Newsletter 11/9/07

1) Concert going options this weekend
2) Instrument exhibition in Portland
3) All-City
4) Thank you to parents
5) All-State
6) Practice logs *ARE* due Tuesday/Wednesday

1) This weekend there are 2 really great concert-going opportunities - the Portland Youth Philharmonic has their concert Saturday Nov. 10 and the Salem Pops has their Friday Nov. 9. For ticket prices and moreinformation http://www.salempopsorchestra.org/ and http://www.portlandyouthphil.org/. Remember to show your West Salem student ID at Salem area concerts to receive student pricing.

2) The 9th annual Cremona exhibit, an exhibit of beautifully handcrafted violins, violas and cellos from Cremona, Italy, will be coming to Portland this next weekend. David Kerr Violin Shop(www.kerrviolins.com/event.html) is hosting this incredible exhibit. There is an opening afternoon reception - for more information, please navigate to the website. This is a traveling exhibit - the instruments are available for viewing (playing) and acquisition (they're mostly advanced-professional quality instruments) - that I used to go to annually in Los Angeles. Even if you're not in the market for a many thousand dollar instrument, it's wonderful to visit the shop and see/play these instruments.

3) Salem's All-City orchestra applications are due Tuesday Nov. 13 - the application needs student and parent signature and must be accompanied by a $7 check made out to Salem-Keizer Public Schools. If you don't know whether or not your child has the application materials, please feel free to contact me (silberman_daryl@salkeiz.k12.or.us). This year's All-City conductor is internationally respected music educator professor Louis Bergonzi - and dynamic conductor and fantastically interesting educator.

4) Thank you to all the parents who have come to parent conferences and who attended the Parent Meeting this past Tuesday.

5)Congratulations to the students accepted to the 2008 Oregon All-State Orchestra:Gwen Gates, ViolinRobin Kim, ViolinTaylor Baldwin, BassTyler King, BassHonorable mention goes to Kayla Fedenrecht for a great effort getting her audition materials together. Auditioning for All-State or All-Northwest is a tough process that takes lots of practice time anddetermination. Students accepted to play All-State will play at the Oregon Music Educators Association conference in Eugune next January. It is very exciting to have West Salem High so well represented.

6) Just a quicky reminder that though students have 5 days off, they are still expected to practice some - periods 5,6, and 7 will need to turn in completed practice logs on the first day back next week, and period 1is learning a wonderful piece of music with solo parts - auditions will be held in 2 weeks to see who will perform the solos at the Dec. 12 concert.