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Vol 7 / Issue 3
In this Issue
Music in our Schools
Month
2
Band Outreach Day
3
Former SHS teacher
joins the show!
4
Townwide Choral
Festival
5
SHS presents A
Midsummer Night’s
Dream
5
Scenes from HJMS
production of
Seussical
6
Hartt School Composer at HJMS
6
Simsbury Music and Performing Arts Newsletter
Director ’s Notes:
April 2017 March is officially designated as “Music In Our Schools
Month” by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). This issue of Ovation highlights some of
the musical experiences our students have engaged in
recently. Our students continue to excel at regional, state
and national levels. Our students and teachers have
achieved so much this year that the next issue of Ovation
will be dedicated specifically to recognition of awards and
major achievements!
The Arts are extremely important in the development of a child. Music education
strengthens cognitive ability and it is a significant part of a well rounded education. Current brain research highlights the benefits of music education and the
benefits of engaging in music making. I encourage you to read about research
from Northwestern University regarding music and its impact on the brain.
Your generous support as a community is an integral part of the success of our
Music & Performing Arts program. The support from the Friends for Music is also
another fine example of a positive collaboration between the schools and the
community. Together we are creating meaningful and enriching experiences for
our students in Simsbury.
This issue of Ovation is only a snapshot of the outstanding instruction occurring
in our classrooms on a daily basis. We continue to receive positive feedback
from alumni who are currently practicing their craft at the collegiate level or at the
professional level and from visiting guest artists. I would also like to thank our
outstanding administration for their unyielding support of the Simsbury Music &
Performing Arts Program.
Please enjoy the Spring issue of Ovation and stay tuned for more to come!
Angela D. Griffin
Director of Music and Performing Arts K-12
Student’s mural decorates the HJMS music wing
Music in our schools month
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
March has been officially designated as Music In Our
Schools Month by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). Music teachers and students
around the country engaged in numerous activities
and events that highlight the importance of music education and the impact it makes in our society. Teachers and students in our schools participated in music
adjudications, celebrations of music in our schools,
and a variety of enrichment opportunities.
The Simsbury Music & Performing Arts program has
a vibrant and healthy music program. Students are
encouraged to grow artistically and to explore exciting new opportunities as young musicians. Here are
just a few of the activities our students participated
in during Music In Our Schools month, many funded
generously by the Friends for Music.
SHS
•
The SHS Music Department hosted an Open
House. Student performances featured the SHS a
capella groups, a jazz ensemble, and several solo
and chamber performances.
•
The SHS Choir program participated in the Hartt
Choral Festival where they were adjudicated for
their own performance and they listened to clinician feedback for other high school choirs.
•
The SHS Symphonic Winds participated in the
Lydian Festival in a similar adjudication experience at CCSU.
•
The SHS Choir visited NYC in order to see former
SHS alumna Emily Bautista perform in her debut
musical experience on Broadway as a member of
the cast of Miss Saigon.
Tootin’ string students participated in a workshop
with guest artists after school. The workshops
provided additional enrichment opportunities
with clinicians from the Hartt School.
•
Students from all five elementary schools participated in a second Irish Fiddle Workshop after
school where they learned about authentic Irish
music.
•
Simsbury elementary music teachers accompanied students who were selected for the CMEA Elementary Honors Choir and the CMEA Elementary Honors Orchestra.
•
Simsbury students from all levels participated in
the OAKE Festival in the OAKE National Choirs.
Please stay tuned for more information about awards
and celebrations of student achievement in our program!
Students at SHS participated in the CMEA All
State Conference in a series of rehearsals with festival conductors and a final culminating concert
for families and friends.
•
•
Music is alive and well in our schools and in our community!
Ms. Schreiber with students at OAKE
Student performs at
music open house
HJMS
•
•
Lisa Abel and the SHS band
presents at CMEA All State
Thirty-five HJMS students participated in the
Connecticut Northern Region Festival (CMEA)
along with other middle school students in our
region. Students worked with festival conductors
in rehearsal prior to a culminating performance
for parents on the following day.
Emily Bautista welcomes
SHS students to Broadway
The HJMS musical Seussical was held in the
month of March and it was a smash success! Two
outstanding casts performed for an excited audience in a colorful display of music and fun!
Simsbury students perform in Honors Orchestra
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Band Outreach Day 2017
by Lisa Abel
Members of the Simsbury High School Band participated in a special community Outreach Day
on Friday, January 27th. The idea for this Outreach Day started in 2013 when the Simsbury band
program began a relationship with the Dallas Brass. SHS Band Director, Lisa Abel, met several
members of the Dallas Brass at a music conference. The founder of the Dallas Brass, Mike Levine,
had just started a program called Harmony Bridge to bring music to people who may not have access to live performances. Simsbury became a pilot district for the Harmony Bridge program and
received private music arrangements from the Dallas Brass. The students rehearsed the music and
began performing at senior residences the following spring. Students have continued to perform
for various audiences in the spirit of Harmony Bridge for the past four years.
