Staff Board of Trustees
News from Reaching Heights
For Immediate Release: March 10, 2005
Contact: Susie Kaeser, 932-5110
The All-district Middle School Honor Band and Orchestra Festival drew 75 motivated middle school performers and seven music teachers to the stage at Wiley Middle School to perform for an enthusiastic and appreciative crowd.
The March 7, 2005 concert was the culminating event for the seven week program sponsored by Reaching Heights in partnership with the CH-UH instrumental music department. This enrichment opportunity united students from Monticello , Roxboro and Wiley middle schools in two honor ensembles. The music students met weekly on Monday evenings starting in January to prepare for the concert. Each group performed three songs and joined together for two pieces. Music teachers Robert Adamson, Eric Richmond and Paul Hungerford performed with the students when not conducting.
Elementary music teachers Pam Adamson and Robert Adamson, and high school instrumental directors Brett Baker and Donna Dehn joined the middle school instrumental teachers Jeff Altonen, Eric Richmond and Paul Hungerford to provide expert coaching during the weekly rehearsals. The students received personal instruction and extra rehearsal time as they prepared to perform challenging music. They also met other students and future music teachers.
This is the second year that Reaching Heights , the community-based support organization for the Heights schools, has sponsored the festival that is designed to help motivated students increase their skills, and to encourage them to invest more deeply in music and to remain involved.
The project is an outgrowth of Reaching Musical Heights , the gala concert held at Severance Hall in 2003 that Reaching Heights organized in partnership with the CH-UH music faculty. The middle school teachers created the district's first honor band to perform in that concert. Proceeds from Reaching Musical Heights supported this initiative designed to foster excellence and widespread participation in the district's exceptional music program.
