2013 Band Camp BBQ and Show

Tonight was a great night to be a Mustang, as the football program and the Marching Mustangs shared the stadium turf to present their culminating show and to scrimmage.

Close to 300 friends and family of the Marching Mustangs gathered for a BBQ at which the individual student sections presented section spirit cheers, with the competition being won by the color guard.  After the social gathering, the crowd and band moved to the stadium to present the field show in between the sophomore and varsity football scrimmages.  The Marching Mustangs 2013 Competition Show is titled "Artistry in Time," and features the music of iconic American jazz composers and performers Dave Brubeck and Stan Kenton.  Including selections like Take Five and Blue Rondo ala Turk, this show is certain to be a crowd favorite during the course of the season.

After the Marching Mustangs performance, the JV and Varsity football coaches and teams joined the Marching Mustangs to sing and play the South High School alma mater, a collaboration which will take place after every home football game during  this season.

Kudos and congratulations to the students and staff associated with the Marching Mustangs.  The hard work and long hours invested during Band Camp was evident in the quality of the sonic and visual performance tonight.

2013 Marching Mustangs Band Camp

Under the auspices of picture-perfect weather conditions, the 2013 Marching Mustangs began their 2013 Band Camp today.  Although this performance ensemble has already logged over 90 hours of rehearsal and performance time since the conclusion of the school year in June, the students and staff are digging in for an intensive week of visual and sonic preparations for the pending performance season.

The show this year, titled "Artistry in Time," will present visually and sonically the compositions of Dave Brubeck and Stan Kenton.  A show influenced by the stylistic elements inherent in jazz, this production is certain to be a crowd favorite throughout the fall.

Band Camp will culminate with a performance at half-time of the DGS Varsity Football Scrimmage.  The scrimmage begins at 7:15 PM on Friday, August 23, 2013 with the Marching Mustangs performance to follow shortly after the start of the scrimmage.  The public is cordially invited to attend both the scrimmage and the Marching Mustangs performance.

String Camp

Members of the District 99 Orchestra continued to refine their musical skills today as the inaugural D99 String Orchestra Camp participants prepare for tonight's recital.

Working with world-class professional string players, students have benefitted from elongated and in-depth rehearsals of chamber music, providing them with an opportunity not easily accessible during the busy pace of the academic year.

Inaugural D99 String Camp

Student musicians from the District 99 Orchestra gathered today to participate in the inaugural String Camp. The brainchild of D99 Orchestra director Jennifer Mullen, this camp will develop the musicianship and string performance skills of participating students through chamber music experiences coached by world class clinicians.

The camp will culminate with two events.  Musically, the chamber music ensembles will present an informal performance at the Johnson Auditorium at North High School at 7:00 PM on Thursday, August 8, 2013. From a community building perspective, the student musicians will conclude the week with a trip to Great America on Friday, August 9, 2013.

Kudos to the student musicians participating in this first ever camp in District 99, and kudos to Ms. Mullen for developing this experience for the string players in the District 99 Orchestra.