Chamber Choir Carols at Reagan IB!

Fall Choir Concert is a Huge Success!

Our Fall choir concert had an impressive turnout of family and friends last Thursday. The Reagan choirs showed off their hard work, singing in over 5 languages and performing works from every musical time period. Kohls Cares teamed up to help our bake sale be a success as well. Thanks to all who made this night special! Please join us Decber 5th for our band and orchestra concert!

Composer Eric Barnum Visits IB Music

Eric Barnum, choral composer and Director of Choral Activities at UW-Oshkosh visited the IB Music classes this past Tuesday. Students learned about the composition process first-hand and got to show off their work. Thank you Eric Barnum for coming to speak with us! Come visit Reagan again soon!

La Traviata!

Reagan Music Students attended opening night of the Florentine Opera's La Traviata on Friday, November 8th.  Over 50 students enjoyed the performance, and we were thrilled to have a warm welcome written to us on the translation screen!  Some of the students' favorite parts included the aria "Sempre Libera" at the end of Act 1, the beautiful dresses worn during the party scenes, and the colorful, symbolic set.  The IB Music students also appreciated the pre-concert lecture.  This was many students' first time at the opera, and what a great performance to be introduced with!  Thank you so much Sarah Jones for this opportunity, and we are so excited for La Boheme this spring!

Piano Club Begins!

Piano club now includes a monthly meeting for all students as well as group and private piano lessons. Check out our awesome piano lab!

Mozart Sing Along with Anton Armstrong

Reaganfest!

Mayrelix

The Triple Jets

Bake sale!

Khemphet

Darrin and Antoine

Alex's Band

DJ Club!

Phoenix

"Drizzy Rain"

"Austin Star"

Jullian

Radio Reagan Student DJ's Takeover Energy 106.9 Airwaves

Seven Radio Reagan student DJ's traveled to the Energy 106.9 studios after winning the High School TAKEOVER contest.  Accompanied by their fearless advisor, Mr. Adam Carr, the students recorded voice overs that were broadcasted over the airwaves to the entire city of Milwaukee.  A special thanks goes to student DJ Zech for entering the contest for Radio Reagan.

Three Large Ensembles Perform at WSMA District Concert Festival

Advanced Band, Intermediate Band, and the String Orchestra represented Reagan High School on Friday April 12th at the MPS District Concert Festival.  Sponsored by the Wisconsin School Music Association and located at the state of the art Milwaukee Youth Arts Center, Concert Festival is an opportunity for our students to perform for a panel of three adjudicators who provide detailed feedback and an overall rating. 

All three of our ensembles reached new heights and we are proud of their accomplishments!

Advanced Band

Premire Class A Contest Festival performance!

(II rating)

Intermediate Band

DEBUT Concert Festival performance! 

(II rating in Class B)

String Orchestra

DEBUT Concert Festival performance!

(II rating in Class B)

Music Dept. Student Teacher: Heidi Robertson

My name is Heidi Robertson, and I'm a Music Education student at UW-Oshkosh.  I have spent the past nine weeks in Ronald Reagan's music department student teaching and have learned so much about how to teach as well as the urban environment.  I specifically chose Milwaukee Public Schools for my student teaching experience because I hope to work in the district upon graduation, but I wanted to get a glimpse into the urban education setting before starting the job hunt.  I was so thrilled to work with these dedicated and enthusiastic students as well as the knowledgeable and effective teachers.

During my time at Reagan, I worked with each of the choral ensembles as well as two Music Appreciation classes.  Upon arrival, I was blown away by the rigor of the IB curriculum.  The students in the ensembles as well as IB Music classes were more prepared for collegiate ensembles than I was at their age.  The students were warm and welcoming and challenged me as a teacher. 

I began my student teaching experience during the week before the musical, which meant long rehearsals after school.  The students immediately made me feel at home during these rehearsals, and I got to know them quite well during that week.  I was very impressed by the musical and the talent of the students.  It was a fun way to begin my experience at Reagan!

During the course of the nine weeks working with Ms. Breitbarth, I learned how to build a strong choral program by observing all that she has done.  Her thorough and challenging aural skills and theory curricula encourages strong musicianship from the moment a beginning singer walks through the door.  I learned what I called “Ms. B’s Keys to the Kingdom,” or how to create a thriving choral program.  I was amazed by the portfolio-based assessment the students are graded by, and I couldn’t help but become a believer in the power of solfege syllables when learning a piece of music.

Mr. Johnson had a large impact on my teaching style as well as he mentored me in Music Appreciation.  He gave me the chance to create my own long-term project in his Music Appreciation classes.  After class, he shared many of his experiences teaching in MPS and gave me valuable perspective for my future career in the district.  The students in these classes were a joy to work with as well, challenging me with their fresh approach to teaching music through the lens of popular music.

