April 2017 Anne Chambers High School Band Director Ben Chambers Academy Band Director Craig Goettle 6 th Grade Band & Steel Drum Director Vicky Boechler HS and Academy Choral Director A Newsletter for Parents &Friends of St. Mary s High School and Academy Music Students &Faculty UPCOMING EVENTS: April 6: Pep Band for Holy Hoops! Report at 6:15 p.m. April 6: West Region Vocal Contest Legacy Methodist Church April 24: HS Spring Bands Concert @ 7:00 p.m. SMCHS Gym. Please join us for a reception following the concert to celebrate the success of our band students throughout the year! April 26: HS Jazz Combo Concert @ 7:00 p.m. SMCHS Band room April 28: State Vocal Competition - Jamestown May 1: Spring 6-8 Bands Concert @ 7:00 p.m. SMCHS Gym May 12: HS Band marches in Band Night Parade @ 6:30 p.m. May 24: All HS Band & Choir students, please join us for the Music Appreciation Banquet @ 6:00 p.m. Radisson Hotel All parents of band and choir students are considered part of the SMCHS Music Parents Association. This includes all Academy and High School bands, steel drum band, and all choirs. Our work supports not only our children in the music program, but also their instructors. Please attend our meetings to find out how you can share your time and talent to make the SMCHS Music Program the best in the state. Meeting dates and times, along with board members and minutes from the meetings, are found under the parents tab on the school website (www.smchs.org) We look forward to seeing you! Congratulations! Congratulations to the following students on their performances at the All-State Music Festival last weekend: All-State Band: Braden Benz (10) - Percussion All-State Jazz Choir: Alex Schmidt (12) - Drum Set All-State Orchestra: Nora Fritz (11) - Trombone All-State Jazz Choir: Charles Reichert (10) All-State Mixed Choir: Lexie Rusch (12) *four-year Allstate award recipient* All-State Treble Choir: Kalee Goetz (10) Choir News: I am attaching a couple wonderful pictures from our guitar exploratory. The Academy students went to Eckroth Music and were treated to a mini workshop/performance from Bob Tekippe. Then the students performed at Edgewood Vista on Dominion. Their performance was very well received, especially having played only 9 weeks. We finished off the morning with a brunch at Classic Rock Cafe in Mandan. Thanks to all those that lent us guitars for our exploratory.
The vocal students will be participating in the West Region Vocal Contest on April 6th at Legacy Methodist Church. The day is filled with the west region schools singing solos and ensembles for adjudicators. Those events receiving a star rating will qualify for the state competition in Jamestown on April 28. If you would like a schedule of performances, see your child for the times, or they are listed on Mrs. Boechler's door. The St. Mary's Blues will be featured as a guest choir for the Echoes of Easter. This Concert is at Trinity Lutheran Church and begins at 2:30 pm. There are many church and community choirs from the surrounding area. We are excited to be part of this event. The St. Mary's Blues travel to Concordia College on April 1st to sing/perform for Jeremy Fox. Mrs. Boechler studied with Dr. Fox at the Vocal Jazz Boot Camp. This is an invitation only event. There are 5 jazz choirs and we have substantial time with the guest artist. Thanks to Concordia for providing us with this opportunity. Special thanks to all those making the Vocal Jazz & Pops Concert successful! Congratulations to the All-State Musicians. It was a real treat to have a current Saint, Charles Reichert, work with a former Saint, Dr. Justin Binek. The students in the ensembles represented SMCHS with class! See the next page for the aforementioned pictures.
Where can I find information? Here are all the places you can find information to stay up to date on band and choir events! www.smchs.org click on Parents and then either music parents association or upbeat www.lightofchristschools.org under Our Schools, you will find links for both the Academy and SMCHS Facebook like the SMCHS Music Parents Association - https://www.facebook.com/smchsmusic/ If you have anything you would like added to future Upbeat issues, please email our Media Relations Coordinator at mrusch@bis.midco.net. MAESTRO CLUB MEMBERSHIP If you haven t already done so, we would like to invite you to consider becoming a member of the Maestro Club. Membership allows ticket holder and guests into all concerts (band and choir). All members are identified by level of contribution in our concert programs. Composer Level $100 + Conductor Level $50 - $99 Performer Level $25 - $49 Finally, it s important to note that your contribution as a Maestro Club member is tax deductible. Don t delay become a Maestro Club member today! Send your payment payable to the SMCHS Music Department in the denomination of your choice. If you have any questions, please don t hesitate to call Mrs. Chambers or Mrs. Boechler for more information at 223-4113.