Ballard Performing Arts News | |
Congratulations WMEA State Solo and Ensemble Participants! | |
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On April 25-26, the Vocal Jazz, Chamber Choir, and Tenor Bass Ensemble, soloists Corinne Iaccobucci, Katherine Wenrick, Amelia Wignall, Sophie Nash, Eli Graham, and Ezra Hage, and duet Wren Wooten and Amelia Wignall competed at the Washington Music Educators Association (WMEA) State Solo and Ensemble competition. Our vocalists received “superior” (I) and “excellent” (II) scores and soloists Sophie Nash (2nd place Alto) and Ezra Hage (3rd place Bass) placed in the top three in the state in their solo categories.
Chamber Choir made history as the first soprano/mezzo/alto group from Ballard High School to place in the state competition, earning second in the large groups category out of 22 groups from all over Washington. Chamber Choir members include:
Corinne Iacobucci
Madeleine Koenig
Miriam Mathan
Ella McLaughlin
Sophie Nash
Izzy Rampersad
Josie Rough
Maddie Singer
Charlie Van Kley
Katherine Wenrick
Amelia Wignall
Wren Wooten
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Ballard Jazz just returned Sunday from an absolutely epic trip to the Reno Jazz Festival at the University of Nevada Reno. Ballard joined over 50 other high school and college bands from around the country (including bands from Roosevelt and Seattle Prep right here in our own backyard) in two and a half days of concerts, clinics, masterclasses, and jam sessions. Both Jazz 1 and Jazz 2 got to perform 25 minutes of music followed by 30 minutes of clinics by two pro jazz musicians and faculty at major universities. Special shout out goes to featured soloists in Jazz 1 Soren Fosnick Davis, Frankie Rodriguez, Julian Swift, Oliver Horwitz, Connor Selleck, Hazel Hartman, and Jackson Scott. Featured soloists in Jazz 2 included Henry Peters, Finn Pasterczyk, Duncan Blair, Eli Pietraniec, Elizabeth Breck, David Jamerson, Vanda Novak, Harry Proctor, and Aaron McCracken.
Highlights of the trip included the concert and masterclass by famed trumpeter Terrell Stafford, a jam session at the local night club the Laughing Planet, an awesome masterclass on six unsung African American female jazz musicians, a performance by the UNR jazz ensemble, two amazing performances by our bands, a 5 minute acrobatic performance at Circus Circus (total sarcasm, lol), and an epic M&M poker game the last night. I can’t express how proud I am of our students for embarking on this journey with me. They have grown as musicians by leaps and bounds and it is not an exaggeration to say they were one of if not the best band at the entire festival. They have so much to be proud of and I am so proud to get to make music with each and every one of them. Bravo Ballard, go beavers!
A special thanks also to our fantastic chaperones, Mark Sullivan, Jay Jamerson, Ariel Lin, and Nathan Hartman, as well as our incredible jazz reps, Jen and Larry Fosnick Davis. Also to our new Jazz 2 director Alexis Rosenberg. She has been such a great addition to the program, donating way more time than we pay her for to teaching our kids this wonderful music and being an amazing example to our students. Thank you all, none of this could have happened without you!
Jay Gillespie, Band Director
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Mattress Fundraiser this Sunday May 5! | |
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Our annual Mattress Sale is less than a week away!
This is our last big fundraiser of the year and we need your help. We are hoping to raise $5000+ at this one-day event, so we need to spread the word! We earn commission on every sale.
The key to making this event successful is to let people know it's happening.If every Ballard Performing Arts family finds one person in the market for a new mattress and gets them to the event, we’ll reach our goal of $5,000+!
Below are four images (one for each program) so you can easily share with friends and family. Just click to share the image, or take a screengrab and share via text or on social media. You can also share the Facebook event. Thanks!
We need volunteers to help! Please sign up here.
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Support BPA and Order Delicious Coffee Now! | |
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We are partnering with Caffe Appassionato in Magnolia once again to sell delicious 12 oz bags of coffee to family, friends, and neighbors. This is an important fundraiser for your student if they are currently a freshman, sophomore, or junior. For every $14 bag purchased under their name, students will earn $6. That $6 is credited to that student's account and those funds can then be used for camp payments, or program fees in the fall, and they can even be transferred to a younger sibling when a student graduates. Sales without a student name or marked general will go to the music ASB account to help with music program support.
Choose from four delicious blends (in both drip ground and whole bean):
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Arietta Blend - A medium roast with a mellow and smooth flavor. Notes of cardamom, tart, caramel and undertones of milk chocolate, strawberry and jasmine.
- Tempest Blend - As a bold and strong French Roast, it accentuates a dark and full body with a smoky finish. Notes of caramel, toffee, and orange and undertones of raspberry, hazelnut, and cinnamon.
- Espresso Blend - A bright and smooth Italian roast. Perfect for silky smooth espresso or robust drip.
- Decaffeinated - A French roast that is smooth with a caramel finish. Notes of blackberry, almond, and toffee, and undertones of vanilla, cinnamon, and tangerine.
