The Stone MS Spring Band Concert will take place on this Thursday, June 2nd, 2011 at 7:30 pm in the Stone MS Gym. There will be a World Premier performance of a composition called "New Horizons" (tuba solo with band accompaniment), composed by Mr. Alan Baylock. "New Horizons" is a composition about new beginnings and is dedicated to the entire 8th grade class here at Stone MS.
This is really going to be a fantastic event! We are organized and ready to put on a great show!
--Z
06/02/2011
Great day! Questionable weather! Fantastic parent volunteers! Exceptional student behavior! Positive student experiences! Thank you all for your support. The Hershey Park trip was a huge success!
The results of the Stone MS Symphonic Band performance at the Hershey Park High Note Festival this past Friday, May 13, 2011 are:
We had a fantastic day! Thank you all for your support!
--Z
05/14/2011
We have registered our Band, Choir, and Orchestra for the Hersheypark High Note Festivals 2011 in Hershey, Pennsylvania on Friday, May 13th, 2011.
This festival will include an adjudicated performance of our groups. Following the adjudication, our students and chaperones will have the opportunity to spend a good portion of the afternoon enjoying the amusement park.
The cost for each student to participate in the Music Department Trip is $90.00 payable in cash or checks (made out to Stone MS.
This fee includes: coach bus transportation, admission with unlimited rides to the amusement park, entrance fee to the festival, and adjudication by nationally known clinicians.
The directors reserve the right to withdraw any student from participating because of failure to meet requirements respective to their band/choral/orchestra handbook expectations. If this is necessary, refunds may not be possible due to music festival deadlines.
To properly plan for this event, we will need a firm commitment from both students and parents. The deadline for payment is Friday, April 15, 2011.
We are excited about this trip and realize that it will take a great deal of hard work to make this a rewarding and memorable experience. Thank you for your continued enthusiasm and support of our first-rate music program at Stone Middle School.
--Z
04/04/2011
Band students were recently photographed for the "8th Annual Commemorative Band Composite", being made for the Stone Middle School Band, showing a pictorial history of the program. We are very pleased to have photographed 190 of our band students. The composite is a huge success! Thank you for your support.
This project is NOT a band fundraiser. The band does NOT profit from your purchase of your child's portraits. What we receive is one pose of every student, mounted on a large board, framed and covered with plexiglas, forming a composite picture of the total band program for the 2010-11 school year.
You may order portraits from North American Theatrical Photographers. If a purchase is made, a deposit will be required. The amount of your deposit is determined by the amount of your purchase. Students may not view proofs unless accompanied by a parent.
Portrait Proofs will be shown in the Stone MS Band room anytime during the following dates and times (no appointments necessary -- stop in any time):
Monday, April 11th (3:00 - 8:00 PM) or Tuesday, April 12th (3:00 - 8:00 PM)
Mark your Calendars!
--Z
03/21/2011
Here are some of the great comments received from parents and administrators about the bands' recent successes!
We really enjoyed the performance today. The kids sounded and looked great. You do a tremendous job with all of them and it really shows. Congrats on a great performance. -- Cathy and Stuart Lowrey (Rachael's parents)
The band sounded fabulous today! Excellent job!!! -- Rae (Caity's mom)
Congratulations Mr. Z for a wonderful job! You have done a tremendous job with out kids, and we are very thankful for your hard work. Allison absolutely loved being on stage-she was very excited when she told me about her experience at the festival. Thanks so much! -- The Tickners
Congratulations, Mr. Zazzara! Thank you for all you have done! -- Hoffmans
We really enjoyed hearing the Stone band play! Standing ovation, woo weeee!! -- Stephens
I told you they were Superior!!! You should charge us to hear them! Congrats! -- Tina Johnson
You do a great job! Thank you! -- Nick's Dad, Rick Dickerson
That was FABULOUS! You do such a great job with the kids. They are really very polished. I think you should start charging us to attend! :-) -- Tina
Awesome!! Congratulations!! -- Roberts
Well done. I know you are proud of your bands and we are proud of you! -- Mom & Dad
Excellent! Congratulations on both the ratings and the performances. -- Scott F. Phillips, Principal
Congratulations again on your bands performances Saturday. You have done a fantastic job throughout the year. Thank you -- Brian S.
