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Listed below are some helpful links to the music department:

Marching Sir Bills, Winter Guard & Winter Percussion Theater
Check out Mr. Dan Jones' Band and Guard web site: johnstownmusicweb

Winter Guard
The Greater Johnstown School District Winter Guards traveled to Cicero-North Syracuse Jr. High School on March 29 for the final competition of the regular season in the Mid-York Color Guard Circuit. The Cicero-North Syracuse Northstars Winter Guards hosted over 30 color guards at the competition from across the region.

Competing in the Novice Class (three years experience or less) Johnstown’s Gold Dust elementary winter guard placed first over West Genesee Jr., Reflections Novice, and East Syracuse-Minoa Novice. This marks a third straight victory for Gold Dust with their show “Color Them Wonderful,” which is set to Edwin McCain’s acoustic version of “I’ll Be.”

Later that day, Johnstown’s Amethyst junior varsity guard placed first from a field of nine other guards in the Scholastic Regional A Class (SRA). With a score of 80.9, the 30-member Johnstown team ended their regular season undefeated. Their performance of “He Lives in You,” from the Broadway Musical “The Lion King,” brought a terrific crowd reaction Saturday night.

Rounding out the evening, Johnstown’s Amethyst Gold varsity guard placed first in the Scholastic Open class, with a score of 82.5 over the CNS Northstars’ 78.5. Their show titled “Wires and Lights in a Box” portrays the powers of television media over the independent thoughts of its viewers.

Following a fundraising exhibition on April 2 in the Warren Street Elementary School gym, all three guards traveled to the Mid-York Color Guard Circuit’s 2008 Championship Color Guard Competition on April 5 and 6 at Shenendehowa
High School. Johnstown’s winter guards (Gold Dust Elementary Guard, Amethyst Junior Guard and Amethyst Gold Senior Guard) competed in their respective classes before a packed gym of supportive spectators.

On Saturday, April 5, Gold Dust placed first in the Novice class, earning the gold medal and a chance to perform in exhibition that evening as the new champion. On that same day, Amethyst placed first in the Scholastic regional A class, also earning the gold medal and an exhibition performance on April 6. Returning to Shenendehowa on Sunday, Amethyst Gold placed first in the Scholastic Open class, earning the gold medal and stretching its championship title to encompass a fourth straight year.

Currently ranked first in New York State and twenty-first in the country, the Amethyst Gold Senior Guard will be competing in the Winter Guard International (WGI) World Championships in Dayton, Ohio April 10 –12.

The Greater Johnstown School District is very proud of the efforts and achievements of its Winter Guard members!

More information can be found at www.mycgc.org or by calling the Johnstown High School band office at 762-4661 x416.

Winter Guards - Earlier in the Season
The senior winter guard, Amethyst Gold, premiered their 2008 show “Lights in a Box” at Phoenix High School on January 12 in the Mid-York Color Guard Circuit (http://www.mycgc.org/).  The 24-member group has entered the Scholastic Open (SO) division this year, a step up from the Scholastic A class they have competed in for the past several years.  The group will be facing new experiences this season, rising to the demands of a more challenging routine and a more experienced field of competitors across the country.  The senior guard performs their show to the ever-poignant words of journalist Edward R. Murrow from the 2005 motion picture Good Night and Good Luck, with dialogue from the 1976 motion picture Network set over music of Peter Gabriel. The design explores the powers of television; can this instrument teach, illuminate and inspire, or is it just a collection of wires and lights in a box? The 18 young women and six young men perform around stages holding television sets which bind the students in machine-like choreography and then release them as if they were electrons traveling across the TV screen floor mat.  Amethyst Gold will compete in Salem, Massachusetts, Trumbull, Connecticut, and South Brunswick, New Jersey as they prepare for World Championships in Dayton, Ohio.

The junior guard, Amethyst, competing in the Scholastic Regional A (SRA) class also premiered their show “He Lives in You” at Phoenix High School on January 12.  Based on music from the Broadway musical “The Lion King,” the 30-member group is dressed in contemporary costumes designed in the style of traditional African dress and perform on a beautiful set featuring a waterfall painted on to the props and floor mat by Christine VanValkenburgh.  The show features several of the members on live percussion instruments, marimbas, djembe drums and other accessories, performing along with the soundtrack.  Always a crowd favorite, this group will be appearing at many Mid-York Color Guard contests throughout the season.

In their third year of competition, the elementary winter guard, Gold Dust, is comprised of 30 students grades 4-6 representing each of the 4 elementary schools in the GJSD.  With oversized crayons on a white floor mat, the students perform to "I’ll Be" by Edwin McCain and debuted at the Artistry in Motion held at Johnstown High School on February 16. 

