Time for the 2014 Flower Sale!

It's time to wish the Polar Vortex of 2014 a fond farewell, and set our sights squarely on Spring!

We have kicked-off the annual DGN Music Boosters Flower Sale, and music families are encouraged to start dreaming of spring planting!

Students received preliminary information today in music classes, and were given the opportunity to pick up order forms.  

Click here for all the info - and additional order forms!

Winter Guard takes 2nd at Stagg High School Contest

Congratulations to the members of the DGN Winter Guard for their 2nd place finish at the Midwest Color Guard Circuit Contest held on March 1st at Stagg High School.

Scoring 67.29, the Winter Guard showed impressive growth, increasing their overall score by nearly 8 points over their previous season-best.

Way to go Winter Guard!

DGN Jazz @ 47th Annual Elmhurst College Jazz Festival

Congratulations to the members of the DGN Jazz Ensemble for a tremendous performance at the 47th Annual Elmhurst College Jazz Festival.  One of the oldest and most prestigious events of it's kind, drawing top high school and college bands from the United States and Canada, DGN Jazz students were honored to have been invited to this year's festival.

The band's continued hard work and dedication were affirmed by a panel of three critically acclaimed jazz legends who offered only effusive praise to DGN for the ensemble's sound, style, and attention to musical detail.  

"It's pretty amazing, you guys," said jazz trumpet great Bobby Shew.  "High school kids playing like that.  Very inspiring.  For you guys to be playing this well in high school, it's just really impressive."

Gary Smulyan, considered by many to be the leading baritone sax voice in the world today, said, "I was really impressed with the way you share your joy of music with the audience. There was a really beautiful feeling behind what you were playing for us.  That really came across."  

Trombone virtuoso Andy Martin said, "I thought you guys were fantastic.  As a listener, the variety was great.  The soloists were all fantastic.  The singers were fabulous. The woodwind doubles and colors were just great.  It was a beautiful way to start the festival this year!"

Garnering "Outstanding Musician" awards were Sebastian Calvino (trombone), Zack Foster (bass), Rob Kulik (drums), Spencer Schillerstrom (tenor sax), and Amelia Smerz (cello).

Kudos to the DGN Jazz Ensemble for yet another outstanding festival performance on an international stage!

 

 

 

 

 

Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp - Campus Auditions Wednesday!

The Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp (in Michigan) is one of the nation’s leading arts immersion camps.  BLFAC is a non-profit summer school of the arts specializing in two-week arts programs for intermediate and high school students. 

Because there is a strong tradition of highly qualified District 99 students attending Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, the institution actively recruits in our schools.  Additionally, BLFAC sends a representative to our building each February to hear interested students play and sing.  From those ‘mini auditions’ BLFAC frequently awards merit-based scholarships to attend the camp.  This year’s BLFAC scholarship auditions will be held on Wednesday, February 19^th during periods, 5, 6, 7, 8 and for a short time after school.  If you are interested in playing or singing a short audition for the BLFAC rep, please express your interest on a sign-up sheet in the Fine Arts Office (room 131).  Please see Mrs. DePeder or your music teacher on TUESDAY to sign up for a time. 

What should you be prepared to play or sing in your audition?  Plan to perform 2-3 min of music that you have been working on with a private music teacher, or in class.  This could be an etude, a solo, or a piece of literature that you have really enjoyed playing.  Pick something that shows off your abilities!

The Blue Lake representative will share some basic information with your child to bring home to you.  In the meantime, you are encouraged to check out Blue Lake’s website at www.bluelake.org.  

Many DGN musicians have received significant scholarships to attend Blue Lake as a result of these mini-auditions.  Please consider this fabulous opportunity!

Winter Guard takes 3rd Place at Midwest Color Guard Circuit Contest

Congratulations to the DGN Winter Guard for taking 3rd Place in their competitive class at the Midwest Color Guard Circuit contest sponsored by Downers Grove South High School.  Beginning at 11 AM this morning, 30+ Winter Guards competed in the event.  

Way to go Trojans ... we are proud of you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

LOVE this Band! They sound SWEET

Composer or Pasta?

Nothing says Valentines Day like a romantic Italian dinner or an aria from a beautiful Italian opera. Today's "bell ringer" in DGN Band classes? Yes, you guessed it: a friendly game of "Composer or Pasta?"... where contestants attempt (with frequent inaccuracies) to place Italian names into one of two categories.

You're Invited to a "Frozen" Sing-A-Long Saturday Night!

The students of the DGN Band, Choir and Orchestra Boards invite you to a Frozen Sing-A-Long!

You are invited to join fellow DGN music students and buy tickets to the Saturday, February 15 (7:05 PM) Frozen Sing-A-Long at Cinemark-Seven Bridges.

This is not an official school event, but rather an informal opportunity for DGN music students to come together for a fun night of cinema & singing!  (Students are responsible for their own transportation, tickets and supervision.) So get a car-pool together, and make plans to join fellow DGN music students on Saturday night!

CLICK HERE to pre-order your tickets for Saturday night (7:05 PM), or go to ...

http://tinyurl.com/DGNMusicFrozen

Congrats Rob Kulik and 'The Resolution'

Congratulations to North Fine Arts student and DGN Band member Rob Kulik (drums), DGN alumnus Trevor Utz (lead guitar), as well as DGS students Brian Moroney (lead singer) and Patrick Mitchell (bass) - "The Resolution" - for their new single Maple Avenue - now available on iTunes!

Check out the promo video below, here.

Band Tour 2014-15: The "Big Apple"

The Fine Arts Department is pleased to announce the 2014-15 DGN Band Tour destination: New York (a.k.a. "The Big Apple!")

The 2014-15 tour (pending formal approval by the Board of Education later this spring), is tentatively scheduled for February 25 - March 2, 2015, which spans the DuPage County Teacher Institue weekend.

The 2014-15 tour will focus on 'Concert Band' and 'Jazz Band' performance opportunities for our students.  The itinerary is still in final development stages, but is expected to include:

• full day workshop for the band on the campus of Ithaca College (one of the finest schools of Music in the United States)
• performance workshop with Broadway musicians
• performance workshop with members of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra
• festival performance at Carnegie Hall (pending contract negotiation/audition with the hall and music festival)
• performance workshop for Jazz Band at the famous "Jazz At Lincoln Center"
• sight-seeing in New York (Ellis Island, National September 11th Memorial, NBC Rockefeller Plaza, Central Park, Empire State Building, etc.)
• attend a Broadway musical

Additional details about the tour, estimated tour package costs, fundraising opportunities, and procedures for sign-up will be shared with all band families (8th - 11th grade) later this spring, after formal Board of Education approval.  Stay tuned, and get excited!