CONGRATULATIONS!!! This is wonderful and comes as no surprise!! -- Lois S Walsh
Congrats on Saturday's performances. -- Bonny Song
Congratulations Robert, I enjoyed the performance on Sat. afternoon. The kids sounded great! -- Christine D Sciabica, Assistant Principal
Thank you for all your hard work. The whole family attended the last concert at school and also attended Festival. We actually believe we could hear a difference and an improvement. Your hard work definitely shows in the outstanding marks that both groups received. -- Mike Cross (Kathryn Mozell's dad)
Congratulation on all your hard work! Now enjoy the rest of the year. -- Andrea Z
Thank you for your hard work preparing these fine young musicians. I have enjoyed their performances tremendously this year. -- Lynn Behnke
Wow Mr. Z! That is exciting news. Congratulations to you too! We could not believe how wonderful and professional both bands sounded last Thursday night and on Saturday. You have done so much with them; even since December! Thank you for all you do for our children. -- Pam Gehle
Congratulation to you too Mr. Z. I was completely blown away by the symphonic band's performance, and how you get them all to work together to produce such beautiful music is amazing. It truly was Superior! -- Cathy Deely
It has taken me a while to send this very simple email . . . THANK YOU . . . I cannot tell you how impressed I am of your teaching abilities and how proud I am of my daughter's talent. I have told her MANY times my favorite part of the day is when I am in the living room listening to her practice . . . If she hears a song she does not know she will play and play (sometimes for hours) until she has figured it out, I am in awe of her determination. She could only have this drive because she was gifted with an amazing teacher, again THANK YOU and I apologize for not letting you know how much we appreciate all your efforts! -- Sincerely, Aimee
I would like to recognize our band director, Robert Zazzara a.k.a. "Mr. Z." for the weekly bulletin. Our students are fortunate to have this dedicated & meticulous music teacher. It is truly an accomplishment to achieve a "Superior" rating at Festival, now known as "Assessment." Thanks to Mr. Z for providing this experience for our students. I know they'll never forget it! -- Stephen J. Kogut, Choral Music Director & Dept. Head
--Z
03/16/2011
Congratulations to students, parents, and band supporters! We had two very successful BAND FESTIVAL (Assessment) performances at Lake Braddock Secondary School this past Saturday. All band students performed very well on stage and had the maturity to perform at their highest level to date. I am very proud of them all. Thank you all for your support, patience, and understanding.
The Stone MS SYMPHONIC BAND received a "SUPERIOR" rating for their Band Assessment performance. This is the highest rating possible!
What is a SUPERIOR rating? A superior interpretation and performance -- both technically and musically. The performance demonstrated that the group is able to meet all of the technical demands of the music with precision and no aural evidence of strain; the musicality of the performance demonstrates an acute awareness of the composer’s intent and desire. It is, to all appearance, free of technical errors and shows much attention to the music’s expressive feature.
The Stone MS CONCERT BAND received an "EXCELLENT" rating for their Band Assessment performance.
What is an EXCELLENT rating? An excellent interpretation and performance -- both technically and musically. Technical demands are met with precision and the musical requirements are met with integrity displaying the composer’s intent, desires, and instructions. It is an authentic reading, marred by some technical errors and intonation defects.
BAND FESTIVAL -- The Band Assessment provides the incentive for the development of musical understanding, skills, and taste through performances that are aimed at exhibiting each group at its most mature level of performance. The festival affords students and directors an opportunity to hear performances by groups of their peers. It stimulates growth and provides constructive criticism from objective adjudicators. The adjudicators rate each band’s individual performance.
Thank you all for making sure your child arrived to the performance on time, with their instrument and in the proper concert dress uniform, and thank you all for your incredible support!
