Congratulations to all of our students who participated in the HOIC Honor Band. A special congratualations to Mark, Danny, Jessie, and Andrew for being principal players in their respective sections.
It was a long day of rehearsals, but it's a great experience to perform in such a great space. The Bloomington Center for Performing Arts provides a great experience for our musicians since they spend most of their concerts in a gym.
Thanks to all the directors, HOI Principals, BCPA Staff, and parents for making this happen for our students!
March 27, 2009
March 09, 2009
UPDATED(3/9):Instrumental Calendar
Hello all. I received a suggestion to post the calendar up here. After playing with it for awhile I couldn't get it to post in a readable format, but I was able to publish it to the web. Please follow the link to receive our calendar. It will be updated whenever I have a change so please check back often.
EPG Instrumental Music Calendar 2008-2009
EPG Instrumental Music Calendar 2008-2009
Solo and Ensemble Contest
Well the dust has settled on Solo and Ensemble Contest.
Our students had some great performances. We took some quality literature to Normal Community West this past weekend.
If anyone has pictures or video from Solo and Ensemble let me know. I'd be glad to edit this post and put it up here.
Congratulations to the students and many thanks to accompanists Rose Yahnig and Angie Schwab.
Our students had some great performances. We took some quality literature to Normal Community West this past weekend.
If anyone has pictures or video from Solo and Ensemble let me know. I'd be glad to edit this post and put it up here.
Congratulations to the students and many thanks to accompanists Rose Yahnig and Angie Schwab.
March 02, 2009
Go Lady Braves!
The EPGHS Pep Band will traveling to East Peoria to perform for a Bradley Lady Braves basketball game. The game will take place on the ICC campus at 7:00PM on Thursday, March 5th.
Each year Bradley selects a few area school to serve as the pep band for game their regular band cannot perform. We honored to be selected for the second year in a row as one of the premiere groups from around the area.
Bus time is 4:00PM sharp. Do not be late and make sure you bring money for food. Where red or white, but no ISU stuff please. We should be arriving home around 10PM.
Yes - we will still be having jazz band. :)
Each year Bradley selects a few area school to serve as the pep band for game their regular band cannot perform. We honored to be selected for the second year in a row as one of the premiere groups from around the area.
Bus time is 4:00PM sharp. Do not be late and make sure you bring money for food. Where red or white, but no ISU stuff please. We should be arriving home around 10PM.
Yes - we will still be having jazz band. :)
March 01, 2009
Chamberworks Multimedia
Even though it was a dark and stormy night the Chamberworks Concert was quite a hit. A small audience joined us for about an hour of small ensemble music.
Please enjoy the following photos courtesy of Mr. Mock.
L-R: Danny H.(Senior Alto Soloist), Jessie B.(Junior Euphonium Soloist), and the EPGHS Brass Quintet
Please enjoy the following photos courtesy of Mr. Mock.
L-R: Danny H.(Senior Alto Soloist), Jessie B.(Junior Euphonium Soloist), and the EPGHS Brass Quintet
February 09, 2009
Making Music at EIU
Three EPGJH music students(Tess, Amy, and Justin) took advantage of a great opportunity to play their instruments on Saturday. We piled in a CUSD #11 van at 5:45AM and even though everyone was sleepy, we were excited about what the day might hold. (I might have been the most excited of all!) The event was the EIU Middle School Honor Band Festival.
A lot of neat things happen at EIU on an honor band day. For example our students had to prepare for a concert, but they hadn't seen the music yet! What a test of their musical fortitude! After they began looking up from their music stands they also got to meet and play for two very well-known conductor/composers.
Pierre LaPlante and Larry Daehn served as clinicians for the day teaching our young musicians all kind of neat things. These two men are giants in the music education world because they have given us such great music to play with our developing bands.
After many hours of rehearsals, a chamber music concerts, and a lot of pizza, our students took the stage along with over 140 other musicians to perform a fantastic concert in the beautiful Doudna Fine Arts Center. The place was standring room only! After the concert(and a standing oviation!) the composers sat in the lobby signing things and taking pictures. I even got my pictures with these two great educators. I grew up playing their music so what a treat for me as well.
The students had a good time and had plenty to talk about afterwards. I hope to continue taking students to these types of events. Not only is it educational, but it's also a lot of fun. Just ask the students about the "red room".
- Mr. F
A lot of neat things happen at EIU on an honor band day. For example our students had to prepare for a concert, but they hadn't seen the music yet! What a test of their musical fortitude! After they began looking up from their music stands they also got to meet and play for two very well-known conductor/composers.
Pierre LaPlante and Larry Daehn served as clinicians for the day teaching our young musicians all kind of neat things. These two men are giants in the music education world because they have given us such great music to play with our developing bands.
After many hours of rehearsals, a chamber music concerts, and a lot of pizza, our students took the stage along with over 140 other musicians to perform a fantastic concert in the beautiful Doudna Fine Arts Center. The place was standring room only! After the concert(and a standing oviation!) the composers sat in the lobby signing things and taking pictures. I even got my pictures with these two great educators. I grew up playing their music so what a treat for me as well.
The students had a good time and had plenty to talk about afterwards. I hope to continue taking students to these types of events. Not only is it educational, but it's also a lot of fun. Just ask the students about the "red room".
- Mr. F
A short video clip of the 8th Grade Honor Band(not great quality)
February 06, 2009
EPG Jazz Saxophonist Among the Best in Illinois
Junior tenor saxophonist Andrew Durham recently spent two days in downtown Peoria playing music with the best HS jazzers in Illinois. When you ask him about the experience, he speaks of how humbling it was to be there and how he knows he'll have to work hard to get back next year. He also just said "awesome" a lot.
