Julie Costantini, choral and music teacher, is surrounded by music and theater as she balances directing high school and collegiate musicals. P-J photo by Jordan W. Patterson

Inside the Maple Grove auditorium, Julie Costantini, the 6-12 grade choral teacher, sits on the chorus stage steps after school hours were over as she awaited her drive to Jamestown Community College for her second music gig.

“It’s a lot,” she said, with remnants of stage props from the “All Shook Up” senior high musical behind her on the main stage of the auditorium.

But a smiling Costantini maintained that the effort put into music programs at Maple Grove and JCC is worth it.

The music department in the Bemus Point Central School District is comprised of Costantini; Kasey Way, elementary school music teacher; and Jim Foley, band teacher for grades 5-12.

“There’s three of us rockin’ and rollin’,” she said.

Costantini, now a mother of a one-year-old, began teaching at Maple Grove 10 years ago after she attended the State University of New York at Fredonia for music education and the University of Pittsburgh for administration.

Costantini, originally from Springville, took after her older sister when they were younger and mimicked much of what she did. Costantini’s older sister took a voice lesson at some point in their young lives, so she did the same. And when her older sister took piano lessons, needless to say, Costantini did the same.

“I wanted to be like her,” she said.

Costantini found she had a talent for singing at a young age, but it was later that Costantini realized she would enjoy turning her musical talent into a career path.

Last year, Maple Grove won a Kenny Award for the musical performance of “Anything Goes.” The 2017 musical group took home the Best Musical Production in Western New York award at Shea’s Performing Arts Center in Buffalo. A $5,000 prize was also attached to the award that was put back into the music/theater department. The group was nominated twice before.

Costantini said winning the award checked off one of her goals from when she was performing in high school.

“That was a big deal for me,” she said. “Just because every year in high school we went and we never won it and finally our kids won it and I was like ‘we did it. we did it.'”

In high school, Costantini performed in “The Sound of Music,” “Guys and Dolls,” “Westside Story” and “The Wiz.” She’s continued to perform during her teaching career in community programs at the Lucille Ball Little Theater in programs such as “Chicago,” “Annie” and, again, “The Sound of Music.”

Costantini said the community theater allows her to occasionally act with some of her students whom she might be directing at Maple Grove.

“Becoming a director has kind of taken the front seat for me recently,” she said.

After graduating from Pittsburgh, she was hired at Maple Grove for her first and, so far, only music teaching job.

“I like it here a lot,” she said, while not quite knowing where Bemus Point was located geographically before her initial job search.

“Staying here would be great,” Constantini said. “The community is super supportive and the students are really talented.”

All of her musical work is in addition to her day job as an educator where she teaches sixth grade chorus, seventh and eighth grade chorus, senior chorus, vocal lessons and two sessions of musical production.

The musical production class is a unique offering from the district. The class peels the curtain back on how musicals are put together. Students in the class help build the sets, paint the sets, prepare the lighting design, cast students and work as assistant directors in the junior high musical.

“They learn every aspect of how to direct a show,” Costantini said. “Which is pretty cool and a unique thing that we have here.”

Next year, pending current construction at Maple Grove, a new keyboard lab will be created that will be utilized by both Costantini and Foley.

Costantini directs the junior high and senior high musicals, three junior high and senior high choir concerts and also directs a select group called MG Voices. As for musicals, she directed Aladdin Jr. for the junior high musical in the fall and “All Shook Up in the spring. On top of everything, she directed “Hair Spray” at JCC in fall.

“You know, a lot of time management,” she said laughing as to how she manages all of her duties.

But Costantini said she receives a lot of support from home. Her husband, Scott, is also a musical performer and is playing Judas at the Lucille Ball Little Theater in the program “Jesus Christ Superstar,” which is playing later this week.

“It’s really, really nice to have a supportive husband and family in the area that can help babysit,” she said.

As for the duo’s child, Corbin, he has already had his musical debut in “Anything Goes” as a member of the ensemble.

Michael Mansfield, superintendent of Bemus Point Central School District, said while Costantini is very busy, her work with JCC does not affect her work at Maple Grove. He noted that she benefits from a supportive cast when she goes home.

“She’s very talented,” Mansfield said.

While the district has a small music department and student population, Mansfield said with efforts from Costantini, Way and Foley, the district continues to maintain a “very good music program,” a sentiment he said was showcased when the “All Shook Up” cast won the Kenny Award.

Mansfield praised Costantini’s extra effort while ensuring not to over extend herself.

“She likes to expand her growth,” he said.

As to why Costantini picked up the second job, she said she seized an opportunity after the former music director at JCC retired.

“Directing musicals is my favorite part of my job here (at Maple Grove),” she said. “So when I saw there was that opportunity to take a step up to do something harder I took it. I loved it. It was awesome.”

Costantini directed “Hair Spray” at JCC last November marking her first directorial effort at the college and will be directing “Newsies” this fall.

The biggest difference between directing at a high school and at a college is the budget and the choices of musicals, according to Costantini. She said there is more “freedom” at the college level because of the age difference.

“I really, really enjoyed it but it was a little tiring,” she admitted. “I haven’t had two musicals cross before.”

Last year, she was coordinating “Hair Spray” at JCC and “Aladdin Jr.” at Maple Grove. During that time, her schedule consisted of teaching all day then two separate rehearsals in Bemus and then another in Jamestown.

“It’s worth it in the end. You can sleep when you’re dead,” she joked.

Outside of teaching and directing, Costantini said she enjoys running and water skiing — when she can.

In the summer, when she’s on vacation from the school and “relaxing,” she waitresses in Bemus Point.

She admitted that if she had any hobbies they would have to be music and musicals.

“I know, a boring life right there,” she joked.

For leisure, she listens to musicals, but occasionally she’ll squeeze in some Miranda Lambert.

“I’m consumed by music,” she said.

Costantini admitted that soon “things would be back to normal” when her husband is finished with his musical and she was finished with her busy season of directing concerts and musicals.

But her normal isn’t the typical day-to-day routine for most people. Costantini will likely be in her comfortable element again when she’s consumed by music and experiencing, what most would consider, the abnormal.

After a full school day of chorus classes, music production classes and vocal lessons, Costantini was not quite finished.

“I’m on my way to choir practice at JCC,” she said as she swung open the doors and exited the high school auditorium.