--Z
03/07/2011
The Pre-Festival Concert and our Festival performance are coming soon. Here are the schedules for each of the bands:
Symphonic Band:
Concert I & Concert II Band
Details, directions to the festival, and concert dress can be downloaded here (PDF). Please make sure you account for traffic when traveling to festival.
You can also see the musical selections that the bands will perform here (PDF).
--Z
02/21/2011
The Reflections Program is an arts recognition and achievement program. The program provides a venue for students to create and be recognized for original works of art based on a pre-selected theme, while increasing community awareness on the importance of the arts in education.
The theme this year was "Together We Can . . ."
BAND members who were 2010-11 Reflections Contest winners:
--Z
02/13/2011
500 of the top band students from our district auditioned for a special honor band and 100 were chosen to participate. We are happy to announce that 6 Stone MS Band students made the band along with 2 alternates. Schools that participated in the auditions included Lake Braddock, Robinson, Frost, Irving, Lanier, Liberty, and Stone. Congratulations!
All-District Band will take place over the weekend of February 3 - 5, 2011 at W.T. Woodson High School.
--Z
01/19/2011
Congratulations to the Student of the Month winners -- for December, Anthony Nguyen (French Horn) and for January, Matthew Ruckert (Trombone)!
--Z
01/18/2011
Here are some gift ideas for your favorite band student!
--Z
12/22/2010
Congratulations to the Student of the Month winners -- for September, David Blackwell (Oboe), for October, Alissa Yoder (Bassoon), and for November, Emma Afferton (French Horn)!
--Z
11/22/2010
Happy Halloween! Check out some of the other pumpkins I've carved this weekend.
You can also see pumpkins that Stone Band students have carved after school here!
--Z
10/30/2010
Congratulations to the new Band Officers, who were elected for the 2010-2011 school year!
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--Z
10/20/2010
--Z
09/28/2010
Congratulations to the Student of the Month winners -- for April, Michael Camarata (Trumpet) and for May, Chandler Comer (Composition)!
--Z
06/17/2010
The Spring Band Concert was a huge success! All bands performed very well and we had many magical, musical moments. Thank you all for a fantastic evening! You were a great audience! Your support is very much appreciated.
215 band students, 15 songs, 4 scene changes, 6 performing groups with a guest artist, all in an hour and 15 minutes. Not bad :)
Looking forward to another great in year in 2010-11.
--Z
06/06/2010
Another flyer has been added to the collection of local summer music camps! The flyers can be downloaded here (5 MB). This ZIP archive contains the flyers for nine summer band camps:
--Z
05/24/2010
Come and join us for a "World Premier" performance. Stone MS student, Chandler Comer, 13 yrs old, has composed a piece of band music called "Panther Pride" and has dedicated it to our school. The composition is fantastic, full of fanfares and roaring melodies. If graded, it would be a solid grade 3 composition. You will be pleasantly surprised. Be a part of history and support this extremely talented Stone MS student musician. This work is one of ten compositions completed.
The Spring Concert will be held on Thursday, June 3, 2010 at 7:30 PM in the Stone Gym.
--Z
05/23/2010
The Symphonic Band did very well at Busch Gardens on Friday, May 21:
We had a fantastic day! Thank you all for your support!
--Z
05/23/2010
The forms you will need for the upcoming Busch Gardens trip can be downloaded here (978 KB). This ZIP archive contains:
All students MUST wear their Music Dept T-Shirt to board the bus to Busch Gardens. If your child needs a replacement shirt, you must send $6 and the shirt size to Mr. Z by this Friday, May 7.
Students must arrive by 6 AM on Friday, May 21. We are taking 174 band students, so please do not arrive late. The Symphonic Band has a short performance at the local High School. Please do not forget to give your child a good breakfast and pack them a healthy lunch. They will also need some spending money for dinner, games, and souvenirs.
--Z
05/05/2010
We have registered our Band, Chorus, and Orchestra for the Busch Gardens Performing Arts Consultants Festival in Williamsburg, VA on Friday, May 21, 2010.
