BRAG+PAGE!

= A Huge Congratulations to the following South Middle School students who made it into the MMEA-WD (Massachusetts Music Educators Association Western Districts Festival) for 2016-17:  =

== On Saturday December 10th, a number of our band and chorus students represented South Middle School well at the MMEA-WD Western Districts Auditions at Westfield State University. They competed against other musicians grades 7-9 on their respective instruments and vocal parts. == 

** specifics below:  ****  1. Caitlynn Thomson (grade 8)- 2nd place Flute in the concert band ****  2. Abby Daley (grade 8)- 8th place Clarinet in concert band ****  3. Leah Urbanski (grade 7)- 10th place Clarinet in concert band ****  4. Mairi Tumavicus (grade 8)- 12th place Clarinet in the concert band ****  5. Lesya Krapova (grade 7)- 13th place Clarinet in the concert band ****  6. Makayla Yankowski (grade 7)- 5th place Trumpet in concert band ****  7. David Tirrell (grade 8)- 5th place French Horn in the concert band ****  8. Will Brewster (grade 8)- 6th place Trombone in the concert band ****  9. Steven Bonacci (grade 8)- Tenor 2 in the jazz band ****  10. Hannah Bruno (grade 8)- Trumpet 1 in the jazz band ****  11. Cooper Leclair (grade 8)-Trombone 3 in the jazz band ****  12. Anton Bonacci (grade 6)- Trombone 4 in the jazz band ****  13. Yana Chumakova (grade 8)- Piano in the jazz band ****  Mr. Gomes' choral students:  ****  1. Melody Latshaw (grade 7)- 15th place alto in the chorus ****  2. Shane McCarthy (grade 6)- Male Chorus ****  3. Gage Elderkin (grade 6)- Male Chorus ****  4. Jacob Beaulieu (grade 6)- Male Chorus **    
 * We actually had more instrumentalists make it in than ever before. Last year we got in 9. This year it was 13. There were also a number of chorus students. ****  Some of the highlights:  **
 * ** Hannah triple auditioned, and passed all 3. She ended up the first trumpet in the jazz band with two 9th graders under her. This is her 3rd year in a row making junior districts.  **
 * ** Yana tripled and made it on 2 of them. She's the pianist for the jazz band for the second year in a row.  **
 * ** Anton and Cooper doubled, made both, and ended up in the jazz band together.  **
 * ** The Districts Jazz Band has 20 students in it this year and Anton is the only 6th grader in the whole thing.  **
 * ** Steven made jazz band for the second year in a row.  **
 * ** Caitlynn doubled and made both (by a huge margin). She's the second highest scoring flute and first highest jazz bari. Last year she was 3rd flute. Way to go!  **
 * ** While I'm talking jazz band, 9th grader Hadleigh Leclair made jazz band for the second year in a row (and districts for the 3rd year in a row).  **
 * ** Makayla Yankowski got the 5th highest score of all the 29 trumpets who auditioned. She was the highest scoring trumpet player from Westfield! This is with not starting until 6th grade, and having no private lessons!  **
 * ** All our clarinets made it!  **
 * ** Melody who doubled on flute and voice, made voice.  **


 * Congratulations to High School and Westfield Technical Academy Band Director Patrick Kennedy for being awarded the Lowell Mason Award at the 2016 Massachusetts Music Educators Association All-State Conference on Friday March 11, 2016.**


 * [[image:Kennedy.JPG width="263" height="328"]] || Patrick Kennedy earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Westfield State College (’84) and a Master of Music degree from the University of Connecticut, Storrs (’97). A lifelong resident of Westfield, Patrick is proud to serve as Secondary Level Lead Music Teacher for the Westfield Public Schools. This position began in the fall of 2014 and includes oversight of the music program, curriculum development, long range planning and special assignments including the Westfield Public Schools District Literacy Team.

Beginning his trumpet studies at Westfield’s Highland Elementary School with fellow Lowell Mason Award Recipient Douglas Ward as his first band teacher and primary influence, Patrick has gone on to enjoy a career in public school instrumental music education. In his first assignment at the Gateway Regional Middle School (Huntington, school population 600) in 1989, he grew the program from a 50 member band to over 250 students in two concert bands and two jazz ensembles—the top jazz ensemble consistently earning Gold Medals at IAJE Festivals. In 1997, he succeeded his high school band director and came back home to Westfield High School. The Westfield High School Band carries on their tradition of excellence under his baton. In the fall of 2015, Patrick launched a music program at Westfield Technical Academy in hopes of seeing even more Westfield kids have the same opportunities he had as a student.

Patrick is a Past Chairperson of MMEA-Western District, currently serves as MMEA-WD Jazz Coordinator, served as 2001 All State Jazz Ensemble Manager and has managed numerous Western Massachusetts MMEA ensembles. In addition, he served for many years as IAJE Western Massachusetts Chairperson. Patrick was honored by Mayor Sullivan with the 2005 Westfield Citizen Volunteer of the Year Award and received the 2007 Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Award sponsored by the Grinspoon Foundation.

