NEWSLETTER APRIL 2015 EDITION PRESIDENTS’ MESSAGE Dear Students, Families and Friends of Saratoga Music. What a wonderful year of music the 2014.2015 year has been. We hope you were able to enjoy the performances of our talented musicians and appreciate both the beauty of their music and their growth as musicians. This year we have the special opportunity to support our high school marching band and color guard to participate in the Tournament of Roses Parade on January 1, 2016. We hope you will be able to attend one of the benefit events and when the time comes provide a rousing send-off for the group. We want to recognize the tremendous performances by all of our vocal and instrumental groups throughout the year and most especially at the recent CMEA competitions. All the groups received high awards from the judges and were recognized for their achievements. Please plan to attend one of the year-end concerts performed by our talented students and celebrate our graduating seniors who have been an integral part of our programs. Our next big event is right around the corner. The annual PANCAKE BREAKFAST will take place on Sunday, May 3rd. This is another ‘don’t miss event’! The Pancake Breakfast features the entire Saratoga Performing Arts community, which includes the 4th and 5th grade beginning musicians all the way through the seniors. Visit the SMB Web Store (saratogamusic.weebly.com/smbwebstore.html) to learn more and order your tickets for this great event. Lastly we would like to thank EVERYONE (students, parents, staff and administrators) who invests their time and energy to the make the music programs in Saratoga and excellent experience for our students and community. Yours Respectfully. Marguerite McAfee and Jennie Lau 2014.2015 Saratoga Music Boosters Co-Presidents THE 2015-2016 SMB EXECUTIVE BOARD President Co-chair………………………Jennie Lau President Co-chair………………………Susan Nakahira Treasurer…………………………………..Jennifer Guidry VP Membership Co-chair………………Sheeba Garg VP Membership Co-chair………………Monica Rhee VP Fundraising Co-chair………………..Woanyu Yu VP Fundraising Co-chair………………..Ashley Chao Recording Secretary Co-chair………..Annie Ying Recording Secretary Co-chair………..Laura Menard Parliamentarian*…………………………Nancy Rafati Auditor*……………………………………open *appointed 1 IN THIS ISSUE… Presidents' Message…………………….……..1 2015-2016 Executive Board.………….….1 Pancake Breakfast…………………………..…..2 SHS Percussion Instruments Drive..2-3 SMB Fundraising Update……………….…..3 SHS Instrumental Music News…….…4-6 SHS Choir News………………..………...…….6-7 Redwood/SUSD Music News……………..8 PANCAKE BREAKFAST When: SUNDAY, MAY 3, 2015, 8:00 AM - 12:30 PM Where: Saratoga High School Please join us for Saratoga Music Boosters’ annual Pancake Breakfast on Sunday, May 3, 2015 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Pancake Breakfast is a spring music festival with performances by students of the bands, orchestras, choral groups, and color guards of the Saratoga elementary, middle, and high schools. This is the last major fundraiser of the year and all proceeds support Saratoga Music Boosters. Pancake Breakfast is always a very popular and festive spring event. It is a great opportunity for community members to mingle and enjoy a "homemade" breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and strawberries while listening to great music! The raffle features three great prizes this year: a Go Pro camera and set up kit; Dinner for 4 at The Mynt restaurant and a pair of Beats Mixr Headphones. There will be an opportunity to pre-order tickets ($10.00) by April 30th or to purchase tickets at the door ($12.00). New this year -- electronic purchase option. You can advance purchase tickets via the SMB Web Store (saratogamusic.weebly.com/smb-webstore.html). The advance ticket option includes a service charge of $0.50. Advance ticket price for adults and children (5 and over) is $10.50. You may also purchase raffle tickets on the web store 1 for $3, 2 for $5 and 10 for $20. We encourage and welcome all parents and community members to attend the Pancake Breakfast. We also need MANY parent volunteers to staff the event. Last year over 100 people volunteered and we anticipate a need for even more this year. For those with students performing, you can work before or after their performance. Moms and dads are needed, some before the event and many on the day of the event. This is a volunteer opportunity for everyone – please sign up now! If further information is needed: saratogamusic.weebly.com/pancake-breakfast.html Sharon Heimbaugh ([email protected]) Yuchi Wang ([email protected]) Kiran Singh ([email protected]) Pancake Breakfast Co-Chairs SHS Percussion Instruments Drive