Fulfilling the Musical Vision of the Sisters
Music education has been interwoven into the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon’s ministry from its beginning. They developed programs, built a curriculum, and taught one another. Through this work, the Sisters built a legacy of working together, preparing others to stand on their shoulders. In turn, those recipients will share their gifts with their community, thereby maintaining the continuum of grace and music that flows across time. Hundreds of students have had their lives enriched through their musical education, and thousands more have appreciated the talent and music shared by those musicians.
There are multiple paths students have taken to receive the musical education that Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon created through their schools. Two exceptional musicians who exemplify the best that Valley Catholic School and Valley Catholic Music School has to offer are Zora Persun and Morgan Tran. Aside from being very talented musicians, they are both humble and gracious in sharing their time and talents, recently performing for the residents of Maryville.
Morgan Tran
Morgan Tran is a junior at Valley Catholic High School. She has grown up in Valley Catholic and is involved in many activities on campus, some of which do and some of which do not include her flute. “I’m on the dance team, track team, and I like to make jewelry. I would play more, but right now I am focused on academics, it’s my junior year,” said Tran. However, Tran says, “I still like to have music in my life in small places.” She enjoys playing with the school band, regular lessons at Valley Catholic Music School, preparing for competitions, and performing at Maryville on October 27.
Morgan was introduced to music and Beckie Hocker, Director of the Music School in Music Readiness at the preschool. When asked how she started playing the flute, Tran said, “I liked her so much that I wanted to learn the instrument from her.” Hocker added, “we have a very special bond that transcends the teacher/student relationship. My goal for Morgan and all my students is to learn, be challenged, and grow. But most importantly, to appreciate music so that they can carry it forward into their adult lives.” Aside from the flute, she also took voice lessons for a couple of years and has tried the oboe, piccolo, and piano lessons. “I realized I was kind of bad at playing the piano, although I should have kept doing it for the theory,” said Tran.
As she continued her education at school, Morgan was also fortunate to have a community that appreciated the joy of music. Her community included her older sister, Daphne Tran ’25, with whom she would play concerts at home for the family and in public, including at Maryville. Her network also grew as she continued playing, including her then-classmate and co-performer, Zora Persun. “We basically grew up together in elementary school. We were in the school orchestra during COVID, when practices were conducted via Zoom. So we would call each other on other devices during practice and talk and have side practices,” said Tran.
Zora Persun
Zora Persun is a junior at Jesuit High School and plays the piano. She is also a member of the school robotics team, writing club, and editor of one of their literary arts magazines. She admits, though, “music has always been a big part of my life,” said Persun. Her brother is also a musician, and from an early age, music played a significant role in her home life. She attended Valley Catholic from kindergarten through eighth grade and has continuously studied at Valley Catholic Music School. Her second Music School teacher, Rebecca Schappert started working with Zora in 2022.
“From the first time I’d heard her play, I felt that she had something special as a musician – her tone, her dynamics, and that heartfelt feeling for musical expression,” said Schappert. She added, “Zora’s love of music propels her to practice diligently, and she’s a lovely person to work with.”
Zora has embraced all the opportunities available at Valley Catholic School. “I started at the music school in first grade,” Persun said. She was reminded, “But I remember in elementary school, in 4th grade, everyone had a year of violin.” While she has always loved music, she recalled a time of wavering. “I almost wanted to quit, but then, as a number of circumstances changed, I also got a new teacher,” said Persun. “She has just been really great at the balance between pushing me and offering me new opportunities like master classes and showcases. She’s really great,” said Persun.
Zora recognizes how special the environment the Sisters created is to support music education on campus. “Their commitment is so evident. Aside from the violin, we had after-school handbells. I loved handbells. They also have an elementary and middle school orchestra, as well as band and choir,” said Persun. “Then to have the Music School, with space and so many teachers dedicated to programs like the scholarship auditions and Young Artist Recital, there are so many opportunities,” said Persun.
Morgan could also see the scaffolding between the music program at Valley Catholic. “I think having the Music School here reached a lot more people my age because we knew other people taking lessons, and having an elementary school orchestra was very unique. Having to take band, orchestra, or some other music enrichment in sixth grade supported us as we got older. Finally, in high school, to have a protected zero hour. This hour allows us to take music electives at 8 a.m. before actual classes start at 8:45 a.m. I didn’t have to give up on a class like chemistry to continue playing my flute!”
Intentional Curriculum
In addition to creating a musical curriculum that supported musicians through multiple factors, which included providing space to play, instruction, and scholarships, encouraging performances was a key initiative of support. Both Morgan and Zora agreed on how unique their experience is at Valley Catholic Music School compared to the opportunities typically available to other musicians they have met. Valley Catholic School and Music School promotes and supports students seeking opportunities in many areas, including the Oregon Music Teachers Association (OMTA), the Metropolitan Youth Symphony (MYS), OMEA All-State, as well as recitals, school, and community concerts.
Under Ms. Hocker’s direction, the student musicians are encouraged to play and perform. “I have been working with many students from the Music School throughout the years. My vision is to enhance their performing opportunities by playing in the community and on our own campus, including Maryville. I believe this provides the students with an important element of their musical journey, especially when performing for older audiences. The audiences truly appreciate the music that is shared, giving the students a safe and non-judgmental space to perform,” says Hocker. Zora agreed, saying, “I know they’re always a great audience, no matter what I play, I know they’ll enjoy it.”
Maryville Performance
A lot goes into a performance at Maryville, aside from the musicians’ preparation. Kathy Fedr, Activities Director at Maryville, shares that they have musicians and singers perform every week, and the residents eagerly anticipate the concerts. Fedr said, “It always makes me happy during a performance when I witness residents clapping their hands to the beat of the music or singing along to a particular song. I have seen residents who were not very verbal singing the lyrics to a song they remember from their lives. It is just amazing at times to watch them enjoy listening to the music.” Despite the additional work involved in transporting residents to and from the concert space, the activity staff looks forward to each performance.
The benefits of music are well-documented, and the Maryville staff sees that music enriches the residents’ lives firsthand. In addition to uplifting their spirits, it is also very calming, especially for those who are experiencing challenges. Music helps distract them and can alleviate the perception of pain they may be experiencing. In general, music encourages movement and puts smiles on their faces.
All of these benefits were visible during Tran and Zora’s performance. The staff were drawn into the room from the hallway by the melodic tunes. There was obvious appreciation and joy on the faces of many residents, as well as quite a few feet tapping to the peaceful combination of the piano and flute.
The musicians connected with their audience as they played “You Raised Me Up.” Tran’s earlier sentiment that “music has something that conveys feelings that words can’t…,” was visible.
“We are all so very fortunate to benefit from the Sisters’ vision they had nearly 140 years ago in creating a music school that benefits the students at Valley Catholic School, but also students in the community who want to learn music and an instrument,” said Hocker. “Seeing those gifts shared with others is a fulfillment of the Sisters’ legacy.”
