Shamrock BANDS

Honors Jazz Band at St. Giles Jazz Night

2012-02-27T20:29:00.000-06:00

Please consider joining the Saint Patrick Honors Jazz Band as they perform for the first time at the annual St. Giles Jazz Night Wednesday night, February 29 at 7:00 p.m. They will perform along side the St. Giles Jazz Band, Fenwick Jazz Ensemble and special guest artists Tom Garling, Juli Wood, and Rob Curtis. Admission is free but donations are welcomed. St. Giles is located at 1030 N Linden Avenue in Oak Park and the performance will be in the gymnasium. Students and families can access an itinerary for the day here: St. Giles Itinerary. LET'S GET A BIG CROWD TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR SHAMROCK JAZZ!!

NCBA Solo Contest Comes to SPHS

2012-02-26T20:34:00.002-06:00

THANK YOU to all who helped on our very first NCBA Solo Contest hosting. Almost 50 students and their families attended and things ran very well. Thank you to all of those who donated baked goods - Ms. Fiorante, Dr. Brown, Ms. Armstrong, Ms. DiProva, and Ms. Gallagher. Thank you also to the student and parents who donated their time, especially Mr. Catalano, Mr. Michelli, and Mr. Sterling. Many students and families expressed to me there appreciation at how welcoming and helpful you all were. Thanks again!

JITM Recap

2012-02-25T22:43:00.001-06:00

‎2012 Jazz in the Meadows is in the books. The guys played great but, alas, we came away with II (two) ratings (out of 3) for all three groups. It's such a tough festival, but it's good for us. Besides it's great for them to hear all of the other schools and what is possible for THEM to achieve if they work hard. Wheeling was Grand Champ and sounded awesome. I forgot the solo award certificates at school or I would post the result. I will edit this post when I see them (probably Sunday). Way to go Shamrocks!

Jazz in the Meadows Saturday!

2012-02-22T07:58:00.002-06:00

Well it's almost here. Our final band festival of the year happens this Saturday, February 25 at Rolling Meadows High School. Please consider attending what is the largest jazz festival/competition in the Midwest. Nearly 100 high school and junior high jazz bands from all over the Midwest (including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri—even California) come to play and compete in over 100 performances. The Saint Patrick Jazz Band, Honors Jazz Band, and Combo will be competing. In the past we have fared well, placing in the top three in our division on multiple occasions. Won't you please show your support by attending one or all of the performances? For information on the day's events you can click the link in the Documents sidebar or go to the festival page: Jazz in the Meadows. If you would like to save some money and still attend, please consider chaperoning. Contact Mr. Carroll for further information.

Esprit de Corps Award!

2012-02-18T21:35:00.003-06:00

Congratulations to the members of the Saint Patrick Concert Band on today's performance at the 2012 State of the Art Catholic Band Competition hosted by Saint Viator High School. The band performed second, at 9:10 a.m., and placed 5th in class A, only 2.5 points away from 3rd. They performed Fidelity March by Karl King and Amen! by Frank Ticheli. Throughout the day the band was treated to outstanding musical performances by the area's best Catholic high school band programs. The highlight of the day was the awards ceremony when the Saint Patrick Concert Band received the Jim Moore Esprit de Corps Award for exemplary bandsmen-ship and conduct. Way to go Shamrocks!

Jazz Fest Recap

2012-02-10T08:22:00.002-06:00

What a fun time we had at the Frank Mantooth jazz Festival at New Trier H.S.! After two superb performances by our Jazz Band and Combo, the rest of the day was filled with clinics, workshops, high school performances, and performances by the Marquis Hill Blacktet, the Directors' Big Band, and finally by the Michigan State University Jazz Orchestra with special guest Etienne Charles!! We received some excellent feedback with which we will use to improve for our next performance. Here is a video of the Jazz Band performance:

Frank Mantooth Jazz Festival

2012-02-01T08:11:00.003-06:00

Please consider joining the Jazz Band and Combo at the 29th Annual Frank Mantooth Jazz Festival at New Trier High School this Saturday, February 4. The Combo will perform at 9:00 a.m. and the Jazz Band will perform at 11:00 a.m. A detailed itinerary of our day's events can be found here: Jazz Fest Itinerary. Daytime attendance to the festival is FREE and is filled with great high school performances workshops/clinics, and highlighted by performances by the Marquis Hill Black-tet, the Directors Big Fat Band (Mr. Carroll is playing lead trombone), and the Michigan State University Jazz Orchestra. If you wish to stay, the evening concert will feature the Chicago Jazz Ensemble with special guest Nicholas Payton. Tickets must be purchased for evening concert on the festival website. We will be leaving SPHS at 7:00 a.m. and should be home by 6:00 p.m. Come out and enjoy the day of great music with us!

Home BBall Updates

2012-01-27T10:06:00.003-06:00

Please don't forget that we have a home basketball game this Saturday against Loyola Academy. Game time is 7:30 p.m. Students need to be on stage and ready to play by 7:00 p.m.

Due to the fact that both gyms will be in use, we will NOT be playing for the Friday, February 3rd game versus Marian Central Catholic. Enjoy the evening off & save up your energy for the next day's festival.

Lastly, there is a small error in the schedule regarding game times. All games should be scheduled to start, as usual, at 7:30 p.m. and NOT 8:30 p.m. Sorry if there was any confusion.

