Goodwill Fill-a-Truck Event | Oct 15

Help us “Fill-a-Truck” (or hopefully two) with your donated items this Sunday, October 15th from 9 am - 12 pm in the north parking lot of campus. For every trailer we fill, our programs will receive $600 (there will be two trucks at each event). Please do not bring your recyclables or broken items. Early drop off is not allowed. The trailer may leave the premises if items have been left prior to opening at 9 am. Please spread the word to your neighbors and friends! 

Please note, the event will end early if the trucks are filled before noon.

Volunteers are needed for the Goodwill event!

Students can earn service hours and parents are encouraged to participate. Tasks include sorting, unloading cars and traffic control.

Sign up for the October 15 event here! 

Mon Oct 16 | Striving to Stand Out Kick Off at Bickersons Brewhouse |Pre-Order Food by Thursday!

Join us at Bickersons Brewhouse on Monday, Oct 16 from 5:30-8:30 pm for a family-friendly evening of student performances to kick off our Striving to Stand Out Fundraising Campaign. Admission is free! All ages (and leashed dogs) are welcome! 

In addition to enjoying free live entertainment, you will be able to… 

• Meet other wonderful BPA families.
• Eat yummy Banh Mi Sandwiches - pre-order here before Thursday at 10 am!
• Enjoy delicious Bickersons beer, wine, or cider (or a wide variety of non-alcoholic drinks).
• Enter a raffle (one of the items is a chance to win two club-level Kraken tickets for a mutually agreed upon date).
• Score a great bottle of wine at the Mystery Wine Grab.
• Support BPA and a local store by participating in the Gift Card Frenzy.
• Pick up or purchase BPA merchandise.
• Celebrate the beginning of an outstanding year of BPA events!

Volunteer! We’d love some help, sign up here!

What is the Striving to Stand Out Fundraising Campaign?

This direct appeal is our primary fundraiser for the year, aiming to raise $35,0000. The more money we raise during the campaign, the less we have to stress the rest of the year!

The theme of the campaign is: Striving to Stand Out: Excellence, Access, and Community through the Arts.

We want our BPA programs to Stand Out! We are raising funds to:

• Support excellent high-quality educational experiences.
• Provide access so ALL BPA students can participate fully in the program(s) of their choice
• Collaborate with professional performing artists to enrich our programs and create community through the arts!



*The campaign will run from Oct 16 - Nov 15, 2023. Click here to learn more!

 Buy Tickets Now | Sonnets for a New Century

Ballard High School Playmakers are proud to announce the opening of the 2023-24 theatre season with a unique play written by the Ballard High School Playmakers:  Sonnets for a New Century,  October 19, 20, and 21 at 7:30 pm.

This Ballard High School production is based on the acclaimed work of playwright Jose Rivera, Sonnets for an Old Century, which is comprised of monologue “sonnets” by 28 different characters. In Sonnets for a New Century, the Ballard actors have written vignettes about their own lives. In this rare opportunity for our students to speak about their own unique experiences, the actors explore universal themes of love, loss and discovery. It is a vulnerable, honest piece about what it means to grow up in this new century, with exponential change happening all around them and an unknown future ahead.

Performance dates: October 19, 20, 21 at 7:30 pm

All performances are held at the Earl Kelly Center for Performing Arts at Ballard High School, 1418 NW 65th Street, Seattle WA, 98117.

Tickets: $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and $10 for students.  Advance tickets are now available at https://showtix4u.com; (search for “Ballard High School”).

