Merry Christmas! Lesson Scholarships and a special MMC performance!

 Hello band and orchestra students and parents,

Merry Christmas!

Great work in the concert! So proud of all the work the kids have put it!

1. We are so excited to offer a lesson scholarship for HCHS band and orchestra students. Have you thought about lessons, but the cost made you pause or decide not to do lessons? We want to help you thrive as a musician and taking lessons on your instrument is one of the best ways to do this. This is also a great way to prepare for solo and ensemble festival.

Please fill out this form if you are interested. Submit this form by Thursday, January 6.

2. The bands are so excited that their next performance is at De Vos Hall in Grand Rapids as a featured band for the Michigan Music Conference. I have 2 free tickets for each student to give to family members so that they can join us at this performance. If you are unable to use your tickets let us know so that we can give them to other fans of the HC bands who would like to attend.

Congratulations to the Holland Christian High School Symphonic Band, which was selected to perform at the annual Michigan Music Conference in Grand Rapids! This HCHS group is one of 7 bands and orchestras from across the state invited to perform at the 2022 conference. The group will play for music teachers and musicians from all over the state of Michigan on Friday, January 28, 2022 at 8:00 a.m. You are also invited to attend this exciting event. Tickets for the HCHS performance at DeVos Performance Hall will be available to the general public at the box office and also via this link: https:/michiganmusicconference.orgtickets

3. Please put these extra band rehearsals in your calendar to help us prepare for this special performance:

Monday, January 3 family flex

Friday, January 7 at 7:00 a.m.

Thursday, January 13 at 12:00 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. (lunch provided after exams)

Friday, January 21 at 7:00 a.m. and family flex (it is a Monday schedule on Friday)

Monday, January 24 family flex

Thursday, January 27 at 7:00 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. 

Friday, January 28 - depart HCHS at 6:15 a.m.

4. We are in need of a band parent to drive the van and trailer with equipment to DeVos Hall on January 28. Would you be willing to help out?

5. Monday, January 31 will be our solo and ensemble recital night at HCHS. Kids will be able to sign up for a time (between 6 and 8:30 p.m.) to perform their solo or ensemble for friends and family and to help prepare for the February 12 MSBOA Solo and Ensemble Festival.

Thank you!

Merry Christmas!

Mr. VB

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Scott Vanden Berg | Director of Instrumental Music Holland Christian High Schools  950 Ottawa Ave, Holland, MI 49423  school: 616.820.2805 cell: 616.212.8867 blog: http://vandenbergnotes.blogspot.com facebook: https://www.facebook.com/musichchs/ Equipping Minds and Nurturing Hearts to Transform the World for Jesus Christ

Music is a special gift and livestream link!

 Dear band and orchestra students and parents,

1. On the morning of a concert I am reminded of these words written by a friend a number of years ago. It is worth a minute of your time.

Music is a special gift. 

It touches something inside all of us, even if we don’t consider ourselves “musical.” At Holland Christian Schools, we believe the reason for that connection is the image or picture of God that we bear as people. His characteristics and qualities are woven into the fabric of what it means for us to be human, and just as God is the Creator, we too are creators—of poetry, art, architecture, dance, and music. Therefore, when you see the joy on the faces of performers or you feel that depth of meaning stirring in your soul, it’s because in those very moments, we are living out exactly who we were made to be. 

And that’s glorious.

This reasoning is why, as a Christian school, music is such an important part of what we offer in our education. Sure, we’re teaching about half notes and eighth notes, about treble clefs and bass clefs, about musical dynamics and proper breathing techniques—but from an even larger perspective, we’re teaching students what it means to be fully human. In his 2008 address to freshmen parents at the Boston Conservatory of Music, Karl Paulnack said, “Music is one of the ways we make sense of our lives, one of the ways in which we express feelings when we have no words, a way for us to understand things with our hearts when we can’t with our minds.” 

That’s a lot of importance for a subject to carry. And through that lens, it’s easy to see why we want to teach, play, and enjoy music with excellence. Later in that same speech in Boston, Paulnack said, “If we were a medical school, and you were here as a med student practicing appendectomies, you’d take your work very seriously because you would imagine that some night at 2 AM, someone is going to waltz into your emergency room, and you’re going to have to save their life. Well, my friends, someday at 8 PM, someone is going to walk into your concert hall and bring you a mind that is confused, a heart that is overwhelmed, a soul that is weary. Whether they go out whole again will depend partly on how well you do your craft.”