On January 19 the varsity and junior varsity guards traveled to Cicero-North Syracuse Junior High School, returning to Phoenix High School on January 26. These are the scores for both groups:

Junior guard                              Senior guard
1/12  First Place 60.0                 First Place 53.0
1/19  First Place 61.5                 First Place 55.7
1/26  First Place 64.6                 First Place 62.1

During the weekend of March 8, all three groups took part in a competition hosted by Laurens Winter Guard at Oneonta High School. Gold Dust cadet guard placed first in Novice against Unatego and Reflections JV. Amethyst junior guard placed first in Scholastic Regional A against Westmoreland, Sherburne-Earlville and Binghamton. Amethyst gold varsity guard placed second in Scholastic Open to Laurens High School.

The varsity guard will travel to South Brunswick, NJ to compete in the WGI Power Regional the weekend of March 14.

The next area competition for all three groups will take place on March 29 at Cicero-North Syracuse Junior High, with championships on the following weekend at Shenendehowa High School; Gold Dust and Amethyst will perform on April 5 and Amethyst Gold will perform on April 6.

More information can be found at www.johnstownmusicweb.com.

JHS Drama Club Preparing for Fall Production
Anyone in attendance last fall at the JHS Drama Club’s production of Play On! by Rick Abbot was treated to a clever comedy, expertly executed by a talented cast, under the direction of Mr. James Morton. Under Mr. Morton’s direction again this fall, the JHS Drama Club will present another Rick Abbot play, titled Sing On!.  With the same character list as the first play, Abbot twists the plot to present the small, and now financially struggling, theater company in their production of a musical.  In an effort to earn a large grant, the company chooses to produce a new musical under a less than expert, yet familiar, playwright, played by senior Christine Hunt. 

Sing on!  is the sequel to Play On!, however one needs not to have seen last year’s show to understand and appreciate this sometimes irreverent play.  Those familiar with the characters and plot of Play On! will chuckle at the continued antics and lack of professionalism in the cast, as well as the unfortunate events in the plot. Standing easily on it’s own, everyone is encouraged to catch the performance of Sing On!.

A talented cast of 10 students, including seniors Kyle Brownell, Chris Lavigne, Kayla Pollak, Jennifer Stella, Claire Tennis and Wendy Vair, will present this comedy.  Rounding out the cast are underclassmen Brittney Oathout, Austin Claderwood, Hannah Fettinger and Josh Schermerhorn. Audiences are sure to enjoy this sidesplitting musical within a play.

The show will be presented at 7 p.m. on Thursday, November 8;
Friday, November 9; and Saturday, November 10.  Tickets are $5.00 and can be purchased in advance by calling 762-4661 x420.  Tickets will also be available at the door.

Johnstown Marching “Sir Bills” Earn Local and Out-of-State Honors
The Johnstown High School Marching Band recently traveled to Salem, Virginia for the Central Virginia Regional Band Competition. Performing its competitive show titled “Mountain of Dragons,” the band placed first in the 2A division with a score of 77.2, ahead of King George High School’s second place score of 73.7.  JHS also won four special caption awards: best color guard, best percussion, best music and best effect.

Sponsored by the United States Scholastic Band Association (USSBA), the competition was held at Salem Stadium in Salem, Virginia and was part of a five day trip.  The first stop on the band’s itinerary included performing at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, Maryland on Thursday, October 4. This was followed by an enjoyable day in the City of Richmond on Friday and then rehearsal under the very warm Virginia
sun on Saturday, prior to the competition. Sunday’s activities included spending time at King’s Dominion Theme Park and a luncheon cruise in Philadelphia, with everyone returning to Johnstown on Monday.

Competing in the New York State Field Band Conference (NYSFBC) since early September, the band consistently placed second in local competition, right behind the Mohonasen High School Marching Band, until October 13. On that Saturday, JHS placed first in a competition at Mohonasen High School by earning a total of 79.7 points to Mohonasen’s 78.85.

The marching season will come to a close following the New York State Championships on October 28 at the Syracuse University Carrier Dome. For more information please visit any of the following websites:
www.yea.org, www.nysfbc.org or www.johnstownmusicweb.com.

 

Check Out Gold Dust's Championship Performance

Under the direction of JHS and Warren Street instrumental music teacher, Dan Jones, Johnstown's elementary winter guard, Gold Dust, competed in the Mid-York Color Guard Circuit Championship held at Cicero-North Syracuse Junior High School.  The guard brought home second place in the Novice Class and earned a silver medal.  To view their performance, click here.

 

Winter Guards Rock the Championships Winter Guard Members Win
Performing beautifully this past weekend at the Mid-York Color Guard Circuit Championships, the Johnstown Winter Guards made their presence known, and brought great pride to the Johnstown School District. Championships were held at the Cicero-North Syracuse Junior High School on Saturday and Sunday, March 30 and April 1. The elementary and junior varsity color guards competed on Saturday and the varsity color guard returned to CNS on Sunday to compete.

