Ballard Performing Arts News | |
Seniors — it’s your time to shine. You emerged from the pandemic with grace, you continued to play, sing, act, and dance through it all — and you’re almost ready for your next steps. Let us celebrate YOU! Please fill out this quick form and submit a photo so we can honor you in the newsletter and on our social channels via our Senior Spotlight series. Look for the QR Codes in the music and theater classrooms! | |
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Disneyland Trip was the Happiest Place on Earth for our Band Students
After a ridiculously early departure, our band students spent a day seeing the behind the scenes action at America’s Got Talent. An eye opener for how "reality" TV is not so realistic. Tuesday was a fantastic day in the park with students racing to get in all the rides and Dole Whip that they could. Friday was the big day with a chance to march down Main Street in Disneyland for thousands of spectators - it was absolutely amazing and timing couldn’t have been better as the last bars of our tune finished just as the gate closed behind us. Saturday morning, students had a session in a real recording studio before their return to SeaTac. Be sure to check out the video in the featured videos section.
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Central Washington University Jazz Festival - May 6
Big Band and Lab Band will be travelling to CWU for the day. Students will be participating in a 1 pm clinic with bass player John Clayton. Big Band will take the stage at 2 pm for their performance and Lab Band will be playing at 4 pm. Bands will be departing BHS at 7am and returning at 9pm. Chaperones are needed - sign up here.
Upcoming Band Performances
April 29 & 30 – Boats Afloat Jazz Combo, 10 am to 12 pm. (Call time 9:30 am.)
May 6 – CWU Jazz Festival. (Call time 7:45 am.)
May 23 – North High School band festival at Lincoln (all three bands and percussionists)
June 2-4 – Brass Band at Honkfest. Time TBD (Friday or Saturday or both).
June 4 – Joint concert with Wind Ensemble North Seattle College at 3 pm.
June 7 – Symphonic Band performance with Whitman.
June 8 – Final Spring Band Concert.
June 9 | Ballard FC game: Vocal Jazz National Anthem; Drumline Halftime Show; Brass Band after the game.
June 13 – Final Jazz concert at the Royal Room, 5:30 load in, 6:30 downbeat.
Volunteers Needed
There are a lot of performance opportunities left for our students this year. To support them as they showcase their talents, please consider signing up to volunteer for one of the 31 volunteer slots available. Slots are listed in the Sign up Genius.
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Choir
Concert Choir and Advanced Chorale Return From NYC!
Congratulations to both choirs on an outstanding performance, both at Queen’s College and Carnegie Hall!
The trip started with participation in the 2023 COA Nationals for Top Choirs Festival Day. Each choir had an adjudicated performance followed by an hour-long clinic. Both choirs did an exceptional job, with one clinician calling Concert Choir’s performance the best high school choral performance he’d seen post-pandemic! The choirs also participated in a choral exchange with other schools and attended an interest session with Broadway performer Dave Thomas Brown.
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Friday brought the big performance at Carnegie Hall as part of the Harmonic Convergence Concert. The choir performed All of Us (Considering Matthew Shepherd) - Craig Hella Johnson, and To Repair, an impactful and moving four-part new work by Tesfa Wondemagegnehu. | |
This was a once in a lifetime trip for these amazing musicians! Thanks to all the parent chaperones and the support of BPAB for giving our students this wonderful opportunity! | |
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Upcoming Dates
Friday, April 28
State Solo and Ensemble Contest
Two-day event
CWU in Ellensburg
Vocal Jazz, Chamber Choir, and Tenor Bass Ensemble will perform and soloists will perform on Saturday April 29th.
*Thank you to the volunteers who have already offered to chaperone! We are still in need of a few drivers. Many of our current drivers are parents of students participating in solo competitions on Saturday, and can’t make the return drive. Please consider volunteering! It’s a fun day! Email Jaimee at bpabchoirrep@gmail.com if you're able to help out.
Saturday, April 29
BHS Foundation Fundraising Event
4-5:15 pm
Home of Cyndy Clegg in Edmonds (BHS Foundation Member)
Vocal Jazz performance
Students will organize their own transportation.
Wednesday, May 17th
Chamber Choir performs at Bergen Place Park at 4:30 PM for Syttende Mai.
