I am always searching for a new recipe to try and I love sharing them with my family. I love a good challenge and an opportunity to test out my skills.
• I am colorful both inside and out. I like to wear bright colors and fun patterns and I am not afraid to be myself. I love to wear fuzzy sweaters and crazy button-up shirts and I couldn’t live without them. I have a very complex and bright personality. I love fun things, fuzzy things, weird things, all of that fun stuff. I like to express myself through art, fashion, and music because it gives me an outlet for my colorfulness, like a window into my crazy, rainbow-colored soul! (I love rainbows!)”

What does music mean to you?

Music is important to me because music is woven into nearly every aspect of my life. Whether it be listening to my favorite songs or playing my violin, music acts as a sturdy foundation for the complicated mess that is life. Whenever life gets difficult, music is always there for me. Everyday I am grateful for the opportunity to be able to play an instrument, to study music, and to participate in musical groups with others.

What qualities has music instilled in you and what do these qualities mean to you?

Playing an instrument means dedication, passion, and of course you have to love and have fun with it. Music has helped me to instill these qualities into my musical life and my personal life and I have experienced so much growth because of it. Playing in a group allows me to share music with others, to connect and communicate with one another in a way that doesn’t need words. Being able to speak through rhythms and melodies is a beautiful thing and I am grateful for the opportunity to do it everyday in school. Having the ability to take sheet music at face value and turn it into something wonderful together is something I will always cherish.

How has music influenced other areas of your life?

Music has driven me to go above and beyond in everything that I do. It has taught me to never give up and always give something my all. In music you do not strive for perfection, you strive to be your personal best. Perfection is robotic, but your own personal goals create something beautiful. Mistakes are just lessons to help you in your future and they are very important milestones in any journey, but especially in music. Playing the violin in school has been a fun and rewarding experience, but where I have seen a lot of growth is when I joined the Fall River Symphony Orchestra. In school I am pretty much on-top, but in the symphony I am back to being at square one as a rookie. I have the opportunity to play with people who have mastered their instrument and have been playing for decades longer than I have. Being able to play alongside these amazing and talented people and play difficult music has been a very rewarding and fun experience. I have been able to take my musical abilities to the next level and really grow into the best musician I can be.

What memories are your favorite to look back on here at SBRHS?

Freshman year, my friend and I decided to pull a prank by creating a false poster advertising about a “Bee Movie Roleplay Club” that would take place in Ms. Tinkham’s room. We didn’t think anyone would actually go but apparently one of our other friends actually showed up and was so confused. I couldn’t stop laughing, I still think about that to this day. I still have the poster too! Going to see YoYo Ma with the Orchestra last year was extremely fun. He is an amazing cello player and I am glad I got to spend a day out with all of my favorite musical peeps! What I remember most is trying to fit all 20ish of us into a small Chipotle during rush hour, that was a hot mess. The 2023 Envirothon competition was definitely my favorite field trip! It was such a beautiful day and I had so much fun with my friends. We ended up placing 5th!!! Pretty much every single concert night is so fun. We always end up doing something silly and dumb and then we all end up out of breath laughing. Shoutout to my girl Ella Sousa for being my partner in crime and someone I can always share a good laugh with! Also another shoutout to my bestie Kristin Lomax for being the best viola player ever and making every concert so much fun and memorable! Lastly, every single day in AP Lit with Ms. Burgmeyer was an absolute blast. Even when we were writing essays and I was stressed out of my mind, I always looked forward to her class and everyone in it. I have such great memories of reading books and discussing characters and overall just having good fun. I absolutely loved that our final exam was to make a silly movie based on one of the books we read. I still remember all of them and I can’t help but laugh and smile when I think of all the good times I had. Thank you for being one of the best teachers ever Ms. Burgmeyer!

Do you have any advice for struggling underclassmen?