North Shore Jazz Fest Recap

2012-01-21T17:58:00.001-06:00

Congratulations to the Shamrock men on their outstanding performances at the festival today. Both the Honors Jazz Band and Combo received high marks for their performance. Honors Jazz Band placed second in Class A! Best of all, they got to work with fantastic professional musicians and hear great performances. The day culminatd with a terrific performance by last year's grand champion, Wheeling High School and the DePaul University Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Bob Lark.

2012 North Shore Jazz Festival Saturday

2012-01-18T10:30:00.001-06:00

Please consider joining us this Saturday, January 21, at the 2012 North Shore Jazz Festival at Glenbrook South High School. The Honors Jazz Band will perform at 1:40 p.m. and the Combo performs at 4:00 p.m. The final concert begins at 6:05 with a guest performance by the DePaul University Jazz Ensemble. There is a $10 admission fee ($5 for seniors or children under 12) or $25 family admission fee.. Parents, if you would like to get in for free by helping to chaperone, please email Mr. Carroll. Come out and cheer the bands on as they compete in the first festival this year. Check out the detailed itinerary: North Shore Jazz Fest Itinerary. For more information, click the links above.

Basketball Game Thank You

2012-01-04T22:54:00.000-06:00

Thank you, one and all, for your participation in tonight's home basketball game versus Taft H.S. I really appreciate the excellent attendance! Everyone sounded great. Special thanks to the alumni band members who added to your spectacular sound tonight!

Home Basketball Game, January 4

2012-01-02T13:59:00.000-06:00

DON'T FORGET!!!! We have a home basketball game performance this Wednesday, January 4. You need to be onstage & ready to play BY 6:00 p.m. This is different than what was originally posted in the music calendar! Make sure that you pass the word. There will be alumni playing with you so it should be a lot of fun!

Bowling Fun!

2011-12-22T16:44:00.004-06:00

Members of the Saint Patrick Bands & Percussion Ensembles met today at Brunswick Zone of River Grove for two hours of fun and fellowship. It was a great end to the semester (though the bands still have two basketball games over break). Have a Merry Christmas!

Spring Trip Blog

2011-05-31T15:00:00.001-05:00

Check out the Spring Music Trip to Colorado Blog here: Shamrock Music Trip.

Washington, D.C. Information

2009-09-11T10:59:00.008-05:00

The 2010 Music Department Spring Trip is scheduled for Washington, D.C. All parents should parents should please look over the information posted on the right sidebar. Though not required to participate, all music students are encouraged to go on the trip, which for some will be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Clicking the documents marked Washington D.C. Itinerary and Washington D.C. Summary and Costs will download important information regarding the trip. Please note that the Itinerary is a work in progress and may change over the course of the year. A final itinerary will be given prior to departure.

Lastly, in order to get an idea of how many may be participating, please email Mr. Carroll whether or not your son(s) will be going on the trip. The more students that go, the less expensive the trip will be! I am greatly looking forward to this trip and I hope you will seriously consider having your son go with us. The memories that he will create will last a lifetime!

NOTE TO PARENTS

2009-09-02T12:28:00.003-05:00

Parents, if you have not already done so, please fill out the registration form on the right side of this page & email (click box at top of page) it to me as soon as possible (kcarroll@stpatrick.org). If you are having difficulty sending it, please save it as a .pdf file and attach it to an email. If that still does not work, please print it out and send it to school with your son. Thanks!

I hope to see you at the Parent Tour Night. If you can, please try to attend. In addition to basic class information, I will be doing a presentation on SmartMusic and how your son can most effectively use this technology. See you Thursday!

First Day of School

2009-08-19T16:48:00.015-05:00

Ready for the Day!

Honors Jazz Band

Beginning Band

Jazz Band

New Concert Videos!

2009-03-16T13:09:00.002-05:00

Please take note of the links to the right as I have posted links to the video of the February Jazz Concert with Paul Wertico. They are Windows Media files. You will need Windows Media Player to play them. If you need a copy of the program click here: Windows Media Player.

Basketball Playoff Additions

2009-03-01T23:30:00.007-06:00

Parents should be aware by now that we have potentially two additional home basketball games added to the schedule this week because we are hosting the IHSA Regional Championships. On Tuesday, March 3, the Shamrocks will face St. Ignatius. If victorious, Saint Patrick will then play on Friday, March 6. All band students are expected to be on stage and ready to play at 7:00 p.m. Go Shamrocks!

Congratulations!

2009-02-27T00:01:00.003-06:00

Wow, what a concert! I am very proud of the efforts of the Shamrock bands tonight. I hope that all in attendance had a great time. It is not every day that one gets to perform with one of the great musicians on the planet. Paul Wertico was incredible!!!! His solo was some of the fastest drumming I have ever seen. Amazingly, while playing he dropped his stick; it flipped in the air; he caught it and then kept right on playing as if nothing happened. Funny thing is, Paul said that he barely remembers that happening! All that is left to say is WOW!

Jazz Fest in Review

2009-02-07T22:17:00.003-06:00

Well, we are on our way home. It was a fantastic festival! The students got to watch and hear some of the legends of jazz today. I hope that they appreciate and remember what they witnessed.