Orders can be placed online on the schoolpay page between April 24-May 15. Coffee orders will be given to students at their Spring music performance (Choir - May 30, Band - June 4, Orchestra - June 6). Students should then deliver the coffee to their customers.
Thank you for supporting the performing arts!
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The next newsletter will hit your inbox on Tuesday, May 14. Be sure to note any dates and events on your calendar! Thanks for your flexibility.
If you're interested in helping out with the newsletter or other BPA communications, feel free to reach out to bpabnews@gmail.com or bpabpresident@gmail.com.
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Upcoming Dates
Mark your calendars for these band events:
May 1 - Open Jazz Jam at the Elks Club 6-8pm.
May 3 - Brass Band and Drumline at Seattle Seawolves, leaving BHS at 4:30pm.
May 8 - Marching band parade rehearsal, 2:30-4pm.
May 14 - Portland trip meeting in library, 7pm.
May 17 - Syttende Mai Parade; call time 3:45pm, parade starts at 6pm.
May 24 - Brass Band and Drumline at Ballard FC, leaving BHS at 5:30pm.
June 7-9 - Marching Band Grand Floral Parade in Portland, OR.
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Open Jazz Jam at The Elks Club
The Elks Club is hosting an open jazz jam on several upcoming Wednesdays. The first session was March 20 and it went fantastically well! The patrons really enjoyed the music and many spoke with the students afterwards. Students from Ballard and Roosevelt High Schools showed up and played very well together. Roosevelt even had some vocal jazz students attend who also fit in seamlessly with the instrumentalists and sang pieces from The Real Book. Everyone is welcome! The last session is on May 1 from 6-8pm.
Brass Band and Drumline at Seattle Seawolves
The Brass Band will be performing before and after the game with Drumline performing at halftime. Students in Drumline and the Brass Band, as well as chaperones, should be ready to leave from the school parking lot at 4:30pm. The Seawolves are Seattle’s professional rugby team and it should prove to be an exciting event. They had a great season last year as one of the top teams in the league and have won 3 of their 4 games this season. The game is May 3 and starts at 7:30pm at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila.
Check out the thrill of professional rugby with discounted tickets just for BHS families using our special PTSA Fundraiser Gala discount link.
Portland Band Trip Meeting May 14th, 7pm
All students attending the band trip to Portland on June 7-9, as well as their parent(s), should attend the trip meeting on May 14 at 7pm in the library. An updated itinerary will be given out, as well as information about packing lists and room assignments. Permission slips have gone home for this trip. Please fill them out and return them quickly. Thanks!
Syttende Mai Parade
May 17 is the annual parade here in Ballard and our Marching Band will be there! If you haven’t been to the parade before, it is a delightful experience. Students should meet in the band room after school to check out uniforms. We will need parent volunteers to help with uniform check in and out, as well as chaperones who can walk the parade with us and hand out water. There will also be a parade rehearsal after school on Wednesday, May 8 (2:30-4pm). We will need some parent volunteers from 3-4pm for help marching around the neighborhood. Please sign up here. Thank you for your help! Permission slips for this field trip have gone home. Please return them quickly!
Brass Band and Drumline at Ballard FC on May 24
The Brass Band will be performing before and after the game, with Drumline performing at halftime. The game starts at 7:00pm at Memorial Stadium. Purchase tickets here: https://tickets.uslleaguetwo.com/venues/6747
Permission slips have been sent home. Please fill them out and return them quickly! Students and chaperones should be ready to leave BHS at 5:30pm.
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Congratulations to all participants at Solo and Ensemble on April 26 and 27 at Central Washington University. It was an eventful couple of days, including BHS parents leaping on stage to help with a medical emergency and several students and drivers delayed for hours on I90 coming home due to a fiery truck wreck! Our vocalists performed beautifully and were rewarded with many “superior” and “excellent” scores. Shout out to all the parents who drove and who were present to support our students. Thank you to Serena for being an extraordinary accompanist and supporter of everyone in the choir program. Huge kudos to Chamber Choir who placed second in the state in the soprano/mezzo/alto voice large group section and to our soloists who placed in the top three in their groups - Sophie Nash, 2nd place Alto voice and Ezra Hage, 3rd place Bass voice.
View this playlist to watch some of the performances: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6isQb4_SEgIR9NqrJwwd2lzD2RYX2GI9&si=t9XMvVPTvxXCpv5_
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Upcoming Dates
May 14 - Portland trip meeting, 7pm in BHS library.
Thurs May 23 - Sat May 25 - Advanced Chorale and Concert Choir, trip to Portland, OR. Our tour will include a choir exchange with three other excellent high school choirs in the PDX area, an intensive clinic with Dr. Coty Raven Morris at Portland State University, a performance at The Grotto in Portland, a performance at our Washington State Capitol Building in Olympia on the way home, and lots of group bonding and sight-seeing in between, including the Portland Saturday Market, Pearl District, Washington Park, BOWLING, and more 😊!