Patrick resides in Westfield with his wife Laurie, step-daughter Melanie, grandson Gavyn, their puppy Roxie, three cats and a school of fish. || = = = = = A Huge Congratulations to the following South Middle School students who made it into the MMEA-WD (Massachusetts Music Educators Association Western Districts Festival) for 2016: =

==On Saturday December 5th, a number of our band and chorus students represented South Middle School well at the MMEA-WD Western Districts Auditions at Westfield State University. They competed against other musicians grades 7-9 on their respective instruments and vocal parts.==

These students will be performing in an All-Star concert on March 19th at Minnechaug Regional High School in Wibraham.
= = = = = A Huge Congratulations to the following South Middle School students who made it into the MMEA-WD (Massachusetts Music Educators Association Western Districts Festival) for 2015: = = __Hannah Bruno__ (Chorus) grade 6, __Diana Stuzhuk__ on percussion, grade 8, __Ruth Krapova__ on Flute grade 8, __Aaron Muldrew__ on French Horn grade 7, and __Hadleigh Leclair__ on trumpet grade 7. They will be performing at The University of Massachusetts Amherst (Fine Arts Center) on Saturday March 14th at 3:00p.m. Outstanding job students! =

Also, be it known that Hannah Bruno from 6th Grade Chorus (and plays clarinet and oboe in the band) has made it into the Massachusetts All-State Treble Chorus (Elementary 4-6) for the second year in a row. For the 2015 Season, she will be performing at the Seaport Boston Hotel on Saturday March 21st at 3:00 p.m. Many schools across Massachusetts have auditioned their 4th Grade through 6th grade singers (Chorus students) in excess of 600 auditionees, and only 200 performed at a high enough level to be accepted, and Hannah was one of them. Congratulations!


 * A Big Congratulations to Sarah Grobe on Flute, Jackson Diltz on Baritone Sax, and Brandon DeGray on Percussion for making it into the MMEA-WD Western Districts Concert Band. They auditioned on December 7, 2013 at Westfield State University.They will be performing a concert at the UMASS Fine Arts Center Concert Hall in March! Awesome Job! **


 * Kudos on an outstanding concert on Wednesday December 4 2013! It was the biggest and best we’ve ever had! **


 * This past school year, all of our performing groups received gold medals at our annual festivals. It was a very productive year for the band program! **


 * A Big Congratulations to our students who made it into Junior Districts on Sat. Dec. 1, 2012! **

=**1)Madison Tenczar, trumpet in the orchestra**=

=**2)Diana Solokhina, violin in the Orchestra,**=

=**3)Joey Mitchell,trombone in the Jazz Band,**=

=**4)Jackson Diltz, Baritone Saxophone in the Concert Band, and**=

=**5) Brandon DeGray, Percussion in the Concert Band**=

 = A Huge Congratulations to the following South Middle School students who made it into the MMEA-WD (Massachusetts Music Educators Association Western Districts Festival) for 2016-17:  =
 * These students competed against students from all over Western Massachusetts. Their concert will be on March 16, 2012 at The UMASS Fine Arts Center. **

== On Saturday December 10th, a number of our band and chorus students represented South Middle School well at the MMEA-WD Western Districts Auditions at Westfield State University. They competed against other musicians grades 7-9 on their respective instruments and vocal parts. == 

** specifics below:  ****  1. Caitlynn Thomson (grade 8)- 2nd place Flute in the concert band ****  2. Abby Daley (grade 8)- 8th place Clarinet in concert band ****  3. Leah Urbanski (grade 7)- 10th place Clarinet in concert band ****  4. Mairi Tumavicus (grade 8)- 12th place Clarinet in the concert band ****  5. Lesya Krapova (grade 7)- 13th place Clarinet in the concert band ****  6. Makayla Yankowski (grade 7)- 5th place Trumpet in concert band ****  7. David Tirrell (grade 8)- 5th place French Horn in the concert band ****  8. Will Brewster (grade 8)- 6th place Trombone in the concert band ****  9. Steven Bonacci (grade 8)- Tenor 2 in the jazz band ****  10. Hannah Bruno (grade 8)- Trumpet 1 in the jazz band ****  11. Cooper Leclair (grade 8)-Trombone 3 in the jazz band ****  12. Anton Bonacci (grade 6)- Trombone 4 in the jazz band ****  13. Yana Chumakova (grade 8)- Piano in the jazz band ****  Mr. Gomes' choral students:  ****  1. Melody Latshaw (grade 7)- 15th place alto in the chorus ****  2. Shane McCarthy (grade 6)- Male Chorus ****  3. Gage Elderkin (grade 6)- Male Chorus ****  4. Jacob Beaulieu (grade 6)- Male Chorus **
 * We actually had more instrumentalists make it in than ever before. Last year we got in 9. This year it was 13. There were also a number of chorus students. ****  Some of the highlights:  **
 * ** Hannah triple auditioned, and passed all 3. She ended up the first trumpet in the jazz band with two 9th graders under her. This is her 3rd year in a row making junior districts.  **
 * ** Yana tripled and made it on 2 of them. She's the pianist for the jazz band for the second year in a row.  **
 * ** Anton and Cooper doubled, made both, and ended up in the jazz band together.  **
 * ** The Districts Jazz Band has 20 students in it this year and Anton is the only 6th grader in the whole thing.  **
 * ** Steven made jazz band for the second year in a row.  **
 * ** Caitlynn doubled and made both (by a huge margin). She's the second highest scoring flute and first highest jazz bari. Last year she was 3rd flute. Way to go!  **
 * ** While I'm talking jazz band, 9th grader Hadleigh Leclair made jazz band for the second year in a row (and districts for the 3rd year in a row).  **
 * ** Makayla Yankowski got the 5th highest score of all the 29 trumpets who auditioned. She was the highest scoring trumpet player from Westfield! This is with not starting until 6th grade, and having no private lessons!  **
 * ** All our clarinets made it!  **
 * ** Melody who doubled on flute and voice, made voice.  **