Sorry for not blogging sooner but I was having some technical difficulties. I hope to post some pictures from today's activities soon.

Frank Mantooth Jazz Festival

2009-02-07T00:12:00.004-06:00

On Saturday, February 7, the Jazz Band will perform in the 26th Annual Frank Mantooth Jazz Festival at New Trier High School (Winnetka campus). The Jazz Band will perform at 1:05 on the main stage. The day is full of fantastic performances and clinics including high schools throughtout the midwest, The Ryan Cohan Sextet, The Directors Big Fat Band, The U.S. Army Blues (Jazz Ensemble), jazz education legend Jamey Aebersold, and the world famous Count Basie Orchestra. Before 5 p.m. all performances and clinics are FREE OF CHARGE! If you can't make the trip you can check out the day's events LIVE online at http://www.ntjazz.com/Jazz_Festival/default.htm. Leave well-wishes for the Shamrock Jazz Band here on the blog!

North Shore Jazz Festival!

2009-01-23T14:30:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow is the big day! Honors Jazz Band will perform in the annual North Shore Jazz Fest at Glenbrook South High School at 2:20 p.m. in the Auditorium. Following the high school performances will be a special performance by Rob Parton and his Jazz Tech Big Band. HJB members need to be at SPHS at 9:00 a.m. Come out and show your support or leave a message here on the blog! Location, ticket, and other information can be found here: Glenbrook South High School Bands

Welcome Back & Big News!

2009-01-12T13:23:00.005-06:00

Welcome back to school! It's hard to believe that the school year is 1/2 over! There are a lot of exciting events planned for this semester. And now for the BIG news.....

There will be guest artists performing on both of the concerts this semester! I am proud to say that joining the bands this semester will be Chicago saxophonist Mark Colby and 7-time Grammy-Award winning drummer Paul Wertico!!!!! I can hardly wait. More info to follow, but if you want to check out their bios, here are the links:

Mark Colby

Paul Wertico

New Year & New Music!

2009-01-07T16:23:00.003-06:00

As promised, I have posted links to the recordings of some of the songs that we are doing on the right hand side of the page. I will continue to post recordings as we go through the semester. Please listen often to the music that we are rehearsing! There is no substitute for listening to the actual recording!

Great Concert!

2008-12-20T22:20:00.003-06:00

Congratulations on a fantastic concert! I hope those of you in First-Year Band don't forget your first Saint Patrick Concert. Thank you to all that came out in support. It was a great audience. Hope you will all come out in late February for our next concert. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Home Basketball vs. Nazareth is On as Scheduled!

2008-12-19T12:24:00.003-06:00

Despite the closing of school today, December 19, due to the weather, the home varsity basketball game versus Nazareth Academy is on as scheduled. All members of the Saint Patrick GREEN BAND are expected to attend. Please allow for extra travel time and be on stage, ready to play, by 7:00 p.m. There probably won't be a large crowd, so our attendance is especially important. So get the word out! Remember, if you are in GOLD BAND, you can receive extra credit if you play. If not, come out and cheer on the Shamrocks!

Jazz Concert

2008-12-13T15:07:00.006-06:00

On Wednesday, December 17, at 7:30 in the Stahl Family Theater, the Saint Patrick Jazz Bands will perform in concert. Tickets are $5 per person and can be purchased from Mr. Carroll at school or through the Saint Patrick Box Office at https://www.stpatrick.org/theatre/. The First-Year Band, Jazz Band, and Honors Jazz Band will perform. Please make every effort to attend. Please also show your support by leaving your comments here. Hope to see you there!

Attendance

2008-11-26T13:18:00.004-06:00

As the Basketball Season begins tonight, I want to take this opportunity to remind everyone of the attendance policy for the Saint Patrick Bands (as stated in the Jazz Band Handbook):

Enrollment in jazz band automatically involves attendance at all rehearsals and performances. Absences from daily class time rehearsals are covered under school procedures. Occasionally, extra rehearsals (sectionals, individual instruction, extra help) outside of school time are arranged and attendance is expected unless arrangements have been made in advance. Absences from performances can considerably affect a grade depending upon the reason, means of notification, and amount of advance notice. If a possible absence can be foreseen, a note should be given to the director when the conflict is first discovered. Outside employment is not considered an excused absence. AN UNEXCUSED ABSENCE FROM A PERFORMANCE MAY AFFECT FUTURE PARTICIPATION AND ADVANCEMENT IN THE BAND PROGRAM. School class work (which Jazz Band IS) is a top priority. Illness should be of a major nature to be considered excused. If the absence needs to be made up, the director will inform you of his expectations afterwards. In the case of a last minute situation, every effort must be made to notify the director of the absence. However, you must try to avoid all conflicts of schedules (see BAND CALENDAR). It is virtually impossible to make up an absence of equal importance or weight as the actual performance itself. Do not feel that one person’s absence will not make a difference – every one is important.

I understand that there are inevitably conflicts that arise. I ask for your understanding that if you anticipate an absence, please let me know as soon as possible. In most cases I can cover the part if there is an absence but only if I have enough rehearsal time to do so. Please also review the 2008-2009 Calendar for future conflicts. Thank you and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

2008 IMEA Music Festival

2008-11-22T20:02:00.003-06:00

I just returned home from the 2008 IMEA District 1 Music Festival. This yearly event, sponsored by the members of the Illinois Music Educators Association, featured rehearsals and performances by the area's finest high school musicians at Downers Grove South High School. In October, 2100 students from high schools throughout the Chicago area auditioned to be a part of the All-District Band, Choir, or Orchestra. Sophomore Andrew Ellison, trombone, represented the Saint Patrick Bands as a member of the IMEA District 1 Band.

