High Mowing Sinfonietta spring performance

The High Mowing Sinfonietta, directed by Mark Ferguson (former HMS French teacher and chamber music teacher...and still occasional HMS accompanist extraordinaire!), performed in the Big Room on Saturday, April 21 at 4 pm. HMS Music Director and flutist Elise MacDonald was a featured soloist. Harpist Bev Boyer, an HMS teacher and dorm counselor, also performed with the ensemble, as well as alums Nicola Groh ('06) and Guen Soo Park ('06), both violinists.

High Mowing students, music students from other area high schools, and students from Pine Hill make up the Sinfonietta, which is comprised of both strings and woodwinds. The woodwinds (flute, oboe, and clarinet) are a new addition to the Sinfonietta this year. In the past, Mark (pictured) has performed some pieces strictly for the winds and strings, and others for the strings, winds and piano. Mark has arranged and orchestrated several pieces for the Sinfonietta over the past few years, as well.

HMS students at NH All-State Music Festival 2007

HMS violinist Michiko Takahashi ('08), violinist Sophie Abrahams-Dematte ('08), and violist Nicole Perez ('10) participated in the New Hampshire All-State Music Festival, held in Concord, NH, over the weekend of April 12-14.

Housed in the swanky, newly-renovated Marriott Courtyard hotel, the girls were thrilled to have a room all to themselves (no roommate from another school was assigned to their room, as had been expected). There was a new set of rehearsal logistics at this year's festival: rather than being bussed to Concord High School for rehearsals, all the students needed to do was go downstairs and rehearse in the hotel's Grand Ballroom. Never leaving the hotel for nearly 48 hours got to be a little claustrophobic at times, but proved to be a big time-saver and logistical simplification as well. Lastly, the students got to socialize more with other Festival participants, as they didn't have to jostle with hundreds of Concord High School students at mealtimes.

The Festival included a concert band, a chorus of over 150 students, and the full symphony orchestra (the last of which included all three HMS students). The Orchestra's director was David Gilbert, who is Conductor in Residence at the Manhattan School of Music and director of the Greenwich (CT) Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Gilbert also served in the past as Assistant Conductor of the New York Philharmonic, Principal Guest Conductor of the Beijing Philharmonic, and as Principal Conductor of the American Ballet Theatre. He has also conducted the National High School Honors Orchestra and the All-Eastern High School Honor Orchestra.

After travelling very slowly and carefully through the spring slush storm and enjoying lunch at the Red Arrow Diner in downtown Manchester on Thursday, the girls had four hours of rehearsal Thursday night, followed by a jam-packed day of rehearsal on Friday. On Friday night, a 70s funk cover band entertained the students (numbering in the hundreds, from high schools state-wide), many of whom ended up singing, cheering, and forming a conga-line hundreds of feet long (yes...they were TIRED!).

On Saturday morning, after dress rehearsal, the girls enjoyed a little bit of downtime before the afternoon performance. We went back to Manchester for another Red Arrow Diner meal (The Food Network was filming in the kitchen while we were there!) and a much-needed long walk around the Millyard.

The Festival concert, held at Concord's Capital Center for the Arts, was an absolutely wonderful performance played to a packed house. Excerpts from the professionally recorded CD are on the recording archive page (see the "student musicians" links in the left hand margin).

HMS music teacher Elise MacDonald performs at Chapel with Sonorite Flute Trio

Elise MacDonald, HMS music teacher and flutist, performed at the Chapel given tonight by Patrice Pinette. Her new group, the Sonorite Flute Trio, performed works of McKay, Zempleni, Casterede, and Tcherepnin. Vocalist Michiko Takahashi ('08) also performed an unaccompanied version of the Japanese "Sakura" (Cherry Blossom) song.

Founded just recently, the Trio's other members are Rebecca Jeffries of Pepperell, MA (a flute teacher, director of flute choirs, and soloist; also mother to Jacob, a student at Pine Hill) and Marjorie Hogan of Nashua, NH (director of the Merrimack Valley Flute Choir, principal flutist with the NH Philharmonic, and long time pal of Elise's).

The Trio were really pleased to have a chance to play in the chapel, with its amazing acoustic and receptive listeners.

Rebecca's website can be found in the "visiting artists" section in the left-hand margin.

HMS Music Students enjoy a night out at Acton Jazz Cafe

Some HMS music students spent the evening at the Acton Jazz Cafe in Acton, MA, listening to renowned Brazilian jazz flutist Fernando Brandao and his septet (vocals, piano, bass, drums, saxophone, and trumpet, in addition to Brandao's C flute, alto flute, and bass flute).

As he has studied, taught, composed in, and performed the genres of jazz, the myriad musical styles of his native Brazil, and classical music, Brandao's biography is far too extensive to list here, but can be found on his website:

http://www.fernandobrandao.com/english/biography.html

The Acton Jazz Cafe is a wonderful place for high school students and adults alike to enjoy live jazz. Its friendly all-ages non-smoking "pub" setting serves up food, desserts, and beverages, but the music is always the primary focus. The patrons are respectful of the musicians and of the work that goes into performance.

More HMS trips to the Acton Jazz Cafe are likely! Besides regular performances of nationally-known jazz and blues acts, there are also all-ages jazz and blues jams at the Cafe --- all well under an hour from campus.

http://www.actonjazzcafe.com/

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.