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Mundelein High School musicians earn accolades
The Mundelein Sound performing at Milton High School. ( Photo by Kathryn Serby)
Updated: March 1, 2013 6:30AM
Grand champions
Mundelein High School’s co-ed show choir, Mundelein Sound, was named Grand Champion at the Jan. 19 Milton, Wisc., Show Choir Invitational.
Fifteen choirs from Illinois and Wisconsin gathered at Milton High School to perform for judges and a large audience. Sound also took awards as Best Instrumental Ensemble, Best Choreography and Best Vocal Sound.
The awards didn’t stop there, however. Mundelein Lights, the MHS all-female show choir, was named top Women’s Show Choir.
The show choirs will present a concert at MHS at 7 p.m. Feb. 7 in the auditorium. Admission is free but donations to the choral music program will be accepted at the door.
Following the concert, the choirs will head for their next competition, Feb. 9, at Manteno High School. SoundFX will perform at 2:30 p.m.; Lights at 4:40 p.m. and Sound at 9 p.m. John Neubauer and Cory Thompson are the vocal music directors at MHS.
Band students earn accolades
Several Mundelein High School students have earned honors for their performance skills in the instrumental music program.
Senior flautist Brittany Sirotti and junior bassoonist Madi Cardenas were selected to perform at the Illinois Music Educators’ Conference in Peoria this week. The students were selected as some of the best in the northern suburbs based on regional auditions. Only 250 wind and percussion players are selected from across the state.
The students will work with nationally-acclaimed clinicians and conductors, and present a concert Jan. 26. Sophomore Wes Farmer, euphonium, also qualified to participate but is ineligible due to an age restriction.
Four seniors were selected to join the Northshore Concert Band under the direction of Dr. Mallory Thompson, director of bands at Northwestern University. Mitzi Ochoa (bass clarinet), Donald Renz (clarinet), Julisette Velazquez (flute) and Andrew Westgate (tuba) will play at the annual Lifetime of Music Concert in February. The student musicians will work with Thompson and one of the most renowned community bands in the country. The Feb. 10 concert will take place at the historic Pick-Staiger Concert Hall on the NU campus.
Sophomore Shannon Streeter, bass clarinetist, was selected to the 2013 Augustana College High School Honor Band. She traveled to the college last weekend to rehearse and perform with high school students from throughout the Midwest. She worked with Dr. James Lambrecht, director of bands at Augustana, and presented a concert Jan. 21.
Adam Gohr and Keith Pitner are the instrumental music directors at MHS.
Financial aid workshop
A free workshop to help students and/or parents complete financial aid forms and apply for many types of financial aid will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Feb. 5 at Mundelein High School. The workshop will be offered in both English and Spanish.
Attendees can get help in completing the free application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is also available at www.fafsa.ed.gov. This form is required to be considered for state and federal financial aid programs.
Those attending the workshop should bring student and parent 2012 tax forms, driver’s license or state ID and social security card, and recent bank statements. If tax forms have not been completed, W-2 forms and final paycheck stubs for the year are acceptable. Also needed are information about assets such as savings, certificates of deposit, stock options, bonds and investment real estate, business and farm.
The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC), local financial aid experts and ISAC-trained volunteers will be available to answer questions.
For additional information, contact C. Myra Gaytan-Morales, assistant dean for academic programs & services, at (847) 665-4108 or email at mgaytan@ucenter.org.~.
