Please join us for a wonderful season of music and art! 

To kick-off the spring concert season, this year for the first time, Mr. Peter Silipino, Fisher Middle School Stage Band director, and Mr. Jason Price, Ewing High School Stage Band director, collaborated to bring an extra concert to the Ewing Public Schools concert schedule in April, to honor Jazz Appreciation Month.  The JAZZ THROUGH THE DECADES concert was held on April 18^th, and the bands performed to a “packed house”.  Toes were tapping and fingers were snapping!

This musical undertaking was a long-time coming and both directors were extremely excited that it finally came to fruition!  Besides providing a snapshot of jazz history with the students, it was a great way for the FMS and EHS Stage Band students to work together, as well as a great opportunity for the 8^th grade Stage Band students to get a sneak peak of the high school jazz program.

Both bands selected repertoire to represent the evolution of jazz in America from the New Orleans sound of the 1910s through the sounds of rock-inspired jazz fusion of the 1970s.  The music performed was by jazz legends like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and Cannonball Adderly. 

Our district’s talented and dedicated music teachers painstakingly research and choose their musical selections for each concert, at times selecting a “theme” for the program.  Students are tasked with mastering each note individually before coming together with their peers to create exquisite melodies to share with their audiences.

As we continue the musical journey this spring through our schools, the EHS Spring Instrumental Music Concert was held on April 25th.  EHS Concert Band Director, Jason Price, selected a theme for his spring concert program while Mrs. Colleen Trast, EHS Orchestra Director, selected a combination of newer and classical pieces performed by both the orchestra and the combined Symphony orchestra.

Mr. Price’s selections focused around the theme of "Earth".  Each piece was inspired by musical depictions of a different geographical feature found on Earth; mountains, deserts, forests, and oceans. Each piece challenged the students in different ways, whether it was tempo, multiple meter changes, or stylistically, i.e. lyrical style playing or aggressive angular playing. 

Mr. Alex Minter, EHS vocal teacher, extraordinaire, has had an extremely successful year. As Mr. Brock Mislan, Supervisor of Humanities jokingly stated, “Mr. Minter needs his own assistant just to handle his calendar for requests for community performances and special events!” 

One of the highlights for Mr. Minter this year was he was thrilled to share that out of nine students who auditioned for the Central Jersey Music Educators Association (CJMEA) Honors Choir, eight students were selected.  Ewing High School also had the best scoring singer out of 381 students who auditioned and three EHS students were each ranked in the top 10 for their voice parts! 

If you missed the Ewing High School Ring & Sing on April 26th, you will have another opportunity to be impressed at Wednesday’s, May 24^th EHS Spring Vocal Concert featuring the EHS Handbell Choir & Mastersingers, Concert Choir and Bella Voce.  This night not only features our talented EHS vocal students but also features EHS’ creative and outstanding artists!  You are welcome to stroll through the Art Show in the Senior cafeteria where over 100 pieces of student artwork will be featured using different mediums and techniques, such as painting, ceramics, drawing, sculpture, digital graphics, craft pieces and more.  There is something for everyone to enjoy on this night!

Mrs. Jennifer Dinan, Fisher Middle School vocal music teacher announced, “At FMS, the choir will be performing repertoire that touches on the concepts of rebirth, new life, and the changing of seasons. We have implemented the performance of an annual 8^th grade "farewell" song for those choristers who are moving on to participate in the choirs at EHS.  It is our hope that we may be able to perform this song at their 8^th grade promotion ceremony too.”

Additionally, look for the FMS choir at Trenton Thunder on Friday, June 23^rd, where they will be singing the National Anthem.

Over at Antheil Elementary School, Instrumental Music Teacher, Melanie Mayerson invited guest artists from the New Jersey Symphony do a clinic with her advanced 5^th grade band and orchestra musicians on April 13^th to inspire her students to reach the next level in their instrumental musical journey. 

Ms. Mayerson also shared that 12 5^th grade students were nominated to participate in the CJMEA Honors Band/Orchestra and nine students were accepted.  Four 5^th grade orchestra students were selected for the “red orchestra”, three for the “red band” and two students were chosen for the “silver band”.  The “silver band” is a higher level than the “red band”.   On April 22^nd, students participated in the CJMEA Honors Band and Orchestra concerts made up of outstanding instrumental music students nominated by other central jersey music and orchestra teachers.  Students rehearsed all morning on the 22^nd and put on a concert for friends and family in the afternoon. 

Ms. Mayerson shared for the spring concerts in June will feature the 5^th Grade Advanced Orchestra, the 5^th Grade Advanced Band, the 4^th/5^th Grade Beginner Orchestra and the 4^th/5^th Beginner Band.  Some of the musical pieces selected for the concerts are Bohemian Stomp-Sandra Dackow, Gentle Winds- Timothy Loest, Popcorn-Katheryn Griesinger and Danza Africana-Victor Lopez, to name a few.

Excellent Parkway vocal music teacher, Ms. Laura Hall, and instrumental music teacher, Ms. Marissa Wright is currently preparing Parkway´s PAW - sitive Panthers for performance. Parkway music makers are excited to share their musical talents with their family and friends.  The choirs invite you to travel with them to Australia, Nigeria, France and back to the beauty of West Virginia. The fifth grade band and orchestra will take you on an epic journey through the art of storytelling!  Selections include Fable, Dragonslayer, Enchantment, Mythos and Ancient Hunters.  We hope to see everyone at the Parkway Spring Concert on Tuesday May 23rd!