Tuesday, May 30
OSPI Superintendent’s 50th Anniversary Art Show
During school day
Benaroya Hall
Vocal Jazz performance
Thursday, June 1
Spring Choir Concert @ BHS, 7:30 pm
All choirs
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Orchestra
Disney Trip
Orchestra students had an amazing trip to California, where they attended a taping of America’s Got Talent, took a workshop at Disney Imagination Studios, and performed on stage at California Grand Adventure! The following is a link to a video of their performance: https://youtu.be/OhGcsfEO5Bc
Fiddlers Performance at Shawn O’Donnell’s
The Ballard Fiddlers have been invited to perform at Shawn O’Donnell’s Irish Pub as part of a BPA Dine-Out fundraiser! All day on April 30th, Shawn O’Donnell’s will donate 25% of dine-in and takeout sales to BPA (mention “Ballard Performing Arts” when you order).
Date: April 30, 2023
Time: Fiddlers arrive at 5:30 pm, perform approximately 6:00-6:30 pm.
Other details: Dress will probably be BHS Orchestra t-shirts.
Please join us for the performance and order some food to support the BPA!
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Theatre
For questions about Theatre Arts classes that meet during the school day, email Mr. Riley’s theater substitute, Ms. Indira Rampersad at igrampersad@seattleschools.org.
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Theater Classes
Did you know we have theatre classes at Ballard High School? The acting class is working on two and three person short scenes and will then move on to audition technique, resume writing, and playwriting with writing specialist Rachel Atkins.Theatre tech are currently working on set design models.
One Act Play Festival
May 18, 19, & 20 - 7:30 pm
Rehearsals have begun! Tickets for the One Act Plays will be available for purchase at Showtix4u.com beginning 4/22/23 at noon.
This spring, six student directors have selected five plays to bring to the Ballard stage, all of which explore what it’s like when reality itself comes into question.
Elliot Jakupcak directs Sure Thing by David Ives, a comedy that follows two strangers in a coffee shop who navigate a conversation with something no one else gets: the chance to start over when you say the wrong thing.
Ella Papineau directs The Yellow Wallpaper by Cameron Colwell and Georgia Drinan. Based on the chilling short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, this play follows a new mother confined to her bed as she tries to make sense of the figure she keeps seeing in the pattern on her bedroom walls.
Autumn Bailey directs The Support Group from Hell by Jeffrey Harr, a dark comedy that follows a teen who joins a support group with members that are far more strange (and possibly supernatural) than she was expecting.
Izzy Rampersad and Milo Palmer co-direct The Hallmarks of Horror by Peter Bloedel. In this “whirlwind tour of horror tropes,” scientists attempt to explain what makes scary movies as scary as possible. The resulting demonstration is much more ridiculous than intended.
Up, All the Way Up? is a new play written and directed by Rose Champion, which follows a woman in the late 19th century as she writes the obituary for the peculiar and mysterious death of a millionaire on a mountain.
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The district only pays for teachers’ salaries; everything else we have to raise or donate. | |
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Sip and Support on Sunset
You are invited to a BHS Foundation Fundraiser in support of BPA on Saturday, April 29th from 4-7 pm. Huge thanks to the BHS Foundation for generously organizing this afternoon of live music in a beautiful setting to raise funds needed to update our wireless microphone system! Please click the link below for more information. If you are considering attending, we would sincerely appreciate a minimum $150 donation. Hope to see you there! Sip and Support on Sunset
April 30th Dine-Out at Shawn O’Donnell’s
On April 30th, the Ballard Fiddlers will perform at Shawn O’Donnell’s Irish Pub in Fremont as part of a BPA dine/out fundraiser! All day on April 30th mention “Ballard Performing Arts” and Shawn O’Donnell’s will donate 25% of the sales (dine in and takeout) to Ballard Performing Arts. The Ballard Fiddlers will perform at 6 pm with coach Kat Bula. Don’t miss this opportunity to support our BPA programs like this fabulous fiddlers group!
For to go orders, call (206) 420-3656 (or order at the door). Be sure to mention Ballard Performing Arts when you order.
Spring Coffee Sales are Coming! April 26 - May 10
We will be partnering with Caffe Appassionato in Magnolia once again to sell delicious 12 oz bags of coffee to family, friends and neighbors. This is an important fundraiser for your student if they are currently a freshman, sophomore, or junior. For every $14 bag purchased under their name, students will earn $6. That $6 is credited to that student's account and those funds can then be used for the July payments for camps that happen the first weeks of school, or program fees in the fall, and they can even be transferred to a younger sibling when a student graduates. Sales without a student name or marked general will go to the music ASB account to help with music program support.