Honors Jazz Band Performs at Skokie Theatre

2008-11-09T23:56:00.008-06:00

The Honors Jazz Band performed in concert with Jeff Hedberg & C11 at 7:00 tonight at the Skokie Theatre. The men performed exceptionally well in this newly renovated theatre. They performed many of the same works from their October 29 concert: The Raider Returns, Thaditude, This Can't Be Love, Out of Nowhere, and In the Stone.

Following a short intermission, Jeff Hedberg & C11 performed music from the Mel Torme library. Arranged by Marty Paich, this music features the unusual instrumentation of 3 saxes, 2 trumpets, French horn, trombone, tuba, piano, bass, drums, and voice. C11 is comprised of local jazz greats like Joe Lill, Darren Scorza, Ken Spurr, Josh Shapiro, Nick Drozdoff, Steve Duncan, Rich Armandi, Matt Monroe, Dan Levine, Rich Moore, and Mark Colby. Led by singer/trumpet player Jeff Hedberg, C11 performed a challenging program that highlighted the ensemble's outstanding soloists and fantastic vocal stylings.

Jazz Concert

2008-10-20T23:16:00.002-05:00

Parents and students should be aware that all band students are expected to attend the upcoming Jazz Concert next Wednesday, October 29 at 7:30 p.m. in the theater. The Honors Jazz Band has been working very hard in preparation for what should be a great concert. Joining the HJB will be special guest band M13 which features 13 of the finest musicians in Chicago. Led by our saxophone teacher Aaron McEvers and including our trumpet teacher Scott Anderson, you'll not want to miss this concert. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased through Mr. Carroll, Mr. Neurauter in the business office, or online at https://www.stpatrick.org/theatre/. Check out M13 here: http://www.aaronmcevers.com/. See you all next Wednesday!

IMEA Auditions

2008-10-14T22:00:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to seniors Santino Carbonaro, Dan Dziubinski, and Ed Gaskew; and sophomores Andrew Ellison & Markeise Russell on their participation in the 2008 IMEA District 1 Auditions which took place at Carl Sandburg H.S. earlier tonight. Results will be released in a couple of days. Great job to all Shamrock Musicians!

Black Friday

2008-10-02T18:24:00.002-05:00

Homecoming will be a BLACK OUT! Students performing at the Homecoming football game should be advised that we are wearing BLACK! This is a change from the other day's blog entry. All Saint Patrick students have been requested by the school to wear black shirts/sweatshirts/coats for the big game. So naturally, the band will follow suit. Students are still expected to wear green/gold during the school day.

Homecoming Schedule - ALL BANDS

2008-09-30T21:34:00.003-05:00

ALL BANDS will rehearse after school Friday until 4:30 p.m. in preparation for the Homecoming Game (location TBA). After rehearsal we will partake in the school cookout, load the bus at 6:00 p.m., and hopefully be in the stands for the second half of the sophomore game around 7:00 p.m. We will play for the varsity game which is scheduled to start at 8:00 p.m. If all goes well, we should be back at SPHS between 10:30-11:00 p.m. Wear green/gold polos with jeans for the game. No shorts or ripped/torn jeans. If it is cold, wear sweatshirt/jacket (SPHS gear preferred). The team is doing really well this year. A bunch of band guys are on the team. Let's show them some great support! Go SHAMROCKS!

Permission Slips & Registration Forms

2008-09-19T08:52:00.002-05:00

Well the year is off and running. We are busily preparing for upcoming performances and working on the fundamentals that should provide a solild foundation for the rest of the year. As a matter of procedure, parents should please make sure that they have submitted the Permission Slip for the year's off campus events and the Band Registration Form. There are still many students that have not returned these documents. Both can be downloaded from the links on the right sidebar. The registration form can be submitted electronically. Both forms can also be printed out and returned physically. If you are unsure, feel free to contact me or check your son's grade on Edline (the permission slip has been entered as a grade).

Pandora's Box is OPEN!

2008-09-11T20:15:00.003-05:00

Well not really, but the website http://www.pandora.com/ is one of the coolest sites that I have seen to date. As a musician, it is a MUST SEE!!!!!!!!!! Basically, it is an online radio that you CONTROL and it is FREE! The user types in their email address and then can select music by genre, sub-genre, and even artist. They then create a "station" for that artist or genre that will play that specific artists music or something similar.

In my humble opinion, it seems like the variety and amount of music is unlimited. It even has music from obscure artists (even solo trombonists - how much more obscure can one get?). The only downside is that you can't download music, but if you want to take it with you, Pandora can be downloaded to function on an iPhone, on Facebook, or other file as well.

As a teacher, I am recommending this to all of my students. Yes they will probably only want to listen to "their music" but they should never again have to say that they haven't heard the music of ___ musician. I am not in the habit of recommending a website to people, but I have to make an exception in this case. Parents & Students, please check this out: http://www.pandora.com/.

