Wasn't it just the New Year a few days ago?! We may have been a little quieter than in previous months but that doesn't mean we haven't been busy! From work in the auditorium, to dance performances, to loading in sets and technology for our upcoming theatrical performance, to two All-County Festivals, to waiting patiently (ok, it was impatiently) for Scholastics news, our department has been non-stop!! In addition, our Winter Drumline and Winter Guards are gearing up for competition season - never a dull moment!
Just because we always have something going on doesn't mean we get to run ourselves ragged. This can be the time of winter when we start to feel not so great or just plain run down. Don't let the busyness make you to forget to take care of yourself too! Stay hydrated, keep rested, do breathing exercises to stay regulated...I know these are all easier said than done-this is a reminder to myself, as well!
Keep track of our events and join us throughout the year - you'll be continually astonished by our amazing wildcats!
~Sarah Gentile
Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella @ WGHS
WGHS will be presenting Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella on February 8th (7 pm), 9th (7 pm) and 10th (1 pm & 6 pm). This "Broadway Version" is the newest adaptation (book by Douglas Beane) of the classic musical and features new characters, a hilarious libretto, surprising twists, and the unforgettable score" we continue to love (quote from concordtheatricals.com).
Ticket purchases are now available. All seats are reserved. To purchase via credit card head to wgfinearts.ludus.com (or scan the QR code) and click "buy tickets." To reserve your tickets via check or cash, contact the WG Fine Arts Office at 315-487-4612. We can't wait for you to see what the students are working so hard to prepare!!
Click here to read the full article on the West Genesee website.
Poster design by Paul Brittenham
Congratulations to the 29 CMS & WGHS student artists that were recently selected for 48 Scholastic Art Awards for 2024. The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards were founded in 1923 and celebrate creative teens regionally and nationally with awards, exhibitions, publications, and scholarships. All entries are first considered regionally for Gold Key, Silver Key, and Honorable Mention awards. These are presented to students along with celebration ceremonies and exhibitions in each region. Gold Key-awarded entries are automatically considered for national awards, including Gold Medal, Silver Medal, and scholarship awards. National Medalists and their educators are honored with ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Entries are selected for awards without knowledge of the student's gender, age, ethnicity, or hometown by some of the foremost leaders in the visual and literacy arts. Jurors look for works that exemplify the Award's core values: originality, skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision (information from artandwriting.org). Congratulations to our recognized artists!!
Click here to see a list of students and read the full article on the West Genesee website.
The West Genesee Winter Guard recently had a preview performance for this season's shows. Director Kelly Moser-Vogler expressed so much excitement for the 2024 season for several reasons. First, the program is growing and we are pleased to announce that we now have a Junior Varsity Winter Guard team starting in grade 5! This will help students learn the basics and become confident guard members prior to starting high school. The JV show this year is entitled "All Is Found" and the students are already doing an amazing job bringing it to life! Their first competition ever will be Saturday, February 10th at ESM - come give them lots of support!!
Another reason to be excited is the Varsity Winter Guard is coming off a state championship winning season and have a strong group of returning members to lead the team into competition this year. The Varsity show this year is "Stratos Continuum" and you will be amazed at how beautifully the group is telling this story! Their first competition of the season will be Saturday, February 3rd at Vestal - ome cheer them on this season!!
On Tuesday, January 16th, the elementary string staff, Mrs. Anna Edele and Mr. Colin Reardon, introduced a new performance idea to WG audiences - the informance! The purpose of an informance was to have the 4th grade students teach the audience what they have been learning since they began instruction on their instruments at the beginning of this year. After each explanation, the entire orchestra of 4th graders (about 100 of them!) played a demonstration of what they were describing. Each skill built on the previous one and the informance ended with the group playing a concert orchestra piece together. They have learned so much in such a short time! It was such a fun way to celebrate the accomplishments of our newest orchestra musicians and encourage their continued progress! Thank you to Mrs. Edele and Mr. Reardon for their work with these students and for this new idea!!
Congratulations to the 8 student musicians that were recently selected to represent West Genesee at the Onondaga County Jazz All County Festival in April 2024. The Jazz Festival includes an auditioned based JH (7-9th grade) Jazz Band, SH (10-12th grade) Jazz Band, and SH (10-12th grade) Vocal Jazz Ensemble of students from across the county. Students, with their teachers, spend the early fall preparing for the auditions which take place in mid-November & mid-December. Once selected, students spend the next three months preparing, again with their teachers, the concert music. During the festival weekend, the students finally come together for concentrated rehearsal time with the guest conductors and the festival ends with the concert performance.
Click here to see a list of students and read the full article on the West Genesee website.
