We’ve now completed our first full week of music at DW Poppy. Musical theatre got rolling along with the choral and jazz programs and the Senior Wind Ensemble. Beginners have selected instruments and we hosted the elementary band rental night and first lesson on Thursday.
We continue the tradition of bringing great artists into DW Poppy to work with our students this year. At the beginning workshop, out elementary students not only worked with Mr. Ablitt and Mr. Follett, but local profesional flautist Michelle Carlisle and clarinetist Colin Farquar, and thanks to Conn-Selmer, Vancouver saxophonist Brian Engstron and internationally renowned trumpet player Rich Wetzel.
Our next guest will be New York Tenor Saxophonist Grant Stewart. In partnership with Cory Weeds and the Coastal Jazz and Blues Society, Grant’s trio will be putting on a show here at DW Poppy next Monday at 3:30. We expect all jazz students to attend, and encourage all our music students to join us, along with music students from RE Mountain, Langley Fine Arts, Langley Fundamental, and Garabaldi Secondary (Maple Ridge) for this phenomenal opportunity.
In the meantime, please remember that Student Commitment Contracts and Practice Routines we due yesterday. We’ve received many of them, but there are still a few to come in. Also, Junior Uniform, Method Book and Band Folder Orders are due this coming Friday, September 23.
We hope to see lots of new and familiar faces out at the first music teacher parent meeting on Tuesday, September 20 after the grade 8 parent night at 8:00pm. It will be an intro to the program for some families and an opportunity to connect with parents interested in supporting their kids’ musical endeavours which we’ll aim to keep it brief at that hour.
Please remember to add your child’s concerts from the Music Handbook to your family calendar if you haven’t yet, and as usual, if you have any question, don’t hesitate to ask.
Mark & Wayne