One piece of advice that I would give to any underclassman would be to RELAX. A lot of the time, especially with AP classes, we can get caught up in trying to be perfect. Specifically for music students, my advice would be to love what you do. You can practice hours and hours a day, but if you do not enjoy what you are doing it will never sound right. When I play the violin, I play because I love being able to make progress in my playing abilities and when a song finally comes together it is very rewarding. I love my instrument and I love sharing my talent with others. You can’t get discouraged by difficult things, you’ll never get better. It may be easy to say something is difficult and then give up, but you will never get anywhere with that attitude (been there, done that, trust me!). I didn’t get to where I am because I laid back and let other people who were better than me do the work. I got better at playing the violin because I worked hard at it. I didn’t beat myself up over any little mistake but I took every opportunity to make mistakes and grow from them. Really listen to your upperclassmen, ask questions, and be true to yourself. Practice does not make you perfect, but if you are honest with your playing and you sincerely love what making music is all about, that is all the accomplishment you could ever need.

What extracurricular other than Orchestra has shaped you the most?

Envirothon has definitely been the most impactful extracurricular experience throughout my high school career. When I first started I was the only one in the club along with my brother. I was very nervous about it but I decided to keep pushing myself along. With my own hard work and dedication, and the help of a few volunteers, I went to the competition that year on my own! I am very proud of what I did that year and I was very happy to finally get more members the next year. 2023 was the year when we placed 5th out of all the teams throughout Massachusetts! That year I learned about the value of teamwork and really applying yourself to be that best that you can be. Looking back now (with my final competition being tomorrow!!) I can confidently say that I have matured so much just from being in this club. I have learned a lot about environmental science, teamwork, and having fun through it all! There were a lot of mistakes made along the way, but we never let them get us down. Each year we learn from our mistakes and through a lot of trial-and-error we have had the most successful year of Envirothon yet! I am very grateful for all of my teammates and for Ms. Burninston who has always been there for us and has helped us immensely each and every year! We couldn’t have done it without you Ms. B!

How have the relationships you’ve gained through the Music Department shaped you?

The relationships I have made in orchestra along with the entire music department have really helped me to become the best version of myself. Of course, Ms. Isidoro has been the most helpful throughout my time in Orchestra. She has helped me to grow my skills and to flourish into the musician that I am today. My current stand partner, Ella Sousa is always someone I can depend on to be a good friend. We are so silly and goofy together and I thank her for making me laugh every rehearsal. I don’t think I have ever laughed so much in my life than I have with her. My best friend since Freshman year, Kristin Lomax, has been the most influential person in Orchestra for me. She matches my crazy energy every day and is always there for me when I need her. She is truly one of the most talented violists I have ever met. Overall, the people in the music department are just amazing. I am going to miss the music department and all of the amazing people involved, but I will always remember all of the fun times we have had together. I have truly made some of my most amazing memories and lifelong friends in the music department here at SBRHS. I hope I can play with you all again in the future. It has been an honor to be in orchestra and in the music department with all of these amazing people.

Is there any other information or experiences you would like to share?

My experience here at SBRHS can only be described as a metamorphosis. I came into my Freshmen year right out of the COVID-19 Pandemic, still wearing face masks. I had lost touch with all of my friends and was very lonely. However, that did not last long! I ended up becoming friends with a group of people who were all in my same shoes and we stuck together like glue! We did everything together and I finally began to feel like myself again. Freshman year was my opportunity to start fresh again, to reinvent myself and apply myself to whatever I strived to do. Sophomore year was when I started to get the hang of being a highschool student. It was my brother’s senior year and after that I experienced a lot of change. For the first time in all of my life I was on my own. I had to adjust to being independent and it pushed me to really reach my full potential. Junior year was definitely my best year academically. It was my first year taking AP classes and I remember locking in and studying each and every day for AP World and writing essays all of the time in AP Lit. I really just applied myself to my work while also balancing other aspects of my life. I experienced a lot of personal growth that year and I am very proud of everything that I accomplished. I really started to become my own person and I felt like I was on top of the world. Then senior year came in and hit me like a truck. All of a sudden I had college, essays, scholarships, and a thousand other things thrown at me and I was all over the place. I genuinely don’t know how I managed it all but I did! This year I have made so many new friends and I branched out and tried new things like marching band. After applying to college, I took a step back from it all and thought about who I was, where I am now, and looked back at everything I had done up until this point. I feel like I have really grown as a student, as a musician, and as a person. I feel ready to conquer the next step of my life and I will take everything that I have learned with me. I will never forget all of the teachers, friends, and countless memories that I have made here and I hope that I continue to grow in college.