Parent Tour Night & Practice

2008-09-05T13:29:00.004-05:00

Thank you to all that made it out to the annual Parent Tour night. It was nice to see familiar faces and to meet all of you that are new to the bands. I hope that it was informative (& entertaining).

I mentioned my philosophy on practicing last night. To reiterate, your sons should be practicing on a daily basis. Ideally, you should not have to prod, cajole, bribe, or force them to practice. Ideally, they should do it because they love it. Ideally, it should be something that they look forward to.......

Realistically though, we all know that this is not what happens. Most students need a "nudge" to go to the practice room. After all, it is their "homework." In fact, how well they do their "homework" has a tremendous effect on the rest of the students in the band. The same cannot be said for most of the traditional homework that they are assigned.

It is perfectly acceptable to remind your son to practice. It is also perfectly acceptable to demand it! Don't feel as it is just "his thing." If not for your parental support, he wouldn't have even had the opportunity to play. For the amount of money, time, & energy that you have invested in your son's musical eductaion, it is expected that he gives his best effort. In the end he will thank you for it. I know this because my mom had to force me some days. I still thank her for it today.

Welcome Back!

2008-08-22T21:08:00.004-05:00

By now parents should have received a mailing from me that included a letter, registration form, permission slip, calendar of events, and private lesson form. To make things easier, all of these documents have been linked on the right and can be returned to me via email (except the permission slip which may be printed out and returned).

Lastly, please add the band dates to your family calendars and review the attendance policies in the handbook. Let me know as soon as possible if there are any conflicts. Thanks.

JAZZ BAND CHANGE

2008-08-12T14:18:00.003-05:00

Jazz Band students should show up for band camp at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday this week. There will NOT be a 10 a.m. rehearsal. No rehearsals for either band on Thursday.

NO BAND THURSDAY

2008-08-11T14:23:00.002-05:00

Hopefully you all are checking this blog frequently.... My high school band director, Leo Henning, passed away and I will be attending his funeral. Therefore there will be no band rehearsals this Thursday, August 14. Please pass this information on to anyone that would need to know.

BAND CAMP

2008-07-17T11:36:00.002-05:00

By now everyone enrolled in Jazz Band and Honors Jazz Band should have received a letter about band camp which will take place from August 11-15 in the Band Room. Jazz Band will rehearse from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and Honors Jazz Band will rehearse from 12:30-2:30 p.m. If you have any conflicts (i.e. vacations, SPHS sports, family schedules) please email me. Please make every effort to attend. If for some reason you didn't get a letter, let me know as well. Keep practicing!

Jazz & Percussion Camps

2008-06-26T18:46:00.005-05:00

It has been a wonderful Jazz Camp & Percussion Camp. The students from the area grade schools have been doing a great job. Gill Alexander and I have been having a lot of fun working with them as well. Friday, July 27 at 2:30 is our concert in the theater. There will be a pizza party for the campers following the concert. We hope that you can attend!

Happy Father's Day

2008-06-10T14:58:00.002-05:00

In honor of Father's Day, the video of the week is Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman. It is from his album This Moment released in 2007. (I recommend it!) He wrote it for his youngest daughters who were adopted. Sadly, his youngest daughter Maria recently died in a tragic accident. I told my daughter Grace that she and I will dance to this song when she gets married. Happy Father's Day.

FINE ARTS AWARDS NIGHT

2008-05-23T22:32:00.002-05:00

Thank you to all that attended our first ever Saint Patrick Fine Arts Awards Night. All of the fine arts faculty are very proud of your accomplishments and contributions to Saint Pat's. I had a great time and hope you did as well. If you have any questions about the awards that I distributed, drop me an email at: kcarroll@stpatrick.org.

One of the most rewarding things for me was assembling the video with our video expert Pat Duggan. I was very happy as to how it turned out. The songs that we used were (in order): Vertigo (U2), I'll Be (Dan Darrah), and Live Out Loud (Steven Curtis Chapman). Dan is my very talented cousin. Check out more of his music at www.dandarrah.com. His is similar in style to Jack Johnson, John Mayer, and Dave Matthews.

RUMORS

2008-05-20T09:13:00.002-05:00

By now many of you may have heard that the Saint Patrick band director job was available for next school year. Indeed, I was exploring other job possibilities and have been honest about my intentions with the students. I explained to them that I was basically a "free agent." Saint Patrick offered me a contract but I chose to hold off signing until I had explored these possibilities. When a contract is not returned, it is the Saint Patrick policy to then advertise the position as being open (that kind of freaked some of the students out).

Anyway, as of this morning, I have signed my contract and intend on returning for the 2008-09 school year. I am sorry if this caused any anxiety or frustration for anyone. If you have any questions or concerns please don't hesitate to call or email.

-Mr. Carroll

GREAT CONCERT!!!

2008-05-11T13:21:00.004-05:00

Congratulations to everyone on a wonderful Spring Concert! You should all be very proud of the work that you have done this year. I hope to post a video of the concert soon. Thank you to all of the seniors and best of luck with your future plans. Come back and visit. Only a few days left!