Director:  Miller Shor

Assistant director:  Max Moses

Stage manager:  Daxson Dee

Ensemble:

Kyle Brown

Gamma Brown

Skye Christopher

Benji Emfinger

Ryan de Forest

Indigo Freeman-Burnett

Henry Frosch

Anna Hoffman

Corinne Iacobucci

Lyla Kirkham

Molly McKenna

Natalie McManus

Adrien Nolte

Sam Ruzumna

Tilly Pratt

Lachlan Ransier

Elsa Selleck

Amara Shelton

Alice Stockton

Jodie Welman

Sonam Yangkyi

Band

Homecoming Recap

Although BHS lost the game, the band did a phenomenal job with the halftime show. You can watch a video here. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6isQb4_SEgIkd2MM54XgCrQzhyo0aZv2&si=SqSpM67fWmUGjr4v

Thank you to all the volunteer chaperones who helped make it a success, and thank you to Mr. Gillespie and all the students who put in a very long day of work to bring us such a fantastic show!

Upcoming Dates

Mark your calendars for these marching band rehearsals and upcoming performances:

• October 13th, Friday, call time 3:00 pm to get uniforms on for 5 pm football game at Memorial Stadium (no school).
• November 2nd, Band Fall Concert, 7:30 pm.
• November 11th, Veterans Day Parade, call time 8:00 am

Upcoming Marching Band Performances

The final home football game the band will play at is Friday Oct. 13th at 5 pm. Call time is 3 pm for students. We still need a couple of chaperones for the game and help with uniform return after the game.

The band will be attending the Veteran’s Day Parade in Auburn on Nov. 11th. We need a few more chaperones and help with uniform return.

Please sign up to volunteer for either of these here. 

Jazz Concert at the Royal Room on October 24th

All the jazz band groups will be performing their Fall concert at the Royal Room. For those who haven't been there, it's a great venue to listen to jazz music, order some food, sit back, relax, and listen to the amazing music our kiddos produce. Call time and doors open at 5:30 pm. Show starts at 6:30 pm. The Royal Room does charge us $350 to be there for the evening, so we are asking for a suggested donation of $10 per family to help offset this fee if you are able. Below is a link where you can pay online ahead of time. This will help reduce any congestion at the door the night of the show, although we'll have volunteers to accept donations the night of the show as well. This is not a required fee, please only contribute if you can comfortably do so.

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/af0f8857-246d-4aca-ace9-687d097b37ba

Finally, there is a Remind account for the jazz program that we encourage you to join. Text @bhs23jzp to 81010 to add your phone for updates or last-minute information.

Navy Band Joining Fall Concert Nov. 2

This year’s fall concert is going to be something a little different and very exciting! Last year we were able to perform a joint concert with Wind Ensemble and the Navy Band Northwest Wind Ensemble. In an effort to continue this relationship, we were able to secure the Navy Band again, this time to split a concert with all three of our concert bands! Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Wind Ensemble will play the first half of the fall concert and the Navy Band will close out the show. Students will also be able to engage with the Navy Band musicians for instrument-specific masterclasses and share a meal with them before the concert.

Navy Band Northwest is one of 14 bands in the United States Navy, and they are stationed on Naval Base Bangor in Kitsap County. Members of Navy Band Northwest hold music degrees from some of the most prestigious music schools and conservatories in the world and perform over 400 concerts a year for audiences exceeding one million people. The Navy Band Northwest Wind Ensemble is one of the premier professional wind ensembles in the Pacific Northwest and we are so lucky to get a chance for our students to perform alongside them!

Band Class Fees

Every music class has an annual fee to help pay for buses, trips, uniforms, sheet music, and other supplies that support the students and the program. If you’ve forgotten whether you’ve paid or not, check on zeffy.com! 

Please click here to pay your annual Band Class Fee.

Choir

Choir Class Fee

Every music class has an annual fee to help pay for buses, trips, uniforms, sheet music, and other supplies that support the students and the program.

Please click here to pay your annual Choir class fee.

Upcoming Dates

• Saturday October 21st - Tenor/Bass Festival at Roosevelt - details to follow.
• Wednesday October 25th- Fall Choir Concert
• Saturday October 28th - Concert Choir with Apollo 5 at St. Mark’s - 2 pm (1:45 pm call time) rehearsal and evening concert
• Friday November 10th - Vocal Jazz at Meadowdale High School*
• Wednesday November 15th - Concert Choir at CWU Choral Classic - all day*
• Tuesday December 5th - Vocal Jazz Caroling*
• Saturday December 9th - Chamber Choir and Tenor Bass at Seattle Seachordsmen

* Chaperones and drivers will be needed - please contact Sally, BPABChoirRep@gmail.com if you can help.

