Under a beautiful blue sky and the direction of Ms. Lorri Wittenkeller, Adrian's 8th Grade Orchestra performed for lunchtime passersby at the Michigan State Capitol Building in Lansing on May 23rd, 2018.
The video above includes appearances by State Representative Bronna Kahle and State Senator Dale Zorn, both of whom were kind enough to attend the concert and share their encouragement with our young musicians.
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Members of Ocho performed the national anthem at the Toledo Mud Hens game on May 15th, 2018. The eight-member group is an off-shoot of the Adrian High School choir Lady Blues. The young women received a very warm response to their performance, including several compliments as they walked through the Fifth Third Field concourse.
RELATED POST: AHS Singers Perform Anthem for AC Crowds All four of the Springbrook Choirs attended State Choral Festival at Brighton High School, Friday, April 27th.
The adjudicators praised all of the Adrian choirs, commenting that they were among the top groups they'd heard that day. "At the state competition, middle school choirs are not given a numerical score," said Barbara Schenck, Springbrook's Choir Director. "We earn the scores at the District level. So, it's more of an exhibition at state. But, the judges' comments were all fantastic and, I can imagine that, had they scored us, we would have received very good numbers." Adjudicator Norma Freeman, a long-time teacher at Saline High School, paid nice compliments to the 6th grade choir and encouraged Mrs Schenck to enter the group in the MSVMA Music Conference next January. “I just cannot believe these are 6th graders," Ms. Freeman said to Mrs. Schenck. "How are you achieving such amazing sounds from them? You must bring them to the music conference so everyone can hear how 6th graders can sound.” You can watch the videos that Mrs. Schenck provided at the links below. Lady Singers 6th Grade Choir Men in Sync 7th / 8th Grade Ladies Choir Enjoy the Springbrook Choirs during “A Night of Jazz Music,” May 22nd at 7pm in the Adrian High School Performing Arts Center. Sierra Hull was playing on the Grand Ole Opry stage at age 11. She was invited to that gig by her mentor and friend, Alison Krauss, a woman who's tied for second place with Quincy Jones on the list of most Grammy Award wins. (Alison has 27, by the way. )
Sierra signed with Rounder Records at age 13, and has since released three albums. She's toured the world, played the White House and Carnegie Hall, had her own exhibit in the Country Music Hall of Fame, was named Mandolin Player of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association, and graduated from Berklee College of Music. So, Sierra Hull knows a thing or two about growing a career in the music business. After her April 2018 performance at The Ark in Ann Arbor, she took some time to encourage Adrian Music students. Take a look at the quick video above. Then learn more about this very talented musician at SierraHull.com. Our Vice President's and Treasurer's terms will come to an end in June 2018. That means we're looking for at least two new Adrian Music parents to join the Boosters board.
If you believe in the value of music education and have a relatively small amount of time to invest, we'd love to talk with you about how you can make a difference to music students and teachers. At least some experience with bookkeeping / accounting is preferred for the Treasurer position. No specific experience is necessary for the Vice President role, but our hope is that the new VP will bring a passion for music education and a desire to grow and improve our program in some way. If you're interested or have any questions, please email Booster President Scott Greggory or call him at 419/351-2205, or contact any of the other officers listed on our About Us page. Thank you in advance for your support. RELATED VIDEO: The Benefits of Being a Music Booster The Adrian Music Boosters 2018 Mattress Sale will take place Saturday, April 14th in the Adrian High School cafeteria from 10am to 5pm. You and all your friends who sleep will save up to 50% on brand new mattresses made just for you.
If you need a mattress in a unique size - maybe for a day bed, a camper or tiny house - just bring the measurements to the sale and we'll take care of you. All mattress purchases include free delivery. The crew can also haul away your old mattress for a small charge, or the city of Adrian will carry it away for an even smaller fee and advanced notice. Please share the news of this great opportunity with your family and friends, and support Adrian Music in the process. Thank you in advance for your help. Under the direction of Lorri Wittenkeller, both the Adrian High School Orchestra and the Springbrook 7th / 8th Grade Orchestra earned the highest rating of 1 at the 2018 MSBOA Orchestra Festival. The event took place March 8th at Clinton High School. "Both the 7th /8th Grade Orchestra and the Symphony / Concert Orchestra had to quickly learn to blend with each other since they don't have practice time together," said Ms. Wittenkeller. "I heard a lot of progress between the March 1st pre-festival concert and the festival performances on March 8th. Combining the groups was not an easy task for anyone, so I'm really proud of the work each student did to make it possible." Ms. Wittenkeller said the judges wrote comments praising each group's tone and energy. "One judge was particularly impressed with the high school orchestra's piece, Iowa Spring. He said that it truly captured what spring feels like in the state. 'Overall, well done,' he wrote." The video below features highlights from the 7th / 8th Grade Orchestra's performance. The AHS Concert Band and Symphony Band represented Adrian well at the 2018 MSBOA Band Festival, held March 2nd in Jackson, Michigan. Each group received a final rating of 2. (The Symphony Band earned the highest rating of 1 for their sight reading.) Both bands are under the direction of Dan Kesterke. Enjoy a few video highlights below. Here are a few shots of the rehearsal before the 2018 Chelsea Showcase. Click on any image to see a larger version. Then, click on the large image to see the next picture.
