Caledonia Argus

Directors plan noteworthy year for school music program

Posted: 9/16/03

by Jane Palen
Managing editor

Continuity and increased participation within the CHS music program are the goals of the new vocal and instrumental music directors who recently began new jobs at Caledonia Middle and High School. Gene Power will be directing the high school band, marching band, pep band, high school jazz band, and will be giving woodwind lessons at the 5th grade level. Curt Campbell is directing the middle school band and beginning band and is giving lessons to brass and percussion players and will direct the middle school jazz band. Campbell and Power are both graduates from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Eliott Kranz is teaching vocal music in grades 6-12 and general music for grades 6-8. He is giving voice lessons to students grade 6-12, and will be directing the jazz choir, which in past years has been known as the jazz symposium. Beginning this year, there will be a female jazz chorus and a mixed jazz chorus in the high school, and middle school jazz chorus will be formed this spring. Kranz is a graduate of Luther College in Decorah.

Power is looking forward to the return of pep band and marching band to boost school spirit and morale. Those activities were recently reinstated after being cut in an effort to balance the budget. Some new equipment has also been purchased. Power hopes that a summer band program can be arranged to give high school musicians a presence at local celebrations. He commented that there is a great deal of talent in the current 50-piece band.

ìThe high school band will be really good this year,î said Power. ìThey have a lot of skill and motivation. If they get fired up, they can do anything.î The band has a good balance between the sections, he noted.

Power encourages students who were formerly in band and dropped out to contact him because he is willing to work with students who would like to return to band.

ìThere may be some scheduling conflicts, but we are trying to be flexible,î he said.

Campbell said that his middle school band is also well-balanced and has a lot of potential. Middle school students will this year have the opportunity to play in the pep band.

Music lovers can look forward to an event never before tried in Caledoniaóan indoor marching band concert. The facilities are excellent for that type of concert, said Power. That concert is scheduled for October 27 and will feature the middle school and high school bands.

In an effort to bring vocal music and instrumental music closer and provide continuity between the programs, several concerts that feature both have been scheduled.The Middle School will present its fall concert on November 20, and a fall jazz concert will be November 24. The high school music concert will be December 2 .

Kranz remarked that it was the direction of the administration that the music program be more cohesive.

ìThey want us to work together, and we want to work together,î he said.

Power added, ìThe big thing is collaboration. Weíre on the low side for numbers, and weíd like to get more kids involved in school music and the arts.î

One way they will be trying to draw more students into the arts is to plan a musicalósomething that hasnít been tried before in Caledonia.

ìWe have wonderful facilities, and we will try to maximize them and explore every possibility we can,î Power said.

There are plans to continue the annual ìSing and Swingî spring event which is scheduled for April 19.

All parents of students in choir and band are invited to an informational meeting Monday evening, September 22 at 7 pm in the band room at the Caledonia High School to discuss plans for the music program. Input from parents is welcomed and appreciated.

Top of Page