Rotary Music Scholarships Now Being Accepted! #99Learns

The Rotary Club of Downers Grove is now accepting applications for their annual Charles Dickerman Music Scholarship. 

Each year the Rotary Club of Downers Grove presents a $2,000 scholarship check to a deserving high school senior who resides in Downers Grove or the District 99 attendance area. Charles Dickerman was a founding member of the Rotary Club of Downers Grove.  He was a nuclear physicist at Argonne National Laboratory who had undergraduate degrees in both physics and music. Charles stayed involved in music throughout his life and was an avid bagpiper.

A scholarship application can be downloaded at www.dgrotary.com.

Applicants must have their forms postmarked by March 30, 2016. If selected as a finalist, candidates must be available for an interview and audition in the evening of April 19, 2016.

The qualifications to apply for this scholarship are:

·       Be a graduating senior attending a public, private, parochial or home school, and reside in Downers Grove or the High School District 99 attendance area. 

·       Plan to pursue a post-secondary education program.

·       Have participated in high school curricular music activities and/or extracurricular music activities. 

·       Composers and/or arrangers qualify for this scholarship. 

·       Pursuit of an undergraduate music major or minor is not required.

·       Financial need is not a criterion for selection.

Madrigal Singers at Chicago ACDA Convention #99learns #dgspride @Dist_99

Kudos and congratulations to the Madrigal Singers from South High School in Downers Grove for their stunning performance at the American Choral Directors Association Central Division Conference.  Performing for a capacity crowd of over 1,000 choral directors in the Grand Ballroom at the historic Palmer House Hotel, this fabulous student ensemble merited rave reviews from the choral music educators in attendance.  This is the second convention performance this year for the Madrigal Singers, having recently also performed at the 2016 IMEC in Peoria, Illinois.  Congratulations to this wonderful group of student musicians and their conductor Laura Coster - you made our school and community extremely proud today with your musicianship and ambassadorship!

Winter Band Concert - Wind Symphony and Wind Ensemble #99Learns #dgspride @DGS_Bands

Great concert tonight by the Wind Ensemble and Wind Symphony.  Special thanks to our guest soloist Trevor O'Riordan for reminding us what true artistry is in performance.   Repertoire ranging from Schoenberg to Anderson performed at a superior level.  This was a great night to be a Mustang!

If you were unable to be there tonight, or, you want to experience this fabulous performance once again, you can do so on the High School Cube:  CLICK HERE.  to view the re-broadcast.

2016 FOFA Summer Study Grants @DGS_Bands

Student Artists and Musicians:

If you are interested in continuing your fine arts studies this summer at a music or art camp, but need financial assistance to attend, please consider applying for a scholarship from Friends of Fine Arts, which annually supports over $3,000 in summer study grants to student musicians and artists.

To be considered, your application must be submitted by April 11, 2016. The Summer Study grant application is on a Google form, completely paperless.. You can complete the form here:  
FOFA SUMMER STUDY GRANT APPLICATION.  You must be logged in with your District 99 e-mail to access and utilize the form.

Questions about the application process? Please ask Mr. Williams, Downers Grove South Fine Arts Department Chairman at gwilliams@csd99.org.

2016 Walgreens Expressioins Gallery Tour #99learns #dgspride

"Accept Me" - Sydney Antiporek, artist

Mustang artist Sydney Antiporek was  selected to be featured in the 2016 Walgreens Expressions Gallery Tour. Sydney's submission was chosen out of thousands of entries to be a part of our citywide school tour that begins in April.  Congratulations to Sydney and her mentor teacher Ms. Lynn!

Winter Bands Concert #1 - TONIGHT!!! #99learns #dgspride @DGS_Bands

Join us tonight in the auditorium at South High School at 7 PM for the first of two Winter Band concerts.  Tonight features the Wind Symphony and Wind Ensemble.  Repertoire includes works by Schoenberg, Ticheli, Markowski, Giroux and Stephenson.  Trevor O'Riordan, clarinet, will be the featured guest artist performing Carl Maria Von Weber's Concertino.  