The Balladiers, Adrian High School's show choir, wrapped up their 2017-2018 season with a tribute to Postmodern Jukebox at the annual Chelsea Showcase.
Led by vocal director of Steve Antalek and choreographer Jessica Adams, the 23-member group danced and sang their way through five numbers, including do-wop re-workings of Bruce Springsteen's "Dancin' in the Dark" and "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion. The Balladiers were accompanied by a live six-piece band put together by Dan Kesterke. Yeah, it may seem a little odd, but it's true: we'll be having a mattress sale soon! The Adrian Music Boosters have joined with Custom Fundraising Solutions to host the one-day event, Saturday, April 14th, 2018 in the Adrian High School cafeteria, 785 Riverside Avenue. The sale will run from 10am to 5pm. CFS has specialized in mattress fundraisers for school groups all over the country since 2005, so we're putting their expertise to work to help you and others find the quality mattress, bed frame, sheets and pillows you may need, while raising money for Adrian music programs at the same time. Want a new mattress for yourself or one of the kids? How about putting a new one in the guest room or your vacation home? Or maybe you have a parent in an assisted living facility who's due for a new mattress or pillows? If you don't need a mattress right now, tell a friend or family member about the sale. In fact, your music student will earn $25 for their personal Music Booster account each time someone they refer buys a mattress. All you or your child need to do is hand out the flyers we'll supply to promote the sale to people you know. When someone redeems the flyer on the sale day, your student earns the money, which can be applied to band camp and other music camps, private lessons, instruments, field trips and any other music-related expense. Another Easy Way You Can Help We'll be holding a pre-sale meeting for music parents, Tuesday, March 27th at 7pm in the AHS Performing Arts Center. The meeting should last 15 to 30 minutes, and it'll be a good opportunity to ask any questions you may have. Here's the great news: if 50 parents attend the meeting, Custom Fundraising Solutions will contribute $250 to our music program. If 100 parents attend, Adrian music will receive $500! The parent meeting is so important to the success of our sale that CFS is willing to pay us that much money for good attendance. So please, plan on joining us March 27th. We'll even have a chance for you to win a cash prize. Our goal is to raise $7,500 for Adrian music students with this event. That means the CFS team will need to sell 50 to 60 mattresses during our sale on April 14th. If you can just encourage people you know to attend the parent meeting and the sale, you'll help Adrian music enjoy a tremendous success! Thank you in advance for your support. Learn more about CFS and the program here or watch the video below. On February 16, 2018, the Adrian Symphony Orchestra performed for middle school and high school students at the AHS Performing Arts Center. Watch a few of the highlights above.
We're fortunate to have such a wonderful musical resource in our community, and we're thankful to all of the ASO musicians, Music Director Bruce Kiesling and ASO Executive Director Libby Watson for sharing their time and talents with our students. To purchase tickets for an ASO concert or for details on the organization's volunteer, education and partnership opportunities, please visit AdrianSymphony.org. Several members of Lady Blues came together Friday night, January 26th to sing our national anthem for two separate Adrian College crowds. The young musicians started the night at the Arrington Ice Arena for the Adrian College / St. Norbert hockey game. They then performed for the packed house at the county wrestling tournament held in the Merrilat Sports and Fitness Center. Adrian College Athletic Director Michael Duffy immediately expressed his enthusiasm for the performances, inviting the group back for future events. Update: Watch the February 9, 2018 National Anthem performance here. MaggardRazors.com is a small business that believes in the value of music education.
Ocho is an eight-member vocal group made up of young women from Lady Blues. They came together to perform at the 2018 District Solo and Ensemble Festival, held January 13th in Jackson, Michigan.
The group earned the highest rating of 1, which entitles them to perform at the state competition later this year. The video above captures Ocho warming up before taking the stage. In his written comments, the adjudicator pointed to "the style and spirit" of Ocho's first number, "Bring Me Little Water Sylvie." He acknowledged their "excellent achievement" and the "excellent work on an extremely difficult Alleluia," and concluded his remarks with "I enjoyed hearing you." The Freshmen Choir also performed at Districts, earning a rating of 2 at their first high school festival. We congratulate both groups on their hard work and representing Adrian music well. RELATED POSTS: City of Adrian Recognizes Adrian Maple Marching Band Maple Marching Band Earns Highest Score Adrian Choirs Perform at 2017 State Competition You can support Adrian music students and earn a tax deduction at the same time.
