music

After the Batavia City Schools entry into a NYS Lottery contest was disqualified, a group of parents were sharing their disappointment on Facebook when some suggested maybe there should be a local fundraiser for the music department.

Allison Chua said, "I can do that."

She's set up a fundraising page at First Giving.

While the page shows no funds raised yet, Chua said she has received $300 in checks and some parents have said they will donate when they get back from Spring Break vacation.

The NYS Lottery contest involved schools making a video of students singing "Thank You for Being a Friend." 

Students were very upset, Chua said, when the lottery disqualified their video after it had already been selected as a finalist and was leading, by a slim margin, in votes.

"This is a way for us to show them we do appreciate what they do," Chua said.

The grand prize for the contest was $10,000, but Chua said the parents are setting a modest goal of $2,500 for their fundraiser, which is equivalent to the third place prize in the contest.

To donate, visit the First Giving Web page. To donate by check, mail your check to Batavia City Schools Parent-Teacher Coalition, attention Allison Chua, 260 State St., Batavia, NY 14020. All donations will go to the music programs of the school district.

Batavia City Schools are among five finalists in the state for a $10,000 prize from the NYS Lottery. The contest is built around the idea of students saying thank you for the support of the lottery. Choirs produced a video for the song "Thank you for being a friend." The prize money would go to the school district's music program.

To vote, click here (you'll be asked to log into your Facebook account).

Members of the Genesee Symphony Orchestra are busy getting their act together for the GSO's concert Feb. 16 at St. James Episcopal Church in Batavia.

Tonight, the orchestra rehearsed at the First Presbyterian Church in Batavia.

Raffaele Ponti is the conductor and music director for the show, which will feature soloists Holly Bewley, a soprano, and pianist Isabelle Aubin (who were not part of tonight's rehearsal).

The program includes works by Leonard Bernstein, Mozart, Annunzio Montovani, Leroy Anderson, Schubert and John Williams.

Tickets are available at geneseesymphony.com as well as GO ART!, Roxy's Music and the Batavia Senior Center and in Le Roy at the Bank of Castile.

Top photo: Lynn Eberhardt, of Scottsville, on bass.

A violin in the hands of Jill Babinski.

Dave Funston, of Batavia, on drums.

Conductor and music director Raffaele Ponti.

Dave Porter, trombone

Rick Fleming will conduct the Genesee Symphony Orchestra in a holiday concert Sunday at St. Mary's.

The program features compositions by Leroy Anderson, Mozart, Bach and David Rose as well as a performance by the Oakfield-Alabama Elementary School Chorus, directed by Danielle Mileham.

The concert begins at 4 p.m.

Fleming is an associate professor of music and director of bands at Buffalo State. He is founding conductor of the Erie County Chamber Winds and conductor of the Buffalo Silver Brass Band.

These photos were taken at the orchestra's Friday night rehearsal.

Since 1971, the Genesee Chorale has been making beautiful music for the people of WNY. That tradition continues this month with two holiday concerts.

First, the Chorale performs a show entitled "Hail the Star" starting at 7 p.m., Friday, at Le Roy Jr./Sr. High School, 9300 South St.

Two days later, on Sunday at 3 p.m., the group performs in Albion at the First Presbyterian Church.

The 70 or so people who comprise the chorale have been traveling weekly to Batavia from the seven area counties of WNY to prepare for these concerts.

"We come from a lot of rural communities," said chorale president Maureen Degolyer. "Coming from a rural community, like I am from Castile, you have to be willing to travel a distance to do any quality music, and that's what we do here."

The Chorale is dedicated, she said, to providing audiences with the highest quality performance they could possibly hear.

"Our expectations are high and we don't do anything that isn't quality because nobody could stand it," Degolyer said. "We aim for quality and it is wonderful stuff."

The concert is a blend of traditional and contemporary songs.

A few of the selections are: “Jesus Loves Me,” which has a jazz influence and will be feature Dan Jones on the alto saxophone; “What Strangers Are These,” featuring Fran Woodworth on flute and Mike Teeling on acoustic guitar; and, a unique arrangement of “Jingle Bells” as made popular by Barbra Streisand.