Needs Your Help! Recently I had the opportunity to go to Ohio with the Winter Percussion for the WGI World Championships. While the students did great, it was an eye opener to see how many of the percussion instruments were falling apart. Some of the instruments are over 20 years old and worn down from being used daily by Saratoga & Redwood students as well as the community such as the Saratoga Community Band, San Jose Wind Symphony, and other McAfee Center Rentals. According to Mr. Oliver, Percussion Director at SHS, “the mallets are older than the students and we were lucky to have made the semi-finals in WGI World Championships.” Even though the percussion instruments are in shambles, and the staff has become resourceful in patching up the problems, it’s still (continued on page 3) 2 SHS Percussion Instruments Drive (continued) only a temporary fix. One can’t slap a band aid on a broken window pane and hope all the problems go away. You can try covering it, boarding it, painting it, or removing it all together, but no matter what you do, it’s still a broken window. The window needs to be replaced because a broken window isn’t functional or aesthetically pleasing. The same goes for the percussion instruments. The wheels are bent and falling off, the drums peel and affect sound, the harnesses have no padding or support, and many of the mallets are either bent or broken. At the semifinals performance in Ohio, I witnessed the marching tenor drum bracket snapping on the last beat of the performance. Luckily, the drummer was able to catch the falling parts and hold it together. Our instruments barely survived a 5 minutes show and definitely won’t make the 5+ miles of Rose Parade. On top of that, the percussion instruments are a crucial part of many different bands and orchestras throughout the community. We are in great need of replacements and cannot do it without help! Supporting the Percussion Drive is community effort and will pay dividends for decades to come. Our goal is to raise $90,000 total by the end of summer, and currently are at 1/3 of the goal. Remember that this is a MATCHING DONATION DRIVE – every dollar you donate will be doubled, thanks to an anonymous donor! Please spread the word, and consider supporting SMB in the Percussion Instrument Drive this month! Linda Huie and Jonathan Pwu SMB Fundraising - Upcoming and Past Events Pancake Breakfast Pancake Breakfast is the last amazing spring Fundraiser for Saratoga Music Booster on Sunday, May 3, 2015 at Saratoga High School. This event is very causal because you can come and go any time between 8:00am - 12:30pm to enjoy the priceless entertainment and unlimited pancakes, sausages, and strawberries. The event is open to everyone in the community to come and enjoy. Also, don’t miss out on buying some raffle tickets, because there are some wonderful prizes so bring your family, friends, neighbors and your wallet. Please order your tickets before April 30, 2015 to reserve your place. Summer 2015 Sake Dinner The Sake & Wine Dinner event is hosted by Jennie & Daryn Lau on Saturday, August 15, 2015 at 7pm. Come and enjoy a wonderful, authentic Japanese dinner at Jennie & Daryn’s home. It’s a very fun opportunity to have a meal with new and old friends. All contributions will go towards Saratoga Music Booster. Tickets can be purchased on SMB Web Store. Gift Cards SMB has Starbucks, Hong’s Restaurant, Safeway and CVS gift cards available for purchase. A certain percentage of all purchases will be added to students’ account to help with travel experiences. Contact Ashley Chao for gift cards at [email protected]. Tournament of Roses Presidential Visit Reception & Fundraiser In March Mike Matthiessen, the President of the Tournament of Roses and wife, Ann came to Saratoga High School to congratulate the band on being invited to the 127th Rose Parade on January 1, 2016. Mr. & Mrs. Matthiessen came to a reception to endorse our effort in fundraising for the Rose Parade at the Mynt Restaurant where everyone had a delightful time enjoying appetizers & wine. SMB would like to thank Eric Mattesion, who donated a generous amount to kick off our Rose Parade Fundraiser, and all those who have made this a successful event. Linda Huie and Ashley Chao, Co-VPs of Fundraising 2014-15 3 Greetings from the SHS Instrumental Music Department! As the year winds down, we find ourselves reflecting on how proud we are of our class of 2015. These students have been dedicated members of Marching Band, Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Jazz Bands, Symphonic Bands, String Orchestras, Symphony Orchestras, Winter Guard/Winter Percussion, Pit Orchestras, CMEA S/E Participants, SCCBDA