Newsletter #11 (emailed 12/8/10)

***Save the Date*** (click here for our calendar)
Wed Dec 8 - Winter Concert (Titan Strings and Sinfonietta)
Thu Dec 9 - Capital Manor (Chamber group) 4-6pm
Mon Dec 13 - Winter at West Dress Rehearsal 4:30 - 8:30 (Chamber)
Wed Dec 15 - Winter at West (Chamber)
Thu Dec 16 - Winter at West (Chamber)
Fri Dec 17 - Capital Manor (select students) 5pm
Sat Dec 18 - Prelude at OR Symphony Portland (Chamber group)

Contained within:

1) Chicago Trip deposit #2 is due Friday
2) Titan Strings videos up on the blog
3) Concert Tonight (Dec. 8) for Titan Strings and Sinfonietta
4) Winter at West details for audience and members
5) Stocking stuffer ideas for young musicians...
6) Thank you to parents!!!

1) Chicago Trip deposit #2 is due Friday Dec. 10

Just a reminder that an important deadline comes Friday - all students wanting to attend the Chicago tour must have their next payment turned into the grey box by 2:30 Friday. Please see emails that have been sent to you regarding amounts and contact info if there are any questions. Save the date - Thursday January 13 at 6:30 - for a special Chicago Trip meeting (pizza will be provided). At this meeting we will go over the itinerary, paperwork needed, packing guidelines, rehearsal schedule for January and February, and more. At least one parent per student family are asked to attend this meeting. Students going on the trip will be required to attend this meeting.

2) Titan Strings videos up on the blog
Titan Strings went to Portland Children's Museum on Thursday Dec. 2, 2010 - click on the link below to see the videos embedded into our blog:

Titan Strings PCM video Blog Entry

Of, you can go to www.youtube.com/titanorchestras to see the videos directly on YouTube

3) Concert Dec. 8 for Titan Strings and Sinfonietta
Wednesday December 8 is our Winter Concert for Titan Strings and Sinfonietta. The concert will be at 7pm in the auditorium. Sprague's intermediate orchestra, called "Symphony Strings", is our special guest.

Here's the schedule

5:30 - Titan Strings and Sinfonietta on stage to practice Jingle Bell Hoedown (please arrive 10 minutes earlier than stated)
6:15 dinner break - pre-order pizza, capri sun, ice cream for $5 (or, bring a dinner)
7pm performance
8:30ish - concert conclusion

A few select students Sinfonietta cellists and a bass player have been asked to bring home instruments to this concert. Violinists may want to bring their home instrument to assure they have an instrument for the Hoedown.

4) Winter at West details for audience and members
Winter at West is going to bigger and better than ever. This show is a celebration of the season - Promise of Peace - and information about the show will be written up in the Statesman Journal. Only Chamber Orchestra performs in this show (from the orchestra program) but I certainly hope that students and parents from the rest of the orchestra program will buy advance tickets and come - it's one of the finest productions we put on at West.

Tickets are on sale through the bookkeeper's office at West. Babysitting will be provided this year by Titan Tots.

Here's info for musicians:

Monday Dec. 13 - Mandatory dress rehearsal 4:30 - 8:30pm
Wed. and Thur. Dec. 15 and 16 - 6:30 call time in the orchestra room.

5) Stocking stuffer ideas for young musicians...

Here's a list of great ideas for stocking stuffers for young musicians - I'll provide a link on the items below at Shar Music (see original email for links), but you can ask the following dealers in town for the same items:Weathers Music, Uptown, Henry Strobels, David Kerr Violins

Jade Rosin (for cello/violin/viola)
A metronome
A tuner
A metronome tuner
Manhasset stand (available in many colors)
Violin gift plaque
Musical gifts like pins, earrings, instrument wrapping paper
A new case (not so much a stocking stuffer as a main present)
Gift membership to www.virtualsheetmusic.com - so students can print off all the music they'd like

6) Thank you to parents and students!!!

Huge thanks goes to the parents and students who helped our very successful Wreath, Poinsettia and Christmas Tree fundraiser this year. Tracy Riley and Steve Tatman took hours of their time to go up to the tree farm to fresh cut our beautiful trees. The following students helped with Wreath and Poinsettia set up and pick up:

Itati Guillen
Katerina Krazovskiy - and a friend who had nothing better to do!
Amanda Childers
Elizabeth Kirkpatrick
Riley Brostrom
Ana Ramirez
Stella Kim
Steve Tatman
Mark Lowen
Karen Tatman
Jacque Dodds - two shifts
Makayla McCauley
Kathy McCauley
Kim Dietz
Lori Dietz - two shifts

The following parents helped with tree pick up:
Tatmans
Tracy Brostrom
Gordy Harder
Gail Harder
Kim Dietz
Lori Dietz

And, as always, I thank the parent booster organization for providing such amazing fundraisers for the students!

Thanks for reading all the way down to the end of the newsletter...
~Ms S.