For more information and tickets, visit www.GeneseeChorale.com. Tickets will also be available at the door.

Top photo, conductor Ric Jones.

Fran Woodworth

Maureen Degolyer

Mike Teeling

Bob Holley

Jones conducting, Woodworth on flute.

The chorale's rehearsal at St. James Episcopal Church in the community room.

GO ART! presented its annual Community Arts Awards Saturday at Terry Hills.

Above, The Humans, presented with a Community Arts Award for "making an indelible mark on music history in Orleans County and Western New York."

Here's a video of their song "Warning." 

[videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-4qHr-9MXI]

Barb Toal receives a Community Arts Award from Diana Kasten on behalf of the Friends of the Batavia Peace Garden. The award was for "dedication, drive and leadership in developing a unique cultural asset in the community."

Laura Gardner, owner of A lily & A Sparrow in Medina, with her award for "opening up new avenues of personal expression and creating a unique cultural experience in Medina."

Carol "Kay" McMahon, with Bill McDonald, who presented her award for "sharing musical and performing arts talent and encouraging the love of music in others." McMahon and McDonald then performed a song with their band The Old Hippies, which was also the house band for the night.

Mary Pat Hancock, chair of the County Legislature, was presented with a Special Recognition Award for her patronage and recognition of art and culture in Genesee County.

New this year is the Linda L. Blanchet Award, which consists of an award and a $500 scholarship for an artist from Orleans or Genesee county to assist the artist in the ongoing pursuit in art as a profession. The first winner was Joe Waszak, a fine art photographer from Orleans County. Examples of Waszak's work can be found on the Oak Orchard Review.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley was the emcee for the evening.

Not pictured, Howard Owens, publisher of The Batavian, who was presented with a Community Arts Award for "promoting the arts and cultural life in Batavia and integrating artistic visual imagery in reporting."

Taikoza, a group of musicians playing traditional Japanese music, with an emphasis on large drums, performed in GCC's Forum today as part of an "Experience Japan" program this quarter at the college.

Besides the music today, students and faculty could enjoy a lunch of sushi.

GCC attracts international students every year and this year, like previous years, there are a number of Japanese attending the college.

Batavia residents Will Jakes II and Julio Morales were outside the Pok-A-Dot this afternoon belting out a few tunes. It was a beautiful day. There's a bench outside the restaurant, so it seemed to them like a good place to hang out and jam.

BTW: Jakes recently welcomed his grandson into the world, Will Jakes IV.

Press release and photos submitted by Douglas R Mellentine:

The "Ghost Riders Drum & Bugle Corps" based in Batavia, NY, took home the coveted "1st Place World Title" in the "Mini Corps" competition. The Drum Corps Associates World Championships were held at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium this past Labor Day weekend in Annapolis, Md.    

The "Ghost Riders" were formed in 1996 to compete in the "DCA World Championships." This is the 18th consecutive appearance for the "Ghost Riders" -- a record that may never be broken by anyone else. They own two 1st Place titles, the first in 2000 and now again 2013.  

Many hours of preparation went into achieving this goal. They defeated the reigning Champion "Star United" from Indianapolis, an undefeated corps, who has held the title for the past six years. This year was no exception for them, "Star United" was on their game as well.

Special mention must go to the following for their contributions to this achievement. 

First, a Huge Thank You to the membership who have worked so hard to make this a reality.

Second, special thanks to The Salvation Army of Batavia, who allow us to use their facility for winter rehearsals. 

Third, Thank You to Donny Allen our music arranger and instructor, who painstakingly gets us to a level we need to be, in order to achieve such a lofty goal. 

And finally, thanks to the neighborhood near Clinton Street and Grandview Terrace, who through the summer months, hear the sounds of music coming from GRC (Ghost Riders Central) in the backyard at 63 Clinton St.

As director and founder of "Ghost Riders Drum & Bugle Corps," I could not be happier.  Not only to win this title, but to observe the friendships and camaraderie this fine group of individuals has developed throughout the years. As we always say "GO GHOST"!!!