Members, All-State Members, as well as a part of the MESH (Music Education with Saratoga High) and a flurry of other music related service activities. In the months of March alone, these students performed for the President of the Rose Parade, performed in the Green Music Center at Sonoma State University, hosted and performed a CMEA Festival, and traveled to Dayton, Ohio to perform at WGI World Championships (only naming a few events); all this on top of their regular school activities and athletics. Looking at the year as a whole, these students traveled to Spain to represent Saratoga on a major performance tour, and traveled to Chicago to perform for an international audience of music educators and members of the music industry! BRAVO, class of 2015! Winter Guard and Winter Percussion Update Our Winter Guards and Winter Percussion have had a great season and really represented Saratoga well. The Winter Guard participation almost doubled in membership this year, many who were brand new to the activity. Under the direction of their staff they performed to a beautiful rendition of a children’s lullaby in their show titled “Star Gazing.” At the CCGC Championship, Section Leader and Senior Kristyn Nakahira received the CCGC Scholarship! Thank you to Susan Nakahira and Sandy Olson-Miller for serving as dedicated Color Guard/Winter Guard Liaisons and chaperones this season! The Winter Percussion traveled over Spring Break to Dayton, Ohio, to perform for the first time ever at WGI World Championships! The experience was inspiring for all students, staff, and parents traveling. Despite being “promoted” to a higher and more competitive division just weeks before the competition, Saratoga made it past the Preliminary competition and advanced two spots in the Semifinals. The students were able to enjoy watching World Class groups from all over the country perform on the final night – an inspiration for future years! A huge thank you to Rich Selby for serving as the lead truck coordinator this year, Sharanya Rajan for serving as the Percussion Liaison and coordinating chaperones, and to Shin Fong, John Fu, Rachel Huang, Linda Huie, and Susan Nakahira for traveling with us making this trip possible! SMB is still currently looking for a Percussion Liaison for 2015-2016 – if you are interested, please contact Pragati Grover at [email protected]! Jazz Program Update This has been in incredible year for the Saratoga High School Jazz program. We have two more shows and we need you to come out and support the kids. We are excited that our final two performances are out in the “real world” and in really fun venues for your family. The Saratoga Jazz Combos will be performing on May 2nd at Rotary Art fair at West Valley College at 2:00pm. The Big Band and Jazz Combos with special guest artists will have their final performance of the year on May 20th at Gordon Biersch in Downtown San Jose from 6:00pm – 8:30pm. The show will be out on patio with the full menu available for you and your friends and family to have dinner and enjoy some live music. Please get there early because the show is open to the public and tables are on a first come first serve basis. 4 SMB Fundraiser: Instrument Drive (part of the Rose Parade Fundraising goals) SMB is holding an Instrument Drive for new Percussion Instruments this year! Throughout the week in Dayton, Ohio our equipment has been telling us that it needs replacement: We had several broken wheels to replace, mallet manuals that were bent or broken, and at the very end of the last performance we had two sets of marching tenor drums (quads) COMPLETELY break. It did a good job lasting us this long, but many of the instruments are at least 20 years old and need replacing. This is much needed to survive the 5-mile plus parade in Pasadena this coming New Year! For more information, please contact our SMB Presidents. Spring Concerts and Performances SHS Instrumental Music’s End-of-Year concerts will take place in May. Please make sure these are on your calendar, as these concerts include End-of-Year Awards as well as Senior Recognition. May 14th May 15th May 18th May 20th All Orchestra Program (Philharmonic Orchestra & Symphony Orchestra) All Bands (Freshmen Band, Symphonic Band, Symphonic Wind Ensemble) AP Music Theory Concert (SHS Music Building) SHS Jazz Bands and RMS Jazz Band Showcase at Gordon Biersch Restaurant in Downtown San Jose In addition, the Symphonic Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra will be performing at the CMEA State Invitational Band & Orchestra Festival at the UC Davis Mondavi Center on Friday, May 22nd. Parents and family are welcome to attend – it is a beautiful performance