DGN and DGS Jazz Bands Swing at the Tivoli

Congratulations to the members of the DGN and DGN Jazz programs for their outstanding performances tonight at the Tivoli theater in Downers Grove. It was a pleasure and honor for our students to open for the great Northern Illinois University Jazz Orchestra!

Congrats Winter Guard! 3rd Place at Naperville North

Congratulations to the DGN Winter Guard for their third place finish at their competition at Naperville North High School. With a score of 51.68, they are off to a great start! Check out their next performance at Downers Grove South this coming Sunday. The DGN Winter Guard will be performing at 12:47 PM.

Pep Band Rocks The House

Great job DGN Pep Band at tonight's Varsity Basketball Game!

DGN Jazz Musicians Swing Home with Awards and Recognitions

Congratulations to the student musicians of the North High School Jazz Program for an outstanding showing at the 2018 Purdue Jazz Festival.   Three jazz ensembles performed and competed with more than 100 high school ensembles from five states across the Midwest. 

In addition to receiving a score from the panel of adjudicators in each room, each group received real time formative feedback from each judge in an audio recording.  This feedback is essential to the continuing growth of both individual students and the musicianship of each ensemble.  

The DGN Jazz Ensemble and DGN Jazz Lab Band each received Division I ratings from the panel of judges.  This is the highest possible rating on the scoring rubric.  

In addition to the outstanding ensemble performances, 12 Outstanding Soloist Awards were given by the panel of judges to DGN students for displaying outstanding musicianship.

Congratulations to:

Carissa Blumka (Tenor Sax)

Josie Bondarowicz (Bass) - 2 awards

Kevin Griffin (Trombone)

Andrew Jackson (Tenor Sax)

Kristen Karam (Guitar)

Ryan Knezevich (Trombone)

Kaylee McCarthy (Trombone)

Owen Nystrom (Bari Sax)

Miles Teague (Piano/Vibes) - 2 awards

Marz Tingzon (Bari Sax)

DGN Jazz Combo @PurdueBands Jazz Festival 2018

Congratulations to the DGN Jazz Combo on their captivating performance this afternoon at the Purdue Jazz Festival! #swingaliscious

DGN Jazz Lab Band @PurdueBands Jazz Festival 2018

Congratulations to the DGN Jazz Lab Band on their exciting and energetic performance this morning at the Purdue Jazz Festival! #swingaliscious

DGN Jazz Ensemble @PurdueBands Jazz Festival 2018

Congratulations to the DGN Jazz Ensemble on a fabulous performance this morning at the 2018 Purdue Jazz Festival! #swingaliscious

Consider Summer Study of the Arts!

By geographical proximity, DGN students are fortunate to live within a relatively short driving distance of a myriad of amazing summer music and visual art camps. These camps and workshops cover a broad range of experiences:  shorter or longer, different types of music, different types of artistic media, college residential, and much, much more.

Pursuing musical or artistic study, in depth, in a camp setting during the summer months is a great way for a student artist to develop new competencies and stay motivated when school is not in session.

To access a list of summer music and visual art camp experiences, please CLICK HERE.

The DGN Friends of Fine Arts offer "Summer Study Grants" to DGN music and visual art students who plan to pursue their passion at an arts-related summer camp or workshop. CLICK HERE for the application, due Saturday, April 14, 2018.

Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp - Campus Auditions at DGN on February 16

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 Friday, February 16th during all music class periods 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 Ms. Moran or your music teacher 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 studying.  Pick something that shows off your abilities!

The Blue Lake representative will share some basic information with the student to take home to parents.  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!

Seeking Band Student Volunteers for Freshman Class of 2022 Open House!

We are seeking current band students who would like to help us make a positive impact on current 8th graders who will be attending the Incoming Freshman Open House (Class of 2022).

The Open House is on Thursday, February 1.  We need volunteers to work at both the Elective Fair (in the Field House), and also volunteers to help us make presentations in the Band Room that night.  

If you think you could help us, please follow the link below, and fill out the short form. Specific times are detailed on the form.  

We will look at the volunteer pool, and try to put together a team of speakers and helpers that night that represents a great cross-section of our Band program.  (Various grades, instruments, sender schools, etc.)

Please complete the form no later than Tuesday, January 23.

Thanks for your consideration!  

http://tinyurl.com/DGNBandOpenHouse

Pep Band at DGN Winter Classic

Thanks to the 100+ DGN musicians that performed this afternoon at the DGN Winter Classic. It was great to have the additional support of 8th grade instrumentalists that will soon join the DGN Band (Class of 2022)! 

Jazz Cafe 2018

Congratulations to the musicians of the DGN Jazz Ensemble, DGN Jazz Lab Band, Herrick Middle School Jazz Band, Jefferson Junior High School Friends of Jazz, and the Westview Hills Middle School Jazz Band for their spirited and exciting performances at tonight's 2018 DGN Jazz Cafe!