School Daze Week of February 6, 2012

 Good Evening,

I hope I have offered enough information from my previous blogs. Don't forget to scroll down or check the archives.

Just a couple of reminders as Semester II is on it's way.  Practice logs need to be handed in. The majority of a student's grade is based on the practice log and weekly repertoire work. There will be a couple of written quizzes to test competency 2 knowledge (Notation) and some playing test in the next couple of weeks.

The following  students enjoyed being part of the 30th Anniversary performances  at the NHMEA Jazz All State Festival hosted by Windham High School this past weekend. They truly made Alvirne and the Hudson Community proud.  I would also like to extend a "Thank You" to all faculty members and  especially the FOM parents who did not have students in this festival but gave up time from their personal lives to support these students at the festival. 

2012 NH Jazz All-State Honors Choir

Soprano Voice – Samantha Migneault 

                             Devan Lyman

Bass Voice – Kurtis Garnick

2012 NH Jazz All-State Jazz Choir

Soprano Voice – Chantal Choinere

                              Heather Hotham

                              Cassandra Strokus

Alto Voice – Tayla Lemieux

Tenor Voice - Eric Mealey

2012 NH Jazz All- State Honors Band

Tenor Sax 2 – Steve Caporale  

Trombone 1 - Matt Sidilau  

Guitar – Chase Clark

Drums – Eric Dupont

2012 NH Jazz All- State Band

Trumpet 4 – Cody Knapp 

I would like to shed a little bit of light with regards to what the weekend entails. As you know, students auditioned for this festival back in October,.  After being selected, music was sent out and students needed to learn their music (we call that shedding).  On Thursday February 2 -13 of Alvirne's finest  left AHS by bus and headed to the Holiday Inn in Salem to register along with 93 other students and their directors representing 32 schools from across the state. We had a little something to eat then headed for Windham High School for the festival registration.

5:00 p.m.  after a brief meeting with the festival director and committee, students went to their assigned areas to begin the process of putting together the different bands and choirs. Rehearsals began at 5:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. Afterwards, students were shuttled back to the hotel to get some well deserved rest. 

 7:30 a.m. on Friday students were bussed back to Windham High School for breakfast and rehearsals. Students rehearsed from 8:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. with breaks at the conductor's discretion. Lunch at 12:45 p.m. then back to the rehearsal from 1:45 p.m. till 5:00 p.m.

There was a dinner break at 5:00 p.m. then back to rehearsal from 5:45 p.m - 7:15 p.m.

In the evening, students were treated to the 30th Anniversary Jazz All State Alumni Celebration Concert until 9:00 p.m. then it was back to the busses and hotels for "night/nights".

Saturday Feb 4 students were back at it from 7:00 a.m. having breakfast, dress rehearsals, lunch, then the concerts began at 1:00 p.m.   I know that Mrs. Migneault recorded some great moments and hopefully we will be able to share snippets of them with our readers. Now, I must tell you that it was not all work as the directors (myself included) had a chance to enjoy each others company while listening to the various guest conductors and also attend a couple of clinics. We got a chance to meet Michael Buble's trumpet side man and get a little bit of the "behind the scenes" scoop!  It was also fun just "hanging" with people who have the same interest.

Soooooo,  that was my weekend with 13 of the best musicians that Alvirne has to offer - How was your weekend - besides the obvious :-(

Time to design a couple of practice logs so for now......

Good Night!

Mr. B

Semester II - Jetzt geht's los! Part II

Sunday, What a beautiful day today! It's especially great because I'm listening to Tower of Power's  40th Anniversary CD, so if my writing gets a little manic it's because I'm movin' and groovin' to T O P  and SOUL with a capital S !

Hopefully many of you know that we are in the middle of our campaign to sell ADS for our Cabaret Weekend March 31- April 1.  This year's theme is "Made in America" with the focus being very Americana. I know that Diane Sawyer is doing a segment on ABC news but I had the idea first - if you attended last year's cabaret "Viva Las Vegas" you heard the announcement. So take that Diane :-)

If you wouldn't mind us borrowing your "Underwood" manual typewriter, if you know of someone who has a wringer type washing machine, a radio flyer wagon...anything that was made right here in the good 'ol USA we do need props.  In fact, if you could help us with decorations that would be great!
Other items that we are looking for: uniforms from each branch of the service. We presently have the Air Force, but we are still looking for Army, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard. A rotary type telephone (black if possible). Think back, maybe you have or know of someone who has that special item.
Again,  for more information and specifics please  contact Mr. and Mrs. Ouellette.

In case you are unable to attend the monthly FOM meetings - (REMEMBER, if your child is enrolled in a performance group, you are a member of  Friends of Music) and were not aware of what is going on regarding AD sales and fundraising for this event here is the information that went home with your child before the end of the first semester.  The complete information and forms  will also be found in a tab at the top of the ahsmusic. org web page shortly.

