A Night of Broadway turned out to be well-executed but sparsely attended. There was a varsity volley ball game going on that night and we drew not many students. However we had sold to adult groups at churches and older folks did come out. The show grossed $1400 in tickets and donations, not a bad haul for the money we had invested (very little actually).
As such it was enough to make the Anaheim trip a reality, with funds from subsequent candy sales, tax credits, gifts and donations and student payments we would make that trip.
January also brought news that senior Dylan Carpenter had made the all-state jazz band as trombonist for the second straight year. The concert, which kicked off the February music teacher's convention in Mesa, was spectacular. January was also the month for all-region auditions, which we were hosting. Several of our band, orchestra and choir students were selected for these ensembles as well. Their tune-up was the Eastern Arizona College Honor Festival in the first week of February. We had a bus load selected for this ensemble and spent an enjoyable day there.
This indeed was a busy month; days before the all-region festival, I took my jazz band to the Chandler-Gilbert Community College Jazz Band Festival for their first clinic of the year by Eric Marienthal of The Phat Band. Eric had some great insight for us and we would use this shortly later at the Area Jazz Festival and State.
Regionals were a busy time for us as we hosted 300 students from 20 high schools, culminating is a gala Saturday concert. There was nothing but praise for our facilities and our accommodations. And for me it is always a thrill to see our students achieving with the very best in an honor festival.
By then I had committed to three new festivals, including Area Jazz (qualifier for state), Heritage Festival in Anaheim, and the Eastern Arizona College Large Ensemble Festival. I had slated my younger choir kids for that one.
I thought the area jazz festival at Canyon del Oro High School was a high watermark for our band. It played very well and slight intonation and style flaws only kept it from earning a Superior rating. As it was the performance qualified for state with its Excellent rating. Once we did this I immediately changed the music. Some directors will use the same music over and over, but in my mind that is not challenging enough. For state we play an entirely new program.
Meanwhile both choirs continued to work on their April concerts; Chorale was singing English madrigals at the Heritage Festival on April 1, and the Mixed Chorus was going to EAC for that festival.
The Heritage trip proved to be the highlight of the school year. In addition to everyone being well-behaved, they were also focused. There was much to find commendable in the Chorale's appearance at this festival; they sang well and had excellent feed back from three college professors of music. Of course as my posted pictures indicate the kids had a lot of fun too. The Chorale took home a Silver sward for its performance.
The surprise of the festival season was our mixed choir, which earned a Superior at EAC two weeks after Anaheim. These youngsters saw a couple of choirs struggle on stage in front of them and I think the message that I had been preaching all year long about tone quality, support, control and diction hit home. They did what needed to be done and the judges recognized it. To be sure the performance was not perfect, but it was sung with earnestness and enthusiasm.
The jazz band was forced to prepare for two performances, state jazz on April 27 and the Spring concert on the 29th. Preparations were good, and the band was ready on the 27th, but I thought it played a little lackluster at the festival, with the main flaw being a lack of energy. The three hour drive to Willow Canyon High School in Surprise Arizona, and 9:30am performance time played a role, but even the students said they had played better.
But despite all that they still received an Excellent rating and a job well done! The only thing left after that was our spring concert two days later featuring all of our performing groups. For me that concert is always bittersweet because it is the last concert for our seniors. And I said earlier, this year was a special class of great students and young people. They all performed very well. The evening was capped by a performance of Beyond the Sea and Mack The Knife by Mr. Thompson, our high school principal. Kent has a great voice and an ear for this type of music and brought down the house at the end of the night. Unfortunately my camera died, so there is no video from that evening.
And so that is how a school year goes musically. Now I didn't talk at all about the University of Arizona Honor Choir that some of my seniors were selected for (it was great) or the football games our marching band performed for, nor the three marching band festivals they performed in (since I don't teach that band anymore). Nor did I mention the marching band's trip to Disneyland the week before our choir trip there. They marched in the Disney Parade.
The year held so many wonderful treasures and surprises that it would take a special occasion to celebrate all of them. We did that this past Friday evening, hosting a music senior awards banquet and dance. Our students are indeed special and we truly gave them a night that they deserved and their moment in the spotlight!
The only event left is graduation on the night of May 19th. I will have my small choir performing one last song with the seniors and the concert band will play one number. And that's it for this school year. It flew by, believe me!
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