Alexander Central School hosted its second annual Jazz Invitational on Thursday night, which featured performances of Alexander's brass band, the Alexander Jazz Cadets (photos), and the Alexander Jazz Experience, along with a performance by the Warsaw Jazz Ensemble.
The Elba Central School Drama Club presents "Spotlight: A Night at the Movies" tomorrow at 7 p.m. The show is a review of music associated with Hollywood and the movies.
Press release:
The Batavia Concert Band will be returning for their 93rd season of public concerts in Batavia’s Centennial Park (rain venue is the Stuart Steiner Theater at Genesee Community College).
Concerts will be held at 7 p.m. on June 27, July 11, July 18, July 25, Aug. 1, and Aug. 8, as well as the ever-popular July 4th Picnic in the Park sponsored by GO ART!
The July 25th concert will feature percussionist Christopher Taylor, Alexander Central School District Music teacher, as part of the Pam Frisby Memorial Concert Series.
The band will also perform a special tribute concert on Aug. 1st in memory of Neil Hartwick, made fully possible with memorial donations. Hartwick was a longtime and beloved music teacher at Batavia and Brockport whose former students have and continue to play in the Batavia Concert Band. In addition, he was a good friend of the Batavia Concert Band, and his former students have been invited to join the band for this tribute concert.
The Batavia Concert Band’s repertoire has something for everyone: marches; Big Band and swing numbers; popular songs from musicals and movies; rock favorites; classical adaptations, and everything in-between.
The Band consists of 45-55 brass, woodwind and percussion players ranging from talented high school students to 60-year veterans. Many have professional experience, others are advanced amateur musicians, but one thing is for sure -- all love to play!
Returning for his sixth season as conductor is John Bailey, Instrumental Music teacher at Lyndonville Central School.
The July 4th Picnic in the Park concert will be conducted by Joshua Pacino.
Founded in the early 1920s, the Batavia Concert Band has brought musical pleasure to the region every year except World War II.
Concerts are currently supported and funded in part by GO ART!, local businesses, program advertisers, and individual patrons. The City of Batavia graciously supplies chairs for musicians, while Genesee Community College generously donates rehearsal space and a rain venue.
The Band also sponsors 50-50 raffles at every concert, bake sales, and other fundraisers. Individuals or businesses interested in supporting the Band should contact a Board member at any concert.
The Batavia Concert Band is also excited to announce WBTA 1490 as the Official Media Sponsor for our 2018 summer concert series! Be on the lookout for appearance by band members on WBTA’s “Main & Center” program, where we will go into some depth about the band’s makeup and its history. Also be listening for weekly radio ads promoting the musical selections for the upcoming concerts, and announcing our weekly sponsors.
Downbeat for regular season concerts is 7 p.m., Wednesday evenings, in Centennial Park, Batavia. (* In the event of rain, concerts will move to Genesee Community College’s Stuart Steiner Theatre. Notices will be posted at the NW corner of Centennial Park, announced on WBTA radio AM1490, posted on http://TheBatavian.com, and on the Batavia Concert Band’s website http://bataviaconcertband.net.
All concerts are fully funded by local businesses and sponsors and are open to music lovers of all ages. Light refreshments are available. Bring your family and friends, lawn chairs or a blanket, and enjoy. We’ll meet you in the park!
This project is made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and administered by GO ART!
For more information on the Band, how to sponsor, etc. see http://bataviaconcertband.net
The American Warrior Concert at The Ridge NY in Le Roy is a two-day festival celebrating and honoring veterans that includes music, activities, and access to services for veterans.
The first few photos are of the band Ball Cheeze Psychotics, as a picture of Tetelestai and of Zach Burgess. In all, more than two dozen musical acts played on the two stages set up for the event.
On Friday, June 15th, national recording artist Jason Michael Carroll will headline the Country Jam in Le Roy to support the great research efforts of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).
Special guests Eric Van Houten and Eric Van Houten will join this great benefit party along with Rebel's Posse. Concert starts at 2 p.m.
As always, this is a family friendly event, so children are welcome and FREE.
Special-priced lawn tickets are just $10, and VIP with a seat provided just $15 when purchased in pairs. A $2 donation will be made to JDRF Rochester for each of these special tickets purchased.
