The Black and White

by Jillian Mastrostefano

An extremely tranquil and stress-free place to be, Pilgrim’s Guitar Club is one of the most laid-back clubs at Pilgrim with its soothing sounds, singing, and ambience. It’s not every day a club with frequent teacher participation, no needed experience, little commitment, and a welcoming environment is found within a school. 

Founded by Mr. Millette about twenty years ago, this club has grown from a few kids playing guitar, to a room full of singers, guitar players, and their friends meeting every Friday just to enjoy music together. It’s incredibly evident how much this club means to Mr. Millette, being a guitarist himself, claiming those Fridays are his favorite times of the week. “It is the best part of the week. I love my job, I love what I do in the classroom, but guitar club is a little breath of fresh air.” It’s clear that all he wants to do is provide a welcoming environment within his classroom, especially for the school’s music lovers. 

Pilgrim’s Guitar Club is very student driven, whatever music they want to play they play. That’s what makes this club so unique–there’s no judgment, stress, or anxiety, it’s just a bunch of kids joining together to make music. Unlike other clubs and sports, Guitar Club allows anyone in whenever they feel like showing up, and never pressures anyone to join. 

Friday afternoons in 612 with Mr. Millette is the most serene of places to be, making being at school after school hours completely worth it. Mr. Millette makes this club what it is, welcoming anyone into his classroom at any time, letting students be themselves, and sharing his love of music with anyone who walks through his doors on Friday after hours.