So, with the same vigor we apply to any pursuit worth doing, we pursue music—that God-glorifying, humanity-revealing, life-saving artform that we’re sharing with you today. I pray that all of you are blessed by it and take this special gift with you and out into the world when you leave this place.

2. Tonight's concert will be live streamed. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/hclive

3. We are looking forward to tonight! Just a reminder that Hope's protocols for our concert will be masks backstage for musicians (when not eating) and masks for our audience. Masks are not required for on stage performers.

Thanks!

Mr. VB

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Scott Vanden Berg | Director of Instrumental Music Holland Christian High Schools  950 Ottawa Ave, Holland, MI 49423  school: 616.820.2805 cell: 616.212.8867 blog: http://vandenbergnotes.blogspot.com facebook: https://www.facebook.com/musichchs/ Equipping Minds and Nurturing Hearts to Transform the World for Jesus Christ

Concert, congrats, and ham orders due!

Hello band and orchestra students and parents,

1. Holland Christian High School sophomore violist Barrett Huffman who earned a position in the Michigan High School All State Orchestra. Over 1,466 students in the state of Michigan auditioned for the Michigan All State Band and Orchestra.  Congratulations to Barrett!

2. We are excited for our concert next week and need volunteers to take offerings and to usher. Are you able to help out?

This is the link to help out at the 5:30 concert.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4EA8AC2EA3FE3-hschristmas

This is the link to help out at the 7:30 concert.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4EA8AC2EA3FE3-hschristmas1

3. Your ham orders are due tomorrow, Thursday, Dec. 9, no late orders can be accepted. Thank you!

4. The call time for our concert will be 5:00 p.m. at the Jack H. Miller Center for the Musical Arts at 221 Columbia Ave, Holland, MI 49423. Students are encouraged to bring a water bottle and snack to have between the concerts. 

The High School Music Department invites you to its annual band, orchestra and choir Christmas concert on Wednesday, December 15, in the Jack H. Miller Center for the Musical Arts, located on the campus of Hope College.  We will be offering two performance times for those who would like to attend: one at 5:30 p.m. and one at 7:30 p.m.  General admission is free; no reservation necessary. We look forward to sharing in the celebration of our Savior’s birth through our music!

Thank you!

Mr. VB

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Scott Vanden Berg | Director of Instrumental Music Holland Christian High Schools  950 Ottawa Ave, Holland, MI 49423  school: 616.820.2805 cell: 616.212.8867 blog: http://vandenbergnotes.blogspot.com facebook: https://www.facebook.com/musichchs/ Equipping Minds and Nurturing Hearts to Transform the World for Jesus Christ

Ham fundraiser, pep band dates, Florida payments, and concert details!

 Dear band and orchestra students and parents,

1. We are doing our last individual fundraiser for our Florida trip. Please use this form for all ham orders. Check out the linked pamphlet for details.

2. Band students will be playing 4 games for pep band this year. Please plan to attend all 4. Let me know if you have conflicts. More details to come.

Tuesday, Dec. 14

Friday, Jan. 14

Friday, Feb. 4

Tuesday, Feb. 22

3. We need all orchestra members to plan on an early 7:00 a.m. rehearsal on Friday, Dec. 10 in the HCHS band/orchestra room. This is our chance to run our songs through with the full ensemble including brass/woodwind/percussion. Strings can voluntarily join us tomorrow morning as well. We have a lot of fun.

4. The call time for our concert will be 5:00 p.m. at the Jack H. Miller Center for the Musical Arts at 221 Columbia Ave, Holland, MI 49423. Students are encouraged to bring a water bottle and snack to have between the concerts. 

The High School Music Department invites you to its annual band, orchestra and choir Christmas concert on Wednesday, December 15, in the Jack H. Miller Center for the Musical Arts, located on the campus of Hope College.  We will be offering two performance times for those who would like to attend: one at 5:30 p.m. and one at 7:30 p.m.  General admission is free; no reservation necessary. We look forward to sharing in the celebration of our Savior’s birth through our music!

5. All Florida payments (including for family tickets) are due on Thursday, Dec. 9. There is an envelope on Mr. Vanden Berg's door that checks can be dropped into.

Thank you!

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Scott Vanden Berg | Director of Instrumental Music Holland Christian High Schools  950 Ottawa Ave, Holland, MI 49423  school: 616.820.2805 cell: 616.212.8867 blog: http://vandenbergnotes.blogspot.com facebook: https://www.facebook.com/musichchs/ Equipping Minds and Nurturing Hearts to Transform the World for Jesus Christ