Fine Arts

May 17, 2012

The Upper School Art Show is open from May 23 to June 1!

Please join us for the opening reception of the second semester Upper School Art Exhibition on Wednesday, May 23, from 6:30-7:30 pm in the Gallery. Artists from all second semester visual arts courses will have work in the show: drawing, ceramics, painting and photography. This is the culmination of their hard work and creative accomplishments, and many of the artists will be on hand to receive compliments and questions. The exhibition runs from May 23 through June 1.

Painting by Chloe Castaneda.

May 10, 2012

Please join me in congratulating those students who were selected to participate in the American Choral Director’s Association (ACDA) 11-12 State Honor Choir:

Sarah Anderson

Grace Frecentese

Rachael Kozen

Rebecca Zeglovitch

Held in conjunction with the 50th Anniversary of the Minnesota chapter of ACDA, this honor choir will premiere a new work by conductor and composer René Clausen (Concordia College).

Thanks for supporting the singing endeavors of these students!

– John P. Habermann
  Upper School Choir Director/Music Educator

May 10, 2012

Congratulations to the following students who were selected to participate in the Minnesota Music Educator’s Association (MMEA) All-State Men’s Choir in 2012-2013:

Jackson Beck

Quinn Bendelsmith

Mason McElvain

Stefan Schwochau

These young men will spend a week at St. John’s University in Collegeville rehearsing and performing under the direction of Christoper Aspaas (St. Olaf College).  The All-State Choirs reconvene during the MMEA convention in February.  

– John P. Habermann
   Upper School Choir Director/Music Educator

May 10, 2012

It’s a busy week in the band department as both the Middle School and
Upper School Bands prepare for their final concerts of the year.  Next
Monday, May 14th, the Middle School Bands will be presenting their
Spring Concert at 7:00pm in the Nicholson Center.  The groups performing
include the 5th Grade Band, 6th Grade Band, 7/8 Band, and Middle School
Jazz Band.  This concert is an excellent opportunity to see the growth
and development of the students’ skills as they progress through Middle
School.

On Wednesday, May 16th, the Upper School Bands will be
presenting their annual Pops Concert at 7:30pm in the Nicholson Center. 
The groups performing include the US Jazz Ensemble, Concert Band,
Symphonic Band, and a combination of the Woodwind Ensemble and Symphonic
Band Percussion Ensemble.  The concert features many familiar pieces
including highlights from many Broadway musicals and a medley from some
of the Pixar Studio movies.

We hope you can join us for one or both if these great concerts.

May 2, 2012

Throughout the cold winter months middle school students began learning about Hawaii and some of the traditional music that one might encounter on the islands. I have always had a soft spot for Hawaii, as I started visiting my aunt and uncle on the island of O’ahu when I was in junior high. As a junior in college I had the opportunity to teach on both O’ahu and the Big Island of Hawai’i through a J-Term class. Throughout my numerous visits to the state, and being able to teach some of the local students, I fell in love with the islands.

At the end of last year Ms. Wentzel came to the music department with a local grant and suggested that we have the Rose Ensemble share part of their Hawaiian educational residency in our school. We were so excited to be able to include all of the middle school students in this experience. We began working on our Hawaiian music in January, when we could only imagine the smell of tropical plants and flowers in the air and the warm sunshine on our face.

On April 19th and 20th the middle school choirs had the opportunity to work with a member of the Rose Ensemble, Kim Sueoka. She is originally from the island of Kauai and came to Mounds Park Academy to work with our students on their music in preparation for our concert. She worked with students on correct pronunciation and phrasing. Kim also worked with the students to help them understand the meaning and importance of the music they are singing to the Hawaiian culture in order to correctly portray this in their singing. The students really enjoyed getting to work with Kim and they have taken on the challenge of showing the respect and importance of the Hawaiian culture.

We are looking forward to our Hawaiian themed concert that will take place on Thursday, May 3rd in the Nicholson Center at 7:00PM. The students will be performing a traditional Hawaiian warrior chant, the Hawaiian national anthem, hula dancing and much more! We hope that you will be able to join us on Thursday night.

Leah Abbe Bloem
Lower and Middle School Music Teacher

May 2, 2012

Congratulations to the following students who were selected to participate
in next year’s Minnesota All-State Orchestra!

