Dear Music Families & Supporters:
Welcome to Semester 2 of the 2023/2024 school year. Please review the Boosters Advocacy Page ASAP as your input is needed by 2/3 to help redirect more State funds to our School District. We also have a lot of events and activities planned for the second half of the year and hope to see you and your students there.
E2/2 – Last Basketball game for 2024 and Celebrate Seniors
2/3 – SKMEA Solo & Ensemble Competition at Lynnwood HS
2/6 – Advisory rehearsal for Quad Concert
2/6, 7:15-8:30pm – Booster Board Meeting, EWHS Orchestra Room
2/8 – University of Washington Orchestra Festival; Full Orchestra
2/13, 7pm – Choir Quad Concert, EWHS Gym
2/14, 7pm – Band Quad Concert, EWHS Gym
2/15, 7pm – Orchestra Quad Concert, EWHS Gym
2/18 – Third Sunday Jam at Romeo’s with Reuel Lubag and Michael Glynn (sponsored by Jazz Clubs NW)
2/21 – Jazz Ensemble I with Jazz Punishments at Aurora Borealis
3/7 – Jazz Ensemble I 2024-25 audition videos due to Mr. B
3/9 – Jazz Combo -SODO Reserve – Hot Java Combo performance 3pm
3/14 – SKMEA – large ensemble festival at ECA – CHAPERONES NEEDED!
3/15 – Symphony Orchestra Sophomores; side by side concert with TF3 at ECA (5:45pm sound check, 7pm concert)
3/16 – EW Jazz Combo 1 to Edmonds Waterfront Center for Edmonds Foundation Fundraiser event
3/16 – WWU/ASTA Orchestra Festival Bellingham; Full Orchestra, 6:30am to 5:00pm
3/19 – SKMEA High School Orchestra Festival Times TBA; All Orchestra Students
3/20 – SKMEA HS Orchestra Festival
3/22, 6:30pm – Annual Swing Dance, Edmonds Waterfront Center
3/29 – EWHS Jazz 1 at Hot Java Cool Jazz at the Paramount; buy tickets online – $25 NO FEES!!
URGENT ADVOCACY MESSAGE FROM THE MUSIC BOOSTERS
Act by 2/3 to help get more money for our School District!
Last year our district families were hit by a $15M budget cut that severely impacted music and many other important programs. This year we are facing at least another $11M in cuts. It is clear that our district has to appeal directly to lawmakers in Olympia for more funding.
The legislature is meeting right now for a short session. We need YOU to support time sensitive bills and requests that can redirect $$ to our schools. The process is simple and quick – go to our Advocacy Page today to learn more and get started. https://ewhsmusic.com/advocacy/
FEBRUARY BOOSTERS BOARD MEETING
Tuesday 2/6, 7:15-8:30pm in Orchestra Room
Please consider participating, particularly if you can help with the Swing Dance planning and other events. All music program parents and guardians are automatically Boosters members and there are no dues.
HOT JAVA COOL JAZZ CONCERT!!
3/29/24 at 7pm (doors open 6pm), Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine Street, Seattle, $25 per ticket
https://ewhsmusic.com/hot-java-cool-jazz/
TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE at https://ewhsmusic.ludus.com/ for $25 per person
The Starbucks Hot Java Cool Jazz concert is a premier showcase for our school’s jazz musicians and also a fantastic fundraising opportunity for our Music Program due to the generosity of the event sponsor Starbucks. 100% of the proceeds from tickets bought directly from the Boosters go to the EWHS Music Program. You also pay ZERO processing fees, whether you purchase online or in person. All tickets are General Admission, so please plan to get to the event early. Doors open at 6pm on the night.
PLEASE NOTE: The Boosters are sponsoring our performing Jazz 1 musicians, but families and supporters will need to purchase their own tickets.
2024 SWING DANCE COMMITTEE
3/22/24 at 6:30pm, Edmonds Waterfront Center
Our 2023 Swing Dance was a huge success and we had incredible student, family and community engagement. We are looking for volunteers to head up the planning and organization for our 2024 dance under the guidance of Jennifer Castle. Please contact us to get involved – we can guarantee you will have a blast. And if you happen to have a student needing volunteer hours, there will be many opportunities to sign up for all kinds of help.
PR/COMMUNICATIONS HELP NEEDED
We are looking for a few volunteers who can help out the Boosters with PR/Communications tasks like website updates via WordPress, social media posts, graphic design on Canva, press releases, and more. Training can be provided. More info on our website at https://ewhsmusic.com/boosters/communications.
TEACHER UPDATES
From Mrs. Malacari – Orchestra Updates and News
Orchestra has had some amazing coaches come in to help with coaching and sectionals this month including Dan Wing, Annie Center, Steve Creswell, Erin Adams, Dr. Bren Plummer and Dr. Anna Edwards. Students are sounding great for Solo and Ensemble Festival this weekend.
Also some congratulations to our Orchestral pianist, arranger and composer, Nathan Zhao who was awarded 1st Place in the Washington State National Music Teachers Association Student Performance Competition and who will be heading off to perform in a National Competition on March 16. Also Nathan is the recipient of this year’s Commissioned Sonatina Award. Nathan’s composition, Sonatina: Sources of Light: I: The Sun, II: Candles, III: Sparklers, for violin, cello, double bass, and piano will be featured at the Marsha Wright Sonatina Festival on April 28th with Sophia McCann, Lucy Finnell and Anna Tra performing. You can hear Nathan’s composition this weekend at Solo and Ensemble Festival.
The Symphonic Orchestra Sophomores have been invited to perform along the Grammy and Emmy-winning ensemble, Time For Three (TF3). This concert will be held at the Edmonds Center for the Arts on Friday, March 15. For more information visit https://www.edmondscenterforthearts.org/events/detail/611/time-for-three/4276
From Mr. Bergevin – Bands Updates & News
Mr. Bergevin will begin teaching piano class for second semester. Jazz 2 becomes a 2 day per week zero period class for .25 credit. This is a reduction due to the district budget cuts of last year.
January 27/28 – Jazz Ensemble 2 had a great trip to the 60th Annual Clark College Jazz Festival in Vancouver Washington. Students were fantastic and we all learned a bunch. Special thanks to trip coordinator Mrs. Rachael Garrett, and also to Mrs. Dillow and Mr. Wadud for chaperone duty.
Booster support for EW Band Students is making a difference. Mr. Greenblatt (jazz coach) and Mr. Drumm (percussion) have been excellent as usual. Other wonderful ensemble coaches this past semester include Dr. Joey Scott (Pierce College), Paul Bain (WWU), John Karschney (Seattle Symphony horn), Connor Eisenmenger (trombone), Josie Wells (clarinet), Joel Steinke (saxophone), Andrew Fox (bassoon) and many more. Big thanks to Matt Jorgensen from Shoreline CC for helping with Jazz 1 recording for Hot Java. Big thanks to Mrs. Jennifer Coons who chaperoned for the annual recording studio trip to Studio X as the band prepares for Essentially Ellington Contest submission.
January 31 – Monthly Jam session at Romeo’s was a rousing success. House Combo was Kian Halstadt, Tetsu Wadud, Logan Ignatenko, Mateo Mahoney, Liana Munoz and Max Fenwick. Special thanks to some great professional players Reuel Lubag (piano), Scott Swanson (bass) and Joel Steinke (sax) for coming out and adding sophistication and experience to our event.