See a great show and do some good for JDRF. GET TICKETS HERE
The Ridge NY has an outdoor, open-air, concert venue with amazing sound. Bring the children to build memories with activities and even a bounce house.
"The Ridge NY" Team
www.TheRidgeNY.com
8101 Conlon Road
Le Roy, NY 14482
(585) 768-4883
Press release:
Sunday, May 13th, is Jazz Sunday at the First Presbyterian Church in Batavia. It is located at 300 E. Main St.
Hosting the local jazz group, DSP, the church will sing such favorites as "Precious Lord," "Take My Hand" and "When the Saints Go Marching In."
The jazz combo will play before church and during the coffee hour afterward.
The Sanctuary Choir will sing "Wade in the Water" with their accompaniment.
Come at 10:30 a.m. for the pre-service music and stay through coffee hour for an inspiring time of worship and fellowship led by Pastor Roula Alkhouri.
Sunday's Genesee Symphony Orchestra concert in the auditorium at Elba Central School will feature soloist Mimi Hwang on cello performing Elgar's "Concerto for Cello & Orchestra in E-minor."
Hwang, a resident of Brighton, winner of both the Banff and the Evian International String Quartet Competitions. She has performed with such quartets as Tokyo, Colorado, and Ciompi at Duke University in North Carolina, and was a participant of both Beijing and Los Angeles philharmonics. She also played at the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra.
The orchestra, under the direction of S. Shade Zajac, will also perform Wagner's "Siegfried's Death & Funeral March," Howard Hanson's "Symphony No. 2 'Romantic,' " and Holst's "St. Paul's Suite for String Orchestra."
The concert, "Romantic Masterpieces," begins at 4 p.m.
Tickets are available through geneseesymphony.com, GO ART!, Roxy's Music Store, The YNGodess Shop, and Smokin' Eagle BBQ & Brew in Le Roy.
Press release:
As he began the process of putting together this spring’s concert program, all Genesee Chorale Director Ric Jones could sense was turmoil in the world. He felt that there was a large divide in the world, a divide that seemed to grow larger every day. He wanted to counteract that divide and encourage people to embrace unity and peace.
Thus was born “The Call of Humanity,” a mix of contemporary, Gospel, choral and classical music, including the debut of one piece written specifically for the Genesee Chorale.
“I tried to do a variety of mini-themes within the program,” says Jones. “Prayer,” in the words of Mother Teresa, is about helping the needy. Other selections, such as “We Shall Overcome,” “Harriet Tubman” and “MLK,” address civil rights and some of the mega figures who have had an impact on that movement. The lyrics of “Across the Bridge of Hope” come from a poem written by a group of young friends in Ireland; one of the boys was killed in the fighting shortly after their poem was written.
Two pieces form the foundation of the concert program, “Song of the Universal” by Ola Gjeilo from a Walt Whitman poem, and “The Waking,” written for the Genesee Chorale by Composer-in-Residence Daniel Baldwin from a Theodore Roethke poem.
“Song of the Universal” was the first piece to “grab” Jones as he went through the selection process. “The text is beautiful,” he said, “and I love the composer. I kept going back to it. I decided I’d make it the centerpiece.”
“The Waking” stems from Jones’ desire to find “something different that inspires the Chorale and brings the community into Chorale.”
Luckily, GO ART! grant money was available, so, with the blessing of the Chorale’s Board, Jones began the fun and frustrating process of choosing text and composer for an original piece. He and his wife, Karen, pored over “a ton of different poems,” but kept coming back to Theodore Roethke’s famous poem. “I liked the rhythm in the text,” says Jones, “and I like the overall message.”
The text was also an inspiration for Baldwin, the composer chosen by Jones.
“The majority of text chosen for me to set is older and in the public domain,” Baldwin said in an e-mail interview. “The poem (Jones) sent was contemporary and very well done, but also spoke to me in a way I was not expecting. When writing vocal or choral music, text is the most important element and must flow naturally (speech, even conversational speech, has its own rhythms, etc.).”
For Baldwin, the text is the beginning.
