Thanks for the music!

The All-State concert is a musical gift! It represents years of work, practice, hopes, dreams, ideas, musical growth, frustration, and heartache. It is a gift to the directors, the parents, the audience, and to the participants. And for this gift I must say thank you! Thank you for all the hours of practice and dedication. Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for persevering when you wanted to give up. Thank you for using the talent God gave you to bless others. Thank you for creating a musical moment that brought tears, laughter, goosebumps, surprise, and JOY! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Hello from All-State!

We had three separate rehearsals today totaling 7 1/2 hours of hard work and amazing musical moments. The director has a unique style of bringing together all 600 voices for one purpose. At the end of every rehearsal, students are invited to stand up and give their comments and compliments to all or parts of the choir. One student shared, "When we all sing together, it's like nature calling."

We ate dinner at the famous Hickory Park Restaurant with some special family guests. We would like to thank the Music Boosters for their generosity in paying for our meals while we're at All-State. Becca McLeran from Exira is joining us in our All-State experience. She's the fist All-State Chorus member from her school, and a private student of Mrs. Nichols.

Tomorrow we'll have three more rehearsals, and a concert at 7:30 p.m. at Hilton Coliseum on the ISU campus in Ames. We're proud to represent CAM at the most prestigious selective choir in the state.

by Jenna Karas and Mrs. Nichols

Three Performances in 4 Days!

I'm so proud of my students. They did a wonderful job at the Variety Show- the culmination of months of creating, planning, rehearsing, waiting, and work! They had fun and want to do it again! And then, before they (and myself) were fully recovered from that big weekend, we were off to spend the day singing at the Conference Vocal Festival at Payton-Churdan! We represented our school very well. Besides the facts that we were among the best prepared and had one of the best individual school performances (even though they are entirely sick of "Rock This Town") there are at least two more things that make me smile: We had 9 students audition for solo spots, (5 were chosen), AND our entire bass section was moved to the back of the choir by the director so they could lead the rest of the basses. Pretty cool. Also pretty cool was what happened during a break when they were testing our accompaniment CD in the gym sound system. My exhausted, talented, heroic students (many of whom were relaxing by sitting or laying on the floor) heard "their song" and immediately jumped up and began singing and dancing!! I'm just so proud.

Ps.
In the pictures, you can see the blue-shirted bass section and the soloists.

Wow- Four in All-State

Unbelievable, really. And a testament to the hard work that all who auditioned put forward to be prepared for audition day. The commitment that these students show is amazing and it humbles me. They are juggling jobs, sports, cheerleading, dance, family commitments, variety show preparation, and I'm told they even have other subjects they are taking that require homework!! :)

Let me just give you an idea of what kind of practicing it takes to be ready to sing seven college level choral pieces PERFECTLY with beautiful tone and expressive musicianship WITHOUT the benefit of a piano or someone else singing your part: At least two All-State camps, some of which are in August before school even begins; practice at home with a part-learning CD; early morning practice; and DAILY practice with your group. Thanks, students. Thanks for sacrificing vacation, Saturdays, sleep, time, and personal desires. You make my job a joy. Most of the time. :)

Homecoming Soup Supper

It seems a bit early to be trotting out the High School Music students for a community performance but we are going to give it our best shot. We have a record number of kids in the program this year, which I attribute to the Variety Show we are creating. It's amazing that the students are so excited about this wonderful process and I'm glad because their energy gives me energy!
Bring your family and help the Music Boosters raise money for their projects (see article below). Homecoming Coronation September 24. Soup will be served beginning at 5:00. The HS Band and Chorus will perfom at 6:15, and the Coronation starts at 7:00. THANKS!



CAM MUSIC DEPARTMENT THANKS COMMUNITY

Miss Rudolph, Mrs. Nichols, and Mr. Berry would like to thank the Anita, Cumberland, and Massena communities for their generous support of our programs in the last year. Without your contributions that you place in the donation bowl or box at every concert, the music programs at all three schools would look very different. For example, at the High School the money goes towards costuming, set construction, scholarships, instruments, celebratory parties and field trips to encourage and reward participation, sound equipment, a digital camera, and food allowances for the All-State Honor Music Festival. T-shirts have been purchased at the Middle School and Elementary School for marching band and the summer musical, along with portable keyboards and other supplies. Last year, we purchased 2 ear piece microphones and sent the band on an overnight trip, among other things. This year, our first purchases will include a digital camcorder, some costuming for the HS Vocal Mixed Ensemble, and some band equipment. The music boosters (an elected board of 8 volunteer parents) collect and administer the funds and would like to join the music staff in thanking the community for supporting music in our schools.

Performing with the Stars!

The ideas are flowing and the creativity is kicking into high gear! I was stuck for a while myself, but now we are rolling! Here are just a few of the ideas kicking around. Our students may impersonate some of the following famous entertainers- rock star, rapper, dancer, rock and roll icon. We may recruit some students from the student body to be "guest performers". It is even rumored that the Spice Girls may make a guest appearance! We are currently negotiating with two former CAM'S Got Talent stars who may decide to reappear, and conducting auditions for the host and judges positions. There may even be some audience participation and who knows how many parents will find themselves on stage?
I love watching the kids take ownership of this amazing procedure and being surprised at what happens. Right now, they are a little nervous about it. But soon we will have more potential acts than we have stage time! Put the first weekend in November on your calendar- you are not going to want to miss this!

2009 Variety Show Theme Announced!

Performing with the Stars!!!

The hit show "Dancing with the Stars" has inspired us to create a variety show that will include many of the same elements. As the students create this show, they will be looking for "stars" of several kinds: alumni, faculty, and impersonators! These stars, along with their young partners, will sing, dance, act, and be funny. Our creative students will build their show around these "stars", their partners, and the drama that accompanies them. Mark your calendars now! You won't want to miss CAM's version of "PERFORMING WITH THE STARS!!!"