Guitarist Dan Roaman returns to Berklee Summer Program

Dan Roaman ('08) has been accepted into the five-week Summer 2007 Performance Program at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. His classes will include: theory and performance, musicianship, private and group lessons, and labs, as well as electives such as songwriting, composition, and music business. The goal of the Summer Performance Program, according to Berklee's website, “is to make better performers through increased musical and personal awareness and providing the tools to improve musical skills.” Students live in the College's dorms during this program.

Dan will also attend the Guitar Session at the end of August. Students live in the Berklee dorms for this program also. He attended this program during the summer of 2006 as well. The Guitar Session is a week of intense classes, performing ensembles, visiting artists, music theory, rhythm workshops, and jam sessions. Students meet and practice as an ensemble, which will give a performance on the last day.

Congratulations on your participation in these summer programs, Danny!

The Berklee Summer Programs website is in the "off-campus" links list in the left-hand margin.

HMS guitarists perform at Chapel

Guitarists Jeremy Gillam ('09, pictured) and Shea Vaccaro ('10) performed for tonight's Chapel, given by HMS teacher Robert Sim. The two performed a guitar duo by Fernando Sor; Jeremy also performed a guitar solo inspired by the work of Villa-Lobos.

The two guitarists have been working in a section of Chamber Music class (the first in memory devoted to classical guitar!). Guitar solo, guitar duo and flute/guitar duo works comprise the repertoire. Look for more performances from Jeremy and Shea at HMS's May Day.

HMS jazz students at the Vermont Jazz Center

On March 28, six HMS jazz students (guitarist Dan Roaman '08, guitarist Nick Swartz '08, violinist Sophie Abrahams-Dematte '08 [pictured], guitarist Jesse Cornelisse '08, pianist Julia Balit '09, and trumpeter Larkin Little '09) travelled to the Vermont Jazz Center in Brattleboro for an old-fashioned jazz jam. The jams are a weekly occurrence at the VJC, and have been going on for years. Participants can bring their own tunes, or just see what comes up (jumping up on stage and sight-reading!).

The students played a bit, listened a lot, and enjoyed the trip. They described the largely middle-aged crowd of regulars as a little "grumpy", but nobody could deny that these guys can play! HMS music teacher Elise MacDonald played a lot of bass during the evening, and found that the VJC crowd kept her on her toes.

We'll be back!

The VJC's website can be found in the "off-campus" box in the left-hand margin.

Snowed out of the Berklee Festival...*again*...

The HMS Jazz Bands were all set to perform at the Berklee College of Music High School Jazz Festival on March 17, after rehearsing feverishly during the week of March 12 - 16 (the week after our two-week break, which is just enough time to get rusty).

Along came a big old late-in-the-season Nor'Easter. After much excrutiating deliberation and consultation, it was decided that we just couldn't brave the weather. Students, parents, and HMS faculty alike were terribly frustrated and disappointed.

This was the second time in three years that we've been snowed out of participating in the world's largest high school jazz festival (350 bands from all over the USA). It happened in 2005, as well! We've been attending the Berklee Festival since 2000. The five visits we've made to the Festival have all been wonderful (our performances have been combined with a bit of Newbury Street/Copley square shopping for the students, as well as a wonderful, leisurely group lunch or dinner). The two years we've had to stay home have been awful!

Particularly given that I'm a Berklee alum, I've been in touch with the College about pushing the date out a bit later; we're far from the only band to have had trouble due to the weather in 2005 and 2007.

Stay tuned for 2008...

See Berklee's website in the "off-campus" section in the left-hand margin.

The David Anderson Music Fund

The David Anderson Fund was founded in memory of David Anderson, an HMS alum who passed away from leukemia several years after graduating from the school. David's accomplished cello playing and the importance of music in his life inspired his parents, Mike and Seraphin Anderson, to establish a scholarship fund in his honor for High Mowing music students.

Scholarships from the Fund may be used by the families of student musicians to help defray the cost of music camps, private lessons, and fees for music festivals (such as New Hampshire All-State).

Applications for scholarships from the fund are made at the beginning of the school year; awards are typically made during the winter. Both financial need and merit are part of the process of considering each application.

HMS families who would like to make an application to the Fund should click on this link.

HMS music students at New England Conservatory Prep program

Violinist Michiko Takahashi ('08) and pianist Henry Lewers ('08) have been enrolled in the Prep Division of New England Conservatory in Boston, MA since September of 2006. The NEC Prep program has been the premier source of accelerated music study for New England high school musicians for years. Every Saturday, the students head to Boston and spend a full day studying music theory, ear training, sight singing, and counterpoint. In addition, they receive private lessons and play in student ensembles. The experience essentially gives the experience of conservatory-level work for students who are still enrolled in high school.

Michiko is in the Traditional Music Prep program, studying classical violin. She plays in a string quartet with other Prep program students from around the region. Henry is in the Jazz Studies special two-year certificate Prep program. He plays in a jazz quintet (alto sax, guitar, piano, bass, and drums).