                                                              Cabaret 2012
                                                          “Made in America”
                                                    31 March and 1 April 2012
                                                        Cabaret Ad Book Sales

Attention all Music Department Students,

An annual fundraising activity is selling ads for the Cabaret program book. This is an excellent opportunity for you to earn money for your personal account (60% of the amount you sell goes into your account) which can be used to offset costs for your trips.

The following is the price list for ads:

Personal (One-line message)        $3.00
Business Card – standard card is approx. 2.0 by 3.0 inches.      $30.00
Half (½) Page   4.25 inches wide by 4.0 inches tall     $60.00
Full Page   4.25 inches wide by 8.0 inches tall    $120.00

1.    These prices are less than most fundraising organizations. We have selected these prices in order to increase the volume of ads and to make it a little easier for you to sell ads.

2.    Checks are to be made payable to AHS-FOM

3.    You may use this notice as proof of your representing the Alvirne High School Friends of Music in this fundraising activity.

4.    Ad sales begin December 16, 2011.

5.    All ads must be submitted to either Mr. Bastien or Mr. Ouellette no later than Friday, 9 March, 2012 (no ads will be accepted after close of school on March 9). We need to provide sufficient time to complete the book and for the printer to get it printed, stitched, and trimmed.

6.    All ads MUST be submitted with the Ad Book form completed. NO EXCEPTIONS. We will not accept ads without the completed form. You may make copies of the form or see Mr. B. for more forms. Please remember to provide the ad material with the ad form and money. One ad per form.

7.    All personal ads must be submitted using the personal ad form. You may make copies of the form or see Mr. B. for more forms.

8.    All ad material must be provided with an ad form and the check or cash. No Exceptions. Please remember to provide the ad material with the order form. (one ad per form) Every year students hand in the form and money but forget to provide the business card or other ad material. Describe the material provided e.g.: business card, paper ad, CD, etc.

9.    For the benefit of potential customers the ad book will measure approximately 5.25 inches wide by 8.25 inches tall. But the actual full-page printable area is 4.25 by 8.0 inches. This allows for proper fit and trimming.

10.    A one-line message is $3.00. The ad should be no more than 65 characters. If anyone wants a more extended message, you can sell a business card ad space for $25.00. This size will allow up to 250 characters.

11.    Take advantage of selling the one-liners. They are only $3.00, they are easy to set up in the book and we can fit a lot of one-liners in the book. Examples of one liners are”

Suzie – Best of luck at the AHS Cabaret / Mom and Dad   = 53 characters spaces

Louis – Remember to stop playing when all the others do / Joe    = 62 characters spaces

To the B’s – Knock’em dead. Best of luck / Suzie Q.    = 51 characters spaces

(The producers of the ad book reserve the right not to publish any material that may be construed to be offensive or inappropriate.)

13.    Mr. B. has plenty of ad books from last year. You should use last year’s book to show potential sponsors what the ad book is. You can also use it to identify the businesses and organizations that have been supporting the Ad Book fundraiser

14.    Your money, ad material and ad form MUST be in an envelope when you give it to Mr. B. or Mr. Ouellette. Remember to put your name on the envelope as well as on the ad form.

15.    This year we expect 1500 guests to attend the three shows. You may want to point this out to the potential sponsors. Also note that the books do get circulated to many more people because of the personal “one-liner” ads.

16.    We are providing a note for sponsors to use at their place of business. After they buy an ad, offer them one of the notes to place in a window or other location. This will indicate to other students that this business has already bought an ad.

Have a great day!

Mr. B

Semester II - Jetzt geht's los! Part I

Crazy! ! 
Semester II has begun, actually we'll be in full swing starting on Monday January 30.
There is a lot coming by way of the music department so this blog may consist of  many parts.
I'm pretty excited about teaching Honors Music Theory this semester - I'll be just a little busy so if I don't get back to your emails please be patient! I want to incorporate technology in both the Honors Theory and Jazz, possibly Symphonic (as a pilot program).

Practice logs are up for Jazz, Period DE (Symphonic) and Period J (Concert) bands. Parents please make certain that your child passes in those practice logs I would hate for them to have an  FC   (Fail Competency)  just because the assignments were not handed in.

Soooo, this week (Thurs. Feb )  is our FOM General Meeting @ 7:00 p.m.  in the music room. I'm certain that Mr. Guessferd, our president will have some information about the upcoming Pasta Palooza event on (Feb. 11), Cabaret ticket sales, (Feb 14)  and the Quebec Trip just to name a few agenda items.  Regarding TRI M - once we receive our cords, certificates et al from NAfME the official date will be set.