I also had the opportunity to work with the students as they prepared for WSMA Solo and Ensemble.  The students were very prepared for the competition before I arrived, but I helped with some of the polishing aspects before their final performance.  I continued to build relationships with the student throughout the coaching sessions after school, strengthening my bond and love for this school.  The students sang extremely well and I was very proud of their hard work!  

Though my time at Ronald Reagan has come to an end, I look forward to seeing he students again at their concert on April 30^th.  It will be such a joy to listen to the polished pieces that I helped them learn and catch up with them after the concert.  I also look forward to seeing their individual endeavors displayed at the upcoming Gallery Night. I am very grateful for the friends I have made and the things I have learned with Ronald Reagan High School’s Music Department. 

Heidi Robertson

Music Education Student

UW Oshkosh class of 2013

PianoArts Winner 2012 Sahun Hong performs at Reagan!

PianoArts is a biennial international piano competition held in Milwaukee at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. The 2012 winner Sahun (Sam) Hong recently visited Reagan this past Friday to perform and interact with our piano club students and other members of the Reagan music department. Students had the opportunity to ask Sam questions about life as a musician, practice/performance tips and much more! Special thanks to PianoArts founder Sue Medford for coordinating this wonderful event!

You can find out more about PianoArts on their website:  http://www.pianoarts.org/

IB Students Present in Annual Composer's Forum

The IB Music Higher Level and IB Music Standard Level- Creating students presented their original musical compositions to a group of 30 music students. The young composers presented 3-6 minute pieces in various musical styles and instrumentations and received comments and feedback from their peers. These talented students used various compositional programs such as Noteflight, Mixcraft and AbeltonLive to complete their unique projects. Their written notation, mp3 audio and artistic statements will be sent off for moderation and will contribute to their overall IB college credit!

IB Music Guest Lecturer: Derrick Hahn

In IB Music 1 today, senior Derrick Hahn stepped in as teacher to guide students through a study of Romantic era piano music. Derrick provided his peers with an interactive analysis of the thematic development in Chopin's Ballade no. 4.

Here are a few pictures of Derrick in action:

BRAVO IB Music 2 Students!

Last night, four of Reagan's finest senior musicians presented a recital of solo music on their instruments.  Recordings of their performances in the recital constitute 25% of their overall IB Higher Level score for college credit.  Over 70 friends, staff, parents and community members came out to support these students in their outstanding musical efforts. Students also wrote detailed program notes describing the musical features and historical context of each piece performed in the recital.   Special thanks to Adam Baus for his outstanding accompaniment skills in the performance!

The repertoire performed on the recital is listed below:

Now, O Now, My Needs Must Part  by John Dowland  (1563-1626)

When To Her Lute Corina Sings  byThomas Campion  (1575-1619)

Bist Du bei Mir by Johann Sebastian Bach (1680-1750)

Liebst du um Schönheit     by Clara Schumann  (1819-1896)

Caro Mio Ben by Giuseppe Giordani (1744-1798)

Pur Dicesti by Antonio Lotti  (1667-1740)

The Ash Grove  arr. Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)

The Sky Above The Roof   by Ralph Vaughan Williams  (1872- 1958)

 I Dreamed A Dream  by Claude-Michel Shönberg  (1944-      )

Blanca Martinez,  mezzo-soprano

Minuet in G Major  by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)   arr. by Ryan Tedder  

Morgenstemnin   by Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)

I Dovregubbens Hall  by Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)

Time (Inception Theme)  by Hans Zimmer  (1957-       )

Come Sail Away  by Dennis DeYoung & Tommy Shaw

Strobe          by Joel Zimmerman (1981-        )  arr. Morgan Schultz

Morgan Schultz, piano

Romances op. 4 no. 5 by  Sergei Rachmaninoff  (1873-1943)

Trumpet Concerto in Eb Major Hob.VII, e. 1  by Joseph Haydn  (1732-1809)

          1.  Allegro

            II. Andante 

The Maid of The Mist       by Herbert L. Clark (1867-1945) 

El Torero  by  Stanley F. Thomas

 Roman Mariano, trumpet

Etude op 10 no. 4 in C sharp minor  by Frédéric Chopin  (1810-1849)

Prelude and fugue no. 22 in B flat minor  by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

from The Well Tempered Clavier book 1

Piano Sonata op. 10 no. 3 in D major  by Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827)

            1.  Presto

Ballade no. 4, op. 52  by Frédéric Chopin  (1810-1849)

Derrick Hahn, piano

Help Upgrade Our Theater!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE!

