Great Performance Pep Band!

There was tremendous energy and a great performance by our Trojan Pep Band last night! Thanks to everyone who helped lead our team to an exciting victory!!

Consider Summer Study In 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 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.

As a reminder, the DGN Fine Arts Boosters 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 details about the Summer Study Grants, and links to the application. 

August 2017 DGN Band Camp Schedule Released

The Fine Arts Department is beginning to receive inquiries from families regarding the dates for the 2017 Summer Band Camp practices for the Trojan Marching Band.  The official Fine Arts Department Calendar (2017-18) is currently in ‘draft form’ and awaiting final approval from our school’s administrative team.  We expect to publish the official calendar in the next several weeks, but in the meantime we can share the Band Camp schedule now.  

As many of our families already know, District 99 is moving to an “Early Start Calendar” in August of 2017. This decision, and the process to come to this decision, has been covered thoroughly in the local press. The adjusted calendar will allow students to finish Semester 1 (and Final Exams) prior to the Winter Break, and this decision more closely aligns District 99 with other Chicago suburban high school districts. 

In anticipation of an earlier start in August 2017, we endeavored to create a more compacted Band Camp schedule last year (August 2016).  In summary, we experimented with fewer rehearsal days, but added several hours of rehearsal each day. The schedule worked well for the band, and we will use this same format in 2017, just moved up one week to accommodate the earlier start of the school year.

Here, then, are report dates for Band Camp 2017, with detailed times and schedules in the attached image.

• July 31 – All Student Leaders (Drum Majors and Section Captains) report for Leadership Training
• August 2 – All Percussion & Color Guard report for three day Mini-Camp
• August 7 – All band members report for Band Camp 2017

Hey Juniors! $400 scholarship opportunity: Downers Grove Music Club

$400 Awards for Juniors

This year, the Downers Grove Music Club will present multiple $400 Rising Stars Music Awards.  Awards are given to students enrolled in the District 99 high schools in the areas of Band, Choir or Orchestra.  Award recipients are selected based on the merit of their musical accomplishments, as described on the application form and the quality of the musical performance provided on the recording portion of the application. The goal of these awards is to recognize and reward those students who have worked very hard in their musical pursuits and have achieved a high level of accomplishment as a musician.

Click HERE to be redirected to the DGMC Website with application details.

Who is Eligible?

Any  District 99 high school band, choir or orchestra student, currently in his/her junior year, pursuing a musical educational experience during the summer in which tuition is charged, is eligible to apply for a Rising Stars Award. Pianists may apply in the musical category with which they are affiliated.
 

Award recipients are required to perform the following year at the DGMC Rising Stars program, usually scheduled on a Tuesday evening in April. Come hear the 2016 award recipients perform on April 4, 2017.  

How Can I Apply?

The Application Form must be completed and mailed or e-mailed, along with a performance recording, as directed on the form by April 1, 2017.  Award recipients will be chosen only from among the applications received by the deadline date.

All entries must be POSTMARKED (if mailed) or DATE/TIME STAMPED (if electronically submitted) by the deadline date of April 1, 2017 to be eligible for review.

Questions should be sent to:  musiced@downersgrovemusicclub.org.

Hey Seniors! Potential $1,000 scholarship opportunity: Downers Grove Music Club

In the spring of 2017, the Downers Grove Music Club will present a $1,000 College Music Award to at least one student enrolled in Band, Choir or Orchestra in District 99.   Award recipients will be selected based on the merit of their musical accomplishments, as described on the application form, and the quality of the musical performance provided on the video recording portion of the application.  The goal of these awards is to recognize and reward those students who have worked very hard in their musical pursuits and have achieved a high level of accomplishment as a musician.

Click HERE to be redirected to the DGMC Website with application details.  

Who is Eligible?

Any  District 99 high school band, choir or orchestra senior, who will be graduating during the 2016-2017 academic year and who will be attending college in the fall of 2017, is eligible to apply.

How Can I Apply?

The Application Form must be completed and mailed or e-mailed, along with a performance video recording, as directed on the form, by April 1, 2017.  Award recipients will be chosen only from among the applications received by the deadline date.

All entries must be POSTMARKED (if mailed) or DATE/TIME STAMPED (if electronically submitted) by the deadline date of April 1, 2017 to be eligible for review.

Questions should be sent to:  musiced@downersgrovemusicclub.org.

DGN Jazz Ensemble Featured at Famed FitzGerald's Nightclub

Congratulations to the musicians of the DGN Jazz Ensemble for an inspired performance at FitzGerald's tonight. Every single member of the band played an improvised solo or was featured in some way during the one-hour set. Well done @dgnbands!

DGN Winter Guard's 'Disconnected' Continues to Connect with Fans and Judges!

Congratulations to the Winter Guard on another great performance today at Naperville Central High School. The team earned a third place recognition, continuing their trend of significantly improving scores each week.

Be sure to catch the Winter Guard in their next competition on February 25th at Stagg High School in Palos Hills, IL.

D99 Swings with NIU Jazz Orchestra

Congratulations to the student musicians of the DGN and DGS jazz bands for their exciting and musical performances at tonight's Tivoli concert!

NIU / D99 Jazz Clinic 2017

Members of the DGN and DGS Jazz classes spent the afternoon at the historic Tivoli Theatre learning from the music faculty of Northern Illinois University in a special educational clinic. Many thanks are extended to Professors Reggie Thomas and Geof Bradfield for their inspirational message and words of encouragement for our students.

NIU Jazz Orchestra at Tivoli Tonight!

The NIU Jazz Concert is tonight at the Tivoli Theater in Downers Grove! The performance begins at 7 p.m. and features Saxophonist Geof Bradfield, along with the DGS Jazz Workshop, DGS Lab Band, DGN Lab Band, DGS Lab Ensemble, DGN Jazz Ensemble and the NIU Jazz Orchestra. Tickets are $8 each ($6 for seniors and students) and are available at the door. We hope to see you there!

Pep Band Sets Tone for Spirited Friday!

Before the exciting basketball win again York, the pep band took to the stands Friday afternoon to welcome their fellow students to the Winter Pep Assembly. Thank you Pep Band, for sharing your talents once again with the DGN community!

DGN Pep Band Sounding Great With Class of 2021 Guests!

The DGN Pep Band is rockin' the Purple Gym tonight with guest 8th grade musicians!

Picture Yourself at Blue Lake This Summer!

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 17th during periods 4, 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 Ms. Denecke 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!