Fourteen students from the Band Leadership Team and Chamber Winds traveled to three locations in the area to talk about their musical experiences and share their music with people of all
ages. The group’s first stop was at Henry James Memorial School where students met with both
8th grade band classes to talk about how they have continued to make music through high school.
Students shared stories about the exciting opportunities they have had and continued to develop
relationships forged through the Secondary Cooperative Band Program which has included combined performances at football games, concerts, and the Hartford Wolf Pack. The visit concluded
with a joint rehearsal on one of the band’s new pieces.
Later in the morning, the students traveled to Educational Playcare in Farmington where they
presented two programs for the three and four-year old preschool programs. Students played familiar songs for the children while introducing them to the different instruments. Children heard
demonstrations on each instrument and even had the opportunity to touch the instruments in a
“petting zoo” format. The outreach group’s final performance was held at the McLean Home where
residents were treated to a wide variety of selections from American folk music to movie soundtracks such as The Magnificent Seven, and ending with an exciting medley of selections from the
musical, Jersey Boys. We thank the following students for representing the Simsbury High School
Music Department in such a wonderful way: Rosa Kleinman, Bethany Newton, Lucy O’Sullivan
(flute); Brenna Pellon (oboe); Kara Mortimer (clarinet); Grace Huang (bass clarinet); Ryan Papagelis (saxophone); Nic Belliveau, Sarah DePratti, Kaitlyn Greenberg (trumpet); Sara Riso (horn);
Emma Hardee (trombone); Ben Poirot (tuba); and Avery Gottshall (percussion).
“It was a great experience to share music with
so many people who may not always have access to it.” – Kara Mortimer, grade 10
“Outreach day allows me to share my love of
music with people of all ages in our community.” – Bethany Newton, grade 11
“It feels really good knowing that when we
share our music with others in our community, we spread happiness and inspire others
to feel the same as we do about it.” – Kaitlyn
Greenberg, grade 11
SHS Band students perform at McLean Home
3
17 and 71
by Linda Rountree
H
ave you really ever dreamed an impossible
dream? Do you have unrealistic visions of
yourself snowboarding or going into space
or winning a McArthur Genius grant? In my Freudian unconscious, I am dancing on a stage. Mind
you, I am clumsy and uncoordinated, and I’ve never
studied dance. However, last summer at Bates College in Maine, I was in the audience of a tap dancing demonstration by taught by Michelle Dorrance,
an actual McArthur Genius Grant winner and the
foremost tap dancing proponent in the US today,
and my suppressed unconscious “flicker” bubbled
to the surface. I wanted to tap dance.
shoes, made videos of themselves performing the
steps, and worked patiently (oh, how patiently!)
with me. That I was unconditionally accepted as a
member of the group was perhaps one of the most
meaningful experiences of my life...they are mostly
17 and I am 71.
Andrew Savarese and Olivia Nunez cued me when
to turn on stage in the big finale; Marissa Cestone
smiled and constantly encouraged me during the
Montage; Zoe Eisenhaure, Tim Amarell, and David Black prevented me from fainting as I delivered my two lines; and Devin Hoffman made sure
I was in the right spot for the cocktail party scene.
The thrill of being on stage, in costume(s), with a
wig and makeup and a “mic,” was indescribable.
As exhausting as the rehearsals were, the actual
performances flew with energy and speed. Most
of my colleagues had no idea I was “in the show,”
and many later commented on having seen me as
the doctor. But clearly, NO ONE noticed my two tap
numbers!
Amazingly, Simsbury High School’s Winter Musical
this year was 42nd Street, the plus ultimate dancing extravaganza. Dr. Stuart Younse, a dear friend
and respected colleague, when told how much I
loved that show, suggested I take a small part. A
very long story later, with explicit permission from
the students in the production and from the Director
of the Music Department, I became a member of
the cast. My only self-imposed parameters: I must
be called Linda, and I would participate in every
rehearsal.
I lamented this disappointment to Brian who stated,
“Now, Linda, you were part of a team. This was NOT
about YOU! It was a group effort.” And right he was.
The incredible talents of Jason Lill, Grace Sullivan,
Lauren Cassot, Ava Rooney, Brendan Barnard and
Cameron Delo together with the sound board skills
of Jane Pyatt and dedication of stage managers
Andrea Sweezy and Lyndsay Candito, coupled
with the technical skills of Michael Hunter and Josh
Berman, the chorography of Miss Kate, the lighting
design of Tim Reed, the musical direction of Bobby
Tomasulo and the extraordinary musicians in the
pit along with the stage crew, and of course, the
parents who gave hours and hours of their time and
talents….and the fifty dancers in the opening number…. it was indeed a magnificent group effort.
Unless you have a child, a sibling, a student or a
close friend who is involved in theater, you absolutely cannot imagine how many hours and how
much energy is spent preparing for these musicals.