Andrew was selected to perform as the lead tenor in the Illinois Music Educators All-State Jazz Band. The road to this concert was long. He started preparing the music last April when Mr. Freesen put the audition tune in front of the Jazz Ensemble. In October, he auditioned at the district level where he was named lead tenor and was a featured sololist for District 3. In early December, he was informed that he would be making the trip to Peoria for the All-State Conference which is the highest level honor group in the state.
The group spent many hours a day rehearsing with fantastic clinicians. During the breaks, the students wouldn't even stop playing! All the hard work paid off for the students at Jazz Night. On Friday, the students rehearsed on the Civic Center Theatre stage and then performed there later that night for a huge crowd. The audience was enthusiastic about the performances by all the participating students who come from programs all over Illinois.
"I was honored to take a student to the festival this year. This was the first time the EPG schools have sent a student to the conference for instrumental music and it couldn't have been a better student-musician than Andrew. We will work hard and hopefully have more students get to experience this in the future."-Mr. F
(Article originally appeared on http://www.unit11.org/)
Andrew was selected to perform as the lead tenor in the Illinois Music Educators All-State Jazz Band. The road to this concert was long. He started preparing the music last April when Mr. Freesen put the audition tune in front of the Jazz Ensemble. In October, he auditioned at the district level where he was named lead tenor and was a featured sololist for District 3. In early December, he was informed that he would be making the trip to Peoria for the All-State Conference which is the highest level honor group in the state.
The group spent many hours a day rehearsing with fantastic clinicians. During the breaks, the students wouldn't even stop playing! All the hard work paid off for the students at Jazz Night. On Friday, the students rehearsed on the Civic Center Theatre stage and then performed there later that night for a huge crowd. The audience was enthusiastic about the performances by all the participating students who come from programs all over Illinois.
"I was honored to take a student to the festival this year. This was the first time the EPG schools have sent a student to the conference for instrumental music and it couldn't have been a better student-musician than Andrew. We will work hard and hopefully have more students get to experience this in the future."-Mr. F
(Article originally appeared on http://www.unit11.org/)
February 01, 2009
An Invasion!
Recognize these fine collegiates?As we all know college break last a little longer than its HS counterpart. At the beginning of January a bunch of the graduating class of 2008 returned to join the band for a pep band performance.
The amazing thing was that I had no clue they were planning this, however the high school band didn't seem to shocked...
Anyway it was nice to get to catch up with how college life is treating them. It's nice to know that almost all of them are participating in college ensembles. You know it didn't hurt the big sounds of the El Paso-Gridley Pep Band either!
Thanks alumni and have a great rest of your freshman year! Keep us posted on all your successes. 
Here's some more pictures from that game
January 20, 2009
Watch Out EIU!
In November the opportunity for JH students to apply for an honor band at EIU arose. Many interested students sent in applications with my recommendations on the back. However, as with an honor group only a few were selected. The EPGJHS Bands are proud to contribute four members to the Eastern Illinois University Honor Band.
Students selected were Tess Pala(Percussion), Justin Skare(Clarinet), Amy Fairburn(Flute), and Blade Parrish(Baritone). I will accompany them for a day on campus at the new Doudna Fine Arts Center in Charleston.
EIU offers a unique opportunity because not many universities do honor bands for JH students. The festival consists of a full day of rehearsals and clinics with nationally recognized composers/conductors. At 4:30PM on Sat February 7th all are welcome to attend the culmination concert which will feature the JH honor bands as well as the EIU Wind Symphony.
Please give these students a congratulations if you see them. It's truly a great accomplishment. They are well on their way to becoming the next big thing in the high school music department.
Students selected were Tess Pala(Percussion), Justin Skare(Clarinet), Amy Fairburn(Flute), and Blade Parrish(Baritone). I will accompany them for a day on campus at the new Doudna Fine Arts Center in Charleston.
EIU offers a unique opportunity because not many universities do honor bands for JH students. The festival consists of a full day of rehearsals and clinics with nationally recognized composers/conductors. At 4:30PM on Sat February 7th all are welcome to attend the culmination concert which will feature the JH honor bands as well as the EIU Wind Symphony.
Please give these students a congratulations if you see them. It's truly a great accomplishment. They are well on their way to becoming the next big thing in the high school music department.
January 13, 2009
Local Band Student Goes to California
Music can take you many places in life. EPGHS Junior, Sarah Fairburn knows this first hand as she recently used her talents to take her all the way to sunny California. Sarah spent the first few days of 2009 working with student-musicians from all of the country as she played trumpet for the Tournament of Roses Parade. Sarah was selected by audition and director reccommendation to perform with the All-American Marching Band. The main event was marching a the 5.5 mile parade. That's over 5 times the size of the El Paso-Gridley Homecoming Parade!
The types of people in band programs seem to be consistent across the country. "It was great to meet all these people, but a lot of them reminded me of members of our own band." Sarah said, all smiles as she told the band about her trip during our first week back.
"These experiences are vital for our students. It's very rewarding to see them using the skills they develop in our classes to get out and really do something. I hope more students gain these types of experiences through our programs at EPG."
- Mr. Freesen
The types of people in band programs seem to be consistent across the country. "It was great to meet all these people, but a lot of them reminded me of members of our own band." Sarah said, all smiles as she told the band about her trip during our first week back.
"These experiences are vital for our students. It's very rewarding to see them using the skills they develop in our classes to get out and really do something. I hope more students gain these types of experiences through our programs at EPG."
- Mr. Freesen
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