Next year's musical is... Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat!

Post by Reagan Theatre.

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/

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

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

Marquette Choral Festival

On Monday February 4th, the Reagan Treble Choir participated in the Marquette Choral Festival. Students had the opportunity to work with Milikin University professor Brad Holmes.

Congrats WI Conservatory Scholarship Recipients!

Congratulations to five Reagan student musicians who received private lesson scholarships to the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music.  Each student submitted an application essay and teacher recommendation to be considered for this scholarship.  Students will receive weekly private lessons on her instrument/voice.  Also, this scholarship is renewable for all of her years at Reagan.  Thank you to the Partnership for the Arts, the WI Conservatory and Max Day for providing this incredible opportunity!

Maria Brant, harp
Samantha Grabowski, voice
Elizabeth Love, oboe
Alexandria Ortiz, voice
Kristin Valentin, voice

Construction of the set for musical is complete!

Thank you to Stage Crew advisor Nick Onorato and members of the Bye Bye Birdie cast and crew for their hard work on the set for the upcoming musical production January 25-27th. Come out to show your support and enjoy a great show!

Piano Club students perform first "mini recital"

The 14 piano club students finished up a successful semester of music study with a recital of their first pieces of piano repertoire! Congratulations students-- Your hard work and practice paid off! Special thanks to Adam Baus for his enthusiasm and dedication to this motivated group of young musicians.

Chamber Choir spreads holiday cheer!

The RRHS Chamber Choir sang the famous holiday tune "Carol of the Bells" 40 times in all of the student ELO classes today. In a time when students and staff are gearing up for finals, everyone was grateful for a little musical break!

Piano Club in full swing!

Sophomore music students practice their piano skills under the direction of Adam Baus. Piano club meets weekly and prepares students for the rigors of the IB Music curriculum.

IB Music students study the sounds of India

IB music student had the opportunity to interact with Indian tabla drummer and UWM professor Kevin Schley as a part of their world music unit.

Oh say can you see...

The Reagan High School Chamber Choir kicked off the Pulaski/Reagan homecoming football game this past Friday with a beautiful a cappella version of our national anthem. Bravo!