I am in awe of these unique students. They somehow complete their homework, remain cheerful,
and have a camaraderie that is special and crosses
genders and grade levels. And, they are so NICE!
To prepare for my two dance numbers, Brian Hanshaw and Caroline Pane told me where to purchase
Stuart Younse has great respect for his students,
and in return, they give him their best efforts. If
you saw 42nd Street, you know this to be true. He
directs as a professional, and he expects professional results. 42nd Street surpassed all expectations for a high school musical. And, miraculously, I
was a very small part of that spectacular event. The
unconscious became a conscious reality. Take two
steps forward, bow, smile. Thank you, thank you.
Dr. Rountree gives her diagnosis
4
Townwide Choral Festival 2017
Chorus students in Grades 6-12 participated in a two day Townwide
Choral Festival in April with guest artist and renowned choral clinician,
Elizabeth Núñez. Ms. Núñez is the associate artistic director of the Young
People’s Chorus of New York City, the founding artistic director of So
Harmoniums, an intergenerational community chorus of women, and
director of YPC’s acclaimed Cantare chorus.
Simsbury choral students were prepared for this exciting experience
by music teachers Sarah Blanchard, Susan Mollica, Sarah Milligan.
Keira Brown, Lisa Grant, Miriam Schreiber, Jason Stammen and Colleen Thompson. The Townwide Choral Festival students rehearsed with
Mrs. Nunez over a period of two days. Elementary students from all five
schools participated in a Townwide Elementary Festival Chorus. The
HJMS Select Choir and the SHS choirs also performed in the festival.
Mrs. Núñez worked with each choir in order to refine the repertoire for
the performance and added choreography to some of the selections on
the concert program. Mrs. Núñez was a perfect match for our students
and choral teachers. Her musical style and choral conducting seemed to resonate with our students and
she utilized a variety of engaging instructional strategies in order to create
a positive rehearsal environment. Mrs. Núñez commented on the quality of
the Simsbury Choral program. “ I cannot say enough about your district –
it is truly one of the best in the country! The dedication, talent, and energy
of your teachers and students is amazing and I had such a wonderful time
with all of you! I hope to work with you again in the future.” We are fortunate to have such strong programs in our school district and are grateful for
the financial support of the Simsbury Friends For Music and Performing
Students practice the merengue
Arts
who made this event possible.
with Elizabeth Núñez
Feelin’ Groovy?!
by Stuart Younse
Lovers? Magic Potions? Fairies? Mistaken Identities? We have them all in our 2017 SHS production of
Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Theatre students have been working around the clock
to bring you one of Shakespeare’s most performed and beloved comedies. This is one you will not want to
miss!
Our production is set in the fictional New England town of Bradshire during the 1960’s. We will perform
Shakespeare’s text but modernize it with fairies/flower children, Theseus in a Neru jacket, lovers/hippies,
and much more. Oh, and there will be lots of 60’s music
and dance!
The performances are Friday and Saturday, April 28th
and 29th at 7 and April 30 at 2 in the SHS Courtyard. You
will enter as though you are going to theatre and then be
directed to the courtyard. Bring a blanket, lawn chair,
bucket of chicken, or your own turkey legs to enjoy an outdoor theatrical experience. (We will move to the auditorium in case of rain.) Tickets are $8 for students and $10
for adults and are available at the door.
Don’t be square! Get your goove on with the Bard!
5
HJMS Performs Seussical
HJMS students participated in Seussical, the annual middle
school musical directed by our outstanding production team, Lisa
Grant – Director; Jason Stammen
– Musical Director; Melissa Jane
– Choreographer; Michael Hunter
– Technical Director; Mary Boucher – Production Coordinator. The
students worked with the production team members in order to deliver another extraordinary middle
school musical.
After months of hard work and
preparation, HJMS students sang,
acted and danced in a wonderful
rendition of Seussical wearing beautiful costumes designed by an
outstanding team of Simsbury parent volunteers. This year’s performance included audience participation as the characters from
the show came to life on the stage and interacted with audience
members!
Seussical was yet another
fine display of the creativity of our staff, students
and parents. Audiences
were delighted by the
performances. Congratulations to two outstanding
casts, the technical crew
and production team of
the smash hit Seussical!
Hartt Composer visits HJMS Music Technology Students
The HJMS Music Technology program highlights the importance of creating music. It allows students to
focus on creating their own music independently. Visiting guest artist and Hartt
composer Professor Ken Steen visited the HJMS Music Technology students
for an in-house clinic funded by the Friends for Music. Professor Steen worked
collaboratively with Mrs. Marilyn Cannata, HJMS Music Technology teacher, in
order to create a rich and engaging learning environment for the students. HJMS
students were provided guidelines for creating their own compositions prior to
Professor Steen’s arrival. Professor Steen provided individual feedback to students as they worked to complete their projects. The session with Professor Steen
allowed students to work individually with a practicing composer while making
connections between the HJMS Music Technology curriculum and the practical
Dr. Kenneth Steen
application of composition skills.
6