2024 Maine West Marching Band Festival #207Now #marchingband @mainewestband @mainewestfab @genevahsband @prairieridgebands @220finearts

 

On October 5th, the Maine West Marching Warriors hosted three visiting marching bands: Geneva High School Marching Vikings, Prairie Ridge High School Wolfpack Marching Band and Barrington High School Marching Broncos at the annual Maine West Marching Band Festival. The festival, organized by Maine West's director of bands, Mr. Bernie Gerstmayr, was created to offer a performance opportunity focusing on education and collaboration in a friendly, non-competitive environment that fosters musical and technical growth for area high school marching bands.

Each band performed their 2024 marching band show, and then participated in a workshop with top clinicians from around the Chicagoland area, who provided them with valuable feedback and tools to improve their craft.

Thank you to Mr. Gerstmayr for your vision and organization making tonight's event possible!

Thank you to all of the visiting band directors and marching band staff for preparing your ensembles so well and for all of your efforts that allowed them to be a part of this event!

Thank you to the student announcers, Carter Roper and Lianna Ritti, for keeping us informed and entertained!

A HUGE thank you to the many, many parent and student volunteers who helped tonight as Maine West Fine Arts Boosters volunteers! We could not have done this event without your support!

Many more pictures from the 2024 Maine West Marching Band Festival can be found HERE.

The program from the 2024 Maine West Marching Band Festival can be found HERE.

Geneva High School Marching Vikings, Directors: Neal Shipton & Riley Carter

Prairie Ridge High School Wolfpack Marching Band, Directors: Mary Kate Kuhne & Jeff Crylen

Barrington High School Marching Broncos, Director: Kevin Krivosik

Maine West High School Marching Warriors, Director: Bernie Gerstmayr

Warrior Homecoming 2024! #207Now #homecoming @mainewestband @mainewestchoir @mainewestfab

 

Homecoming is one of the most exciting times of the year at Maine West, and no Homecoming celebration is complete without the incredible energy of our marching band! Each year, our talented musicians bring the spirit of the season to life with their powerful performances, helping to ignite school pride across campus. Today, West was alive with school spirit, celebrating Homecoming 2024! The Marching Warriors treated the spectators to part of their competition show, MAD ROMANCE - The Joker's Tale!

At the Homecoming Assembly, the Choraliers kicked off the festivities with a beautiful performance of the National Anthem.

Also performing at the Assembly was DJ Josh Jimenez! This was the first time we had a live student DJ perform, and DJ Josh did an amazing job!

Thank you to the family, friends and fans of the Maine West Fine Arts Boosters for all of your efforts to support the band and all of our programs during Homecoming and all year round!

Many more pictures from Homecoming 2024 can be found HERE.

Orchestra Informance @mworchestras @mainewestfab #207Now #musiceducation

 

Tonight at the Orchestra Informance, students in the Maine West String Orchestra, Philharmonic Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra demonstrated what it is like to rehearse and play in an orchestra for family members sitting nearby within the ensemble. 

Well done, everyone! We can't wait to hear the pieces you played at the concert in October!

Thank you to all of the families who came out tonight, and to Ms. Daniella Valdez for organizing the event!

Two Maine West Drama & Choir Students Selected for All-State Musical Production! #207Now #allstate #musicaltheatre @mainewestdrama @mainewestchoir @illinoistheatreassociation @mainewestfab

 

We recently learned that TWO Maine West Drama and Choir students - Irene Han and Jaiden Maisonet - have been selected by competitive audition for the Illinois Theatre Association's All-State production of The Prom!

Selection for the ITA All-State production distinguishes these students as some of the best actors and singers in the state of Illinois! We are so proud of you, Jaiden and Irene, and can't wait to see you perform at Theatre Fest in January 2025! Thank you to Mr. Harmon and Mr. Schiffer for mentoring these students toward this success!

Music Awards Celebration Honors a Year of Achievement in the Band, Choir and Orchestra Programs #207Now #awards #community @mainewestband @mainewestchoir @mworchestras @mainewestfab

 

Tonight, music students, teachers and their families celebrated a year of achievement in the band, choir and orchestra programs at the 2024 Music Awards Celebration. The night was filled with acknowledgments of exceptional leadership, musicianship and spirit in the music program. Especially poignant were the speeches by the students, all of which spoke to what the music program means to them, and why it is such an important part of their lives. Perspectives from freshmen through seniors were shared, and it was evident that - no matter where a student is on their journey - their experience in the music program is a significant part of making them who they are and helping them to achieve their goals.

Enjoy the speech given by Addison Stutheit below:

Congratulations to all of the music students on a wonderful year in the music programs at West!

A huge thanks to Mr. Bernie Gerstmayr, Mr. Jim Schiffer and Ms. Daniella Valdez for organizing such a wonderful celebration of achievement and community for the music students and families at West!

More pictures from tonight's celebration can be found HERE.

Congratulations to the Fine Arts Department Senior Award Winners! #207Now #classof2024 #excellence #graduation #seniors @mainewestfab

Tonight, at the annual Senior Honors Night, we celebrated the accomplishments of the Class of 2024! There were so many impressive achievements by this graduating class, and we are incredibly proud to announce the recipients of the Fine Arts Department Senior Awards for 2024:

Additionally, a number of seniors were scholarship recipients:

Maine West Fine Arts Boosters Scholarships

-Bethsy Galvan Acevedo

-Brooke Capper

-Asher Carmichael

-Maria Leonor Murillo

-Addison Stutheit

ICONIC Legacy Dance Scholarship

-Ava Williams

Band and Choir Spring Concert #207Now #band #choir @mainewestband @mainewestchoir @mworchestras @mainewestfab

 
Congratulations to the students in the band and choir programs on their incredible performances at this evening's Spring Band & Choir Concert!

In addition to performing music that demonstrated a tremendous amount of musical growth over the course of the year, students in the Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra and Combined Choirs premiered a piece commissioned by the Maine West music program by composer Elena Specht, entitled "The Power of Music." This commission, written for Maine West with input for the lyrics by Maine West students Colin Jones and Nyxx Chavez, was made possible by a generous grant from the Maine Township High School Foundation. Thank you to the D207 Foundation for making this experience possible for our students and community!

Seniors in the band and choir programs were honored with awards for their contributions to the programs throughout their four years at West.

Thank you to the parents who volunteered with the Maine West Fine Arts Boosters at this concert!

The program from tonight's concert can be found HERE.

More pictures from tonight's concert can be found HERE.

A huge thanks to Ms. Rebecca Fisher and the WMTH staff for streaming tonight's concert! A livestream of the concert can be viewed below!

Addie Webb, student conductor

Sam Rubio, composer of the piece, "For the Swing of It" performed by the Jazz Band

Haven Wallgren-Lemmerman, student conductor