Choose from four delicious blends (in both drip ground and whole bean):
Arietta Blend - A Medium Roast with a mellow and smooth flavor. Notes of cardamom, tart, caramel and undertones of milk chocolate, strawberry and jasmine.
Tempest Blend - As a bold and strong French Roast, it accentuates a dark and full body with a smoky finish. Notes of caramel, toffee, orange and undertones of raspberry, hazelnut, and cinnamon.
Espresso Blend - A bright and smooth Italian roast. Perfect for silky smooth espresso or robust drip.
Decaffeinated - A French Roast that is smooth with a caramel finish. Notes of blackberry, almond, and toffee, and undertones of vanilla, cinnamon, and tangerine.
Orders can be placed online on the Schoolpay page during the sale. Coffee orders will be given to students at their music performance in June (June 1 for choir; June 6 for orchestra; June 8 for band).
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Fundraising Chair Wanted
We're looking for a point person to oversee our fundraisers next year. Our fundraisers are pretty well-established, and we will be forming committees for the major events, so this role is more of a project manager position to ensure planning and communication progress smoothly for the various events. Contact BPABfundraising@gmail.com for more info.
Social Media Help Wanted
Social media has become integral to all aspects of the BPA. Our students are ramping up with performances, trips, and visiting specialists.You can help highlight programs, get the word out about dine-outs, concerts, events, and fundraising, and use social media tools to tell the story of our fundraising efforts through reels, stories, and posts. The social media team needs you! This is easy-to-post content lifted from our weekly newsletter. Learn how to use the pro-version of the popular software Canva and get the inside scoop on everything that is coming down the pike with our programs. Please reach out to Jeannette Chen at bpabsocial@gmail.com - she has a graduating senior and would love to train an enthusiastic parent who wants to keep the momentum going!
Communications Chair Wanted
We’re looking for a parent to corral our communications that feed our newsletter, website, social media and other communications channels. You’ll work with BPA president and board members and directors to make sure parents are informed through the newsletter. Work with parent volunteer newsletter editor, social media team, website coordinator, and publicity volunteers. It’s a great way to stay on top of all the goings on! Contact Rachel Hart Rios at bpabcommunications@gmail.com.
Spaghetti Dinner 2024 Committee Meeting
Join us on Tuesday, April 25th at 7pm on Zoom for the first committee meeting to start planning next year's Spaghetti Dinner. Link will be posted on the BPA website calendar or email bpabpresident@gmail.com.
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Seniors: Fill out the Senior Spotlight Form to be Recognized!
Seniors–it’s your time in the spotlight to be recognized for all the work you’ve done over the last four years. Fill out this brief questionnaire and submit a favorite photo from your time in band, choir, orchestra, or theatre.
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Check out past performances any time on our YouTube and Vimeo channels. | |
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Give a Teacher Some Appreciation!
BPA Families, please consider sending a personal thanks to the BPA directors, and other BHS teachers and staff, via the PTSA's online Teacher and Staff Appreciation Padlet, which we will present on Wednesday, May 10 (during May 8-12 Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week). The Padlet will be open for signing through May 5. Click here for more information.
Celebrate Earth Day — Attend Puget Soundworks Concert April 28-30 (in person) or May 19-27 (online)
Down to Earth is a celebration of the diverse beauty of our planet, Earth, and an opportunity to inspire action toward protecting her. Through spoken word pieces, classic protest songs that have been used to advocate for environmental causes, as well as climate anthems that reflect our current challenges, the vast range of artistic involvement in this concert brings a unique and powerful perspective to the issue of climate change. For anyone who loves and wants to protect our home, this show is for you. You belong here with us. Puget Soundworks' mission is to "Make the world a kinder, more inclusive place, one song at a time." Click this link for information.
Whitman Music Program Needs High School Choral Student Volunteers
Whitman Middle School is looking for students with a singing background to help our middle schoolers learn songs for their Musical Variety Show. Students earn service hours and can include on college applications. Weekly volunteers will earn the title of "Music Director" and volunteers who can only make it now and then will have the title of "Vocal Coach." Whitman’s music program needs our support and especially needs weekly Music Directors. The choir rehearses Mondays from 3:45-5 pm and Wednesdays from 2:30-4:30 pm.
For details about the production at Whitman, click here. For more information about this volunteer opportunity, click here.
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