Upcoming Events

2008-04-23T13:18:00.003-05:00

We are in the homestretch! There are many events coming up of which you should be aware:

Wednesday, April 30, 7:30 - Chorus and Concert Band Concert
Tuesday, May 6, 7:30 - Percussion Concert
Thursday, May 8, 7:30 - Jazz Concert
Thursday, May 22, 7:30 - Performing & Visual Arts Awards Night
Tuesday, May 27, 7:30 - Graduation

Please make a note of these events on your family calendar. The awards night is new this year and will be a fun time. I hope that you can attend. Details can be found here: Performing & Visual Arts Awards Night.

Club Picture Day

2008-04-04T09:40:00.003-05:00

Club Picture Day is Wednesday, April 9 for all Saint Patrick High School activities. First-Year Band will be taking their picture during H period at 2:25. Students should wear their green or gold band polos. Jazz Band and Honors Jazz Band will not need to take a picture as we will use the formal pictures from Jazz in the Meadows.

WE'RE HOME!!!

2008-03-29T21:07:00.007-05:00

We woke up early Friday and proceeded to Loyola university for a FANTASTIC clinic with Eddie "Kidd" Jordan. Our guys received great instruction and motivation from a man that has taught the great Branford Marsalis!

We then went to the riverfront for a wonderful Mississippi cruise on the steamboat Natchez.

Following the cruise, the guys got one last chance to shop and then we were off to Chicago. The trip was uneventful. We had a late dinner at a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Mississippi, watched many movies on the bus, and made it home about 9:15 (due to Saturday morning Chicago traffic). I am very proud of the guys and all they did to make this a great trip!

DAY 2, Part Deux

2008-03-28T00:49:00.004-05:00

After a short respite we were off to Michaul's Restaurant for some authentic New Orleans cuisine and entertainment. As you may be able to tell from the picture below, the guys had a lot of fun and would have loved to stay....

We then went on a Haunted Tour of New Orleans. Our tour guide was a published author and has been featured on many national television programs about the paranormal activity of New Orleans. Ask your son about some of the fascinating stories. Here are a couple of shots from our tour:

After a long walk back to the hotel, it's time for some shut eye before our last day. Tomorrow's activities will include a clinic at the Monk Institute of Jazz and a lunch and jazz cruise on the famed Natchez Riverboat. If I don't get a chance to blog tomorrow, it will probably be because I may not have wi-fi access. So pray for our safe travels.

DAY 2

2008-03-27T17:48:00.005-05:00

After a very welcome sleep in a hotel bed, we awoke to a great breakfast buffet here at the Holiday Inn. The Jazz Band and Percussion Ensemble played really well at De La Salle High School this morning. Even better was the enthusiasm, hospitality, and kindness of the De La Salle students and staff. Many of us had to hold back tears as the principal expressed her appreciation for all that Saint Pat's has done for De La Salle after Hurricane Katrina. What an awesome experience for our guys! Here's a pic of the combined SPHS & DHS groups led by their director Mike Orkus:

Following the concert we eventually made it to the New Orleans chapter of the American Red Cross to deliver over 100 emergency kits and other supplies. We also provided some help in their offices and at their previous site that was damaged by the hurricane.

We then went to the Aquarium of the Americas and saw a fantastic IMAX movie entitled Hurricane on the Bayou. It chronicles the damage of Katrina and illustrates how the vanishing wetlands worsened the damage. Very moving...

Well we need to leave for some authentic New Orleans cuisine at Michaul's Restaurant and then head off on our Haunted Tour of New Orleans. Ooooooooo......

WE'RE HERE!!!

2008-03-26T23:26:00.005-05:00

Well, we made it. Actually, we made it with about a half-hour to spare. If we didn't hit morning rush hour in NOLA we would have been 1 hour early! The bus ride, though long, was fairly uneventful. Our first driver, Russ, was great and our current driver, Bob, has been doing a fine job. Bob drove us earlier this year to Rolling Meadows, so it was nice to see a familiar face.

Once we arrived in NOLA we met our tour guide and walked along the Riverwalk to Jackson Square:

From there we had some beignets and coffee at the world famous Cafe du Monde. After stuffing our faces with powdered pastries, we proceeded to purchase paraphernalia at the French Market (nice alliteration - I must be tired...):

We then had a little time to explore, so we broke up into groups and walked around the French Quarter. One of the most impressive sights was the Saint Louis Cathedral (which is the oldest in the U.S.):

We then reconvened and went to rehearse at De La Salle High School for tomorrow's performance. The students and staff couldn't have been nicer and we are really looking forward to performing tomorrow.

Hard Rock Cafe was our dinner destination followed by a fantastic performance by Carl LeBlanc and his band at Preservation Hall. Carl even offered to jam with our guys but we had our instruments at De La Salle. Oh well....

On our interesting trek through Bourbon Street we ran into SPHS alum Joe Badsing!!! He was here with a contingent from Elmhurst College building a Habitat for Humanity home which was a great example for our guys. We got into the hotel around 9:45. More to follow tomorrow.

One Day to Go!!!

2008-03-24T10:14:00.004-05:00

T-minus one day and counting! Actually it's about 27.5 hours away but whose counting? Don't forget to pack comfortable shoes, sunscreen, your performance clothes, instrument, music and anything else that was on the list. Also don't forget some spending money and a CAMERA! You are going to want to remember everything that you saw. Sometime after we return we will put all of pictures together and have a picture party. If you haven't done so by now, please check out the video on the right side of blog. It features Edward "Kidd" Jordan (gray-haired saxophonist on the left) who will be working with the jazz band at the Monk Institute of Jazz. Pack smart and see you tomorrow!