The Adrian Music Boosters is a 501(c)(3) organization, which means every dollar you donate to us lowers your tax liability. And, if you'd like, you can choose how your money is spent: new instruments; musical enrichment; transportation; choir, orchestra, band or marching band uniforms, etc. Would you like to send more tax dollars to Lansing or Washington, or would you prefer to put your money to work in support of music education in your hometown? Adrian is a community that takes a great deal of pride in its arts scene. Your donation to the Music Boosters supports our town's next generation of performing artists, and helps our directors continue to instill the important lessons and skills that music education provides. If you can, please make your check payable to Adrian Music Boosters and send it to: Adrian Music Boosters 1265 Gady Road Adrian, MI 49221 We'll gladly send a receipt to the address on your check. Don't use checks? We'll be happy to make other arrangements with you. Call Music Booster President Scott Greggory at (419)351-2205. Help us keep the music playing in 2018. Thank you in advance for your support. Enjoy a few sounds of the season from the Springbrook 7th and 8th grade bands and orchestras. The video highlights above were from the groups' December 19, 2017 concert at Adrian High School's Performing Arts Center. Maggard Razors is proud to support the Adrian Music Boosters.
Under the direction of Steve Antalek, the Adrian High School choirs came together the evening of December 14th to perform a program of 18 songs for an appreciative PAC audience. The concert featured many holiday favorites and concluded with the rousing Hallelujah Chorus. Enjoy a few of the highlights in the video above. You'll find many excellent holiday gift ideas at MaggardRazors.com and in their downtown Adrian store.
Under the direction of Mrs. Schenck and Mr. Antalek, Adrian's Middle School choirs ushered in the 2017 holiday season with many traditional favorites. Enjoy a sampling of the music in the video above.
On October 25th, the Adrian Maples Marching Band presented its annual Elementary School Tour, playing the 2017 pre-game and halftime shows for our city's younger students. (Watch the video.)
Here are a few comments those students shared with us following the performance. (Some are pretty cute!) "It was AWESOME!" - Aden / 3rd Grade "I loved the fight song because it has a lot of drums in it and I like the drums." - Nolan / 3rd Grade "I think the high school marching band sounded amazing. All the instruments blended nicely together. I dream of being in the marching band in high school.” - Vincent / 6th Grade "My favorite part was the drumline.” - Zach / 6th Grade "The trumpet players were very powerful and in good tune with the band.” - Gabriel / 6th Grade "My favorite part was when they played the fight song! I noticed they didn't have trombones. Why don't they have trombones?" - Emma / 6th Grade “I liked the color guard. They made it so we could have our eyes on the band instead of somewhere else. I also liked the mixture of instruments, and how they worked together as a team." - Hallie / 6th Grade "My favorite part of the marching band was the song called Thanks for the Memories." - Natalie / 6th Grade "I really liked the performance. The songs and the harmony were really good. It's hard to believe that they were once at our level of playing." - Marley / 6th Grade "One thing I loved about the marching band is how together they were. Also, I liked the drums. I love how they make my heart feel. I can't wait to be in the marching band." - Peyton / 6th Grade Each year, the more than 40 repair technicians at Marshall Music's seven Michigan locations service about 50,000 instruments! And as the state's largest musical instrument retailer, they work with the widest variety of instrument makes and models.
We asked the repair techs at Marshall's Lansing store a few questions, and then compiled their answers below. Q: What advice would you give young musicians and their parents to help them take better care of their instruments?
Q: Why is Marshall Music a better choice for instrument repair?
Q: What do you like about your work?
By the way, most of Marshall's repair techs are musicians themselves, so they understand how important a properly functioning instrument is to a player's success and enjoyment. Many have worked as music teachers, touring or recording musicians, writers or arrangers, and some just play at home for their own satisfaction. All of their varied experience adds up to a team that can serve Adrian music students well. At Marshall Music, you can also rent or buy instruments, take private lessons, and purchase sheet music, accessories, recording gear and more. Visit www.marshallmusicweb.com. Marshall Music has been an Adrian Music Booster supporter since 2016. Watch their fun video here. Back in early September, we launched a quiet Thank You Campaign, promising to share our gratitude with you throughout this school year. As part of that commitment, we asked our music directors to share a few of the reasons they’re thankful during this week of Thanksgiving. Here's what they had to say.