Gold Dust, (grades 4-6), competing in the Novice class, placed second out of 8 groups, earning the silver medal.

 

 

 

 

Novice Class
1st Central Square
2nd Johnstown Gold Dust

3rd Shenendehowa
4th ES-M
5th Mt. Markham
6th Fonda-Fultonville
7th Cortland 8th Saranac Lake

 

Our JV guard, Amethyst, competing in the Scholastic Regional A class, placed second out of 10 groups and also earned the silver medal.

Scholastic Regional A Class
1st Laurens 93.0
2nd Johnstown Amethyst 90.5
3rd Vestal 89.6
4th Westmoreland 85.2
5th Mexico 79.6
6th A-P-W 78.3
7th Oswego 76.6
8th West Canada Valley 73.3
9th Susquehanna Valley 70.810th Saranac Lake 65.3

The varsity guard, Amethyst Gold, competing in the Scholastic A-1 class, placed first out of 5 groups earning the gold medal. This marks the third consecutive year that the varsity winter guard has won championships.

Scholastic Regional A Class
1st Johnstown Amethyst Gold 87.9
2nd West Genesee 85.8
3rd Phoenix 85.3
4th East Syracuse-Minoa
5th Baldwinsville 79.9

 

JHS Chamber Choir Performs at MIOSM Concert

Chamber ChoirThe Johnstown High School Chamber Choir, under the direction of JHS Vocal Music Teacher Joshua Stamp, performed in the South Concourse of the Nelson R. Rockefeller Emprise State Plaza on Tuesday, March 6. The performance was presented as part of the Music In Our Schools Month festivities organized by NYSSMA, the New York State School Music Association. Before their performance, the choir toured the Capitol building, including visits to both the Senate and Assembly Chambers.

The choir presented a 45-minute program, including works by noted choral composers such as Thomas Tallis, Thomas Morley, Z. Randall Stroope, Stephen Hatfield, Steve Zegree, Mark Hayes, and Daniel Gawthrope. During the performance, the choir was greeted by NYS Assemblyman Marc W. Butler and a representative from the office of Senator Hugh T. Farley. The choir was also presented with a plaque commemorating their performance.

The Johnstown High School Chamber Choir is comprised of 14 students in grades 10-12. Membership is by audition, and students learn musicianship skills such as sight-reading and music literacy while performing a diverse program of music of advanced difficulty.

 

Elementary and JV Winter Guards Take First Place

Winter Guard Amethyst GroupOn February 24, two of the three winterguards traveled to Baldwinsville High School, just northwest of Syracuse, for a Mid-York Color Guard Circuit (MYCGC) competition. The elementary winter guard, "Gold Dust," was traveling for the first time this season after their debut at the competition held in Johnstown High School the week earlier. "Amethyst," the JV winter guard, comprised of students in grades 7-12 also traveled to compete.

This year "Gold Dust" performs to the hit single by Daniel Powter, "Bad Day." The group is comprised of 30 children in grades 4-6, representing each elementary school in the Johnstown School District. With the finest performance of their choreographed show yet, the group placed first in the novice division, improving their score from the judges by 10 points. Soloists in the group include Elizabeth Van den Burgh, Aubrey Stegal, Kayla Gagliardo and Carissa O'Brien. The student members are dressed as Marcel Marceau-like clowns, supporting the song's theme by transitioning from sad to happy by the end of the routine. This is the second year that Gold Dust has been competing.

"Amethyst," the JV group, is comprised of 14 members grades 7-12 and has been competing for 8 years. Having been rehearsing since November, the group made its debut in early January. With advanced choreography demands placed on the student members, the group performs this year to the live recording of Emmylou Harris' "Deeper Well." Dressed in original costumes designed by Chad Duggan the group attacks the high energy music with strong movement, saber, rifle and flag skills. In a class of 4 other groups that night (Liverpool JV, Oswego Varsity, Susquehanna Valley, and Altmar-Parish-Williamson), the Johnstown squad placed 1st.
Both groups will be attending competitions in Oneonta and Syracuse before competing in championships on March 31 at Cicero-North Syracuse Junior High School.

More information can be found at www.mycgc.org or by calling the director, Mr. Daniel Jones, at the high school. Photo: Amethyst, the JV winter guard.

JHS Winter Guard Makes Its Mark At WGI Regional Competition

JHS Winter GuardThe Johnstown High School Winter Guard placed third in a Winter Guard International (WGI) Regional competition held Saturday, February 10, in Salem, Massachusetts. Competing with a dozen groups in their division, the Johnstown group tied for 2nd place in prelims and ended up placing 3rd in finals. The top 5 scores were as follows: Newtown (CT) 79.0, Bethel (CT) 76.4, Johnstown (74.2), Shelton (CT) 72.2, Phoenix (NY) 72.1 and Ramsey (NJ) 72.0. More information can be found on www.wgi.org.