"Dance A Difference" Week is a week of dance-based community service spread throughout the nation. The National Dance Educators Organization (NDEO) and the National Honor Society for Dance Arts (NHSDA) recognizes the power of dance to make and impact for both individuals and communities. In 2017, "Dance A Difference" Week was instituted to dedicate time to dance based service in communities. Dance A Difference Week is held during the first full week in March, and is coming up this year from March 3-9, 2024.
This year, WG NHSDA is collecting items for a local cancer support group called 13Thirty Cancer Connect. 13Thirty Cancer Connect is a non-profit organization that began in 2001 after Melissa Sengbusch passed away at the age of 19 from Acute Myeloid Leukemia. The mission, vision, and values of 13Thirty is to help adolescents and young adults living with cancer, with their coping skills and self-esteem by building satisfying peer connections. In preparation for Dance A Difference Week this March, WG NHSDA dancers are now accepting donations of :
- pre-packaged snacks (chips, pretzels, fruit snacks, granola bars, etc)
- taco kits
- bottled water
- Gatorade
- art supplies (markers, colored pencils, crayons, paint markers, acrylic paint, pens, pencils, colored paper)
- copy paper
- air dry clay
- tye-dye materials
Items may be dropped off at the WGHS Main Office, Fine Arts Office, or sent in with students through February 29th. Thank you!
The Westhill High School's Tri-M Chapter held a Tri-M Musical Leadership Summit on Monday, January 15th. This summit was an opportunity for CNY high school and collegiate musical service organizations, student-leader-musicians, and faculty advisors to gather for a day of inspiration, sharing, brainstorming, creativity, collaboration, support, collegiality, and service. The keynote speaker and guest presenter for the day was Dr. Matthew Arau, founder of Upbeat Global, author of Upbeat! Mindset, Mindfulness, and Leadership in Music Education and Beyond, and world-renowned clinician on leadership and music (information from Westhill Tri-M Chapter #7550).
WGHS student musicians Harrison Card, Sarai Card, and Amelia Vezey were three of the 85+ attendees of the summit and were able to meet Dr. Arau throughout the day (picture below). We're so excited they had an interest in signing up and can't wait to see what stems from their learning!!
To learn more about the Tri-M Music Honor Society in general, click here.
The group had a fantastic debut concert on Sunday, January 21st at Westhill High School. Messages of congratulations and gratitude were shared by student musicians, families and conductors alike following the performance! Well done!!
The West Genesee chapter of NHSDA inducted 8 new members at the Dance Concert on January 11th. The National Honor Society for Dance Arts (NHSDA) is a program of the National Dance Education Organization and, at the high school level, began in 2005. Induction into NHSDA is earned through the accumulation of points awarded for meritorious work in dance that meet's the honor society's general guidelines and grade point average requirements. In addition, the prospective inductee's demonstration of collaborative teamwork, motivation, and leadership in the many aspects of dance (e.g., choreography, performance, teaching, production) is a factor in the determination of eligibility for induction into this national organization. To date, there are over 1,000 chapters in the US and over 35,000 students have been induced in the past few years (information from (ndeo.org/nhsda/). Congratulations to our newest WG NHSDA members!!
Click here to see a list of students and read the full article on the West Genesee website.
Fifty WGHS students and Eighteen CMS students were selected to participate in the 2024 Junior and Senior High All County Festivals that took place this past month. Our students, along with many equally exceptional student musicians from across Onondaga County, partook in rehearsals with the guest conductors throughout the weekend and then performed their final concerts the following afternoon. The Senior High All County Festival included tenth, eleventh, and twelfth graders and was January 12 & 13, 2024 and took place at Liverpool High School. At this festival, it was also announced that our own, Daniel Alvaro, would be receiving one of the OCMEA 2024 Scholarships! These scholarships are for student going on in musical study and are selected by a committee of OCMEA members. Congratulations Dan!!
The Junior High All County Festival included seventh, eighth, and ninth graders and was January 26 & 27, 2024 at Eagle Hill Middle School in Manlius. Check out some pictures below of these wildcats during the festival weekends. We are so proud of their hard work and excited that they had this opportunity to grow as musicians!
The Arts Encourage Workforce Development
- Ready to Innovate, a new study published by the Conference Board (serving the Fortune 1000 U.S. companies) provides the first research-based evidence that connects the arts to creativity and innovation. U.S. employers rate creativity/innovation among the top five skills that will increase in importance over the next five years, and rank it among the top challenges facing CEOs. Ninety-seven percent of employers and 99 percent of school superintendents say creativity is increasingly important in U.S. workplaces. Seventy-two percent of employers say creativity is of primary concern when they’re hiring—and 85 percent of these employers can’t find the creative applicants they seek. “Arts-related study in college” is a key creativity indicator to potential employers.
- The report concludes that “it is clear that the arts—music, creative writing, drawing, dance—provide skills sought by employers of the third millennium.” Read the full report.