Feb. 2-4 is the NHMEA Jazz All State Festival & Conference which will be held at Windham HS in Windham NH. Hopefully, many of you will take a ride down RT 111 East on Saturday (1:00 p.m.) to support those students who are performaing. If you will be participating in the NHMEA Jazz All State Festival below are the final details (one more time).

Below is a synopsis of the letter I sent out to those students who are participating. 

Please bring your luggage, music, number 2 pencils, your 2012 Jazz All-State Student’s schedule, a light snack and concert attire that morning – I will designate an area for your belongings.

Guitar/Bass Players – AMPS, extra sets of strings, extra patch cords, extension cord etc.

Drummers - Sticks, mallets, any alternate percussion needed for the music. I will coordinate with Mrs. Francoeur from West as to what we will bring regarding drum set, hardware, cymbals, rug etc

We will leave school by bus, to register at the hotel on Thursday February 2, 2012 at 2:30 p.m. The hotel is the Holiday Inn, 1 Keewaydin Dr.  Salem, NH.  (603) 893-5511.  We will have a QUICK lunch/dinner in the Salem area – bring money. We will then head to the hotel to register. Immediately following we will proceed to Windham High School for Festival registration, orientation and rehearsals. We must be at Windham no later than 4:30 p.m., the rhythm section needs to set up.

The Saturday concert will be held at Windham High School Auditorium @ 1:00 p.m. Afterwards, you may leave with your parents. 

A reminder about NHMEA Jazz All State Concert Dress:

CHOIRS: Black pants or skirt (knee length or longer with regular nylons), white shirt or blouse, and dark socks with dress shoes and ties for the guys

BANDS:  Guys - Dark pants, light colored dress shirt, tie, suit jacket, dark socks and dress shoes.

Ladies - : Black pants or skirt (knee length or longer with regular nylons), light colored blouse. Dress shoes

All music and folders will be collected at the conclusion of the concert. 

Tuesday February 7 is the final meeting for Germany.  Jazz Band  Parents - if you have a financial obligation  that needs to be met that evening please contact my office for balances and details.
Many of you have received envelopes with Pasta Palooza tickets, please remember there is a short window to sell and return the tickets.  Band students who were absent on Thursday please see me for your envelopes. Chorus students please see Mrs. Beaton. 

NHMEA All State Participants -remember to return your registration and health forms by Tuesday January 31. 


There is so much more to write about - it will have to wait until tomorrow!


Have a great Saturday Night! Mrs. B and I are off to play board games and have some munchies :-)


Ciao,
Mr. B


PS - To my son Dan, if you're reading this Happy Birthday!

Pasta Palooza on February 11, 2012

Little Ceasar Fundraiser

Start Date: January 5, 2012
End Date: January 30, 2012

Delivery Date: February 20, 2012
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Chairperson: Ken and Carol Brauza 598-5274 or kcbrauza@comcast.net

Ordering Instructions: All checks, cash and order sheets must be turned in by Monday, January 30, 2012 to meet delivery deadline.

Remember to fill out order forms completely and legibily. Return order form along with payment.

Make checks payable to AHS-FOM

"The B Naturals to Washington DC"

“The B Naturals” is Hudson’s premiere vocal group. Comprised of Alvirne High School’s most accomplished singers, their mission is to provide community service through music, theater and dance, to the greater Hudson community and the State of New Hampshire. They have been doing so for over 15 years.

Now, the B Naturals have been asked to expand their audience and their service in a very special way. Nominated by Governor John Lynch, the B Naturals are the only student group selected to represent the State of NH at the 100th Anniversary of the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC, to perform this April 2012 alongside the “best of the best” from the 50 states of our union.

Total costs for transportation, sound equipment, hotel accommodations, two meals per day, insurance coverage, etc. for the Washington trip is over $14,000. The Hudson School District is not prepared, in the wake of budget constraints and the state of our economy, to absorb this immense cost. They need your help.

The B Naturals, Alvirne High School, and the Hudson School District are asking for your generous support in the endeavor of representing the great State of New Hampshire at the Cherry Blossom Festival Centennial this spring. Any business wishing to sponsor or co-sponsor this event is asked to contact Elizabeth Beaton, Choral Director at Alvirne High School, (603) 886-1265. The choir would be committed to advertising your business to a national audience in whatever manner is acceptable to the Festival, and/or your business’ logo could appear in any advertisement we promote here in NH.

At this point, we are still thousands of dollars away from our goal, and we have a deadline to meet in a little over one month. If you are able to make a tax deductible donation to this worthy cause, please address your check to:

“B Naturals to Washington DC”
c/o Alvirne High School
200 Derry Road Hudson, NH 03051

All checks should be made out to the “Alvirne Singers Fund.”

We thank you in advance for your support of the young musicians representing you, the State of New Hampshire, at the 2012 Cherry Blossom Festival Centennial.

