Wellesley POPS Senior Profile: Connor McClennen—growing through music

Special to The Swellesley Report courtesy of the Wellesley High School Bradford and Parents of Performing Students (POPS). This is one in a series of POPS Senior Profiles we’ll be publishing.

Passion and positivity. These two qualities have guided Connor McClennen ’25 through his relationship with the clarinet since he was nine years old, allowing him to hone his craft and share his talent with others.

“Connor has been a great help in sectionals, offering wise insights and encouragement to the clarinet section! Not only is he a proactive clarinetist, [but] he is also always prepared for every rehearsal, bringing a cheerful and earnest attitude,” said Grace Lin ’26, one of McClennen’s bandmates. 

McClennen’s fervent music career began in second grade at his brother’s clarinet recital. Hearing the instrument sparked his interest and led him to pick up clarinet in third grade. 

“I looked up to my older brother a lot…[and] I thought that the clarinet sounded really good…from that I just decided to start the next year,” said McClennen.

At the high school, McClennen is in the Wind Ensemble, a band-intensive student, and is a Junior and Senior Districts qualifier.  

The Wind Ensemble performs in the high school’s auditorium and competes annually at the Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors Association (MICCA). If they win gold, they continue to perform at Mechanics Hall in Worcester. 

McClennen’s involvement in the Wind Ensemble began in his freshman year when he recorded and submitted an audition tape while managing to keep practicing for districts. Freshly out of COVID-19, McClennen felt less experienced compared to the other members of the high-level group, but the positive reinforcement from the senior intensive students helped him overcome this. They created an accepting and encouraging environment, especially for the clarinets. 

During McClennen’s freshman year MICCA performance with the Wind Ensemble, he struggled with the “Roccata Marziale” piece – a “whirlwind of notes and difficult rhythms”. 

The Ensemble’s intimidating reputation and the lack of practice due to COVID-19 made it difficult to connect the parts. Yet, the group worked hard to overcome the challenge. They won a gold medal for their MICCA performance, a core memory in McClennen’s high school experience.

A closeness within this ensemble allows them to perform smoothly. Compared to his other group – the Rivers Ensemble, made up of a larger group that rehearses less frequently – McClennen believes it’s easier for the Wind Ensemble to put their pieces together with less direction, as they understand their parts within the group more.

Furthermore, when he struggled with the “Toccata Marziale,” the seniors in the Wind Ensemble urged McClennen to accept his mistakes and keep practicing.

“[Their advice] was very influential as I navigated how to figure out a piece that was a good portion above my current skill level,” said McClennen.

McClennen faced a similar challenge at the 2024 MICCA competition. They had to perform “At Morning’s First Light.” For the first 10-20 measures, he and the other first clarinet in the Wind Ensemble played a moving ⅛ note pattern. 

“It’s kind of the backbone of everything because we’re keeping time,” said McClennen. 

He especially struggled with this due to his weaker rhythm reading. McClennen emphasized his focus during these practices, listening to others and watching the conductor at an even higher level than usual. He had to be very attentive throughout the piece. 

The constructive community within Wind Ensemble has motivated McClennen to continue pursuing music. 

“Everyone understands that while they all have their own parts to play, it’s also about playing all the parts together…creating a blend, and just balancing the whole group,” said McClennen.

Mr. Steven Scott, the high school’s band teacher, has remained a positive constant throughout McClennen’s high school career.  Scott highly values him as a member of the band.

“Connor has a maturity and focus in his work that makes our rehearsals both productive and fun. He is simply always on task…working to help his section and the ensemble refine its performance and take it to the next level,” said Scott.

McClennen values this mentorship as well, including helpful practice strategies. When having difficulty with a high and quick-moving part, McClennen wrestled with slurring, which caused all the notes to blend. Scott had them try “tonguing” each note, hitting part of the clarinet with their tongue to get a better sense of timing, which improved the piece dramatically.

Scott also praised McClennen’s  “exceptional preparation and attention to detail in each rehearsal. He performs with musicality, thoughtful nuance, and poise.”

This positive mindset has kept McClennen motivated throughout his musical endeavors and is infectious to those around him.

“Connor is a really positive and fun person who is an invaluable part of…the Wind Ensemble…He makes our rehearsals feel easy and fun as a result of his positive, can-do attitude,” Scott said.

Outside of school, he plays in the Rivers Youth Wind Ensemble, takes clarinet classes, and is in the Three-O-Clock Jazz Band — a recreational group with his friends that performs at venues such as the library or when volunteering for community events. 

In addition to music, McClennen plays volleyball and boulders. He sees bouldering as practicing his part on the clarinet—it’s about his own actions, with no one else affecting the outcome. Additionally, volleyball is like playing in an ensemble, where everyone works as a team to achieve a goal.

McClennen hopes to play in musical groups in college. He plans to continue his study of music, take lessons when possible, and enroll in classes on music theory.

The family created through music is one of the most memorable parts of his high school career.

“What continues to bring me back to the band room is the thought of all the people there I’m playing with,” said McClennen.

Article written by WHS Bradford Opinions Editor Ayesha Kapoor ’26 and Staff Writer Aura Sehdev ’26.