For payment information and other details, please download a PDF copy of the trip letter here. To properly plan for this event, we will need a firm commitment from both students and parents. Payment will be collected by Friday, April 23, 2010.
--Z
04/18/2010
Congratulations to the Student of the Month winners -- for March, Jessie Heise (Piano) and April Ha (Bass)!
--Z
04/18/2010
The "No Fuss" Fundraiser has been mailed to your home. If you have not received a letter, please email me with your home address. If you need a new copy, you can download it as a PDF file here.
This fundraiser (letter writing campaign) is our attempt to raise funds for the band program without in labor intensive, door-to-door selling. You have been to the performances and have witnessed a high level of excellence. Your support is vital to our ability to respond to the growing reputation of Stone MS Music and to keeping our Band program strong while maintaining this high level of excellence. We hope that each family will be able to participate. Please make your tax-deductible donation payable to Stone Middle School and mail your check in the enclosed addressed and stamped envelope.
Please do not hesitate to call or send an email if you need further information about this "NO FUSS" fundraiser and again, let me thank you in advance for your support on behalf of all the students in the Stone Band program.
--Z
04/01/2010
If you missed the portrait proof showing, you can still obtain portrait proofs directly from the photographers AFTER APRIL 23. North American Theatrical Photographers mailed you a reminder (small yellow postcard) of your child’s picture number. If you missed the two days the company was at Stone MS, and you wish to purchase pictures, then you must mail the card back to the company along with a $35.00 non-refundable check to:
North American Theatrical Photographers
26012 Mound Road
Warren, Michigan 48091
1-800-752-2426
(attn: Stone MS, G-1415)
The company will send to you, your child’s proofs and instructions on how to purchase picture packages. The $35 will be applied toward your purchase. If you do not purchase any pictures, the company will keep the $35: they said that they have lost a lot of money to people who do not return the picture proofs.
If you have problems, you may contact Customer Service at 1-800-752-2426 AFTER APRIL 23. If you cannot find the yellow postcard then please call the customer service number for more instructions.
--Z
04/01/2010
The Stone MS Jazz Ensemble will be performing at the 30th Annual Chantilly Jazz Festival held at Chantilly HS on Friday, March 19th. The uniform includes the Music Dept. T-shirt, dark blue jeans, and sneakers. We will be departing from Stone MS at 3:10 PM.
Parent volunteers are needed to transport band instruments, electronic equipment and students to the Jazz Festival. If you are able to drive, please send a confirmation email to robert.zazzara@fcps.edu.
Also, mark your calendar to listen to the Alan Baylock Jazz Orchestra performance on Saturday at noon, on the Chantilly HS stage. Admission is free.
--Z
03/15/2010
All 194 band members were recently photographed for the "7th Annual Commemorative Band Composite", should a pictorial history of the program. You may order portraits from North American Theatrical Photographers (This project is NOT a band fundraiser). If a purchase is made, a deposit will be required. The amount of your deposit is determined by the amount of your purchase. Students may not view proofs unless accompanied by a parent.
Portrait Proofs will be shown in the Stone MS Band room on Wednesday 3/24 and Thursday 3/25 between 3 PM and 8 PM (no appointments necessary - stop in any time).
--Z
03/15/2010
Congratulations to the Student of the Month winners -- for January, Emily Brubaker (Flute) and for February, Anna Lise Filippone (Trumpet)!
--Z
03/09/2010
Congratulations to students, parents, and band supporters! We had two very successful BAND performances at Lake Braddock Secondary School this past Saturday. The kids performed very well on stage and had the focus to perform at their highest level to date. I am very proud of them all. Thank you parents for your understanding, support, and patience.
The Stone MS Concert Band II and Symphonic Band received an "EXCELLENT" rating for their Festival performance!
What is an excellent rating? It is an excellent interpretation and performance -- both technically and musically. Technical demands are met with precision and the musical requirements are met with integrity displaying the composer's intent, desires, and instructions. It is an authentic reading, marred by some technical errors and intonation defects.