New Orleans Preparation

2008-03-19T13:26:00.003-05:00

It's hard to believe but at this time next week, members of the Saint Patrick Bands and Percussion Ensembles will be in New Orleans, LA! Thank you to all that attended the meeting last night. I hope that I answered all of your questions. If you have any questions over break, don't hesitate to contact me via email at kcarroll@stpatrick.org. If for some reason you lose your copy of the itinerary, here is a link to download a copy: New Orleans Itinerary. If you need another clothing & equipment checklist, here is a link to download a copy: Equipment & Clothing Checklist. Percussion Ensemble members should remember that we have a rehearsal tomorrow from 1-3 in the band room.

CAJF Wrap-up

2008-03-18T13:27:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to the members of the Honors Jazz Band on their outstanding performance at Saturday's Chicago Area Jazz Festival at T-F South High School in Lansing, IL. They received a Division I rating and placed 3rd overall among the 12 bands competing (less than 3 points away from 1st!). Junior Armaan Yazdani was given the Best Section Player Award and senior John Catalano was given the Outstanding Soloist Award. Special thanks to freshmen Chris Mojek & Mike Piechota for stepping in at the last minute to cover the 2nd alto part. I am very proud of all of you!

Chicago Area Jazz Festival

2008-03-07T10:28:00.004-06:00

Saturday, March 15, the Honors Jazz Band will travel to Thornton Fractional South High School to perform at the Chicago Area Jazz Festival. Their performance is at 2:40. Cost is only $4 or you may chaperone if you would like. Contact me for more details. Here are a couple of helpful links:

CAJF Itinerary
Directions to T-F South High School

Red Cross Donations Needed

2008-03-07T07:47:00.002-06:00

As a part of our upcoming trip to New Orleans we will be assembling disaster preparedness kits for the New Orleans Chapter of the American Red Cross. While these kits won't be able to directly help the survivors of Hurricane Katrina, they will help replenish the Red Cross' supplies for future survivors of disasters. These kits will include such basic necessities as toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo/body wash, hand sanitizers, small flashlight (with batteries), bottled water, anti-bacterial wipes, combs, cereal bars, rain ponchos, whistles, etc. A good guide for what to donate can be found here: Emergency Preparedness Kit. Donations are being collected in bins in the front lobby of the school and at the upcoming "Rock Stock" concert in the gym. Thank you for whatever donation you can make.

Jazz in the Meadows RECAP

2008-02-25T17:02:00.003-06:00

Thank you to all that made the trip to Rolling Meadows H.S. this past Saturday for the Jazz in the Meadows Festival. Over 60 schools from Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, and Minnesota participated in this annual event.

We had two ensembles performing, Jazz Band and Honors Jazz Band. Jazz Band received a III rating with Outstanding Musician awards going to Seniors Pat O'Hara & John Catalano, Junior Jesse Flores, and Sophomores Ed Stypka and Tim Puczkowskyj. Honors Jazz Band received a II rating with Senior Austin O'Brien receiving an Outstanding Musician award. Both bands were adjudicated by some of the top jazz artists & educators in the Midwest and received helpful comments that will help us to improve.

Congratulations to the members of both bands!

Bands in the News

2008-02-22T10:45:00.000-06:00

Check out the link below for an article on tomorrow's big jazz festival for the Jazz Band & Honors Jazz Band (copy it into your browser's address bar). There's also a picture of the Saint Patrick Jazz Band from last year's festival.

Jazz in the Meadows Article

Chaperons Wanted

2008-02-20T17:10:00.003-06:00

Parents,

If you are interested in chaperoning for Saturday's Jazz in the Meadows Festival, contact Mr. Carroll as soon as possible. Chaperons get in for FREE and get a wonderfully comfortable COACH bus ride along with the band!! I can only take up to 4 chaperons, so contact me quickly for your free admission to one our biggest events the year.

Jazz Concert with Piano Legend Jim McNeely!

2008-02-14T20:29:00.005-06:00

Join the Saint Patrick Jazz Band & Honors Jazz Band as they welcome piano legend Jim McNeely and the DePaul University Jazz Ensemble to the Stahl Family Theater next Thursday, February 21 at 7:30 p.m. A native Chicagoan, Jim was the pianist for Chet Baker's group, the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, the Stan Getz Quartet, and the Phil Woods Quintet, as well as many other national and international small groups and big bands. Be sure to check out the Video of the Week for some of his amazing skill! His very impressive bio can be found here: Jim McNeely's Home Page. Tickets are $7 and may be purchased through Mr. Carroll, Mr. Neurauter in the business office, or here: Saint Patrick Theater Tickets.

Outstanding Musicians!

2008-02-12T20:19:00.002-06:00

Congratulations to senior Pat O'Hara and junior Domenic Montanaro! They were recognized by Doug Beach of Elmhurst College for Outstanding Jazz Musicianship at Saturday's Frank Mantooth Jazz Festival at New Trier High School. They will be receiving commemorative certificates in a couple of weeks. Way to go guys!