The Reagan Theater Department has been selected as a finalist in the NBC Smash Make a Musical Contest!

The 5 schools with the most votes (out of 30 national finalists) will receive a $3000 gift card from Lowes to improve their theater.  Anyone can vote (but only once a day) by visiting http://www.makeamusical.org/smash-make-a-musical/meet-the-schools/ and clicking on Ronald Reagan College Prep HS. 

(Please note that MPS staff and students should vote from their home computers since votes from the same IP address count only once per day.)

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/

Birdie Cast to Perform at the Skylight!

This past week the cast of Reagan's 2013 musical Bye Bye Birdie were invited to perform in the Skylight Opera Theater's High School Musical Showcase on May 21st at 7:30PM in the Third Ward.  The students will perform two selections from this year's production "Put on a Happy Face" and "Got a Lot of Livin' To Do."  The performance is open to the public ($10 adults, $5 Students).  We hope you will come out and support these talented Reagan students!

Alumni Guest Blogger: Emmitt Williams

I graduated from Reagan May of 2011. Not too long ago— just feels like it's been forever. Music after Reagan has been a continuum of creativity and making room to do what I love— music and collaborating with other artist just as I did in high school. Since my freshmen year of college until now, I have released two studio projects— one,  “Are You Listening Yet” during the summer of 2012 and released videos for the songs “Investments” and“Smile”. The second project I released December of 2012 is called "Until I'm a Dead Poet". My greatest music experience thus far in my college career took place last November: when I got a chance to collaborate with other musicians to help me perform "Are You Listening Yet?" live. After a lot of hard work and dedication, we all hit the stage— bass player, guitar player, vocalist, pianist/vocalist, drummer, violinist, me and another emcee. I was thrilled that the band was able to able to fill 160 seats with an overflow of people standing in the back. This hands down has been a pinnacle for me, but I know there are more thrills to come and new heights to reach as we are currently practicing for the live version of "Until I'm a Dead Poet". Music has also landed me a gig in Upstate New York for the first time. This was the first time music was the reason why I traveled outside the Midwest. It was a lot of fun!

Even as a hip hop and spoken word artist, IB music in high school has contributed a lot to my knowledge and appreciation for all types of music. I remember talking to a music major on campus last semester and [after telling him I was a hip hop artist], he was surprised I knew about John Cage and his 4:33 piece he did in silence. Although hip hop and jazz is more of my thing, thanks to 4 years of basic and advanced music classes, I'm well versed in music theory and history. Overall it just makes me a better artist. For anyone who wants to pursue music or any type of art as a career, I first want to let you know some people might not think it's the greatest idea in the world— especially people who you're close to like family. In some kind of strange way, I can see why they would feel that way. Music or art does not have to be your major because if it's a passion, you're always going to make room for it. If you're driven enough you'll even find ways to generate income from it. For those who want to major in music, art or some type fine arts remember, "Don't aim for success. If you want it, do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally"— one of my favorites from David Frost. It's my last and greatest piece of advice for you. One top of that, I hope to be visiting soon. Until then, I wish you all the best of luck with all of your academic and music endeavors.

If you have questions about anything, feel free to message me on Facebook or send me an email to emmitt.ames@gmail.com. I am also on Twitter (@Emmitt_James) for those who like to tweet it up!

Ps: you can also peep the last project here: http://emmittjames.bandcamp.com/album/until-im-a-dead-poet

Emmitt James

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Arts Management Major

Communication Minor

Creative Writing Minor

Reagan Alum, Class of 2011

IB Music Recital & Composer's Forum

Guest Alumni Blogger: Ruadhan Ward

Being a freshman music student has been quite the ride so far. The best word to describe it is unpredictable. The liberal arts college experience asks you to explore things in academia that you are passionate about, and that you think you might enjoy. You are asked to have an open mind and we don’t even decide what we major in until sophomore year. That’s what they tell us at least. I, on the other hand, walked into my freshman year thinking I knew what I was doing. I said that I wanted to be a vocal major, and now I’m walking out looking at majoring in ethnomusicology. On the way to realizing what it is that I’m passionate about, I’ve had some really cool musical experiences, that are really amazing for my first year of college.

Because I started out wanting to be a vocal major, I took vocal lessons my first semester, with the fabulous and wonderful Rufus Muller. This experience was by far one of the most musically enriching experiences at Bard. To start, Rufus is an accomplished musician. I just finished performing with him in St. John’s Passion, and I can’t praise him more. (Check him out here, performing an aria from Handel’s Messiah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4WaTEZ7sH4) He has taught me so much about singing. In the four months I studied with him, I tapped into my vocal ability in ways I never thought I would. I never thought I could develop the range I did. The most important thing that was different from high school was the effort. Rufus expected me to practice outside of class and to give 110 percent during the lesson.