Dan Kesterke - Director of High School Bands "I'm thankful for the caring group of adults volunteering their time for the band program, and for the kids who are willing to put in the time to improve on their instrument every day." Sheri Powers - Director of 6th, 7th and 8th Grade Bands "As I take a moment to reflect on what I’m thankful for, I find the list to be long. Professionally, I’m thankful for this wonderful job I have teaching band to middle school students. It’s a privilege to work with them and get to know them as they grow into knowledgeable young musicians. One of the most rewarding aspects is assisting with the marching band because I’m able to witness students transition between middle school and high school. I’m also thankful for the opportunity to work with my fellow music teachers, who are all talented and passionate individuals." Lorri Wittenkeller - Orchestra Director "I'm thankful for my dad and mom, even though they’re no longer here. My mom gave me the gift of music, and my dad helped me appreciate the work that goes into making music. I'm always thankful for working with colleagues who get the importance of music and the arts, and that it's not just about what you learn from a book. I'm thankful for the Adrian Music Boosters who continually work to help our music program grow, getting the extras we know kids need to have the best possible experience. I'm thankful for Michael Yuen's incredible patience with me. I'm thankful for the students and families who smile after a concert because they know how challenging but well worth the effort it is to make music. I'm thankful for the times when the light bulb goes on in a student's mind; when they’re learning a new concept, or when the music they've been struggling with is no longer a struggle." Adrian Mayor Chuck Jacobson issued an official proclamation on November 20th acknowledging the accomplishments of Directors Dan Kesterke and Sheri Powers and the Maple Marching Band. The proclamation reads as follows: WHEREAS, the Adrian Maples Marching Maples Band entertains audiences throughout the area, performing at every Adrian home varsity football game, several local parades, the Artalicious Fine Arts Fair, the annual LCBDA Marching Band Festival at Adrian College, the annual Elementary School tour, and for the last two consecutive years, the Downtown Toledo Holiday Parade; and WHEREAS, the band program works with all students who want to learn, finding ways to support students with financial needs by providing high-quality instruments, supplies and additional instruction; and WHEREAS, Dan Kesterke, Sheri Powers and the rest of the instructional team are committed to building musicianship and performance skills in their marching band members, along with a strong work ethic, leadership skills, a sense of teamwork, and school pride; and WHEREAS, in 2012, Mr. Kesterke began steering the band in a new direction, challenging the members with more difficult music and on-field drill with the goal of competing in marching band festivals, employing a drum corps style of marching of the band now that requires more effort, focus, and discipline; and WHEREAS, for the first time in the history of Adrian High School, the Maples Marching Band earned the highest rating of 1 at the 2017 Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association Marching Band Festival in Jackson, Michigan. NOW, THEREFORE, I, Chuck Jacobson, Mayor of the City of Adrian, Michigan, do hereby congratulate the Adrian High School Marching Band, along with Director Dan Kesterke and Assistant Director Sheri Powers on their great accomplishments. Members of the Adrian Marching Band support team Jeff Caris and Corie Walworth join Sheri Powers (center), Dan Kesterke (right) and student musicians to receive the City of Adrian's proclamation.
What a great Pie Day! A record 1,088 apple pies sold. A huge volunteer turnout to make pies. And more money raised for Adrian music programs than ever. Whether you bought pies, sold pies, made pies, or helped in any other way, thank you for your support. We appreciate it more than you know. Now go eat some pie! Shop online with Adrian's very own MaggardRazors.com.
For the second consecutive year, the Maple Marching Band represented Adrian in Toledo's annual holiday parade. The 30th annual event began with very cold temperatures, but warmed up as the Marching Maples made their way through the parade route during the late morning hours. Enjoy a few highlights above. Every day is a shave parade at MaggardRazors.com. Click the link to join the fun.
“I am so excited for this Saturday's lock-in,” said Sheri Powers, Band Director at Adrian's Springbrook school. “It's another opportunity for our students to play music together!”
Lorri Wittenkeller's 6th grade orchestra will participate, too. “The lock-in has been an annual event that Mrs. Powers and I have shared for quite some time,” she said. “It's a great camaraderie-building experience for orchestra and band students.” The orchestra will work with guest conductor Valerie Palmieri from Adrian College, as well as student teachers Madelyn Abraham and Kali Snead. “It'll be a different way to learn string instrument technique, in a different setting,” said Ms. Wittenkeller. That setting, by the way, is the Adrian High School orchestra room. Mrs. Powers and Mr. Kesterke will work with the 6th graders in the high school band room. They've invited a few older band students to serve as mentors. The extra rehearsal serves as further preparation for the first 6th grade concert of the season. Family members will get to hear the band and orchestra play after the lock-in at 1pm in the Performing Arts Center. The day's activities will also include games, plus a lunch of pizza, veggies, dessert and more. The lock-in does count for a grade. |
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