Chaperones needed!

Vocal Jazz needs 4 drivers, with 1-2 who are able to stay for the day, to accompany them to Meadowdale High School on November 10th. It’s a no school day (Veteran’s Day). 

Concert Choir will be spending a long day at Central Washington University on November 15th and need three chaperones to accompany them. You will be treated to a full day of performances from our choir and others and will see our choir working with coaches during the day. Please let Sally, BPABChoirRep@gmail.com, know asap if you're able to go. 

You will need volunteer level A in order to attend the various trips throughout the year, so please apply for that if you wish to accompany the choirs. https://www.seattleschools.org/departments/volunteer/volunteer-application-process/

Concert Choir Performance with Apollo5 at St Mark’s on October 28th

We are excited to announce that our Concert Choir was invited to perform with the British professional a cappella group Apollo5 during the Seattle stop of their US tour. The concert on October 28th will be in the evening at 7:30 PM at St. Marks Cathedral on North Capitol Hill. Students will get in for free since they are performers! Family members can purchase tickets using this link. You can apply the code, Apollo5Family, to their cart to reveal a discounted $10 ticket.

Here is a tentative schedule for Saturday, October 28th:

• 1:45 pm-3:30 pm Final Clinic and Rehearsal at St. Marks
• 7:00 Call time for evening concert
• 7:30 pm Concert time!

*Students will be responsible for their own transportation. Carpooling with other choir members is definitely an option! 

More about Apollo5:

Praised for their powerful singing and distinctive sound, the award-winning British vocal ensemble Apollo5 proves how dynamic only five voices can be. With such small forces they are able to showcase each individual voice while still achieving their critically acclaimed blend.

Whether performing jazz, pop, classical, or even early sacred music, they are known for their exceptional communication with audiences, frequently performing from memory. Apollo5 enjoys a busy world-wide concert diary, as well as being committed to providing inspiring musical opportunities for young people and communities.

Orchestra

Upcoming Dates

Oct 16: NEW DATE! Striving to Stand Out Kick Off | Bickersons Brewery

Nov 8: Orchestra Fall Concert

Pop Up Performance!

Chamber Orchestra brought some live music to the hallways for Homecoming Week with a pop up performance of “Love Story” by Taylor Swift! Check out the video on the Homecoming playlist on the BPA YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6isQb4_SEgIkd2MM54XgCrQzhyo0aZv2&si=SqSpM67fWmUGjr4v

Ballard Fiddlers

The Ballard Fiddlers group is still accepting members! All acoustic string instruments and skill levels are welcome. The Fiddlers group meets weekly on Tuesdays starting from 6:30pm-8:00pm in the main band/orchestra room with coach Kat Bula. The Fiddlers ensemble is composed of students who play the violin, viola, cello, bass, guitar, mandolin etc. Fiddlers members work to refine their improvisational skills, learn music in an aural tradition, and perform authentic American roots music by arranging traditional tunes of the American Roots and Jazz repertoire. The Fiddlers ensemble performs at school concerts and special events and is available for private performances throughout the year.

Theatre

Fall Play | Sonnets for a New Century

Opens next Thursday! Click here to buy tickets!

The district only pays for teachers’ salaries; everything else we have to raise or donate.

Donate Wine, Gift Cards, or Raffle Items

Help make our Striving to Stand Out kick off party a success by donating a bottle of wine, a gift card to a local restaurant or store, and/or a raffle item (such as tickets to a performance, sporting event, or a stay at a vacation home). Email Kris at bpabfundraising@gmail.com to donate! Or click here to print out a procurement form!

