Naperville North Chorus News

From the Conductor’s Podium

By Jim Yarbrough

May is such a bittersweet month – anticipation of the summer break, time to reflect, perhaps travels, looking forward to the new school year. And then again, saying goodbye to those students who are graduating, moving on to the next stage of their individual life. The last four years held great learning moments, concert opportunities and, most important, building relationships with my students. Thank you.

The upcoming year will offer new challenges and musical direction. We have had auditions for the Fall upperclassman Madrigal ensemble. Dependent on interest, we will have one or two beginning Madrigal vocal ensembles – details to come in the first weeks of the fall semester. We have many vocal jazz ensembles in the spring semester, and will have one female vocal jazz ensemble in the fall. This year’s ensemble, ‘Flat Out Sharp’ had a fantastic year, and I look forward to working with the ‘new’ ensemble with auditions being held, again, in the first weeks of the fall semester.

Illinois Music Educators Association hold their auditions in early October – most interested students received music and mp3 files from me before school let out. Our first concert of the year is on a different day than we’re use to – Monday, October 20th.

The summer months offer a plethora of opportunities – take in an opera from Chicago Opera Theatre, hear the Grant Park Symphony and Chorus in Millennium Park, attend a jazz concert at the Green Mill, go to the beach at Oak Street and cool off in the Art Institute. Sooner than you know it, we’ll be learning new songs and techniques in class!

See you at the concerts!

Alumni News

NNHS Alumni Sachal Vasandani has an exciting vocal jazz career in New York City. Check out his website www.sachalvasandani.com, CD Label company www.mackavenue.com and on Youtube.