May 30th was "Wicked" Awesome!

No, I am not in the Northeast eating clam chowdah, I went with my wife and a load of people from Gonzales and Baton Rouge to see Abby Ragusa perform in "Wicked."  The Dreams Come True foundation was able to provide this amazing opportunity for the choir and St. Amant High School alum.

Abby appeared in multiple scenes, sang, and was center stage for the bows.  She received instruction from the vocal director who was very impressed with her ability (because she is an AWESOME ALTO!).

Following the performance, my wife and I snuck backstage with the family.  It was amazing to see how everything works and how organized everything was.  The performers and crew were very complimentary of Abby and when she exited the backstage door, she was mobbed for autographs!

Congratulations and brava for an amazing performance!

What has music done for you lately?

My favorite assignment in my classes is "a day without music."  I challenge students to attempt to not experience any music for an entire day.  When they hear it on TV, they should turn it off, when played in a store, avoid that store.  This assignment awakens a reality that music is embedded in society as motivation, coercion, inspiration, and more.

Music can move you to tears or inspire you to run marathon.  It can cause you to reflect and it can motivate you.

How has music influenced you, moved you, changed you, inspired you?

Here's my story:

As a kid, music was a reason to get out of school and go on a field trip.  My Our Lady of Prompt Succor Choir in Chalmette, LA (Mr. Randy Rumbelow, director) would take us out to the mall and we would sing a few carols.

The first time music really moved me was in high school.  Jesuit was an all male school and the choir sang at every mass.  It made me want to be a part of it.  Later, I got sucked into musical theatre at Dominican High School where my singing really took off.  I was just a shadow until I started finding myself and my personality through Mrs. Abadie, Payton, and Castillo.  Here is where I knew music would be a major part of my life.

In college, music led me to my beautiful wife (the choir director... of course!).  I found out you could make $$ singing and still have it move you with Government Street Presbyterian Church in Mobile where performing Rutter's "Requiem" inspired me to pursue music rather than history.

At Loyola, I refined my skills and met an amazing mentor whose wisdom and beauty at the podium is unmatched.  I met the best musicians that I could ever imagine, had a great vocal coach, and honed my skills as an educator and advocate for music.

Today, I am a choir director (singing when I can) and try to inspire future musicians as the amazing teachers that I had before.  I know that I would not have my voice had it not been for all of those who led me to where I am and I hope to be that motivator for my former, current, and future students.  It is not about being an amazing singer, it is about a love for the art form and a desire to better yourself as a human.

So, what have you gotten out of music and what has music gotten out of you?

End of Year Pics

Well, when it is the end of the year, what do I do?  Beg students to email me the pics they took because I forget to take any pictures!

Here are some of my favorites...

Choir concert (Adv. Girls Choir)

with Carl, the Sweepstakes Trophy

Natalie and Jordan

Two stellar, 8 semester Sopranos!

Mrs. Allison, Kelsey, and Mr. Marvin

SUPER-DUPER supportive parents 

Solfege fun... 'nuf said!

Feeling left out??  Send me your pics and I will post!

WAY behind schedule!??!?!?!

This is the time of year that stresses out any teacher.  Whether English, PE, Band, or Social Studies, teachers at St. Amant are preparing Seniors for their last exams, SLTs for review, AP testing, and more.  

I should have posted about this much sooner, but wanted to post pics (I am still praying on parents to send me some pics to post...hint, hint).  This is my seventh year at St. Amant and I can see myself turning into the fat Mr. Holland from the movie.  I watch these students grow and mature over four years and realize that they learn so much in their time in high school.  Not only as musicians, but as citizens who contribute.  The seniors this year have so very much to be proud of...  2 state sweepstakes trophies, redemption from "Greensleeves" (SA, Rentz) their freshman year.  The whole time, having Mr. B breathing down their throats saying that their amazing singing can be even better.

It is truly a joy to teach students who can blossom into such great young adults.

I was given two very special notes from probably two of the greatest leaders in my choirs in years.  They were careful to critique with caution and sing with passion.  My favorite things about the notes are the following quotes (didn't cry on the first read through, but definitely did on the second)...

