Darien Music for Youth Jazz Poster, Writing and Composition Contests

              Darien Music for Youth

    Jazz Poster Contest

        Create, have fun and win PRIZES!!

Make a poster that shows something about Jazz music,

or musicians, or is inspired by Jazz!

You could win $25!

1)  Poster is due in the Music for Youth box in the music room no later than Wednesday, February 5th.

2)  One sheet of paper no larger than 12 x 18 inches.  Smaller is fine.

3)  The type of art and materials are up to you.

4)  Posters must have your name and teacher on the back and include an entry form with contact information. One Entry per student.  No teams.

There will be six winners at each school (three from grades K-2 and three from grades 3-5), and they will be announced on February 12th (Jazz Day in Darien)! The curricular theme in the Darien Music Department this year is Jazz, and the purpose of the contest is to celebrate, perform, and listen to jazz music!

Pieces for inspiration could include music from Darien’s own Gerry Mulligan, or Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman, Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, or current performers such as Camille Thurman or Esperanza Spaulding. You can find youtube videos of all of these musicians. Who inspires you? Winning posters will be displayed as part of an art show in the DHS lobby in the spring on the night of Birdland Big Band Concert on April 13th at 7:00 p.m. The concert will be free and open to the public. Winners will be chosen based on quality of the art as well as what the poster shows about Jazz.  Questions?  Ask your school music teacher or call the district Music Office at 203 655-3981 x. 2250.

Middlesex and Darien High School entry forms are available from all Music teachers or on the Music Department website.

Good Luck!!

Funky Dawgz Brass Band Performs Free Concert at Darien HS

The Funky Dawgz Brass Band are one of the premier touring acts on the live music scene today. Emerging from Connecticut, these young men have engulfed the spirit and traditions of New Orleans as well as earned the respect from local musicians who grew up and reside in the city. It is impossible not to enjoy yourself during a show as they play a contagious upbeat mix of traditional New Orleans R&B, original music, hip hop, funk, and today’s top hits with a brass twist.

They have toured nationally from coast to coast, as well as internationally and have been featured in all corners of the live music scene. From playing sold out shows at Madison Square Garden as the horn section for Dispatch, to Camp Bisco, to closing out The Peach Music Festival, their performances flow seamlessly from EDM festivals to jam band festivals to traditional New Orleans second line parades. They were also recently featured multiple times on national televised programming on ESPN (house band for March Madness Tournament Challenge, opening segment of First Take).

There is a reason they were featured as one of Live For Live Music's Brass Bands You Need To Know. The Funky Dawgz are dropping jaws. These high energy horns have been featured on bills with Dispatch, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, We The Kings, Snarky Puppy, The Soul Rebels, Lettuce, The Motet, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Rebirth Brass Band, Twiddle, Turkuaz, Kung Fu, Bernard Purdie, Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, and the list continues.

When the band is not playing shows they are giving back to the community. The Funky Dawgz aim to connect, engage, inspire and rejuvenate music education in inner city schools across the country. The band frequently gives performances and master classes to young musicians in elementary, middle, and high schools across the region.

The Funky Dawgz Brass Band will be presenting a free concert in the Darien High School Auditorium on Friday, February 7, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. No tickets required. (Doors will open at 7:00 p.m.) This concert is sponsored by the Darien High School Tri-M Music Honor Society.

Darien HS Hosts the 2020 CT Western Region Music Festival

Darien High School was the site of the Connecticut Music Educators Association Western Region High School Music Festival on January 17-18, 2020. The festival featured the music of over 500 students from 34 high schools throughout Western Connecticut. Students were chosen by auditions and participated in the Band, Jazz Ensemble, Chorus, Orchestra and String Orchestra directed by well-know, accomplished conductors. The festival concluded with two concerts on the afternoon of Saturday, January 18th. Darien High School music teachers, Jane Minnis, Jonathan Grauer and Chrostopher Andrade served at the hosts and site chairs for the event.

The 2020 CT Western Region Chorus, conducted by Dr. Ryan Endris, rehearsing the in the DHS Library.

The CT Western Region Orchestra, conducted by Jonathan Handman, rehearsing in the DHS Orchestra Room.

Th Western Region String Ensemble, conducted by Dr. Kathleen A. Horvath performing on the DHS auditorium stage.

The Western Region Jazz Ensemble was conducted by Christopher Casey on January 18th.

The CT Western Region Symphony Orchestra in Concert.