Students Visit Florentine Opera Center!

On Monday March 11, thirty Reagan Students from IB Music and all five choirs attended a workshop at the Florentine Opera Center in Riverwest.

Students learned about the background and musical features of the Florentine's upcoming performance of Benjamin Britten's chamber opera Albert Herring.  The opera company's four studio artists presented short scenes from the opera to set the stage.

The students also had the opportunity to interact with the costume and makeup designers for the show.  A few students got to experience stage make up and wig fitting just like the opera singers!

Fifty Reagan music students from all of the performing ensembles will be attending Albert Herring this Friday at Vogel Hall in the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Milwaukee.  Special thanks to Education & Outreach Coordinator Sarah Jones for creating and sustaining such a wonderful partnership with the Vera J. Zilber Music Department!

For more information on the Florentine Opera, please visit:
http://www.florentineopera.org/

Reagan students perform at WSMA Solo Ensemble Festival

This past Saturday, over 75 Reagan students participated in the WSMA Solo Ensemble festival at Rufus King High School. Students performed as soloists and ensemble members in class A, B and C entries throughout the day. Also, numerous Reagan music students came out to watch performances and support the musical efforts of their peers.

Special congratulations goes out to the following group and soloists who received a superior 1* rating and will advance to the WSMA state festival at UWM on April 27th:

Reagan HS Chamber Choir (Madrigal)
Elizabeth Dannecker (Classical Voice)
Sara Diaz (Classical Voice)
Savannah Heigl (Classical Voice)
Michael Haubner (Musical Theater)
Kristin Valentin (Musical Theater)

BRAVO!

Music Department Student Leadership Team

The Music Department Student Leadership team is back in action this school year!  The group was formed three years ago to allow students to brainstorm ideas about the music department, promote service and volunteerism, plan events and promote music department spirit!  Every fall, the student leadership team's first task is to create a "music department mural" signed by all of the students in the department.  This year's theme is Dr. Seuss! Oh, the places we'll go this year as we make great music together!

To get involved in the Music Department Student Leadership Team, come out our weekly meetings at on Wednesdays from 3-4PM in room 136!  Also, you can find us on our Facebook Group!

REAGANFEST 2012

Our 4th annual Reaganfest was a huge success!  Hundreds of Reagan students came out to meeting new people, sign up for extra curricular clubs and activities and celebrate the new school year!  Reagan student musicians and DJs provided outstanding live music for the event.  Special thanks to Mr. Adam Murphy for coordinating this unique and exciting event!

Check out some great shots from Reaganfest below:

Welcome Back!

The Vera J. Zilber Music Department at Reagan High School is back in full swing for a new school year.  After starting our blogging adventure last year, we often found that we were so busy making music that we forgot to write about it.  We are hoping to be better about updating our community, parents and students about the exciting things we are up to during the 2012-2013 school year.  Before we launch into the new year, we thought we'd post a huge list of all of the great things that we accomplished last year from new community partnerships to exciting public performances.  We hope you enjoy our list!

Erica Breitbarth, Adam Murphy and Nick Johnson 
Reagan Music Teachers

EXTREME MAKEOVER: Take 2!

Last summer, 30 Reagan music students gave up a week of summer break to help renovate, clean, paint and organize the music department. Over the course of the week, previously run-down rooms transformed into beautiful spaces for music-making and learning. This summer, we spent another great week following up on projects from last summer and tackling some new projects such as:

• painting and construction on choral risers


• assembling and spray painting Wenger music chairs


• organizing music for the coming year


• assembling developmental workbooks


• wiring and cleaning practice rooms/recording studios


• and much much MORE!

Thanks to all of the students who came out to help this year!


Even our music department alumni Derrick Schaeffer and Victoria Ortiz came out to lend a helping hand!

Freshman Cassie Glad assembles music department Developmental Workbooks- an essential component of the IB Middle Years Program curriculum for the arts!

Thank you JOE VOITH!

Special thanks to the music department's "Carpenter in Residence" Joe Voith, Spanish teacher at RRHS! Over the past two years he has graciously offered to build some essential organizational tools for our music department. Last summer he built six music folder racks for our performing ensembles. This summer, he custom-built three beautiful wood guitar racks that will be the home for our new class set of guitars for music appreciation. The music department will benefit greatly from his efforts this coming year as Mr. Johnson starts a Guitar Club in the fall (more details to come). Thanks Joe!

Second Annual Music Department Awards

The Music Department hosted the second annual Music Department Awards Ceremony.  Recognition and honors were given to exceptional musicians, graduates, and rising stars.   The ceremony was followed by the customary Band versus Choir Dodge Ball Tournament and Ice Cream Social.  CHOIR upheld their reign as Dodge Ball Champions defeating the BAND for a second year in a row.  Mr. Murphy is currently hand selecting teacher referees for next years battle.

 

Seen above are graduating senior music department students.  Class of 2011 you will be missed!

Musical: School House Rock LIVE!

This year Reagan High School Performed our very first musical ever! School House Rock Live was a HUGE success, with over 700 audience members in attendance.

Next year's musical will be "THE BOYFRIEND"-- a 1920s british "spoof" musical! Performances will be January 27, 28 and 29.