Alumni Success: MCC Helps Francesco Blackmore Gain Confidence

Manchester, Conn. (June 10, 2016) – Francesco Blackmore ’16, originally from Jamaica but now located in Hartford, views himself completely differently now that he’s completed his studies. Though he’s now a practiced public performer, when he first started at Manchester Community College Blackmore says that he was very unsure of himself. Blackmore participated as one of 896 graduates at MCC’s 52nd Commencement Exercises on May 26 and received his associate in art degree in music studies.

“When I first enrolled here,” the recent alumnus said, “I was really scared of college. I didn’t think it was a good idea to jump right into a university.”

Not only was Blackmore afraid of doing poorly in college, he also notes that he was very insecure and shy. Still, he went ahead and enrolled in five courses at MCC in 2013 and, instead of failing, he found himself succeeding. His confidence began to grow, and he became more involved with the school.

He joined the Student Government Association, and he helped to create the school’s Music Club. He later served as the club’s president. Teachers and fellow classmates alike considered him to be a leader and role model.

“What sets him apart from other students,” said Carolina Flores, associate professor and advisor of the Music Club, “is his determination, hard work, passion for music and the tremendous generosity with his time. He volunteers and helps others at every given opportunity. When classmates asked him for help with music theory or accompanying at the piano, he would always say ‘yes.’ Francesco pulls people together for a common goal, that of expressing good and beauty through the art of music.”

Blackmore demurs at being called a role model. He points out that the real role models at MCC are the staff and faculty. “There are wonderful people here. They don’t just teach, they mentor. They helped me both in and out of class,” he said.

Blackmore began to push himself to do more, both at MCC and in the community. “I believe students should do their best,” he said, “but also try to do things differently.”

He worked on creating compositions of his own each semester, and performed many of them during various events and ceremonies for the college, such as the annual Evening of Fine Wines, the college’s largest annual fundraiser for student scholarships and academic programs.

He became an officer of Phi Theta Kappa, the national honor society for community colleges, in 2014. He composed a song for local chapter Alpha Upsilon Alpha. “Phi Theta Kappa has their own song, but I wanted to create an arrangement for the MCC chapter based on the original,” Blackmore said.

This year, Blackmore worked to organize MCC’s “Soulful Music” Concert, which took place on April 11 in the SBM Charitable Foundation Auditorium. The concert featured performances by guests from the Music Club and music major alumni, as well as performances by Blackmore himself of his original compositions.

He was recently awarded the Music Excellence Award at MCC’s 26th annual Academic Awards Ceremony. The award is given to students in the music studies program who demonstrate exceptional prowess in the study of music while also showing excellent scholarship in their general studies courses.
Blackmore is the director of music at Christ Episcopal Church in Waterbury, Conn. He’s also a music teacher and teaching assistant at Community Child Guidance Clinic in Manchester, a therapeutic school for children with special needs. In 2013, he produced a CD of his original music, entitled “Music for the Soul.”

He plans to start working on a bachelor’s degree in music education at Central Connecticut State University in the fall, but his connection continues. “I really love MCC,” he said, “It will always be a part of me.”

The MCC Music Studies associate in art degree is the only two-year degree in Music Studies offered in Connecticut. The program provides students with exceptional and affordable music instruction in the areas of music history, music theory, music technology and music performance. Individualized vocal and instrumental instruction is also offered.