There were a great number of applicants, as the position of Piano Accompanist is not widely available on the East Coast. And then the second time, I’m gonna mess around a little bit–I’m gonna change the tempo or change the dynamics,” Richter explained. For the auditions, he crafted a simple, two-step process to test these skills: “For each of the applicants, I asked them to basically take a look at a piece of music that they’ve never seen before and play it as I conduct. When Richter began interviewing musicians for the position, he wanted to test individuals on their ability to sight-read, as it’s a very important skill. I heard great things about the students,” said Troxler on her desire to come to Scituate. Last year, when Troxler learned Scituate’s accompanist was leaving, she jumped at the chance to apply: “I had to try to come here, and I heard great things about the program. Studying at the Longy School of Music, Troxler said her education fed into a wide variety of careers, including work as a vocal coach for singers and choirs across the greater Boston area, before she accepted the position at SHS. To alleviate the loneliness, Troxler began to explore collaborating with other artists: “I also started to get the experience of working with musicians…and I found that I really loved those experiences, and so when I went on to get my Master’s, that’s what I pursued is collaborative piano,” she said. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Piano Performance from Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy however, Troxler found soloing extremely lonely.

Years later, Troxler’s love would transform into an entire career. She fell in love with the way music could reach people, and she particularly loved the piano, so she began taking lessons and playing at local nursing homes. Growing up, Troxler was first introduced to the power of music at her church. According to SHS music teacher William Richter, the director of the SHS Chorale and Select Choir who conducted the search, after one audition, it was clear there was one person for the job: Sarah Troxler. Over the 2021-2022 summer vacation, auditions took place to find a new accompanist. So when the established SHS accompanist of 15 years left for a new position in Florida, a gaping hole opened up in the lives of music students at both SHS and Gates–begging the question who would play for the Scituate choruses now? In fact, without an accompanist, students who participate in chorus are lacking the true magic of the music. The music department’s piano accompanist plays a vital role at Scituate High School.

Accompanist position