Middlesex Jazz Ensemble Performs at Darien Senior Center

The Darien Senior Center was in for a treat on Thursday May 31st when Jim Carter (MMS Jazz Ensemble Director) brought the Middlesex Middle School Jazz Band to entertain with a lunch time concert.  The band launched into a jazz classic by Bud Green called “Sentimental Journey” featuring Cosmo Amatruda (Grade 8) on trumpet before moving on to other pieces such as “Mas Que Nada” by Jorge Ben, featuring Jake Dansker (Grade 8) on alto sax.  They rounded off the morning with a rousing number by Stevie Wonder, “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing”, with Jack McDermott (Grade 8) on trumpet and Austin Ennor (Grade 7) on tenor sax.  After the concert, the Darien students joined their enthusiastic jazz fan Senior Center audience for lunch and good conversation.

Pictured:

Bottom row L-R:  Paige Domenici, Katie Keating, Ryan Hoffman, Amelia Del Bene, Cillian Hallinan

Row 2  L-R:  Will Hopper, Bohdan Czebiniak, Nick Huffman, Teddy Peters, Dylan DeRiso, Charlotte Krueger

Row 3 L-R:  Luke Riordan (trumpet), Oliver West, Will Abbott, Austin Ennor, Khrystos Yika,

Row 4 L-R:  Cosmo Amatruda, Jake Dansker, Jack McDermott, Mr. Jim Carter (director), Drew Passaretti

Darien Elementary Honors Ensembles Perform at Music Festival

The 2018 Elementary Honors Band directed by teachers Colin Walters and Krista DiPietro.

The 2018 Elementary Honors Orchestra directed by teacher Jane Minnis and Dawn Hanley.

The 2018 Elementary Honors Chorus directed by teachers Kathleen Theisen and Ruth Lettera.

Congratulations to all of the 2018 Darien Elementary Honors Ensembles at the Music in the Parks Festival at Central Connecticut State University on Saturday, June 2. The Elementary Honors Orchestra turned in a Superior rated performance and earned an overall score of 96, which is the highest score a Darien honors orchestra has ever achieved.  The young orchestra impressed the judges with their artistry, musicality, stage presence, quality tone and rhythmic precision.  The orchestra is directed by Jane Minnis and Dawn Hanley. The Darien Elementary Honors Chorus directed by Kathleen Theisen and Ruth Lettera received a 1^st place trophy and was also awarded a trophy for the Best Overall Chorus at the festival.  The Elementary Honors Band, directed by Colin Walters and Krista DiPietro, turned in a strong performance and received an Excellent rating from the festival judges.

All of the students were rewarded for their excellent performances and fine musicianship by enjoying the afternoon at the Lake Compounce Amusement Park.

Hindley's Principal and the Pea is a Hit at Hindley!

Mrs. Kathy Knapp's third grade classes at Hindley School presented their version of "The Principal and the Pea" to the entire school, on May 31 and then again on Friday, June 1 to a standing room only audience of parents and friends. The performance featured the students singing, acting, dancing, and playing recorders. The third grade classroom teachers at Hindley are Joe Cahill, Julia Belmonte, Laura Coupe and Ryan Healy. Congratulations to the entire Hindley team for an awesome performance! 

Announcing Beginning Band Registration Night!!

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 attend the beginning Band informational evening meeting to be held in the Tokeneke School Common Room at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 7^th. This presentation will be 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 take place at this time. All interested students entering 4^th or 5^th grade in the fall are eligible to begin Band instrument instructions. All students attending these sessions must be accompanied by an adult. Information regarding this opportunity for students will also be distributed to students in their respective schools.

If you have any questions regarding our Elementary Band Program in the Darien Public Schools, please contact the Elementary Band teachers: Krista DiPietro at Holmes and Hindley kdipietro@darienps.org or Colin Walters at Ox Ridge, Royle or Tokeneke Schools cwalters@darienps.org  or call the District Music Office at: 655-3981 ext: 2250.

Music Department Announces Beginning String Instrument Registration

The Music Department would like to announce the opportunity for all students entering grade three in the fall of 2018 to register to play a string instrument in the Darien Public Schools String program. The registration evening, otherwise known as “Introduction to Strings Night” will take place on June 6, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. in the Middlesex Middle School auditorium.  The students and parents will get an overview of the school string program and will get an opportunity to hear and try each instrument so that they can make a decision as to which instrument they would prefer to study in the fall program.  Parents will also receive registration materials and information on instrument rental programs.

If you have any questions about any aspect of the elementary the string program, please contact your school string teachers, Dawn Hanley: DHanley@darienps.org   Dylan Spielvogel: DSPielvogel@darienps.org or Jane Minnis at: JMinnis@darienps.org  or 203-655-3981 ext: 2287