Vocal Jazz Auditions, Jazz Band Update, and New Band Sub

September 29th,

2020

General Information

Program Fees are Due

Please pay your music fees now or email your director if you need a scholarship. The School district only funds the director’s salaries. The BPA Booster Club raises funds for everything else including: sheet music; instrument repair and upkeep; coaching and instruction for extra curricular groups such as Vocal Jazz, Men's Ensemble, jazz, percussion, Fiddlers, drumline, administrative costs such as PayPal, Vimeo site upkeep; professional memberships for the teachers, graduation cords for seniors, and so much more. This year, we will need to pay for software and technology to engage our kids and provide them a platform to play together, as well as professional help to edit together a virtual performance. When we’re back in full swing, we’ll obviously have uniform upkeep, sewing machine maintenance, piano tuning, trip fees, recordings for festivals, fundraising for scholarships to help families in need for future years, piano accompanist for choir, and the performing arts t-shirt.

Annual Fees for band, orchestra, or choir: $155
Jazz I = $100
Jazz II = No Fee

Online Fee Payment

Go to the "Payment and Ticket Sale" Tab at ballardperformingarts.org and find your group. Create an account to keep track of payments.

By Check/Mail

Mail a check with the name of your student and their group in the memo line to:

Ballard Performing Arts Boosters

PO Box 17774 Seattle WA 98127

Scholarship

The Music and Theatre faculty and the Ballard High School Performing Arts Booster Club are committed to providing a high-quality experience for all students who wish to participate regardless of financial circumstances. We offer scholarships to students who need financial support or assistance. Scholarship Application

Goodwill Truck Overwhelming Success

Last Saturday’s Goodwill truck was a bigger success than we expected. We raised $1200 for the program through our donations. People lined up at 8:15 am and we filled both trucks well before the end time at noon. We are so sorry for the people who waited in line and we had to turn away, we really appreciate your efforts to support the program. We’ll have another truck in January.

Please continue to save your Ballard Market receipts for our next collection.

Band

New Long-Term Band Sub

Please welcome Jay Gillespie, the new long-term sub for Ballard High School who will start later this week or next. The directors are very excited about Jay who is highly recommended from the University of Washington. Jay graduated in June and even student-taught during this spring adding online teaching experience. Jay is very excited to join the team, provide some leadership, and get started.

Mr. White had to step down due to health issues. We send Mr. White best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Here’s a little about Jay in his own words:

“I am originally from Eagle River, Alaska, where I started asking to play the saxophone at the age of 3. After years of begging, I got my first saxophone in 5^th grade and immediately began studying privately. I was in band and choir all through high school, participating yearly in solo and ensemble and All-State band. My senior year of high school, I received a scholarship to attend Interlochen Arts Academy, a performing arts boarding school in Traverse City, Michigan.

I graduated with honors from Interlochen with a fine arts award in saxophone performance and was accepted to the University of Michigan for the following year to study classical saxophone performance. I spent 5 years at the University of Michigan studying classical saxophone with Donald Sinta and jazz with the late Donald Walden before joining the Navy Band in 2005.

During my time in the Navy Band, I was in a variety of ensembles from jazz combos, jazz bands, wind ensembles, marching bands, rock bands, New Orleans style brass bands and ceremonial bands where I performed for combined audiences of over 1.5 million people. Stationed at Navy Band New Orleans and Navy Band Northwest, I had the opportunity to lead the jazz protocol combo and the New Orleans style brass band as well as being featured as an arranger, soloist, and vocalist on many occasions.

Upon my exit from the Navy Band I decided to follow my love of teaching and return to school to pursue my music education degree at the University of Washington. I completed my degree this past June and am currently residing in Kitsap County with my wife and two sons while playing regularly in the area.”

Choir

Vocal Jazz Auditions

Auditions for this year’s Vocal Jazz are now live through Friday, October 2nd.

Learn either the soprano, alto, tenor, or bass part to Bye, Bye Blackbird and submit your audition using Flipgrid. You will need to login using your Seattle Schools email address (select Microsoft login). Instructions and links can also be found in the Week 3 Schoology Folder.

Voice Lessons

We are lucky to once again offer you private voice lessons with one of our excellent voice faculty instructors. Lessons are a chance to work on personal skill development, learn solo repertoire, gain confidence in your singing voice, work on music reading and music theory, and get help preparing for solo auditions, Solos and Ensembles, and other opportunities.