"It has been an amazing journey for me--one in which I have found my voice and myself."

"You have always kept an eye out for me, and done so much to help me succeed.  I have never met anyone so invested in students' lives and well-being."  (there's more, but I'll stop there)

"I look up to you very much.  I know that you will always have my best interest at heart whether it is help with a song or advice for life."

These notes will be kept close for the down days when I don't know what to do or get frustrated because of my high expectations.  I have the absolute best job in the world and teach the best students in the world.  They may be a mixed up crew of kids, but they can sing as one uniform group and make amazing sounds and, most importantly, sing with passion!

These students motivate me to be a better instructor everyday to make these students achieve their fullest potential!

Thank you, Natalie and Jordan for giving me notes that I can reflect on any time I am having a bad day and need some support!

Proud Director!

Well, you hear it from teachers all the time... we refer to our students as "my kids."  Not as an insult to the actual parents (nearly all of them are unbelievable in supporting the kids), but as an attribute to the bond that teachers can form with students from spending so much time together.

Yesterday, I had my beginning choir, for the first time EVER, receive superior ratings at the state level (they received superior concert).  As I told my beginners, this far exceeded  my expectations!

My Mixed Choir received a sweepstakes trophy (ALL 1s).  My Select Ensemble received a 2 overall in concert, but a 1 in sight-reading.

The biggest accomplishment was from my Advanced Girl Choir.  This group received 100% 1s (in ALL categories).  I told them before we went on that they had been my biggest challenge of the semester.  I have NEVER worked with an advanced treble choir and they are/were so good that I had to find ways to challenge them.

The choirs from St. Amant have taken a HUGE step forward this year and I hope to continue that trend as the years progress.

Free Summer Camp for Ascension Youth!

St. Amant High School will host its 3rd "Singing Summer Camp" from May 28-31.  Thanks to The Ascension Fund, it is FREE to all participants!

If you know anyone with kids entering grades 1-8, let them know about this amazing experience.

.pdf of registration located at:  http://tinyurl.com/d34u4m3

For registration information, e-mail: bryan.bertucci@apsb.org

The goal of the Singing Summer Camp is to allow students to learn about the choral art form and to encourage the development of elementary and middle school vocal music programs in the Ascension Parish Public Schools.

State Festival, here we come!

Wednesday will be a busy day.  Beginning Choir, Adv. Girls, Mixed Choir, and Select Ensemble ALL sing on May 1!!!  Concert is on May 2!?!?!?!?  Don't know what I was thinking.

The students sound amazing this year.  Amidst many changes in the evaluation process and learning targets, the choir has managed to send ALL ensembles to STATE!

I have had the pleasure of teaching many talented students, but I am priviledged to teach the best group of ensembles in my 7th year at St. Amant HS.  The students in the choirs this year sound better than any groups I have taught thus far.  Not that previous groups were not as good, but I am more experienced now and previous years have helped build more aware singers who can sing as a part of the ensemble.

The past four years have been amazing and I will miss this crew (even the ones with senioritis!?!?!) as much as I miss the alumni who have helped get them to this point.

We take over Lake Charles Civic Center (and then CiCi's Pizza) on May 1...

Dutchtown HS Spring Concert

Mrs. Elisar, Dutchtown High School's choir director, is retiring this year!  Congratulations to you.  The concert was on 4/22 and the choirs sounded amazing!  I was proud to have so many St. Amant students attend the concert of a 'rival school' (never rivals in choir, though).
Mrs. Elisar is a great mentor, friend, and director!  Whoever fills her shoes will have a tough name to live up to.  Looking forward to meeting the new Dutchtown Choir Director next year.
Although the last song, "Always a Friend," is always touching, I feel the highlight of the night was "In Rememberance."  The song was dedicated to two former students who have passed from the Ascension community.  It was sung to support the families and with unimaginable emotion.
Congratulations to DTHS on an amazing concert!

Stellar Saturday!

Well, why stop the alliteration now?

On Saturday, April 20, choir students participated in State Rally for solo and small ensembles.  I was very impressed with the quality of musician from St. Amant who participated this year!

