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

Des Plaines Choral Festival 2024 #207Now #choir #sing @mainewestchoir @mainewestfab @62schools

 

Today, Maine West had the pleasure of hosting choral students from our elementary and middle partner schools. Hundreds of students joined their voices together in song through clinics during the day and in the evening concert. It was a sight and sound to behold!

Thank you to all of the District 62 teachers and to Mr. Jim Schiffer, Maine West Choir Director, who made today's event possible for these students!

Special thanks to guest conductor Ms. Katie Colby from Jones College Prep.

HERE is the program from the concert.

HERE are more pictures from today's Des Plaines Choral Festival.

D207 Choral Festival 2024 - A Celebration of Music #207Now #musiceducation @mainewestchoir @mechoirs @msouthchoir105 @mwactivities @mainewestfab

 
Congratulations to all of the Maine Township District 207 choir students - from Maine West, Maine East and Maine South - and their directors, Mr. Matthew Hanes, Ms. Kate Lee, and Mr. Jim Schiffer on a successful District 207 Choral Festival! Last night's performances were absolutely stunning, and a reflection of the excellent music programs offered at every school in District 207. 

Thank you to the guest clinicians Dr. Julia Davids and Dr. Keith Hampton for working with the students during the school day and helping students put the finishing touches on their performances!

Thank you to guest clinician and conductor, Ms. Sarah Jaewon Catt for leading the ensembles in rehearsals and in the evening concert. Our students benefited tremendously from your expertise!

This event could not have been possible without the support of the Maine 207 Foundation, who funded all of the clinicians, as well as the transportation required to bring all of the D207 students together for a day of music making. A HUGE thanks to the D207 Foundation for your support of music education!

More pictures for the D207 Choral Festival can be found HERE.

The program from the the D207 Choral Festival can be found HERE.

Thank you to Mr. Phil Ash and his students with WMTH-East for streaming last night's concert. The concert can be viewed HERE.

Lastly, thank you to everyone at Maine East, especially Ms. Sarah Djordjevic, Maine East Fine Arts Department Chair, and Dr. Melissa Pikul, Maine East Principal, for being tremendous hosts for this event!

The program concluded with the piece, Arirang, a Korean folk song, and special guests Suwan Choi and Deokhwan Kim from the Korean Performing Arts Institute of Chicago (KPAC) joined the massive District Chorus in performance.

None of this would have happened without our visionary choir directors. Thank you to Mr. Jim Schiffer, Kate Lee and Matthew Hanes for collaborating to offer this memorable event to our choir students!

Maine West's Choir and Orchestra Performs for District 62 and Lee Manor #207Now #musiceducation #partnerschools @mworchestras @mainewestchoir @mainewestfab

 On Thursday, December 14th members of the Maine West Choir and Orchestra programs spent the day touring Algonquin, Chippewa and Iroquois Schools, as well as the Lee Manor Nursing Home. Thank you to the Maine West students for sharing your talents with the community, and a huge shout out to the leaders in District 62 who organized and supported these assembly performances. It was so nice to play for all of your students!

Maine West's Irene Han Earns All-State Honors in Music! #207Now #Excellence #musiceducation #IMEC2024 @ILMEA @mainewestchoir @mainewestfab

 

We recently learned that Maine West singer, Irene Han, has earned All-State Honors! She will be representing Maine West at the state-level event called the Illinois Music Education Conference (IMEC), which will be held in the Civic Center in Peoria, Illinois January 24th-27th, 2024. 

Irene will perform as a soprano II singer with the All-State Honors Chorus, the state's highest level student chorus. Earning a placement in the IMEC All-State conference distinguishes Irene as one of the best music students in the state of Illinois, and is a testament to years of hard work and dedication as a  musician. The entire Maine West community is incredibly proud of Irene!

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!