Elementary Beginner Band Registration-DHS Percussion Ensemble!

                                                                                                                                                                                         Darien Schools Beginning Band Registration Information

The Music Department of the Darien Public Schools is pleased to announce an exciting opportunity for all current third and fourth grade students to be a part of our award winning Darien Band program. All current third and fourth grade students in the Darien Public Schools who wish to begin learning a band instrument in the fall of this year are invited and encouraged to view the virtual Beginning Band Information and Registration presentation at: www.tinyurl.com/joindarienband  This presentation is for interested students and their parents in all five of Darien’s Elementary Schools. An explanation of our Band program, instrument demonstrations, instrument rental program information, and class registrations for this fall will be addressed in this presentation. All interested students who will be entering 4^th or 5^th grade in the fall are eligible to begin Band instrument instructions.  The presentation information is also posted on the Music Department page of the Darien Public Schools website or click here:  Beginning Band Registration for Fall 2020  

If you have any questions regarding the elementary Band program in the Darien Public Schools, please contact the Elementary Band teachers: Krista DiPietro at Holmes and Hindley kdipietro@darienps.org or Matt Curley at Ox Ridge, Royle or Tokeneke School mcurley@darienps.org

                                            The Darien HS Percussion Ensemble Performs "Alarm" 

The Darien High School Percussion Ensemble does a virtual performance of Brian Blume's compositon "Alarm." Mr. Grauer is the director of the Percussion Ensemble. 

       Listen here:   The Darien HS Percussion Ensemble Performs "Alarm"

Ode to Joy! USCG Jazz Clinic, Tokeneke Jams and Hindley 3rd Grade Music Class!

Ox Ridge Strings Performs "Ode to Joy"

Mr. Dylan Spielvogel's created an opportunity for our Ox Ridge Strings to perform perform their version of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" with a full orchestra. Enjoy this special performance!

Over 100 band students in the Darien Public Schools participated in a virtual masterclass session on jazz improvisation with United States Coast Guard Musician, 1st Class Bryce Call. Mr. Call is a trumpet player who has performed with Aretha Franklin, Jon Faddis and the Bob Curnow Big Band as well as his current position in the Coast Guard Band. The students were able to hear Mr. Call perform, listened to examples of jazz performances and began to play the blues scale. The students were able to submit questions with the chat option and asked questions about trumpet and jazz performance, musical influences and practice routines. The session took place on Wednesday, May 20th and was set up and hosted by Middlesex Middle School Band Director, Brandon Babbin.

Tokeneke School Band Virtual C Jam Blues

The Tokeneke Band students recorded a jam session performing Duke Ellington's "C Jam Blues." Mr. Matt Curley is the Band Director at Tokeneke School.

Hindley 3rd grader Ryan Marty sings along with Hindley Music teacher Mrs. Kathy Knapp during Ryan's favorite eLearning class....Music!

Allie Schuck watched the jazz clinic with Bryce Call on May 20th

Recitals for Senior Citizens, Zoom Rehearsals, US Coast Guard Band Master Classes, Home Recitals and Movement to Jurassic Park!JK

DHS Tri-M Honor Society Quarantine Concert #1

The Darien HS Tri-M Music Honor Society has created a series of "Quarantine" concert recitals for local retirement communities. Ms. Jane Minnis is the Tri-M advisor.

The Middlesex 6th grade Band class and Mrs. Perrett, playing trumpet, rehearsing a virtual Zoom version of "What a Wonderful World" 

Middlesex 7th grade Band Director, Brandon Babbin, has arrange for US Coast Guard trumpet player Bryce Call to do a virtual workshop with our Band students in the Darien Public Schools on Wednesday, May 20th. Musician 1st Class Bryce Call has performed lead trumpet for Aretha Franklin and Bob Curnow and has performed in the studio with trumpet greats such as Jon Faddis. In conjunction with the district's Curricular Focus Theme on Jazz, Mr. Call will focus the Darien workshop on Jazz improvisation.

The Royle School String Players performed a Living Room Recital for their families.  In lieu of the Spring Concert, each string player will be performed a special concert for their own family on Thursday, May 14th  Over the last few weeks, they have been preparing a program of music, which includes Hot Cross Buns and Twinkle Twinkle for the 3rd Grade Beginners to I Got Rhythm and Strawberry Jam Session for the Orchestra players.

Julia (gr. 4) and Thomas (gr.3) Desai perform a living room recital for their parents on May 14th. Jane Minnis is the Strings teacher at Royle School.

Ox Ridge Kindergarten student J.J. McGrath does engages in movement with a scarf/towel to the music of John Williams

Ox Ridge Kindergarten student Maggie Mitchell also engages in movement activities to the music of John Williams as she watches Ox Ridge Kindergarten Music Teacher Kristen Turkosz on her computer.

Music Department Virtual Jams, Rhythmic Notation, Ode to Joy and Home Solo Recitals

                                            Ox Ridge Band Virtual Jam Session

The Ox Ridge Band recently participated in a virtual jam. The students, lead by Ox Ridge Band teacher Matt Curley, are improvising to Duke Ellington's "C Jam Blues." Ox Ridge Band Virtual Jam Session

                                                       Ox Ridge Band Virtual Jam Session     

Hindley 3rd Grade student Killian Ryan is participating in an eLearning lesson on rhythmic notation created by Hindley Music teacher Kathy Knapp, who is pictured on the computer screen.

Two of our elementary strings teachers, Dawn Hanley (Tokeneke, Hindley and Holmes) and Dylan Spielvogel (Ox Ridge) provide a sample play-a-long version of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy," complete with chorus, to provide our third grade string students with an opportunity to play along with a full orchestra.

Members of the DHS Orchestra prepared for a special, at-home Solo Recital on Wednesday, May 6th at 7:00 pm.  Each student performed their chosen selection for their family as other audience members observed the performance through FaceTime or Skype.  A video recording of the event was then shared with DHS Orchestra Director, Jane Minnis.