“I always write out the poem by hand and apply rhythms to the text based on what feels natural when reading the poem aloud,” he said. “Then, based on the message and perceived mood of the poem, I assign themes to these rhythms, harmonize, etc. It’s a process!”
Baldwin hopes that people “read through the wonderful text in advance of hearing the piece. A vocal or choir performance is the musical equivalent to a dramatic reading. I set the poem how I heard it and how the text affected me. I hope the audience enjoys my interpretation.”
Jones has published some of Baldwin’s other works as part of his Imagine Music business.
“I love his music,” he said, “and I’ve watched him evolve. His music feels cinematic to me usually – that epic sound with grandiose chords. I wanted to see what he’d do with this text.”
What Baldwin did was surprise Jones.
“This was more on the contemporary side,” Jones said. “It is different than I expected, and the first time I heard it, I went ‘hmmm,’ but as I listened, there was something haunting about that motif.” It is, he notes, a challenging piece and Chorale members have had to work hard to prepare it for the concert.
Concerts are at 7 p.m. May 4 at St. James Church and at 4 p.m. May 6 at Pavilion Junior-Senior High School Auditorium, 7014 Big Tree Road., Pavilion. Presale tickets cost $8 and are available from Chorale members or online at GeneseeChorale.com. Tickets at the door cost $10.
Photos by Howard Owens.
Press release:
Last week, Live Nation announced "National Concert Week" will take place starting today, April 30, through May 8 with an exclusive $20 all-in ticket offer for fans to celebrate the kickoff to its biggest summer season.
The deal will include more than 1.5 million tickets to 2,000+ shows across Live Nation’s roster of summer tours including comedy, country, hip-hop, latin, metal, rock, pop, and more including several shows at Darien Lake Amphitheater.
For one week only, fans can get their hands on the $20 all-in tickets today at NCW.LiveNation.com, through Tuesday, May 8 at 11:59 p.m. local time.
Produced by Live Nation, National Concert Week is a time for artists and fans to celebrate their love of live music. To launch the week, Live Nation will hold a special media event in New York featuring dozens of their touring artists.
Tickets are available for $20 with no additional fees for more than 20 shows at Darien Lake this summer, including some of Live Nation’s most in-demand summer tours. Also returning for 2018, all paid concert tickets will include FREE same-day admission to Darien Lake Theme Park.*
A full list of participating shows is included below. Tickets available while supplies last.
The $20 Kickoff to Summer Sale includes these shows only at Darien Lake Amphitheater:
· Dead & Company – Tuesday, June 19th
· Zac Brown Band -- Sunday, June 24th
· Chris Stapleton – Thursday, June 28th
· Logic – Tuesday, July 3
· Lynyrd Skynyrd & more – Friday, July 13th
· Lady Antebellum – Saturday, July 21st
· Kesha & Macklemore – Sunday, July 22nd
· Godsmack / Shinedown – Tuesday, July 24th
· Vans Warped Tour – Wednesday, July 25th
· Slayer – Friday, Aug. 3
· Dierks Bentley – Saturday, Aug. 4th
· Chicago & REO Speedwagon – Tuesday, Aug. 7th
· Jason Aldean – Friday, Aug. 10th
· Rob Zombie / Marilyn Manson – Sunday, Aug. 12th
· Miranda Lambert / Little Big Town -- Thursday, Aug. 16th
· Kidz Bop Kids – Saturday, Aug. 18th
· G-Eazy – Friday, Aug. 24th
· Breaking Benjamin / Five Finger Death Punch -- Monday, Sept. 3
· Deep Purple / Judas Priest – Wednesday, Sept. 5th
· Niall Horan w/ Maren Morris – Friday, Sept. 7th
Please visit NCW.LiveNation.com.
Press release:
A dinner dance with music of the '40s, '50s, '60s, and a little bit of country, organized with Genesee County residents age 55 years and older in mind is scheduled for the evening of Thursday, May 31, at the Ascension Parish Center, 17 Sumner St., Batavia.
Presale tickets for the "Always on My Mind Dinner Dance" are $15 and available for purchase at the Senior Center, 2 Bank St., Batavia, through May 18 or until sold out. Tickets will not be available at the door.