 

The 16 members of the Winter Guard are in Grades 9-12 with one member from Grade 8.  The group will perform at their home competition in the JHS gym on Saturday, February 17, beginning at 5 p.m. (Photo: Winter Guard members pose for a group shot before the WGI prelims competition.)

 

 

JHS Chamber Choir Presents Holiday Concerts at Community VenuesJHS Chamber Choir

The JHS Chamber Choir, directed by JHS Vocal Music Teacher Joshua Stamp, presented their Holiday Concert for the community in two "run-out concerts." On Sun, December 3, the choir performed as part of the Glove Theater’s Annual Holiday Concert. On Dec 5, the choir traveled to the Lexington Center in Gloversville to perform for participants in the Day-Hab program there.

This year’s Holiday Concert program is composed of pieces celebrating the holidays from diverse places and eras. The concert opens with the 14th and 15th century English works "Pastyme with Good Company" by King Henry VIII of England and "Sound Forth the Trumpet in Zion" by Thomas Morley. The program also features works from France, with the Alice Parker arrangement of "Bring A Torch, Jeanette, Isabella," the Ukrainian folk song "Carol of the Bells" with words by Peter Wilhousky, and the 16th century Spanish carol "Riu, Riu, Chiu." The program ends with more familiar tunes from the American tradition, including "Carol of the Drum" by famous composer and music educator Katherine K. Davis and "Do You Hear What I Hear" composed by Noel Regney and Gloria Shayne.

The Johnstown High School Chamber Choir is comprised of 14 students in Gr 10-12. Membership is by audition, and students learn musicianship skills such as sight-reading and music literacy while performing a diverse program of music of advanced difficulty.

JHS Marching Band Wins Top Honors, Takes in Historical Sites
Congratulations Awaits Returning Band Director and Band MembersOn Saturday, Oct 7, the JHS marching band competed in the United States Scholastic Band Association (USSBA) Delaware Valley Regional held at Washington Township HS in Sewell, NJ. In division II A, the band earned 1st place with a score of 80.6 and won all 5 special caption awards: Best Percussion, Best Color Guard, Best Music, Best Visual and Best Effect. In 2nd place was the Kennet HS marching band with a score of 75.7 and in 3rd place was the band from Salesianum HS with a score of 75.05.

The band also took in several tourist and historical sights. In New York City, the group attended the off-Broadway African percussion show :"Drumstruck," and visited Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick's Cathedral and Times Square. On Sunday in Washington D.C., the band visited the US Capitol Building, the Washington Monument, the memorials for Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam Wall. The members toured the Museum of Natural History and the National Air and Space Museum. On Sunday night the band enjoyed a DJ Dinner Dance cruise up and down the Potomac River.

In Philadelphia, the band visited the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, place of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution, as well as home of the first US Supreme Court. (Above photo: Congratulations await Band Director Dan Jones and marching band members as they return from their big win this past weekend in the USSBA Delaware Valley Regional competition.)

Greater Johnstown School District Named Top 100 Communities for Music Education
The Greater Johnstown School District was recognized on the 2006 list of the "Best 100 Communities for Music Education in America," according to the American Music Conference. The 2006 list included school districts from 31 states. Thousands of teachers, administrators, school board members, parents and community leaders, representing communities in all 50 states, participated in the Web-based survey conducted by Perseus Development Corp. (Read more at the American Music Conference Web site)

The Greater Johnstown School District Music Department is comprised of seven dedicated music educators and hundreds of devoted music students. Located in Johnstown, New York at the foothills of the Adirondacks, the music department continues a long history of excellence in music education. The American Music Conference (AMC) has honored the Greater Johnstown School District for its commitment to music education by naming it one of the "Best 100 Communities for Music Education in America" for the past four years. Curricular and co-curricular ensembles have won awards and honors around the state, region and nation. Selected ensembles have traveled across the country and overseas. Music teachers frequently attend and present clinics and conferences, and open their classrooms to guest composers, musicians, dancers and other artists.

The music department serves four elementary buildings (Glebe Street Elementary School, Jansen Avenue Elementary School, Pleasant Avenue Elementary School and Warren Street Elementary School), Knox Junior High School, and Johnstown High School. Students from Wheelerville Central School District feed into the Greater Johnstown School District after the eighth grade. Lake Pleasant Central School District students have the option to attend Johnstown High School for grades 10-12. We welcome these students to our school and department.

The music department is active in NYSSMA (New York State School Music Association), MENC (Music Educators National Conference) and FCMEA (Fulton County Music Educators Association). Students attend all-county, area all-state and all-state festivals. Students participate in the NYSSMA solo and small ensemble evaluation festivals as selected ensembles attend the NYSSMA Major Organization festivals.

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