Newsletter 25

In this newsletter:

1) Tomorrow - Friday Apr 24 - 4th grade string festival (with period 7)
2) CCTV broadcasts of last week's concerts
3) Please donate BBQ basket items and baked goods (store bought) for next week's raffle
4) Concert April 30 - at West Auditorium, 7pm (Advanced Orchestra and Symphony)
5) Parent Booster meeting - ALL INVITED - 6:15pm May 5
6) Save the date - June 1, 6pm for Orchestra Awards Nights (all students and parents)
7) Huge thank you to all who helped with Salem-Keizer District Festival
8) Free ground shipping at Shar Music through April 30 -*great deal!!
9) Great honor bestowed on Salem - the city has received an award for supporting music!!

1) All period 7 students and parents should have received an email by now about tomorrow's 4th grade string student spring festival. Period 7 (Symphony Strings) students will be coaching and teaching 4th grade string students, sharing pizza, and then performing at 6pm at West - parents welcome to attend the concert. Concert should end by 6:45pm. This is a wonderful opportunity for young string students to be mentored by older students, and for 4th grade parents to see the potential future of their child's hard work.

2) Click HERE to read the info about CCTV's broadcast of Wind Ensemble, Advanced Orchestra and Advanced Symphony - along with other high schools - from last week's concert. The video is high quality, as is the sound. We're very proud of our performance (we saw a sneak peak of the video)!!!

3) At next week's concert - the Pre-State concert on the 30th - there is a big Music Boosters fundraiser. If you can donate store-bought baked goods (muffins, cookies, bread, etc... from Costco, Winco, Roth's, Safeway) by the 30th, orchestra gets credit to split the proceeds from the bake sale that evening. Also, we will be creating an orchestra BBQ basket that will be raffled off that evening - please bring anything spring BBQ-y like BBQ sauce, tongs, picnic napkins/plates, BBQ chef apron, hot mitts, etc... Each group (choir, band, orchestra) will be making a basket and Boosters will sell tickets for a raffle - I know I'll be buying some raffle tickets!!!

4) The Pre-State concert - featuring all groups qualified to go the State Championships in May - is April 30th at West Auditorium at 7pm. Call time for musicians is 6:40pm, dressed and ready to go. ALL PERFORMING STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO WATCH ALL GROUPS THEIR NOT PLAYING IN. Concert will be over around 9pm... but, what an amazing concert it's going to be! All students not performing may use this as a concert review. Parents, this concert features the very best of West Salem's performing groups - I hope you will enjoy this concert - please feel free to invite community members (friends, neighbors, family, etc...)!

5) It's time for the SPRING PARENT BOOSTER MEETING! YAY! On the agenda - the trips next year, we need volunteers for a few booster positions opening up, Boot Camp and Music Day organization for next year, and much more. Meeting is at 6:15 in the choir room on Tuesday May 5 - all are welcome to attend... we welcome your participation, parents!

6) Save the date (well, hopefully you already have because it's been on the calendar) - on June 1 we will have our final concert of the year. Only Advanced Orchestra (period 1) will be performing, but an hour before the concert, at 6pm, there will be an awards ceremony for the whole Titan Orchestra program - celebrating students and parents! Then, all are welcome to attend the concert that will follow - it will feature graduating talented music students in a concerto concert performed by Advanced Orchestra and Wind Ensemble members.

7) Humongous thank you to all who helped with last weekend's festival. Kudos go to band and orchestra students and parents who worked for hours and hours on end. West was complimented for it's organizational skills and excellent hosting facilities. It was great to be the 'home team' for this festival!

8) http://www.sharmusic.com/ is offering a great bonus to those who order anything (strings, instruments, accessories, music) through April 30 - FREE SHIPPING. This is a good idea for graduation presents... if you need help determining what to get, please contact me.


9) The City of Salem has been given an honor by NAMM - the organization of music instrument manufacturers and distributors (a very powerful, large organization). The city was honored for being supportive of music education. The article from the Statesman Journal is posted on the blog...

See you all next week at the Pre-State concert...
~Ms. S