C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S ! ! !

...to our very own Concert Choir --- for receiving 1st place at the COWAPA Choir Festival. I guess you could say you're the COWAPA League Champions!!!

We aren't an automatic qualifier for State competition, but I'm sending a copy of our DVD to OSAA to be placed in the "tape pool" on the advice of our judges and the OSAA Administrator. So State is still a possibility. :-)

I want to thank all of you for your hard work singing your best. Yes - it's hard work, albeit fun at the same time.

Special thanks to all of you who helped set up, did clerking & stage management work during the festival and helped clean up. I could not have done all the work myself. Nathan and Angel - special kudos for your attentiveness and going the extra mile.

Someday I'll learn to delegate photography duties, too. I didn't take any pictures. If anybody took some candid shots of any part of our festival day (any pictures of choir members just hanging out), send them to me. I'll look them over and possibly post them here.

I'll type up the judges comments and we'll review them after Spring Break. I hope you all have a restful vacation. Me...I'll be cleaning up my "after-festival-disaster-zone-excuse-for-an-office". With a little tender loving care I think I can restore it to some kind of organization again. Keep singing.

TEA TIME WITH SOME OF "THE GIRLS"

Our good friend and Soprano Alumni, Katie Collins, is moving to Portland next week so a few of us went to La Tea Da's to bid her farewell...or pip pip cheerio. We ordered high teas and had a smashing good time.



Katie, your story about the magnetic earrings was so funny - I don't think I've laughed that hard in months!


We'll miss you Katie and wish you the best in all you do.


As they say in England: Ta-Ta...but come back and visit us soon!

Why Do We Need Music Education?

I've added a link on the left side of this blog giving a good rationale why we need music education in our schools. It's from the MENC (Music Educators National Convention) site and lists many quotes worth reading. If you're looking for some good reasons why I'm doing what I'm doing then this is the link to click on.





Pictured here: Our 2008 graduating Vocal Ensemble members - Mathew, Nathan (wearing the Big Blue Bow), Amy, Nasha and Bonnie.

ALL-CHOIR CONCERT 2008 COMPLETED

Last night our All-Choir Concert was performed and was a success. All you singers did a jolly good job. I think I programmed a bit too much music (which explains the 1 1/2 hour length) but the audience didn't seem to mind.



We had some great highlights like Bonnie's knock-down drag-out solo in "He Never Failed Me Yet" and the bubbles addition to "Them There Eyes". No I didn't plan that...Nathan and Melissa added some "free expression" of their own to the song.



The solos and small ensembles were a fun break from the formal choir-on-the-risers singing. I'm sure Mathew West could play his guitar part in his sleep...he had that song down cold.



Thanks to the Tri-M Music Honor Society (the band representatives) for ushering. The choir representatives will be ushering for the All-Band Concert tonight.



It is a little sad to think we have only one concert left. I can see in all you singers that you have grown musically this year. I'm looking forward to what great things you can do on May 29th (for the high school concert) and June 3rd (for the junior high school concert). Always remember...never ever give up and keep singing!