hall! Band Camp Dates for 2015 All “Band Families” please refer to the SMB online calendar for 2015 Band Camp Information: www.saratogamusic.org Marching Band Kick-Off: MB Leadership: Band Camp: MB “Informance”: Classes Begin: Saturday, May 30th and Saturday, June 6th July 30th – 31st August 3rd – August 8th August 10th – August 14th (Split Days) Friday, August 14th @ 7:00pm August 17th Orchestra Retreat Fall 2015 Retreat: Friday, August 28th -Saturday, August 29th Thanks to our SMB Board On behalf of our students and staff at SHS, a big thanks to our stellar Saratoga Music Booster Board and Committee Chairs for their tireless support of young people and Music Education in our community. Under the leadership and unyielding efforts of our executive board you will find we have done remarkably well fundraising and selflessly advocating for ALL music programs in Saratoga Schools (SUSD and LGSUHSD). Most importantly, our SMB board has served young people in Saratoga with an enthusiasm and energy that is contagious and stands as a wonderfully positive metaphor for young people in our community. THANK YOU SMB Board! 5 Lend a Hand to SMB LEND A HAND! We would again like to challenge all parents and interested community members to lend a hand to any SMB sponsored event in the coming year. Make this a part of your yearly giving and yearly volunteer effort. Both of us have really enjoyed getting to know parents personally through unified efforts, such as preparing for the Rose Parade, Jazz Cabaret, or Pancake Breakfast, and have cherished the moments we have to spend together. Rather than wait for a contact, make the effort to contact an SMB board member to find out how you can help! Oftentimes the people you meet volunteering become lifelong friends! Best Wishes for a wonderful spring season, Michael Boitz, Anthony Lanzino, and Jonathan Pwu Greetings from the SHS Choral Music Department! The choir has been a hive of activity since returning from spring break. As the warm weather sets in, and the days become longer, the promise of summer draws nearer. We are hard at work preparing for the End of the Year concert as well as Pancake breakfast! This past spring, the choir was a full-force participant in the “March Madness” which is the SHS music department each spring. Chamber Singers began March by performing in the San Jose State Choral Invitational. There, we had a chance to sing for and hear other high school choirs, and receive helpful advice from renowned choral educator and conductor Dr. Betsy Cook Weber. The following weekend the Chamber Singers went on to receive a Unanimous Superior ranking, and the Concert Choir a ranking of Excellent at the CMEA choral festival. I would like to say how proud I am of both choirs for participating in a sight-singing adjudication after the performance portion. Both groups received high marks, and a superior rating from the sightsinging judge. For those not familiar, sight-singing is one of the most challenging tasks our students are asked to do. We use sight-singing daily, as a tool in the rehearsal setting, as we learn music. However, in a competition setting it is much more intense. The students and I are given a piece of music we have never seen, and then we have 5 minutes to rehearse it. After that, we must perform it for the judge- with no help from the piano. The students are adjudicated on pitches, rhythm, and text accuracy, but also how closely they respond to secondary musical elements, such as dynamics, and phrase shape. The excitement from the festival kept us going strong as we joined with our instrumental counterparts the next day at the Spring concert. It was such a beautiful concert. So much choral music has been composed with the intention of being performed with instruments, not just piano. In the SHS Music Department, we have such admiration for each other, and are so fortunate to be able to so easily collaborate across the department. If you missed the concert, or would like to put a piece on your music playlist, recordings are always available for order at the concerts! The third Saturday of March brought the community out to celebrate at the Saratoga Blossom Festival. The Chamber Singers were invited to perform, and took the opportunity to share an all acapella set at the beautiful gazebo-park setting. It was fun to introduce the singers to so many people in the community for the first time. We ran into several alumni parents, and have already been invited to sing next year. 6 With three weeks of go-go-go, the choir boarded a coach at the end of the fourth week and headed down to Pasadena to support our students who carried on the SHS tradition of auditioning and making