Coming Soon!  Coffee Sale Fundraiser for Ballard Performing Arts

Support Ballard Performing Arts by ordering your favorite coffees from Caffe Appassionato between October 18 – November 5! For each bag sold, the BPA student you name will earn $6 toward program fees, camps and trips.Proceeds with no student named will go into the BPA general fund. A link to purchase will be available on October 18!

Become a Sponsor for the 2023-2024 School Year!

If you own a business (or know of a business) that would benefit from advertising on our programs, website, and newsletters, click here to learn about all the perks of becoming a corporate sponsor.

Goodwill Truck Volunteers needed!

Students can earn Service Learning Hours by volunteering at the Goodwill Trailer event on Sunday, Oct 15 from 9 am - noon. Parents and guardians, we can use your help too!

We need help on site: sorting donations, unloading cars, and keeping traffic moving in the parking lot. Gloves will be available. Please dress for the weather.

Click here to sign up!

Oct 16 | Striving to Stand Out Kick Off Event | Student Performers Needed!

Hey students, click here to sign up to perform on Monday, Oct. 16 at our Striving to Stand Out Kick Off Event at Bickersons Brewhouse. (All details on the sign up.)

Oct 16 | Adult Volunteers Needed for Striving to Stand Out Kick Off Event

We need help before, during, and after our kick off event at Bickersons Brewhouse on Mon. Oct. 16. This is our primary fundraiser for the year aiming to raise $35,0000. The more help we have, the more money we raise, and the less we have to stress the rest of the year! Click here to sign up. Thanks in advance for helping out!

Bake Sale Helpers for Choir Concert on Oct 25

Please sign up to help out with the bake sale at the Fall Choir Concert on Wed Oct 25th.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F084FA9A92CAAF85-45059500-bake#/

Check out our YouTube Channel to watch last year’s wonderful performances that were captured on video!

Check out past performances any time on our YouTube and Vimeo channels.

JazzED now enrolling for fall!  

JazzED is an award-winning program in South Lake Union that offers an opportunity to expand access and instruction in jazz music to young performers. Tuition is on a sliding scale so that everyone can participate. Classes change on a quarterly basis so a variety of music and instruction is available. Currently, two programs are offered for high school students: Explorations and the Girls Ellington project. 

The Explorations program is offering Jazz Lab: Gigging and Mentorship this quarter. “Dive into the captivating world of jazz through our unique combination of mentorship, performance training, and collective exploration. This class focuses both on honing improvisation skills, like bandstand etiquette and how to call a tune, and in music teaching techniques. Young musicians don’t have to know how to improvise already, but should be ready to dive in! Upon completing Jazz Lab, students will be invited to (1) mentor beginner and intermediate level students and (2) join Seattle JazzED’s Messengers ensemble, playing public and/or private shows throughout the region. Students will have the option to receive financial compensation or service hours in exchange for their time.” This class meets Thursdays, 6:00-8:00 pm from October 5 to December 14. 

The Girls Ellington Project is Seattle’s all-girl, all-city jazz band. This ensemble rehearses during the fall and winter sessions. “This ensemble is specifically designed for individuals who have historically been marginalized due to their gender identity. We welcome girls and gender-expansive high school jazz musicians in grades 9 through 12 to join us in celebrating the joy of jazz music.

ADDITIONAL CRITERIA

Our program is designed to accommodate students with a wide range of jazz music experience, from those who are just starting their jazz journey to those with prior experience. Note that jazz experience is not required.

While reading music is strongly encouraged, it is not a strict requirement. Sheet music will be utilized during the program, and we welcome participants with varying levels of music-reading ability.

Musicians of all backgrounds and instruments, including vocalists, are encouraged to apply.

If you are also a member of a high school ensemble applying to the Essentially Ellington Festival, please be aware that priority will be given to your high school band ensemble should both ensembles be invited as finalists.”

Rehearsals are on Tuesdays, 6:00-8:00 pm from October 3 to March 12.

JazzED also has programs for grades 4-8 and children 8 months to 5 years for younger siblings! Visit www.seattlejazzed.org for more information and to register.