Winter sure began to show up this month! We try very hard to schedule snow dates into our concert calendar and a couple "cushion" days into our rehearsal calendars in case of weather events, but there is just no solidly predicting when those events will occur and which of our events will be impacted. Thank you to everyone for their flexibility and understanding when the weather makes us have to shift our plans! Despite the wind and snow we've dealt with, we've still had a very busy December!
It's hard to believe 2025 is just about here! We are looking forward to our first K-12 art show of the year as well as our first dance concert of the year, and of course the WGHS musical. Never a dull moment around here. Keep track of our events and join us throughout the year - our amazing wildcats are sure to impress you!
~Sarah Gentile
WGHS will be presenting Disney's The Little Mermaid on February 6th (7 pm), 7th (7 pm) and 8th (1 pm & 6 pm). Based on one of Hans Christian Andersen's most beloved stories and the classic animated film, Disney's The Little Mermaid is a hauntingly beautiful love story for the ages. With music by eight-time Academy Award winner, Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater and a compelling book by Doug Wright, this fishy fable will capture your heart with its irresistible songs, including "Under the Sea," "Kiss the Girl" and "Part of Your World." (quoted from mtishows.com).
Ticket purchasing is currently available! All seats are reserved. To purchase via credit card head to wgfinearts.ludus.com and click "buy tickets." To reserve your tickets via check (made out to WGCSDSAF) or cash, contact the WG Fine Arts Office at 315-487-4612. We can't wait for you to see what the students are working so hard to prepare!!
Congratulations to the 40 musicians that were recently selected to represent West Genesee at the Onondaga County Senior High All County Festival in January 2024. The Senior High Festival includes an auditioned-based band, chorus, and orchestra of 10-12th grades from across the county. Students, with their teachers, spend the early fall preparing for the auditions which take place in mid-November. Once selected, students spend the next two months preparing, again with their teachers, the concert music. During the festival weekend, the students finally come together for concentrated rehearsal time with the guest conductors and the festival ends with the concert performance. This year's festival will take place January 10-11 right here at West Genesee High School!
Congratulations are also due to the 41 musicians that were recently selected to represent West Genesee at the Onondaga County Junior High All County Festival in January 2024. The Junior High Festival includes an auditioned based band, chorus, and orchestra of 7-9th graders from across the county. Students, with their teachers, spend the fall preparing for the auditions which take place in early December. Once selected, students spend the next 1.5 months preparing, again with their teachers, the concert music. During the festival weekend, the students come together for concentrated rehearsal time with the guest conductors and the festival ends with the concert performance. This year's festival will take place January 24-25 at Nottingham High School.
West Genesee High School and Camillus Middle School have started Tri-M Chapters this school year. These are the first music honor society chapters here at WG!
Tri-M Music Honor Society is an American high school and middle school music honor society. A program of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), it is designed to recognize students for their academic and musical achievements and to provide leadership and service opportunities to young musicians. There are approximately 6,200 participating chapters in several countries, each of which is run by the students but supervised by an advisor or sponsor, usually a school teacher.
The WGHS Chapter is being advised by Mrs. McConnell and the CMS chapter is being advised by Mr. Schuessler. There has been great interest so far and they are off to a great start. We can't wait to see how these groups progress!
The visual arts teachers at CMS have created a newsletter to keep updated on the projects they are working on throughout the year! What a great idea! Click here to see the second issue.
Continuing to engage in the arts into adulthood can provide many benefits. We should be encouraging and supporting more folks to do so!
For instance, learning to play or continuing to play an instrument can have the following benefits:
- helps build larger brain networks and new neural pathways
- develops better attention strategies
- relieves stress
- reduces burnout
- helps with anxiety and depression
- can help limit dementia risk
For more information, check out the article "It's Never Too Late to Learn an Instrument" by Caroline Mimbs Nyce in The Atlantic.