--Z
03/08/2010
Congratulations to Chandler Comer (trombone) and Francis Baylock (tuba) for their successful auditions to the Virginia All-District XI Band! The following students also auditioned and will be alternates:
All-District Band will take place over the weekend of February 4 - 6, 2010 at W.T. Woodson High School.
--Z
01/12/2010
Congratulations to the Student of the Month winner for December: Nicholas Falatko (Clarinet)!
--Z
01/09/2010
Congratulations to the Student of the Month winner for November: Melissa Ryan (French Horn)!
--Z
12/01/2009
--Z
11/19/2009
The National Anthem performance will air again on Channel 21 on Saturday, November 21 at 11:00pm and again on Tuesday, November 24 at 7:30pm.
--Z
11/18/2009
Congratulations to our Student of the Month winners for September and October: Chandler Comer (Trombone / Composition) and Francis Baylock (Tuba)!
--Z
11/16/2009
The BAND Winter Concert is on Thursday, November 19 at 7:30 pm in the Stone MS Gym. Concert Band II members should meet at 6:30 PM in the Choir Room, and Symphonic Band members should meet at 6:45 PM in the Band Room.
Make sure you have all parts of the required concert dress!
--Z
11/10/2009
The following Stone MS Band students have been selected to perform "Live!" for the FCPS Board of Education:
| Francis Baylock Thad Bouwhuis Michael Camarata Jennifer Cedillo Chandler Comer Ally Engelbrecht Nick Falatko Demetrius Higgins |
Ellie Kang Robert Malik Toya Nomura Melissa Ryan Kaitlyn Schwenke Kyle Tarro Morgan Tweddle |
Stone MS Select Ensemble
National Anthem performance at FCPS Board of Education meeting
Monday, November 16 at 7:00pm
Performance at Luther Jackson MS
Televised (Live!) on Channel 21
We are representing the Fine Arts Education in Fairfax County Public Schools as well as a show of support for the National Anthem Project endorsed by Music Educators National Conference.
--Z
11/09/2009
Happy Halloween! Check out some of the other pumpkins I carved this weekend.
There's only three weeks until the Winter Concert. Are you ready for some great performances?
--Z
10/31/2009
Congratulations to the new Band Officers, who were elected for the 2009-2010 school year!
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--Z
10/26/2009
Welcome back for the 2009-2010 school year. This year, we have 215 students enrolled in the Panther Bands! If you are interesting in joining the band program, you can learn more by following the About links on the left side of the page. Returning students and parents can find useful information in the Handbook sections.
--Z
09/08/2009
The Stone Band program has a Public Page on Facebook, where parents and students can upload their personal pictures of band activities and performances. Anyone can view the page, but you will need to have a Facebook account if you would like to upload new pictures. Become a Fan today!
--Z
08/28/2009
On Friday, May 9, 2008, the Symphonic Band participated in a music festival at Busch Gardens and received a Superior Rating! They also received a 1st Place Trophy out of the 5 MS performing bands, and the Grand Champion Trophy for the highest-scoring ensemble in both Junior High / Middle School and High School Dividsions (1st place out of 14 instrumental groups).
Kevin Chung (8th grade, flute) was awarded an Outstanding Soloist Award as well. Overall, it was a fantastic and very musical "TEAM" performance!
--Z
05/10/2008
The Stone Band, Choir, and Orchestra have been registered to participate in the Busch Gardens Music Showcase Festivals in Williamsburg, Virginia on Friday, May 9th, 2008. This festival will include an adjudicated performance of our Symphonic Band. Following the adjudication, our students and chaperones will have the opportunity to spend a good portion of the afternoon enjoying the amusement park in Busch Gardens.
The cost for each student to participate on this music trip will be is yet to be determined. Cash or Checks should be made out to Stone MS Band. To properly plan for this event, we will need a FIRM commitment from both students and parents.
--Z
02/11/2008
Congratulations to the following students, who successfully auditioned for the All-District XI Band!
--Z
01/19/2008
visitors since August 2009