    Alex Campanelli – Violin
    Kethan Dahlberg – Violin
    Eliza Edwards – Cello

Over 1,900 students auditioned for the seven All-State vocal and
instrumental ensembles.  The students will attend a week-long summer camp at
Concordia Moorhead where they will rehearse and perform with a guest
conductor and selected clinicians.  They will reconvene next February for
more rehearsals and a performance at Minneapolis Convention Center during
the Minnesota Music Educators Convention.

This is a great accomplishment for these young musicians who worked hard on
their audition materials.  Please congratulate them when you see them!
—

May 2, 2012

Applied Painting is painting a piano!  We acquired the piano through an organization called Keys 4/4 Kids, which was founded by MPA alum Newell Hill.  One of Keys 4/4 Kids projects is called “Paint A Piano”.  Pianos are painted and then sold, raising money for art and music programs in low income neighborhoods.

We started by learning about the Harlem Renaissance because the art and music movements at that time were so related,  Exploring this relationship seemed appropriate given we are painting on an instrument!  Specifically, we studied the work of Romare Bearden.  Each student in the class is responsible for painting a section of the piano.  Simultaneously, they are also creating their own compositions of a similar style.  

The piano will debut at the Upper School Art Show reception May 23!

– Renee Sonka, Fine Arts Faculty

May 2, 2012

Each spring, a nation-wide high school arts competition is sponsored by the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Artistic Discovery Contest is an opportunity to recognize and encourage the artistic talent in the nation, as well as in our congressional district. The Artistic Discovery Contest is open to all high school students in the 4th District, and an exhibit in Washington will include artwork from contest winners nation-wide. 

This year, four MPA students have entered the competition:  Tony Reamer, Phillipe Thao, Kate Nicholson, and Leah Wisniewski (see images of their entries below).

The Congressional Art Competition began in 1982 to provide an opportunity for members of Congress to encourage and recognize the artistic talents of their young constituents. Since then, over 650,000 high school students have been involved with the nationwide competition. 

Last year, MPA Class of 2011 student Anna ten Bensel won the top prize in this competition. She visited Washington, DC to receive her award for her piece, “Beginning of a Discovery”, met with Congresswoman Betty McCollum, and was later honored at the Congressional Arts Competition Awards Ceremony. 

A reception to announce this year’s winners will be held on May 21. Best of luck to all of our MPA artists in this competition!

Tony Reamer, 9th grade

Phillipe Thao, 10th grade

Leah Wisniewski, 12th grade

Kate Nicholson, 12th grade

May 2, 2012

April 26, 2012

Dr. Reid Smith, who has taught piano at MPA for 23 years, will be on the faculty of the 15th Granada Spain International Piano Festival, and on the jury of the 2nd Maria Herrero International Piano Competition which is held during the festival. This is one of the few international festivals and competitions arranged specifically for children and teenagers.  He would like to encourage all MPA piano students who are interested in this opportunity to audition.  Auditions are recorded at Reid’s home studio in Dellwood.
 
Students age 6-19 may apply. The festival is from July 17-29, 2012. Annually, one guest teacher from the US is invited to bring students to join the 75-80 students from Europe and Asia who will be attending the festival. Auditions are arranged through Reid and must be completed by June 1. Students prepare a 10 minute program. There are no specific repertoire requirements, so participants choose what they wish to present at the festival. For the audition, music does not have to be memorized, but must be memorized by the festival. Students receive private lessons, master classes, and will perform in various concert halls throughout Granada.
 
If a student wishes to enter the competition in addition to attending the festival, there are four competitions: age 6-12, age 13-15, age 16-18 and age 19-30. Students prepare 20-50 min. of music at their choice, depending on their age group.
 
Reid is a graduate of The Juilliard School and is frequently invited to join the faculty of international music festivals and to serve as a juror of international competitions. In the past, students from throughout the Twin Cities have joined Reid at festivals in Serignan, France 2007, Gabala, Azerbaijan 2009, Varallo, Italy 2010, and Norma, Italy 2011. Many MPA students have benefited from these musical experiences.
 
For more information, contact Reid at DrReidSmith.com.  More festival information is also available at DrReidSmith.com. From there, after reaching the Spanish Festival site, click on “USA Students”.