Frank Mantooth Festival RECAP

2008-02-10T15:56:00.001-06:00

Congratulations to all of the members of the Jazz Band on their great performance at New Trier High School's Frank Mantooth Jazz Festival. We left at 7:00 a.m. got to NTHS and performed our three songs at 8:30 for Elmhurst College's Doug Beach. We then saw some great high school bands play. At noon we experienced an awesome contemporary jazz/cuban/rock/etc. group. The guys then participated in an improvisation clinic, sight reading workshop, and instrument master-classes. The director band, the Big Fat Band, with artist Steve Houghton wowed the students with a couple of numbers and the festival concluded with Pat Harbison, Scott Cowan, Steve Houghton and the Indiana University Jazz Ensemble. We then traveled home, had pizza, and played for the home basketball game. Other than that not much happened :-) Seriously, the guys did a great job and I am really proud of them. Next up - Home B-ball on 2/16, concert on 2/21, and Jazz in the Meadows on 2/23.

Posting.....

2008-02-07T22:40:00.001-06:00

Thanks to Gina for letting us all know what's happening at ND. Unfortunately, I am new to this whole blogging thing. My original plan was to allow only band members and their families to comment but NOT post. I thought that I did it correctly, but oops, you all can post too. So here's the deal - as of now I will be removing everyone as an "author" but still allow all to continue to comment on any of the posts (you'll still have to log in with your email address). In fact, I encourage it!! Technology is awesome and will allow us to all stay more connected. If you have something that you would like me to post, (such as Gina's NDHS BBall game post) email it to me and I will put it up on the blog. Cool? Let me know by commenting.

It's Senior Night at NDHS!

2008-02-07T22:36:00.000-06:00

This from Gina:
HELLO FELLOW BAND MEMBERS!

This Friday Notre Dame is hosting noble street for the seniors last home game! Come and support the seniors on the basketball team. We're trying to fill our gym and tell as many people as possible, so tell everyone you know!!!

YAY!

Friday, February 8 at 4 pm in the Notre Dame gym

3000 North Mango if you dont know where it is..

(enter through gym doors..duh)
FREE ADMISSION
WEAR BLUE!!
....and bring signs is you feel like it.

BE THERE OR BE CIRCLE.
bye! =D

-Ginaaa

2008 Jazz in the Meadows Schedule!

2008-01-29T21:00:00.000-06:00

The 23rd annual Jazz in the Meadows Jazz Festival takes place on Saturday, February 23. Jazz Band, Honors Jazz Band, and Combo will be competing in this all-day festival that features some of the best high school and junior high ensembles throughout the Midwest. This year the noontime guest artists are The Chicago College of Performing Arts Faculty Combo including: Paul Wertico - drums, Jim Gailloreto - sax, Henry Johnson - guitar, Jim Trompeter - piano, Rob Amster - bass, Jim Trompeter - piano). For the Grand Finale Concert, guest artists include the College of Lake County Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Michael Flack. In addition, students will get to participate in jam sessions and clinics. Helpful links:

Jazz in the Meadows Website
Shamrock Bands Schedule for the Festival

Athletic Band Good News/Bad News

2008-01-25T16:17:00.000-06:00

First the bad news.... There is a problem with three dates on the upcoming home basketball game schedule. Somehow I scheduled a game performance for Saturday, February 2 that does not exist and did not schedule the two home games on Friday, February 8 and Saturday, February 9. So the net result is that there is one extra game in the schedule. However....

The good news is that it won't change the total amount of games that will be played. Because the February 2 game was originally scheduled for BOTH Green & Gold bands, Green Band will play for the February 8 game and Gold Band will play for the February 9 game. Since Jazz Band will be playing at New Trier H.S. earlier on February 9, I will provide pizza for those guys staying through for the game.

I am sorry if this creates a problem with family schedules. I will of course honor any previously scheduled conflicts. The scheduled February16 game is still correct. Please make every effort to be at your assigned game. If you cannot attend, please find a substitute and see me ASAP.

State of the Art Change

2008-01-25T09:53:00.000-06:00

All Concert Band members should note that we will NOT participate in this year's State of the Art Concert Band Competition held on February 16 at Brother Rice H.S. I have many reasons for this change - all of which I will discuss with you in rehearsal. I will not post any comments to this change and would appreciate that you would not as well. I apologize if this has caused any scheduling problems.

Leave Your Words of Encouragement!!

2008-01-17T14:48:00.000-06:00

We enter our first competition of the year this Saturday with the Northshore Jazz Festival at Glenbrook South High School. To leave encouraging words for the bands, just click COMMENTS below and leave a message in the comments box. The guys have worked very hard. Show your support! Let's fill up the page!

Hey, Its a Blog!

2008-01-07T16:38:00.000-06:00

I introduce to you the very first Saint Patrick Band Blog. Woo-Hoo! In creating this blog I hope to improve communication (and have a little fun as well).

On this blog will be things related to the Saint Patrick Band Program. There will be posts about the jazz bands, concert band, athletic bands, combos, and anything else of interest to all Shamrock Band students AND parents.

I do hope that you will join this little blogging community by interacting & commenting. Maybe the first thing I should do is ask you, "What would you like to see here?" I'll even give you a two bar count-off. Ready? One... Two... One, two, three, four...

In the interest of self-deprecating humor, I am not nearly cool enough to be in this picture with this guy, but here's one of my favorite non-family pictures: