Lake City’s music department honored
The entire Lake City High School music department was honored at an assembly May 14 for being selected as one of only 40 public high schools nationwide as a “Grammy Signature School.”
The Grammy was for the entire program; band, vocals and orchestra. Also taken into consideration are classes the schools offer. Lake City also has a stomp class, American musicals, music appreciation and a guitar class, and hopes to add music theory and stage technology.
Only one other school from the Northwest was chosen, Kentwood High School in Covington, Wash.
Participating schools are required to submit performance tapes, which are then judged by a panel of top music educators. The Lake City band is directed by Tim Sandford, and the choir director is Lacy Hedahl. Coeur d’Alene School Superintendent Harry Amend and Coeur d’Alene Symphony Board President Robert Singletary were present for the program.
As students filed into the gymnasium, the jazz band performed. The program officially opened with a rendition of the national anthem sung by senior Corban Agriostathes. She has already recorded a demo tape and will be singing in New York at the end of September at a Yankees playoff game. She will attend North Idaho College in the fall to study music.
The 13-member chamber choir performed two numbers under Hedahl’s skilled direction. In her fourth year at Lake City, Hedahl has 120 students involved in the choir program in five choirs. She also directs an after-school men’s choir.
“It’s not necessarily a career choice, either,” Hedahl said. “It’s something that they can use in their everyday life no matter what they choose to do.”
Approximately 1,200 students attend LCHS, and one-fourth of them are involved in the music program.
“The real success is that they’ll play for the rest of their lives,” Sandford said. “A lot of them continue to play. It’s a life skill.”
Sandford’s jazz band treated the assembly to a couple of numbers, highlighting the saxophone players, including his son, Joel Sandford, on alto sax. Joel will be attending the Hampton School of Music at the University of Idaho in the fall.
The school’s instrumental program includes the symphonic band, concert band, orchestra and string ensemble, jazz one, two and three; pep band and marching band.
A few weeks ago, the department also won the overall sweepstakes at the Seattle Heritage Festival after the jazz band placed first and was named Best Festival Band; the symphonic band received a gold award; the orchestra received a gold first place and the Adjudicator’s Choice Award and the choirs received two silver awards and a bronze. The orchestra was invited to a Gold Award Festival in Boston next year, one of only 20 groups that will rehearse with members of the Boston Pops and perform in it’s hall.
Idaho Youth Leadership
Post Falls Mayor Clay Larkin now is accepting applications from Post Falls High School students for the Idaho Youth Leadership Conference to be held in Boise June 16-18.
The theme of the youth conference is “Visionary Leadership for Quality Communities,” and is designed to empower youth to be competent and confident leaders.
Mayor Larkin is asking Post Falls High sophomores, juniors and seniors to submit a letter explaining in 250 words or less, why they would like to attend the conference, what they hope to learn and how they will apply what they learn in their lives and in their community. Students will stay at the BSU dorms.
Six students will receive full paid scholarships to attend including travel, lodging, meals and conference fees. Letters must be received at Post Falls City Hall by Monday at 5 p.m. Application letters must include the student’s name, grade, school, parent/guardian name, address and contact phone number. Mail letters to Mayor Clay Larkin, City of Post Falls, 408 N. Spokane St., Post Falls, ID 83854 or drop them off at City Hall.
Fernan, Skyway get A+
Fernan and Skyway Elementary Schools have earned the Idaho Education Association’s A+ Excellence in Education Award for the 2003-04 school years. The award recognizes educational excellence. Both schools will be honored in ceremonies later this spring.
Idaho State Forestry contest winners
More than 180 students competed for top honors recently in the 2004 Idaho State Forestry contest.
The top individual prize, the David Ritz Memorial Plaque, was awarded to Eddie Widmer of Post Falls High School with a score of 373. Second place went to Ben Nielson of Post Falls High School, and third place went to Dan Nielson, also of PFHS.
In the junior division first place went to Brad Fullmer of Post Falls Middle School, second place to Joshua Erickson of Post Falls Middle School and third was awarded to Nora Nielson of Post Falls Middle School.