If you are unable to join is in the auditorium at South, please join us virtually on the High School Cube by CLICKING HERE.

DG Music Club - Current Seniors Scholarship Opportunity

This is to announce the availability of the Downers Grove Music Club (DGMC) College Music award.  The application is available via the website for the DGMC, http://downersgrovemusicclub.org.  The College Music Award information and application is available in the Educational Opportunities section of the website or it can be accessed directly at this link:  http://downersgrovemusicclub.org/scholarships_college.html.  Email inquiries may be made to the following address:  musiced@downersgrovemusicclub.org. 

Please make this monetary award opportunity available to all Seniors enrolled in music during this academic year, at both South and North.  Up to Two awards will be given and each recipient will receive $1,000.  As outlined in the actual application, the requirements of the application are as follows:

• Purpose:  to recognize up to TWO District 99 High School Music students for excelling at a high level of achievement;
• Eligibility:  high school Seniors enrolled and graduating during this academic year, who are actively involved in music in District 99 and who will be attending college in the fall, are eligible to apply.  These students need NOT be pursuing a music degree program at their chosen college;
• How to Apply:  complete the written application, along with a required recording;
• Selection Criteria:  the merit of the applicant’s musical accomplishments and the quality of the applicant’s musical performance.
• Award Notification:  the announcement of the College Music Award recipients will be made at the spring awards ceremonies at both Downers Grove North and South.

The application must be submitted either via hardcopy, postmarked no later than April 1, 2015.  Or it must be submitted electronically with a date and time stamp of no later than 11:59 pm April 1, 2015. 

• mailing address:  Downers Grove Music Club, Attn: DGMC College Music Awards, P.O. Box 551, Downers Grove, IL  60515

• email address:  musiced@downersgrovemusicclub.org

Downers Grove Music Club Scholarship Opportunities

Downers Grove Music Club Rising Stars Music Awards

This is to announce the availability of the Downers Grove Music Club Rising Stars Music Awards.  The application is available via the website for the DG Music Club.  The website address is http://downersgrovemusicclub.org/.  The Music Award information and application is available in the Educational Opportunities section of the website or it can be accessed directly at this link:  http://downersgrovemusicclub.org/scholarships.html 

Email inquiries may be made to the following address:  musiced@downersgrovemusicclub.org. 


Please make this monetary award opportunity available to all Juniors enrolled in music at both South and North.  Six awards will be given and each recipient will receive $400 toward furthering their musical education through continued study during the summer.  As outlined in the actual application, the requirements of the application are as follows:

• Purpose:  to recognize SIX District 99 High School Music students for excelling at a high level of achievement;
• Eligibility:  current high school Juniors who are actively pursuing music are eligible to apply;
• Requirement:  the award recipients are required to perform the following year at the Downers Grove Music Club’s Rising Stars program scheduled annually in April;
• How to Apply:  complete the written application, along with a required recording;
• Selection Criteria:  the merit of the applicant’s musical accomplishments and the quality of the applicant’s musical performance.
• Award Notification:  the announcement of the Rising Stars Music Award recipients will be made at the spring awards ceremonies at both Downers Grove North and South.

The application must be submitted either via hardcopy, postmarked no later than April 1, 2016.  Or it must be submitted electronically with a date and time stamp of no later than 11:59 pm April 1, 2016.  

• mailing address:  Downers Grove Music Club, Attn: Rising Stars Music Awards, P.O. Box 551, Downers Grove, IL  60515
• email address:  musiced@downersgrovemusicclub.org

Last year we tested the response to allowing applicants to submit an optional audio/video recording of a musical performance.  Given the overwhelming positive response (the vast majority of the applicants submitted recordings), we have made this a required component of the application.  

Last year's winners are performing on Tuesday, April 5th at 7:30 pm.  The location is Four Corners Community Church, 8251 Lemont Road in Darien.  Faculty, friends and family are welcome to attend this exciting event.

Winter Pep Assembly #dgspride @DGS_Bands @DGSFineArts

We've got spirit.  Yes, we do!