it into a California All State Honor Choir. This was a great educational experience for the students. Many were impressed and surprised with the quality of the music produced by students their own age, and in such a short time! I was encouraged to see there was an increased interest from the students in auditioning this coming year! For interested students, the audition process begins as early as September. Next year the All State Honor Choirs will be in San Jose, in conjunction with the Western Division National Music Educators conference. If you’re student is interested in auditioning, this would be a great year to do so! Honor Choirs are a wonderful experience because they present opportunities for personal music growth, foster the creation of lasting connections with students outside their school communities, and the simulate a highly focused, fast paced learning environment with a tangible concert goal at the end. We returned home just in time to ready ourselves for a visit from Oxford University’s premier allmale acapella group “Out of the Blue.” The Oxford guys arrived in the late afternoon on Friday April 3, and gave a workshop for 30 students- comprised of students from both the choir and other interested members of the SHS student body. After the workshop, we had dinner with the guys and headed to the McAfee Center for an evening of exciting energetic music. The highlight of the evening occurred after the intermission when all of the students who participated in the workshop were invited onstage to perform with the Oxford guys. Some of our students even took on some of the solos and sang back and forth with the guys. After photos and a fun meet and greet, we all happily headed into spring break. We look forward to seeing you Mary 8, at 7:30pm, at the choir’s end of the year concert entitled “Requiem: A light in the darkness.” We have been examining the parts of the requiem mass, and its place in the history of music. Rather then focus on a single composer’s requiem composition, I have selected portions from famous requiems- ranging from the contemporary Andrew Lloyd Webber to the classical Mozart- and assembled them in a hybrid form. The second half of the evening will contrast the Requiem, and feature songs about light, life and energy. And of course, don’t miss out on the Pancake breakfast fun. Once again we will team up with Redwood Middle School, for some end of the year fun! See you there! Happy Spring! Andrew Ford Oxford’s all-male acapella group visits SHS 7 All State Honor Choir Trip It has been an absolutely busy but rewarding start to the Spring semester! Aside from the fantastic CMEA festival showings from our jazz band, choir, symphonic band and a handful of individual musicians at our local solo and ensemble festivals, we brought nearly 300 Redwood students down to Southern California for a lineup of university workshops, Disney studio workshops and performances in the middle of the Disney parks. We are so grateful to our parent volunteers, equipment truck drivers and chaperones for a memorable and successful 2015 trip. Thank you for all of your help! The success of music in Saratoga does not happen without the time and volunteerism of you, our parents and community. Please join us in looking toward our annual, full-music community event, the SMB Pancake Breakfast on the first Sunday of May! This fundraiser doubles as a performance morning for all of our groups and is not to be missed. We not only need your help in cheering on our students but also in helping make this event run. Please sign up to volunteer on this very special morning. All work and proceeds goes directly back to your students through the form of new instruments, equipment, music and more. Pancake Breakfast will also feature the notable Spring semester debuts of various groups. Our color guard has been working hard on their spring routine and looking forward to showing the result of all of their hard work. Additionally, you will be up and cheering when you hear the progress of our beginning strings and beginning band. As it always must be said, thank you for your support of our students and the incredible things that music does for them. Your advocacy is key to our continued excellence. Don’t miss these important upcoming events! SMB Pancake Breakfast & Performances: Sunday, May 3 Spring Concert, Jazz Band, Choir, Percussion Ensembles: Wednesday, May 6 Spring Concert, Strings: Tuesday, May 18 Spring Concert, Bands & Color Guard: Monday, May 19 Redwood Marching Percussion @ Saratoga Memorial Day Services: Monday, May 25 Band & Guard @ Redwood Graduation: Friday, June 5 Mr. Jow 8
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