Doors open at 4:30 p.m.; dinner service will begin at 5:30 p.m.; dancing and music start about 6:30.
The dinner menu is: black angus top round beef with mushroom sauce; roasted chicken breast with cornbread stuffing; rosemary roasted red potatoes, vegetable, green garden salad, fresh rolls and butter, beverages, crumb-topped (French) apple pie.
Ruth Spink, director at the Genesee County Office for the Aging, noted that, “As I was growing up, my folks would go out to dinner and dancing on a regular basis. Whether it was through church or my dad’s horse clubs, they’d be out on the dance floor every chance they got.
"When I was old enough and even beyond college, I’d join them. Restaurants all over the area had dance floors and bands playing. Sadly, those days are pretty well gone. Often, the only chance you get to have a meal and enjoy some good music and dancing is if you go to a wedding.
"We want to give people a chance to hear music of their era and feel those memories come rushing back.”
She also went on to say that, “This will be a fun evening whether you dance or not, have a date, come alone, or come with friends.”
Catering will be provided by Fred Hamilton; Chris Kalen will "spin the tunes"; and the Senior Center Quilters will be selling tickets for a chance to win a handmade patriotic quilt; and there will also be a basket raffle.
Further information is available by calling the Senior Center at 343-1611.
Below is a request for the DJ in advance -- The Chords' "Sh-Boom" from 1954.
Press release:
Batavia Middle School and High School ensembles will be performing at the 11th Annual Jazz Cabaret on Friday evening in the Batavia High School gymnasium beginning at 6:30.
Dessert, coffee and water will be served. A $5 donation is suggested.
Ensembles performing tomorrow evening include MS jazz and string ensembles, HS jazz and brass ensemble, string ensemble, beautyshop ensemble, saxophone and flute ensemble.
The event supports our music scholarships given out every year for our graduating seniors. Music students hope to see you there!
Submitted photo.
The world premier of "The Waking," a composition by Composer-in-Residence of the Genesee Chorale Daniel Baldwin, pictured left, is happening next month.
Baldwin will be available for a meet-and-greet with the public beforehand at 6 p.m. on Monday, April 30, at St. James Church on Main Street in Batavia. An open final rehearsal by the Genesee Chorale of “The Waking” will follow at 7 o'clock.
The work, commissioned by Genesee Chorale, will be featured in the Chorale spring concerts entitled "The Call of Humanity" at 7 p.m. May 4 at St. James Church, Batavia, and 4 p.m. May 6 at Pavilion Junior-Senior High School. Presale tickets are $8, available from any Chorale member or online at GeneseeChorale.com. Tickets at the door are $10.
World Turmoil vs. Unity and Peace
As Genesee Chorale Director Ric Jones began the process of putting together this concert program, all he could sense was turmoil in the world.
He said he felt that there was a large divide in the world, a divide that seemed to grow larger every day. He wanted to counteract that divide, and encourage people to embrace unity and peace.
Thus was born “The Call of Humanity,” a mix of contemporary, Gospel, choral and classical music, including the debut of one piece written specifically for the Genesee Chorale -- "The Waking."
“I tried to do a variety of mini-themes within the program,” says Jones. “In the words of Mother Teresa, 'Prayer is about helping the needy.' Other selections, such as 'We Shall Overcome,' 'Harriet Tubman' and 'MLK,' address civil rights and some of the mega figures who have had an impact on that movement."
Anchored in Poetry
The lyrics of "Across the Bridge of Hope" come from a poem written by a group of young friends in Ireland; one of the boys was killed in the fighting shortly after their poem was written.
Two pieces form the foundation of the concert program, "Song of the Universal” by Ola Gjeilo from a Walt Whitman poem, and Baldwin's “The Waking,” from a Theodore Roethke poem.
“Song of the Universal” was the first piece to “grab” Jones as he went through the selection process.
“The text is beautiful,” he said, “and I love the composer. I kept going back to it. I decided I’d make it the centerpiece.”
“The Waking” stems from Jones’ desire to find “something different that inspires the Chorale and brings the community into Chorale.” Luckily, GO ART! grant money was available, so, with the blessing of the Chorale’s Board, Jones began the fun and frustrating process of choosing text and composer for an original piece.