All students scored Excellent or Superior!

Students earning superior ratings (highest) were:
-Jordan Manton
-Madison Buratt
-Natalie Caruso
-Cole Spillman
-Small Ensemble:  London Marchand, Jacey Bittle, Madison Buratt

Congrats to all (enjoy the pic of us in the lobby of the LSU music building):

Fantastick Friday!

Recently, I attended a Student Achievement Partners conference in Denver, CO, that focused on Common Core State Standards.  When I returned from the conference, I decided that Friday would be a great day to begin learning our "end of the year/alumni" song, "Try to Remember."

My beginning choir read the lyrics individually, then I read the lyrics to the class.  Next, we answered questions about vocabulary (with citations from the text).  Students began to make more connections and excel at literacy!!!

On top of all that, the beginning choir learned the entire song in only one period!  I have some rockstars in the choirs this year!

LSU Choir Invitational

St. Amant High School's Choir had the largest group of students of any school participate in the LSU Invitational.  Students learned three songs under the direction of Dr. Dickson, director of choirs at LSU.  After a morning of rehearsals, students combined with the A Cappella Choir and had a rehearsal followed by a brief performance.

STA's Got Talent!

Congratulations to the many talented acts to perform at St. Amant's Got Talent.  Over 20 acts performed and the results are as follows:

Judge's Favorite:  Natalie and Julie Caruso
1st Place:  Thomas Vercher and Troy Bourgeois
2nd Place:  Jesse Bateman and Karleigh Keller
3rd Place:  Blake Thibodeaux

The event helped to raise money for the choir to attend the state assessments.  Over 400 people turned out to lend their support.  A HUGE thank you to to the St. Amant Community for their continued support of the music programs.

Awesome Day at St. Amant

I often tell my wife (it is her first year teaching) that in teaching you remember and hold on dearly to the good days because they are few and far between.  I have been on a winning streak lately!  Yes, the reforms in education are cumbersome and, no, I do not think many of them are in the best interest of the students (on top of that, teachers have difficulty keeping up with poorly planned reforms that are tough to maintain).

We are preparing for a talent show, tomorrow at school and I have some amazing students working very hard to help it be a success.  Also, for the first time, I have teacher participants... even if they are doing spoofs, I think a Dr. Seuss poetry slam will be hilarious!

At the same time that this is beginning, I find out the prom king and queen are both from choir.  Being in choir I am sure, in no way, helped them, but I am proud of them nevertheless.  Also, we are preparing for a solo and small ensemble assessment (previous called festival, but we have to be more politically correct now).

I had students stay after school for hours to practice and the last singer really moved me.  This girl had been in my Beginning Choir for three semesters and I asked her to move to Advanced Choir this semester.  She was chosen for the Select Ensemble and music may be a viable ticket for her into college next year.  She began singing her solo (I don't work solos during school, only after school) and I was amazed that she learned it ALL on her own.

I have singers who are smart and musical and exert very little effort, but it was especially moving to hear this student sing.  Teaching is a great profession that gives teachers the privilege of watching students grow and succeed.  I hope all of my teachers know what an amazing impact on my life they had.  Teachers impart so much more than just knowledge, they teach life skills, expectations, drive, enthusiasm, and more.

Here's hoping form many more days like today at school  Thanks to all of the students who work so hard to achieve the ever increasing expectations.  I am proud of all of you.

Great visit to Loyola New Orleans

It is often said that rewards in teaching are few and far between.  Today, I was honored to see a former student, Daniel Bourgeois, perform with the Loyola University Chorus and Chorale amazing music.

I listened and watched in awe as my former director subtly conducted sounds that very few are able to evoke.  The choir breathed energy and passion into the music (Peaceable Kingdom and Vaughn Williams's Mass in G Minor).

Meg Frazier paid me one of the biggest compliments of my career, she said that Daniel was a great student and to send more students like him to Loyola.  She is placing him in the highest ensemble at Loyola.

I, most certainly, do not take credit for his achievements.  His family, self-motivation, and other instructors have influenced him immensely, but it is great to have been asked to have more of my students audition to Loyola!