Mr. Caron / Band Director; Music Educator

“OUR DIRECTOR”

Jason P. Caron began teaching music and conducting the instrumental music ensembles at Hudson High School in September  2001, and became the founding Artistic Director and Conductor of the River's Edge Community Band in Hudson, MA, serving for 11 years (2002-2013). For two seasons, he served as assistant conductor with Symphony Pro Musica, and he has previously conducted orchestras, bands, and choral ensembles at the primary and secondary school, community, festival and collegiate levels.  Prior to his tenure in Hudson, he was the Band & Choral Director at Groveton Jr./Sr. High School, in Groveton, New Hampshire (1996-1999).

Mr. Caron was the recipient of the Outstanding Young Band Director award, presented by the New Hampshire Band Directors Association in 1999, was inducted into the Pi Kappa Lambda music honors fraternity in 2001, and in 2004, was selected as one of three finalists for the Hudson Teacher of the Year by the Marlborough Masonic Corporation.  In April 2013, Mr. Caron was selected as the inaugural recipient of the "Teacher of the Month" Award, given by the Student Community Council.  In June 2014, Jason was selected as the recipient of the River's Edge Arts Alliance Artist Appreciation Award at the 3rd Annual "Arts in the Park" Concert.   Symphony Pro Musica (Hudson, MA) presented Jason with a Community Arts Service Award in April, 2018.

Jason's musical training includes a Bachelor of Music Education (1996), Summa Cum Laude, and a Master of Music in Bassoon Performance (2001) from the Hartt School at the University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT where he studied conducting with Glen Adsit and Dr. Douglas Jackson, and bassoon with Dr. Frank Morelli and Marc Goldberg. Jason has since performed with orchestras and wind bands across New England and in New York and Canada, and currently performs as principal bassoonist with the Metropolitan Wind Symphony (Boston, MA).

“OUR DIRECTOR” - The music!

The melody to “The Hudson High School Fight Song” / Alma Mater (School Song) was borrowed from the Trio section of Frederick E. Bigelow’s best known march, “Our Director.”  Bigelow was born just down the street in Ashland, Massachusetts, in 1873.   After his early schooling, he attended Worcester Academy, and studied music with Joseph Morrisette. The march was written circa 1895, while the composer was playing in a brass band that had been organized by Morrisette; it is therefore reasonable to assume that it was written for him.   Over the years, this march has gained international popularity primarily for its famous Trio, which has since been adopted by many colleges and schools as a fight song or alma mater.

Here is a home video of a performance of “Our Director” by the Hudson High School Band, on December 22, 2010.