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.

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

Winter Band Concert #207Now #band #musiceducation @mainewestband @mainewestfab @mwactivities

 

Congratulations to the student musicians and band director Mr. Bernie Gerstmayr on tonight's successful Winter Band Concert! Highlights from tonight's program, which featured repertoire from a range of styles and genres, but all relatively recently composed pieces, included the Symphonic and Concert Band's performance of Encanto by Robert Smith - a classic band piece - Percussion Techniques' performance of Freerider by Patrick Speranza and the Wind Ensemble's performance of Omar Thomas' Mother of a Revolution (what a cool piece!).

Tonight's program can be found HERE.

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

Thank you to WMTH, Ms. Rebecca Fisher and the Video Production Interns for your work filming and livestreaming tonight's concert! 

WMTH's live stream can be found HERE and the video production livestream can be found HERE.

Thank you to the caregivers who volunteered with the Maine West Fine Arts Boosters tonight! We couldn't do it without you!

Dimensions: Identity Concert a Sonic Celebration of Humanity #207Now #musiceducation @mainewestband @mworchestras @mainewestchoir @mainewestfab

Tonight's Dimensions concert was a vibrant celebration of humanity and the intersecting identities of our students and community, showcasing an incredible array of music from various cultures and styles. The theme of this year's Dimensions Art Show and Concert is 'Identity,' and the concert beautifully wove the theme through each performance, highlighting the diverse backgrounds and personal stories of our students.

In touching interludes, students shared their personal "I Am" poems. These readings provided a poignant glimpse into their individual experiences and histories, further emphasizing the theme of identity.

Composer Diana Sáez graciously recorded a video, introducing her piece, 'Plena,' which was performed by the Chamber Choir. 

This concert was more than just a musical showcase; it was a journey through the diverse identities that make our school community so unique and vibrant. It demonstrated the power of music to transcend boundaries, bringing us together in a shared experience of art and culture. This event was a testament to our commitment to providing students with rich, diverse experiences in the arts. We are proud to create spaces where every student can see themselves reflected and celebrated through music.

Thank you to the family, friends and fans in attendance tonight!

A special thanks to the Maine West Fine Arts Boosters and all of the parent volunteers for helping in a multitude of ways, and especially for your support of the pizza dinner to feed the over 200 students involved in tonight's production!

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

The program can be found HERE.

Thank you to Ash Carmichael, Fine Arts Graphic Design Intern, for designing this year's Dimensions Concert logo, poster and introductory video!

2023 MW/D62 Marching Band Night! #207Now #62Learns @mainewestband @62schools @mainewestfab

 
Tonight, Maine West hosted 7th and 8th grade band students and teachers from Iroquois, Algonquin and Chippewa at the annual MW/D62 Marching Band Night! Our friends from District 62 learned to play the fight song in student-led sectionals earlier in the evening.

At the concert, the Maine West Band performed their show The Architect, among other fan favorites - the fight song and drumline cadences. The District 62 and Maine West Bands joined together to finish the concert in Mega Band Mode and performed a Taylor Swift tune and the Maine West Fight Song!

Congratulations to all of the student musicians and music teachers, especially our friends from District 62! We look forward to welcoming all of you in the Maine West Band program as students soon!

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