He and his wife, Karen, pored over “a ton of different poems,” but kept coming back to Roethke’s famous poem. (To read Roethke's poem "The Waking," click here.)
“I liked the rhythm in the text,” says Jones, “and I like the overall message.”
The text was also an inspiration for Baldwin.
“The majority of text chosen for me to set is older and in the public domain,” Baldwin said in an e-mail interview. “The poem (Jones) sent was contemporary and very well done, but also spoke to me in a way I was not expecting.
"When writing vocal or choral music, text is the most important element and must flow naturally (speech, even conversational speech, has its own rhythms, etc.).”
It Begins with Text
For Baldwin, the text is the beginning.
“I always write out the poem by hand and apply rhythms to the text based on what feels natural when reading the poem aloud,” he said. “Then, based on the message and perceived mood of the poem, I assign themes to these rhythms, harmonize, etc. It’s a process!”
Baldwin said he hopes that people “read through the wonderful text in advance of hearing the piece. A vocal or choir performance is the musical equivalent to a dramatic reading. I set the poem how I heard it and how the text affected me. I hope the audience enjoys my interpretation.”
Director Jones has published some of Baldwin’s other works as part of his Imagine Music business.
“I love his music,” Jones said, “and I’ve watched him evolve. His music feels cinematic to me usually – that epic sound with grandiose chords. I wanted to see what he’d do with this text.”
What Baldwin did was surprise Jones.
“This was more on the contemporary side,” Jones said. “It is different than I expected, and the first time I heard it, I went ‘hmmm,’ but as I listened, there was something haunting about that motif.”
It is, he notes, a challenging piece and Chorale members have had to work hard to prepare it for concert.
The Genesee Valley Wind Ensemble will perform its 2018 Spring Concert in the auditorium of Oakfield-Alabama Central School beginning at 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 29. The school is located at 7001 Lewiston Road, Oakfield.
Conductors are: Mark Flynn, guest conductor, high school band director at Akron Central School; Dan Klinczar, member conductor, elementary band director at Alexander Central School; and Philip J. Briatico, conductor and founder of the GVWE, Warsaw Central School.
Admission cost: Adults -- $10; Seniors (55+) & Veterans -- $8; Students (with ID) -- $5; Children age 5 and under -- FREE; Family Deal -- $25 -- for immediate family and children -- mother and/or father and up to four children.
These works will be featured:
This program is made possible in part by the Reach Grant program administered by GO ART!
The purpose of the GVWE is to serve and to provide the Greater Genesee Valley audience with new and familiar music, to serve its membership with the opportunity to perform challenging wind ensemble literature and to creat the opportunity for the conductor and musicians to grow their collective musical talents.
Contact: geneseevalleywindensemble@gmail.com
Press release:
The NAMM Foundation has designated Le Roy Central School District as one of the 2018 Best Communities for Music Education in the country.
This national designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students. Le Roy is one of 538 districts across the nation receiving the prestigious award in 2018.
Congratulations to the Le Roy music teachers, administrators, students, parents and community leaders on this distinguished designation!
Le Roy has received this designation 12 out of the last 13 years and continues to thrive in providing music education through many opportunities throughout the district. The program supports more than 300 students in chorus and more than 200 students in band throughout our district offering performance ensembles in both vocal and instrumental for students in grades 4-12 as well as a competitive marching band. Annually, the program produces a sixth-grade musical and a Jr.-Sr. High musical. In the classroom general music and a variety of Sr. High electives are also offered each year.
Merritt Holly -- Le Roy superintendent: "Our entire Le Roy Central School District is proud to be recognized again as a 2018 Best Communities for Music Education. This prestigious honor signifies the continued dedication and passion our teachers and students have to excel in music education. Congratulations to our administrators, teachers, students, parents, and community for supporting each other in achieving this wonderful accomplishment!"
Carol Messura -- Wolcott Street School principal: "On behalf of Wolcott Street School, we CONGRATULATE all the students, staff members, and parents for being named a Best Community for Music Education once again! This recognition is well deserved and demonstrates the unwavering commitment to excellence that the music department continues to uphold. From kindergarten through 12th grade, the seeds of collaboration and perseverance grow in our students which allow them to flourish into the future. The sky's the limit!"
