We recently learned that several Maine West students are receiving recognition for their work in our Media Arts film and TV program!
Several Maine West film students have received National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) award nominations. These are also considered "Student Emmy Awards," and distinguish these students as some of the best student filmmakers in the Midwest. In order to be nominated, these students' projects placed them in the top 2-5 projects in the submission category.
The students will learn whether or not their project win the category at the upcoming Midwest Media Education Association Film Festival on April 26th. Student Emmy winners receive a crystal pillar and will be invited to the NATAS Silver Circle Dinner on May 3rd to be presented the award. They will also be eligible to move on to compete nationally.
The following Maine West Students are nominated for a Student Emmy Award:
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We are very proud of these student's achievements this year! Congratulations to all of the student filmmakers, as well as their incredible teacher, Ms. Rebecca Fisher!
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!
Today, 24 students were inducted into the Tri-M Music Honor Society chapter at Maine West High School. The Tri-M Music Honor society is an international honor society that was founded at Maine East High School in 1935, and has a rich history in the district, as well as world-wide.
Tri-M's president, Addison Stutheit, gave an inspiring speech, encouraging students to find meaning in their music by using it as a vehicle to connect with others.
Congratulations to the current and newly-inducted members of Tri-M, as well as the faculty advisor, Mr. Jim Schiffer, on a wonderful induction ceremony!
Today, the 1st ever Maine West Winter Guard and Coach Kaitlyn Colyer presented their end-of-season Winter Guard Community Performance and Awards Banquet. This year's Winter Guard team has done amazing work learning all of the techniques required of a color guard, and in its first season - impressively - they were able to perform at two contests in the Midwest Color Guard Circuit: Hersey and Minooka.
None of this could have happened without a dedicated team, an inspiring coach, and supportive caregivers. Congratulations to both the team and Coach Colyer on finishing a wildly successful first ever season of Winter Guard at Maine West!
More photos from today's community performance can be found HERE.
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!
Congratulations to all of the dancers in West Side Dance Company on a phenomenal opening night of the 2024 show, "Emotions!" This remarkable showcase brought to life the profound connection between dance and the emotions that fuel our human experience. It was a breathtaking evening where each performance took us on a unique journey through the diverse landscape of human feelings.
A highlight of the concert was the stunning array and truly impressive student-choreographed dances. Our talented students poured their hearts and creativity into each piece, using movement as a language to express various emotions.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations all of the students and to coach Tuesdai Perry, who made her debut season with the West Side Dance Company a memorable one.
West Side Dance Company will present one more performance of "Emotions" on Saturday, March 9th at 7:00 p.m. in the Maine West Auditorium. Get your tickets in advance at bit.ly/MWBoxOffice!
Tonight, we had the pleasure of showcasing the incredible talents of our Maine West High School student artists in the Spotlight Art Exhibit, a one-night pop-up art show that features all students in visual art courses. The work on display truly left our community in awe! You could hear patrons commenting on how impressed they were, several of saying, "I'd buy that if I could!" This event featured an array of stunning works from our Ceramics & Design, Digital Art, Drawing & Painting, and Photography classes, highlighting the diverse range of skills fostered through the visual arts programs in the Maine West Fine Arts Department.
This exhibit was not only a celebration of artistic achievement but also a reflection of our commitment to nurturing creativity and excellence in the arts. We're incredibly proud of our students for their hard work, dedication, and the remarkable art they've produced. Their talent and passion are a constant source of inspiration, and we look forward to seeing how their artistic journeys continue to unfold!
To our students, thank you for sharing your creativity with us and the world. Your art has truly made an impact, and we can't wait to see what you create next.
Thank you to Maine West's incredible art teachers - Rick Cammarata, Natalya Kljajic, Felicia Lahart and Melissa Lloyd - for your mentorship of our student artists, and for all of your organization and efforts that made tonight's exhibit possible.
Many more pictures from tonight's exhibit can be viewed HERE.
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