Fana Takahashi ('10) also travels with Michiko and Henry to NEC weekly for her cello lessons.

The NEC Prep Division website can be found in the "off-campus" box in left-hand margin.

Henry Lewers performs at the 2007 New Hampshire All-State Jazz Festival

Pianist Henry Lewers ('08) was a participant at the 2007 NH Jazz All-State Festival in Nashua over the weekend of February 1 - 3. He played in one of two big bands at the festival, performing swing and latin standards (and some originals written by the director of his band). He even performed a solo on the classic standard "But Beautiful".

Navigating around the cavernous campus of Nashua South High School seemed a bit odd for Henry, as did meeting a long list of roomates at the Sheraton Tara (the huge mock-Tudor place off Route 3!), but he persevered through two long days of rehearsal, culminating in a performance on Saturday afternoon (February 3) in Nashua South's excellent auditorium.

A CD of the Jazz All-State performances (two big bands and two jazz choirs) was made. Excerpts from the performances by Henry's band can be accessed on the archive page (look under "student musicians" in the left-hand margin).

Henry's participation in the Festival followed his successful audition in November of 2006. The NH All-State Jazz Festival, like the "regular" All-State Festival (which features symphony orchestra, large chorus, and concert band), is facilitated by the NH Music Educators' Association (NHMEA), a chapter of the Music Educators' National Conference (MENC). Please congratulate Henry for being the first HMS student ever chosen for the All-State Jazz Festival!

The NH Music Educators' Association site can be found in the "off-campus" box in the left-hand margin.

Anderson Fund Chamber Music Concert 2006 recording now available

In spring of 2006, cellist Townsend Gregg ('06, pictured) and pianist Henry Lewers ('08) gave a concert, marking the culmination of their year of work together in their independent chamber music class. The program included works of Bruch, Saint-Saens, Brahms, Faure, and others. Proceeds from donations made at the concert benefited the David Anderson Music Fund.

CDs of the concert are on sale now. These CDs may be purchased at the High Mowing School Store ($10) or they can be sent to you (shipping included) by sending a check for $15 per CD made out to the "David Anderson Music Fund" to Elise MacDonald at High Mowing School, 222 Isaac Frye Highway, Wilton NH 03086. Please include the address that you would like the CD(s) to be shipped to.

Preview tracks may be heard on the archive page by clicking on link in the "student musicians" box in the left-hand margin.

Projects Block 2006 CD

About a dozen HMS students worked with HMS teachers Elise MacDonald and Diego Sharon last spring on a music recording project for Projects Block.

The CD was recorded and engineered by HMS alum and musician extraordinare Ben Martel (HMS '03). Ben gained a lot of expertise in the technical side of studio work through recording and producing a CD of his own original tunes, "Benjamin's Independent Release", which is available for purchase through CD Baby (see the links section in the left hand margin).

The personnel were Sophie Abrahams-Dematte ('08), Michiko Takahashi ('08), Henry Lewers ('08), Townsend Gregg ('06), Mia Govoni ('08), Jesse Cornelisse ('08), Guen Soo Park ('06), Jory Goodman (Souhegan '08), Dan Roaman ('08), Scott Baker ('07), with engineering assistance from Jesse Mastroieni ('08).

(Pictured: HMS jazz students Sophie Abrahams-Dematte '08, Michiko Takahashi '08, Dan Roaman '08, and Galen Cruess '07
performing at the May 2006 Youth & the Arts Festival in Peterborough)

The CD from the Project is available for sale ($10) in the HMS school store or can be ordered via mail for $15 (shipping included; contact Elise for more information). The CD includes everything from originals to covers, from rock to Broadway to classical to bluegrass to Japanese pop!

Preview tracks may be found on the archive page, by visiting the "student musicians" box in the left hand margin and clicking on the 2006 Projects Block Link.

HMS string players headed to New Hampshire All-State Music Festival

Congratulations to violinists Sophie Abrahams-Dematte ('08) and Michiko Takahashi ('08), as well as violist Nicole Perez (pictured, '10), who will perform in the NH All-State Music Festival, April 12 - 14, 2007, hosted by Concord High School. Their auditions for the Festival were in November 2006. The Festival and the audition process are facilitated by the New Hampshire Music Educator's Association (NHMEA), a chapter of the Music Educator's National Conference (MENC).

Our thanks and appreciation are also due to flutists Emmie Gooding and Zoe Ames, as well as violinist Jeremy Gillam, who were not chosen for the Festival. The competition was fierce and the audition process was arduous. Well done, Zoe, Emmie, and Jeremy --- thank you for your hard work, your willingness to be open to constructive criticism through the your preparation and audition processes, and the way in which you carried yourselves and HMS throughout.

Reached for comment after hearing the news, Michiko (a NH All-State veteran, having been chosen for the '06 Festival as well), said "Well, good...at least this year, I'll have some roommates who aren't strangers!"

The New Hampshire Music Educators' Association website can be found in the "off-campus" box in the left-hand margin.