Sincerely,
Elizabeth Beaton
Choral Director
Alvirne High School

Happy New Year!

Well, I thought I would do a little writing since we have already entered 2012!

First, I would like to extend  a very Happy and Healthy New Year to all our readers.

I was going to reflect on everything that happened since July 2011 but it's too late so let's look at the future together.

The calendar raffles are already underway. Congratulations to all our winners and sellers to date.

This Thursday (Jan. 5) is our FOM meeting. If you have never attended please make an effort to do so - the FOM meetings last approximately an hour and it's a great way to get "up to date" on music department happenings.

Saturday, Jan. 7 there is the NHMEA/NHBDA chamber festival. This is an all day "Master Class" type festival for the top audition scorers from the November All State auditions. Students will be practicing in various chamber groups (small, focused instrumental and vocal groups) culminating in a concert beginning at 7:00 p.m..   Once again, Timberlane Regional High School will be hosting this event at their Performance Arts Center 40 Greenough Road Plaistow, NH  03865. You can call them at 603-257-5257 for ticket information to this event.

Plans are underway for the TRI M induction ceremony. It was originally scheduled for January 12 but this ceremony may have to be moved back due to some unforeseen conflicts.


Please remind your students that Semester I  is coming to a close and even though our competencies are year long (band and select vocal groups)  make certain that your student does not forget to turn in their practice logs or assignments.  I only ask for 15 minutes a day for concert band students to work on their scales and music. There are also other competency aspects attached to practice logs so it is extremely important for students to complete their written band assignments as well.

Trip payments our due in just a few short weeks. It is EXTREMELY important that all accounts are up to date regarding the music department Quebec trip.

 The following is a trip payment schedule for your convenience:

November 18, 2011 $ 100.00

December 16, 2011 $ 100.00 

January 20, 2012       $ 100.00

February 17, 2012      $ 100.00

March 19, 2012           $ 100.00

April 15, 2012 (Mandatory Parent Meeting – balance due)

By now everyone should have received information with regards to Cabaret AD Sales.  If you haven't I will ask Mr. Ouellette (Cabaret Chairperson)  to forward all the information for Cabaret to our web master, Dave Lecraw for a separate tab where you can download all the necessary forms and receive updates.

Freshman parents as "first timers" you really want to be aware of this event!    Remember, this is a great opportunity for you to have your child sell ads and help his/her student trip scholarship account. Think Disney 2014 :-)

Again, I would like to wish everyone a very Happy and Healthy New Year! Thank you all for your continued support of the Alvirne High School Music Department.         In the final analysis it's all about "THE KIDS"

Ciao -

Mr. B

B Naturals to Washington DC

“The B Naturals” is Hudson’s premiere vocal group. Comprised of Alvirne High School’s most accomplished singers, their mission is to provide community service through music, theater and dance, to the greater Hudson community and the State of New Hampshire. They have been doing so for over 15 years.

Now, the B Naturals have been asked to expand their audience and their service in a very special way. Nominated by Governor John Lynch, the B Naturals are the only student group selected to represent the State of NH at the 100th Anniversary of the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC, to perform this April 2012 alongside the “best of the best” from the 50 states of our union.

Total costs for transportation, sound equipment, hotel accommodations, two meals per day, insurance coverage, etc. for the Washington trip is over $14,000. The Hudson School District is not prepared, in the wake of budget constraints and the state of our economy, to absorb this immense cost. They need your help.

The B Naturals, Alvirne High School, and the Hudson School District are asking for your generous support in the endeavor of representing the great State of New Hampshire at the Cherry Blossom Festival Centennial this spring. Any business wishing to sponsor or co-sponsor this event is asked to contact Elizabeth Beaton, Choral Director at Alvirne High School, (603) 886-1265. The choir would be committed to advertising your business to a national audience in whatever manner is acceptable to the Festival, and/or your business’ logo could appear in any advertisement we promote here in NH.

At this point, we are still thousands of dollars away from our goal, and we have a deadline to meet in a little over one month. If you are able to make a tax deductible donation to this worthy cause, please address your check to:

“B Naturals to Washington DC”
c/o Alvirne High School
200 Derry Road Hudson, NH 03051

All checks should be made out to the “Alvirne Singers Fund.”

We thank you in advance for your support of the young musicians representing you, the State of New Hampshire, at the 2012 Cherry Blossom Festival Centennial.

Sincerely,
Elizabeth Beaton
Choral Director
Alvirne High School

T'was The Night Before Christmas

Good Evening,

As Mrs. B and I  prepare to head out for midnight services we would like to wish the Alvirne Music Community the best as  you celebrate this Holiday Season!

If you are not into political correctness -  Merry Christmas and have a very Healthy, Happy New Year!
Gerry and Dee!
(The Bastiens)