Once again a spring snowstorm didn’t deter the show last Wednesday night as Carver Middle High School’s young musicians delighted their family and friends during the Carver Music Boosters’ annual March Music Madness event. All proceeds from the night went directly to the Music Boosters’ Scholarship Fund and raised enough money to award four graduating seniors $500 scholarships. Two dozen top performances were given by soloists, duets, and ensembles comprised of vocalists and instrumentalists beginning with the Seventh Grade Band’s rousing rendition of “Rock Around the Clock.” As the crowd munched on tasty treats served by members of the chorus, a mixture of melodies filled the air ranging from Jamie Flood’s unique vocals singing “My Same” to talented eighth grade clarinetist Matthew Roberts’ “Clarinet Fantasy” and Nathaniel Singer’s moving performance of “When I Was Your Man.” Next pianist Ben Bonenfant accompanied All State clarinetist Casey Armanetti in a lively polka followed by a beautiful flute solo by Carley Ryan. Haley Dries then took the stage and showcased her powerful pipes in “Let It Go” and later joined fellow vocalist Tristan Marshall in a touching version of “Say Something.” The somber mood switched gears as the Crusader Big Band got the crowd moving with a well-rehearsed version of “Rock This Town” followed by saxophonist Evan Hermenau’s “Allegro con Motto” and the smooth sounds of vocalist Jess Rizzuto singing “Chasing Pavements.” Allie Guimaraes showcased her musical versatility beginning with an amazing performance of “Whiter Shade of Pale” on the piano and later with an upbeat trumpet solo. She also accompanied several singers on the piano including seventh graders Stephanie Flores and Kaylin Diantonio-Smith as they entertained the audience with their theatrical performance of “What Is This Feeling.” Next the CHS Jazz Ensemble took the stage to perform “Now’s the Time” featuring Brandon Walsh’s percussion prowess followed by the strong vocals of Alana Dunham singing, “Second Hand White Baby Grand” and eighth grade trumpeter AJ Macrina’s foot-tapping “Polka Militaire.” The talents of Carver’s young vocalists continued to impress the crowd as the night wore on with incredible performances from Megan Cullity “Your Song,” Priya Tait “Demons,” Katherine Hildebrandt “Sunday Morning,” Gabby Adams “Hallelujah” (accompanied by her sister McKayla on the piano), and the CHS A Capella Ensemble who delighted the crowd with the comical “Four-Chord Song.” Multitalented Paul Butts delivered a flawless performance of “La Bamba” on the piano then switched to the tuba and joined trombonists Liam Archer, Nick Falzarano, and Josh Goodman in a rousing rendition of “When I’m 64.” The CHS Jazz Ensemble rounded out the evening with two more crowd-pleasing numbers, “Cantaloupe Island” and “Chameleon.” The Music Boosters would like to give special thanks to the CMHS music faculty: Jeremy Teunis, Nicole Sjolin, and Donna Merritt for preparing their students for this evening, the CMHS custodians for their help with set-up and clean-up, CCAT for filming the event, Bruce Skinner for capturing the night in pictures, Shaw’s, Stop n Shop, Hannaford’s, BJs and St. Elizabeth’s Hospital for donating refreshments, and all of the young musicians who performed as well as their parents who donated their time and menu items. For those of you who missed this festive night of entertainment, you can watch the replay on CCAT, and you can also view photos at carvermusicboosters.org or at Bruce Skinner’s website at hyperionphoto.us.

On February 8th several talented CMHS vocalists and instrumentalists traveled to Mansfield HS to compete for a spot on stage at the annual SEMSBA (Southeastern Massachusetts School Bandmasters Association) Junior and Senior Festivals. Junior auditions are open to students in grades 7-9 from about 30 southeastern Massachusetts towns, while Senior auditions are open to students in grades 9-12 from the same area. Students were judged on their ability to perform scales, play solo literature and sight-read passages. We are proud to announce that 13 instrumentalists and 11 vocalists earned coveted spots on stage this year. Playing in the Junior SEMSBA Band will be: Gabrielle Belbin, oboe; Charles Garrity, clarinet; AJ Macrina, trumpet; Natalie Mosher, bass clarinet; and Matthew Roberts, clarinet. The Junior SEMSBA Chorus will include Jessika Doll, Stephanie Flores, Sara Hanrahan, Victoria Rego, Kaylin Diantonio-Smith, Priya Tait, and Sarah Testa. Clarinetist Casey Armanetti will be playing in the Senior SEMSBA Orchestra while the following musicians will be joining the Senior SEMSBA Band: trombonists Liam Archer, Nick Falzarano, and Josh Goodman; trumpeters Allie Guimaraes and Connor Skinner; saxophonist Evan Hermenau; and percussionist Ainsley Ryan. The Senior SEMSBA Chorus welcomed Matthew Chasey, Nadia Golubov, Katherine Hildebrandt, and David Madden. The Senior SEMSBA Festival will be held on April 12, 2014 at E. Bridgewater HS, and the Junior SEMSBA Festival will be held on May 2, 2014 at Plymouth North HS. Congratulations to all of these fine musicians and vocalists, and kudos to their dedicated music teachers, Jeremy Teunis, Nicole Sjolin, and Donna Merritt. We are proud of their remarkable accomplishments and wish them good luck at their festivals. If you would like to have the pleasure of enjoying some of this musical talent that we are privileged to have in our town, mark your calendars for the annual March Music Madness to be held at the Carver Middle High School cafeteria on March 26, 2014 from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. Admission is $5.00 for students and seniors, $8.00 for adults, and there is a $25 family cap. Refreshments will be available and all proceeds go to the Music Boosters Scholarship Fund. Last year three $500 scholarships were awarded to deserving high school seniors. Hope to see you there!

ARMANETTI GOING TO SYMPHONY HALL
The top high school musicians from all over Massachusetts met at Shrewsbury High School on January 25th to audition for the 60th Massachusetts Music Educators’ All State Music Festival. They were judged on a challenging solo piece as well as on their ability to sight read and play certain scales. This year CMHS clarinetist Casey Armanetti was accepted into this prestigious festival for the second time. She looks forward to spending two and a half days practicing with her fellow All State musicians at the World Trade Center in Boston from March 20th through the 22nd. The highlight of that final day of practice will be a fantastic concert at Boston’s Symphony Hall where these enthusiastic and dedicated young adults will showcase their hard work and talent while creating a memory to last a life time.

CONGRATULATIONS CARVER MUSICIANS

On November 23, hundreds of band and chorus students in grades 9-12 from approximately 85 towns throughout the Southeastern District of Massachusetts traveled to King Philip Regional High School in Wrentham to audition for a chance to participate in the Massachusetts Music Educators Southeast District Senior Festival. All of the young musicians and vocalists who were accepted met again on January 10 & 11 at Silver Lake Regional High School for a day and half of intense rehearsing, which culminated in a phenomenal concert showcasing their hard work and talent. After the judging was completed, seven Carver High School music students landed coveted spots on stage including vocalists Matt Chasey, Alana Dunham, Andrew Foster, Brian Glaneuski, and Nathaniel Singer, as well as clarinetist Casey Armanetti and trumpeter Allie Guimaraes. It should also be noted that students who score in the top 50% of the competition are also invited to audition for the All State Music Festival held at Symphony Hall in March, and this year Casey and Allie earned that distinction. They will travel to Shrewsbury in January for their audition. Congratulations to these fine musicians and vocalists. We are proud of their remarkable accomplishments!