We Have a New Orchestra Director!

Daniel Valdez will be taking over as Ballard High School’s Director of Orchestras. He's a bass player, and is moving from Chicago where he has been teaching. Mr. Valdez has been teaching in orchestra programs for over 10 years. He has led successful programs in the San Francisco, Austin, Houston, and Chicago areas. Each orchestra he has led demonstrated musical excellence in a variety of competitions, festivals, clinics, and concerts. Daniel earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Double Bass Performance from the University of California at Santa Cruz, and a Master of Music and Human Learning degree from the University of Texas at Austin.

Daniel is originally from Northern California, where his first introduction to performing music was playing electric bass in a garage band with his friends. Immediately falling in love and wanting to learn more, he began studying jazz with a private tutor, eventually transitioning to the double bass and focusing more on performing classical music with orchestras. He has a deep passion for all forms of music and loves nothing more than sharing that with others.



In his free time, Daniel enjoys spending time with his wife, his 3 cats and his dog, traveling, and exploring nature. He is incredibly excited to join the faculty at Ballard High School and make some great music with the orchestras!

Parent Meeting for Incoming BPA Freshmen

Aug 30 at 7 pm

Parents/guardians of incoming 9th graders - please join us at 7 pm in the Performing Arts Center for a special Orientation Night just for you. The purpose of the evening is to share tips on how you can help your student make a successful transition from middle school to high school.

This event is for parent/guardians only. Beaver gear will be available too! More details to follow. Stop by the Ballard Performing Arts table to turn in paperwork for Band/Orchestra/Choir camps.

Uniform Fittings for Music Students

Aug 30 - Sept 1

All music students will need to be fitted for their concert attire for the upcoming school year. We will be doing some of these fittings on Tues August 30, Wed August 31, and Thurs Sept 1. The fittings will be on the auditorium stage in the Performing Arts Center from 8:30 am - 2:30 pm each day.

Students can choose between tops and skirts or tuxedos for concert wear. All band students will be fitted for Marching Band uniforms.

The fittings in August will include:

• All students in any band class - Percussion, Concert and Symphonic band, and Wind Ensemble - will be fitted for marching band uniforms.
• All band, choir and orchestra students that will be wearing skirts and dresses will be fitted for your group’s concert attire.

All band, choir and orchestra students that will be wearing tuxedos for concert attire will be fitted after school begins.

Students who can’t make one of the fitting days will be fitted during the day, either before school starts or after school.

Note: On the first day of school, the upperclassmen don't start until after lunch, so these students can come in before their start time that day for a fitting.

Camp Fees and Paperwork are Overdue

Fees:

• $210 Band camp
• $180 choir camp
• $180 orchestra camp

Paperwork:

For returning families, paperwork was sent home with your student the last week of school. 

Copies are also available online here:

• Band camp
• Choir camp
• Orchestra camp

FORMS AND FEES WERE DUE JULY 1, 2022

Pay for all next year's fees by visiting the Payment page. 

Returning students can pay their camp fees and program fees with any funds they raised selling coffee or chocolates. Contact Jill Hansen at bpabtreasurer@gmail.com or Margaret Bagshaw at mpatpjr@aol.com to learn how much your student has raised and can apply to the payments. 

Pay online and drop off your forms at the school. The office is open 8 am-3 pm or forms can be mailed to the PO Box 17774, Seattle WA 98127.

Scholarships are available. (Fill out this confidential form that only directors see to request scholarship assistance with payment.) Look for more news this summer!

Questions? Contact your group rep:

• Carol Cheyne, Band Rep, bpabbandrep@gmail.com
• Jaimee Papineau, Choir Rep, BPABchoirrep@gmail.com
• Connie Kelleher, Orchestra Rep, BPABorchestrarep@gmail.com

Band

Band Camp is Coming 1st Weekend after School Starts

Students are getting excited to get back to band. We are excited to start off the year with Band Camp at Camp Seymour on Sept 9-11. This great event is a chance for sections to get to know one another and to introduce new students to marching.

Copies of the paperwork are also available online here: Band camp

Parent Chaperones Needed! 

Parent chaperones are still needed for band camp. Coming along for the weekend is a great way to get to know all the students and learn more about the program. While we encourage anyone to sign up and join us, we have a need for 4 more male chaperones. If you are able to help out, please contact Carol Cheyne, Band Rep, bpabbandrep@gmail.com.  

SPS paperwork for volunteers is available to complete online but takes up to two weeks to have approved. If you are interested in volunteering at camp, or at any of the upcoming band events, you are encouraged to complete paperwork at your earliest convenience. 

Jazz Band Auditions

Ballard Big Band: Auditions for Big Band will be held at the beginning of September. If students are interested in auditioning, they can start preparing and practicing from this list of material over the summer. Audition material will be chosen from this list in addition to scales. All students are expected to learn their major, minor, and dominant scales, be able to improvise over the play-alongs and be able to play through the bebop melodies. Please go over the material thoroughly and email Mr. Gillespie with any questions.

Ballard Performing Arts Key Positions Still Needed!

Are you a good delegator, a project manager who enjoys keeping a team of hard working volunteers organized? We need you! We are gearing up for a fun-filled year in the performing arts. While most of our board positions are full, we are still looking for:

• President/co-presidents
• Chairperson to organize our Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser in February

Help with Uniform Fittings

We need help with uniform fittings 8/30 to 9/1 for marching band, and concert skirts and dresses (tuxedos are fitted once school starts).

Sign up for a slot here: 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4DA9A728A1FD0-uniform

Service learning hours available for student helpers.

Thank you!

Get back in the groove by reliving some of our greatest performances last year! 

Check out past performances anytime on our YouTube and Vimeo channels