Tim McArdle -- Jr.-Sr. High School principal: "We are so proud of all of our music students and staff who year in and year out produce high-level performances on our stages, in the pit, in competition, and on the field across many places throughout the region. The relentless efforts of our music boosters, families and supporters help create a synergy that propels our program to new heights each year. The music program is one of the many aspects of our district that makes being an Oatkan Knight so special!"
Matt Nordhausen -- Le Roy Music Department chair: "We are humbled to once again receive this wonderful distinction, which casts a national spotlight on what all of us in this Le Roy community already knew; that the parents, teachers, school administration, board of education and members of this community work together tirelessly to provide a multitude of first-rate musical outlets and educational opportunities for the growth and benefit of our children."
CORRECTION: Updated to clarify the concert is at Elba Central School Auditorium.
You are invited to a special afternoon "Romantic Masterpieces" concert performed by the Genesee Symphony Orchestra at Elba Central School followed by fine dining at the Dibble Family Center on Sunday, May 6.
The concert is at 4 p.m. Cocktails are available at the cash bar along with hors d'oeuvres beginning at 6 o'clock at Dibble Center. Dinner will follow at 6 p.m.
Dinner choices are:
All dinners include garden salad, fresh rolls, and butter, coffee, tea, and dessert.
Cost is $25 per person, $45 per couple.
Reservation deadline is May 3 to Roxie Choat at 356-9635.
The Dibble Family Center is located at 4120 W. Main Street Road, Batavia.
GSO Conductor S. Shade Zajac led a group of young musicians today in a string workshop at the First Presbyterian Church of Batavia.
The students will perform May 6 with the Genesee Symphony Orchestra at Elba Central School on Sibelus, "Andante Festivo."
The program that day includes featured soloist Mimi Hwang on cello joining the orchestra for Elgar's "Concerto for Cello & Orchestra in E-minor."
The orchestra will also perform Wagner's "Siegfried's Death & Funeral March," Howard Hanson's "Symphony No. 2 'Romantic," and Holst's "St. Paul's Suite for String Orchestra."
The concert, "Romantic Masterpieces," begins at 4 p.m.
Tickets are available through geneseesymphony.com or GO Art!, Roxy's Music Store, YNGodess, and Smokin' Eagle BBQ & Brew in Le Roy.
Press release from Frank Panepento:
There will be a free music concert to show thanks and appreciation for Crossroads House and its 20 years of community service. It will begin at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 22, at the Attica High School Auditorium.
Over the span of two decades, the nonprofit Crossroads House, providing comfort care for the dying, has helped more than 470 residents and their families.
This will be "a celebration concert" featuring original and longtime supporters -- the Attica High School Marching Band, and Amanda Hofheins and Don Rogers, plus the Hamburg Kingmen Drum Corps, Batavia Jazz Ensemble, St. Joe’s Brass Ensemble, Alexander Fireman's Band, and the St. Joe’s Alumni Drum Corps.
The Attica Marching Band has been one of the very first and longest supporters for the house. The house took a few years of planning and fundraising to put all the necessary pieces in place before the house was able to open. The Attica Free Music Concerts were building blocks that helped fund the house and educate the communities that Crossroads served. These concerts were an avenue to help explain what Crossroads House was able to do for its residents.
Rogers, while spearheading the earlier shows moved into retirement while Hofheins took his place literally and figuratively. She took over filling in for Rogers’s duties and supporting Crossroads House and the Free Musical Concert.
Come on out to enjoy the music! This is going to be a great afternoon while supporting Crossroads House and Gateway House (Attica’s own soon-to-open comfort care home). Attica High School is located at 3338 E. Main St. in Attica.
The lineup has just been released for the 2018 Downtown Batavia Concert Series in Jackson Square, according to the Downtown Batavia Business Improvement District.
Live music will be featured on Friday evenings from 7 to 9 in the square, located between Center and Jackson streets, bring your own chair. Admission is free thanks to the generosity of sponsors for the concert series.
Here's the lineup:
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