After my first semester, I decided to stop my lessons with Rufus, because my passion wasn’t there. I had remained open minded and realized that what I thought I wanted to do, wasn’t what I wanted. Along with being my vocal professor, Rufus is also my advisor, someone who gives me advice on my academic choices, and he completely supported my choice to pursue other interests. That’s the cool thing about a place like Bard; I can change everything and it’s okay. You’re allowed to find your vision. I loved Indian classical music and realized that I missed exploring the actual music: the analysis, the concepts, the history.

With this realization I decided in my second semester to take an ethnomusicology class. Ethnomusicology is the study of world music. The class, entitled Between Music, Art, and Anthropology, is by far one of the coolest things I’ve ever done. The class is a 300 level class, something usually reserved for juniors and seniors. That’s another thing I’ve learned in college: to have cool experiences, you need to take chances and grab the bull by the horns. The class description sounded really awesome, so I emailed the professor, explained why I wanted to take the class, and got in. Basically, the class is an exploration of how we create music and how other cultures view music. We’ve made our own musical instruments, we’ve listened to lots of music, and read lots of really awesome articles.

On the flip side of this very conceptual class is my music theory class. If you want to be a music major in college, you will probably need to take this class. You might groan and complain about some of the required courses, but they are required for a reason. MUSIC THEORY CAN BE SUCH A PAIN. MUSIC THEORY IS SO NECESSARY. I have learned massive amounts in my theory class. I can look at a Bach chorale and do a full chordal analysis of it, and understand why it sounds as amazing as it does. The class also involves ear training, which is really intense and improves your musical skills tenfold. We sing intervals, dictate rhythm and melodies, and learn to conduct. The theory classes give you a deeper understanding of music and you come out of it a better musician.

Last, but not least, the question you’re all waiting for........what’s college choir like? Answer? AMAZING. I am very, very lucky to be at a school with such accomplished musicians doing lots of awesome music. I’m in the Bard College Chamber Singers, which is less of a chamber group and more of a group of elite singers. We’ve sung with the Collegiate Chorale and the American Symphony Chorus, which resides at Bard. Our director is James Bagwell, and he is an absolutely fantastic conductor. His understanding of music is so intense and he is just so dang personable and funny. My first week in the group was probably one of the most overwhelming experiences ever. We walked in, opened up our scores, and started sight singing. The pace at which we learn our music is furiously fast. Learning and performing is such a rewarding experience.

So far we’ve performed Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, Beeethoven’s Mass in C, and Bach’s St. John’s Passion. We’ll be starting work on Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 this week. The Mahler No. 8 was performed at Carnegie Hall, which was definitely as magical as it sounds. Here’s a picture of me on stage at this famous venue:

We just finished this weekend performing St John’s passion, and it was so glorious. We had two shows, singing for two and a half hours, a lot more than the choir concerts at Reagan! It’s really refreshing working with professional musicians, graduate students, and your peers on these massive works of music. The performances were quite moving, and there were sections of the piece where I almost broke down. We work so long on these complicated pieces and you gain a real understanding of the music and a connection with it. There’s nothing quite so gratifying as singing with a group of people who are all there to make really beautiful music at a professional level.

Amidst all of this, I keep hearkening back to what the IB taught me. Getting to Bard made me realize how actually helpful that whole process is. The IB makes you be proactive and set goals for yourself. It encourages you to be passionate about something. The way I look at the world now is because of the eye opening mentality of the IB program. I’m going to tell you a secret now that it’s the beginning of March and most of you are finishing up projects and preparing for the tests: getting the diploma doesn’t matter. What really, really matters is the process. The process of creation, the process of learning and exploring, even the process of testing. You’re going to come out of it with a truly unique outlook on the world that is valued once you get to college. Just being able to listen to other people’s opinions and value them, whether you agree or not, is a skill that some people years older than you are still developing. The program really does put you light years ahead of others. Treasure that.

So here’s my advice, and it’s going to be a different opinion from what some people might be telling you right now. You can take it or leave it. Do what you’re passionate about. Follow the path that’s going to make you happiest. Make your own opportunities. Now’s the time to explore and take a hold of a lot of things that are only offered to you now. If you’re interested in something, try it, go for it. Risk taking will pay off in a big way. All in all, don’t give up, and keep on creating.

If anyone has any questions they want to ask me, or want more advice, feel free to message me on fb, or email me at rwardmusic@yahoo.com

Ruadhan Ward
Bard College, NY
Reagan Alum, Class of 2012

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!