Some 260 photos from the Solo and Ensemble festival have been uploaded to the CSMS Music
Facebook Page. Once again, congratulations to our students on their performances, and thanks to our board, our volunteer parents, and our volunteer students for all of their efforts to make this event a success. –Steve

Warming up for the Orchestra MPA performance

- they include the Quartet performance at Barnes and Nobles on February 25th and the MPA performance on February 26th.

–Steve

http://www.facebook.com/pages/CSMS-Music/34379261462

I hope that everyone had a great weekend, and I certainly hope that everyone stayed warm during this cold weather.

At this time I would like to announce some big changes I will have to make for the remainder of our school year. I know that many students will be disappointed, but this was one of those tough decisions I had to make. We will no longer have jazz band, drumline, rock band, or symphonic band for the remainder of this school year. There are some very important classes that I just found out I need to take, so I will be in school every night of the week. Next year everything will be back to normal. For those students that were in the symphonic band, we will now have one huge wind ensemble. The wind ensemble will now rehearse every Monday and Thursday morning from 7:45-9.

Please understand that this was a very tough and difficult decision, but I hope you trust that this is an urgent situation. I am really looking forward to having everything back to normal next year. We will still have our band banquet, end of year trip, solo and ensembles, etc… I will pass out a new calendar this week.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at luis.piccinelli@browardschools.com.

Thank you!
Luis Piccinelli

Please note that only the colorguard will practice this week. The following is the calendar for January:

JANUARY
5- Colorguard; 3:45-6
7- Colorguard; 3:45-6
11- Jazz; 7:45-9
12- Drumline; 3:45-6
12- Colorguard; 3:45-6
13- Symphonic; 8-9
13- Wind Ensemble; 3:45-6
14- Jazz; 7:45-9
14- Colorguard; 3:45-6
15- Symphonic; 8-9
18- NO SCHOOL
19- NO SCHOOL
20- Symphonic; 8-9
20- W.E.; 3:45-6
21- Jazz; 7:45-9
21- Colorguard; 3:45-6
22- Symphonic; 8-9
23- Colorguard Saturday Camp (Details TBA)
25- Jazz; 7:45-9
26- Talent Show Tryouts Day 1; 3:45-6
26- Colorguard; 3:45-6
26- PARENT MEETING; 7-8
27- Symphonic; 8-9
27- Talent Show Tryouts Day 2; 3:45-6
28- Jazz; 7:45-9
28- Talent Show Tryouts Day 3; 3:45-6
28- Colorguard; 3:45-6
29- Symphonic; 8-9
29- Talent Show Tryouts Day 4; 3:45-6
30- Colorguard Competition #1- West Broward High (Details TBA)

Looking forward to seeing everyone next week!!!
Mr. Piccinelli

I hope that everyone is having a nice, relaxing, and safe winter break. I wanted to take this opportunity to remind you that our new calendar for the remainder of the school year has come out. Everyone should have received an e-mail with an attached calendar, as well as a roster of which students are in which groups. Please make sure that you put all of the new dates in your calendar so you always know what is happening and when. I can’t tell you how excited I am about the second half of this school year. Our program has come a long way, and we still have a long way to go. See you all next week, and enjoy the rest of your break!

Mr. Piccinelli

Unlike the school’s other performance groups, Guard is not part of the curriculum, and therefore it is taught by a volunteer advisor. For CSMS, the Color Guard is Directed by Erin Henningson, better known to many as one of our 8th grade science teachers.

Erin is a native of Coral Springs, and received her degree from Florida State University. She has been teaching at CSMS for the last four years. She volunteers her time because she feels that Guard has an important role in helping her performers build self-confidence and self-esteem. They have a chance to develop performance skills and take part in a competitive team activity.

CSMS will be participating in up to three competitions held by the South Florida Winter Guard Association. Ms. Henningson’s goal is for her dancers to achieve an excellent or superior rating at competition. This year’s expanded troupe is made up almost entirely of 6th and 7th grade students who are new to Color Guard, but are working hard, making steady progress, and by all appearances, having an excellent time. Please join me in thanking Erin for volunteering her time and effort.
–Steve

In May of 2009, Monica graduated from the University of North Texas with a Masters in Clarinet Performance, and a Secondary Degree in Historical Musicology. While at UNT, Monica was a clarinetist performing in the Wind Symphony under the direction of Eugene Migliaro Corporon.

Ms. Steinbrech’s goal is to continue building the Orchestra program at CSMS, and to get the Chorus program off to a good start. Chorus has been absent from the curriculum for several years. She would like students in both programs to develop a better appreciation for music theory, and a more comprehensive, analytical understanding of music in general. She hopes to explore several genres of music with her students over the course of the school year, in the classroom and through performance. Monica is continuing her own studies, with research into Mendelssohn’s Oratorios and chamber music for clarinet by Brahms.

Her plans for the year include participation in two concert performances for Orchestra students, and a Spring Choral performance. Students will also be encouraged to participate in Solo and Ensemble competition. Ms. Steinbrech continues to play the clarinet (very well). We wish her the best of luck in her first year at CSMS.

–Steve