Tuxedos Ready for Pick Up

Tuxes are now ready to go home. Students can pick them up starting today, Tuesday, afternoon. Choir students pick up in the choir room. Band and orchestra students pick up in the rehearsal room hallway. See attached document for detailed information about the tuxes (such as replacement costs of lost items.) 

Tux shirts and cufflink sets are available at Ted Brown Music. Details on the info sheet.

Some gently used tux shirts are available for $20, which includes the cufflink set. Sizes are limited to mostly small and medium. Stop by the uniform room before school to see if you find one that fits. Pay with cash or check payable to BPA.

Goodwill Fill-a-Truck Event | Oct 15

Every school year we have two Goodwill special events to “Fill-a-Truck” with your donated items. Please spread the word to your neighbors about our first event of the school year, on 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. Thanks for your cooperation.

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! 

NEW DATE | Oct 16 Striving to Stand Out Kick Off at Bickersons Brewhouse | Preorder Food

NEW DATE! Due to a scheduling conflict, we have had to reschedule our Kick Off event for our Striving to Stand Out Fundraiser to Monday, October 16th, 5:30-8:30 pm. (It was originally scheduled for Wed. 10/18). While a Monday night is not ideal, we are grateful to Bickersons for allowing us to use the space free of charge which significantly helps our BPA fundraising efforts.  

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.
• Pre-order delicious Banh Mi sandwiches.
• Enjoy delicious Bickersons beer, wine, or cider (or a wide variety of non-alcoholic drinks) - see what’s on tap.
• Enter a Raffle (One of the items is a chance to win two club-level Kraken tickets ona mutually agreed upon date).
• Participate in fun activities.
• Pick up or Purchase BPA merchandise.
• Celebrate the beginning of an outstanding year of BPA events!

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 for more information or to donate!

Click here to volunteer!

Band

The band was rockin’ on Friday night!

Thanks for helping us celebrate our Seniors!

Upcoming Dates

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

• October 6th, ALL DAY REHEARSAL. Students get out of class, Homecoming that night.
• 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.

Marching Band Homecoming Halftime Show is Friday Oct. 6 at 7:45!

Students will spend the day on the field practicing for the halftime show (they are excused from all classes). Call time is 5:45 pm to get uniforms on for the 7:45 pm game. Parents are encouraged to attend to see the awesome show! Buy tickets here. 

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

Concert Choir and Advanced Chorale Camp Recap

It’s a wrap! Another Choir Camp at Camp Burton was successfully completed. Advanced Chorale and Concert Choir spent the weekend at Camp Burton on Vashon Island, with Ms Rowley, Serena Chin (baby Nienna visited with her Dad on Saturday), their vocal coaches, and nine fearless parent chaperones (thank you to Sally, Steph, Molly, Karen W, Karen M, Karen S, Bill, Wayne, and Dave). We had beautiful, cold days and much progress was made on their songs for fall. The weekend included some favorites - the scavenger hunt, senior campfire, all student campfire, the introduction of choir families, and the parody song contest, judged by the chaperones. This year’s winners of the parody were the Concert Choir Sopranos, with Advanced Chorale Altos and Concert Choir Altos tied for second place, and an honorable mention for the Tenors.



For potential chaperones for next year - parent quotations from the weekend included “that was an unexpected good time” - so, please consider signing up for next year. You can get your volunteer clearance now, as it’s good for two years.

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 will be needed - details to follow.

Orchestra

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

The fall play, "Sonnet for a New Century," will be performed on Oct 19th, 20th, and 21st at 7:30 pm.

The show is a devised play based on the work of playwright Jose Rivera. It explores themes of love, loss, and everything in between. A rare opportunity for our students to speak as themselves, "Sonnets" is written by the students about their own lives. It is a vulnerable, honest piece about what it means to grow up in a new century, with a world of unknown laid out ahead.

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 join our procurement team or 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!

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.