We will stay at the Embassy Suites in downtown Portland and will have two charter buses with us for the entirety of the trip. Cost for chaperones and students will be $440. The first payment was due on March 20 and the second payment is due May 1. Please use the following link to make the two payments of $220 for your student and you, if you are a chaperone: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/fc9d7c8c-47a2-4b8d-b920-19d89ebd3a7c. You can also find this link by going to www.ballardperformingarts.org, choosing the Payments and Tickets tab, Trip Fees, and scrolling down to the bottom.
Please contact Ms Rowley if you are in need of scholarship money to cover this trip and contact Jill Hansen, bpabtreasurer@gmail.com if you want to use money from your student account.
Mon June 3 - Vocal Jazz night, at BHS.
September 20-22 - Likely dates for next year’s Choir Camp.
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Thank you to the Ballard Fiddlers for a wonderful performance and to all the families who came out to Shawn O’Donnell’s Irish Pub and Grill for the BPA dine-out. The staff received many compliments from other patrons about the music, and the event raised $300 for BPA! | |
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Upcoming Dates
May 14 Vancouver trip meeting at 7pm
Mandatory Vancouver trip meeting in the BHS library at 7pm.
May 15 Ballard Fiddlers Performance
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Abbey Arts presents the Ballard Fiddlers, songwriter/producer Shelby Natasha, and Bellingham folk group Ladies Loe live at Ballard Homestead! The show is all ages and any funds raised from ticket sales (after expenses) will go to support Ballard Performing Arts programs. Read about the event and buy tickets ($15/each) here.
Where: Ballard Homestead, 6541 Jones Avenue NW
When: Wednesday, May 15, 7:30-10pm. Doors open at 7pm.
Tickets: $15, all ages, mostly seated.
May 24-26 Orchestra Vancouver B.C. Trip
Trip details:
- Activities: Adjudicated Festival Performance and clinic, Dinner and awards banquet, Grouse Mountain tour
- Included in cost: Charter bus travel, 2 nights hotel stay
- Not included in cost: Meals outside of banquet dinner (hotel may have breakfast—will confirm).
More details will be coming soon, along with an information night sponsored by the festival on a date TBD. Students planning to attend this trip must have a passport and/or Real ID that will allow them entry to Canada.
June 10 Concerto Concert *new date*
Chamber Orchestra soloists will be performing Concertos by Vivaldi, Mendelssohn, Elgar, Accolay, and Sarasate, accompanied by members of Chamber and Symphonic Orchestras at the Performing Arts Center. This concert has been rescheduled to Monday, June 10. Mark your calendars!
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Theatre
Student Directed One Acts Coming to PAC May 9-11
Ballard High School Thespians present the Spring One Acts at 7:30pm May 9-11 in the Performing Arts Center. The following student produced plays will be staged, along with interludes of music and dance:
- "The Bobiad", written by Nicolas and Anthony Markle
- "Lights Camera Cut", written by Sam Ruzumna
- "Dinner with a Side of Murder", written by Zirahuen Herrejon-Crutcher
- "Surf’s Down", written by Ollie Cain
- "A Very Frosty Christmas Eve", written by Kyle Brown
- "The Dreadful Story of Helmetless Henry", written by Silas Horn
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The district only pays for teachers’ salaries; everything else we have to raise or donate. | |
Mattress Sale Fundraiser May 5 | |
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Our annual Mattress Sale is less than a week away!
This is our last big fundraiser of the year and we need your help. We are hoping to raise $5000+ at this one-day event, so we need to spread the word! We earn commission on every sale.
The key to making this event successful is to let people know it's happening.If every Ballard Performing Arts family finds one person in the market for a new mattress and gets them to the event, we’ll reach our goal of $5,000+!
See the Featured news section for flyers and help share the event!
We need volunteers to help! Please sign up here.
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Coffee Sales Fundraiser for Ballard Performing Arts has Started! | Order your favorite coffees from Caffe Appassionato now through May 15 and support Ballard Performing Arts. For each bag sold, the BPA student you name will earn $6 toward program fees, camps and trips. Proceeds with no student name will go into the BPA general fund. Funds raised can even be transferred to a younger sibling when a student graduates. | |
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Bake Sale and Uniform Collection Help Needed at Upcoming Events
Please click the links below to sign up to help. Thanks so much!
One Acts - May 9-11
Choir Concert - May 30
Band Concert - June 4
Orchestra - June 6
Seeking Treasurer, Communications, and Other Volunteers for Next School Year!
We have many ways to get involved. Please check out the list below to see how you can help out. Some roles are short-term, some can be done completely over email (no meetings involved), some are year-long jobs with monthly meeting commitments ensuring that you will make new friends and feel part of an amazing team of other parents (without embarrassing your teenager)! No experience necessary!
Open Positions:
- Treasurer (or Co-Treasurers - ask a friend to join you!)
- Communications Chair
- Social Media Lead
- Goodwill Truck Coordinator
- Dine Out Coordinator
Want more information? Please see the list of available volunteer positions and see the full job descriptions. Email bpabpresident@gmail.com with any questions.
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Check out past performances any time on our YouTube and Vimeo channels. | |
Thank You to Our Sponsors | |
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