WHAT'S NEW

December Band News

The jazz band did a fabulous job at the Signature Grand on December 2nd.
School board official, Damien Huttenhoff, declared them to be the "Official Band"
for the Broward County Athletic Association.

On December 9 the marching band put it all together and earned their fourth straight "Best Middle School Band" trophy in the Coral Springs Holiday Parade.
For the next parade sixth graders who work hard enough will be invited to participate.

All the bands were well prepared for the winter concert at Stoneman Douglas High School on December 16. Many parents of new band students expressed surprise
at the difficulty of the music and the skill with which it was performed.

On December 21 the jazz band made a lot of new fans playing for the big Margate snow party at Firemen's Park. Then the next night they fired up the crowd at the Kreul Basketball Classic in the Coral Springs Municipal Gymnasium. This event
was nationally televised and it is likely that the fame of the SSMS bands has spread beyond the Florida border. A gentleman from the winning boys team from New York told Mr. Helm that he thought our band was better than his high school band.

Jazz students were exceptional that very long day. While all the other students left school at 1:30 to begin their vacation, the jazz students performed until after
10:00 p.m. SSMS band students really are amazing.
Five of them earned a chair in the All County Jazz Band. Congratulations to:
Zach Puller, Alto Sax....Jonathan Weiss, Tenor Sax.....
Ryan Moxey, Bari Sax.....Sam Foldy, Trumpet.....Shawn Benyounes, Bass Guitar
The concert they helped put on with sixteen other top Broward students at the Coral Springs Center for the Arts on October 23 was truly exceptional.

November Band News

Congratulations to Sam Foldy, Marie Mercado, and Chinwe Okona. These students earned a chair in the FBA All State Band and only four other Broward County middle school students achieved that honor.They will rehearse and perform an amazing concert with top students from around the state on January 8 in Tampa.

Our jazz band has been very busy with several fine performances in November. On November 12 they played for Saks Fifth Avenue in Boca Raton and later at school for the Ecyber Mission assembly. Then Saturday morning they played for the Pancreatic Cancer Research fundraiser sponsored by Mrs. Recchi. This is a worthy cause. Please help if you can. Later that afternoon they played for All County Music in Tamarac. On November 21 the band performed at the Coral Square Mall. Each performance was well received. December will be another fine month with a performance at the Signature Grand on December 2 and a very special nationally televised performance for the Kreul Classic basketball tournament on December 22. This is a national high school basketball tournament with schools from across the country attending. It will be held in the Coral Springs Municipal Gymnasium beginning at 5:00 p.m.

ATTENTION FINE MUSICIANS...
ALL COUNTY BAND 2004-2005 REQUIREMENTS

Download official requirements at

http://www.flmusiced.org/

Click the FBA button, then All State, then Requirements

Auditions: Thursday, March 31, 2005

To read what the 8th Graders wrote to
Mr. Helm and Mr. Schiff please click here.

Spring Concert, May 21, 2004

J.P.Taravella H.S. Auditorium

What a wonderful night.
It was a delight watch the performance
of our SSMA Band students.
We are very proud of them!

To see some pictures please click here.

Disneyworld Parade
Orlando

May 15, 2004

A great day of fun, adventure and marching for our students,
many parents and of course our Director, Mr. Helm and
Volunteer Director Judge Lou Schiff.

Pictures posted in our Marching Band page

SSMS & Ramblewood M.S.
Combined Concert

Ramblewood M.S. - May 12, 2004

An evening of enjoyment with both schools Jazz Bands plus a wonderful kids & parents concert band.

Pictures posted in our Jazz Ensemble page.

SSMS Music Show Case

J.P.Taravella H.S. - May 10, 2004

What a performance! Our Band and Orchestra
members are truly amazing!

GREAT JOB GATORS!

We have some pictures posted.

RESULTS OF THE 2004
ALL COUNTY BAND
AUDITIONS

A New SSMS Record!
Sixteen students earned a chair in the ALL County Band!

We have some pictures already posted.

Congratulations to:
Marie Mercado-Piccolo/Flute
Alex Flores-Clarinet
Krystina Subieta- Clarinet
Melissa Escobar-Bass Clarinet
Zachary Puller-Alto Saxophone
Hayley Fahey-Alto Saxophone
Harry Flager-Tenor Saxophone
Jonathan Weiss-Tenor Saxophone
Marcelo Braunstein-Trumpet
Sam Foldy-Trumpet
Taylor Gray-Trumpet
Robert Weschler-Trumpet
Colin Nixon-Trumpet
Sarah Darville-French Horn
Branden Payette-Trombone
Matt Swift-Percussion

Please check our schedule page for location and time of rehearsals and performances.

Mr. Helm at work for our SSMS Band again!

Through an agreement with Rejuvenetix Industries Inc., you will be able to buy ink cartridges and toner for your fax machines, copiers, and printers at a discounted price, and you will be helping our SSMS Band.

For every purchase made through our website, a percentage of the profits will be redirected to our band.

This extra money will be used to help our budget in renting buses for band trips, buying & fixing instruments, buying software to be used in class, paying for special programs and clinicians, etc.

So, what you are waiting for? Just click our Cartridge & Toner link and look for the brand and model you use.

STRAIGHT SUPERIORS AGAIN!

Wow! The band just earned another straight A plus superior rating at the Florida Bandmaster’s Association District 15 Music Performance Assessment!

They performed on stage at JP Taravella High School on Wednesday, March 31, 2004 at 3:30 p.m. before a panel of three FBA judges, and then went into the band room to present a polished performance of music they were seeing for the very first time.
That FBA judge also gave them a straight A
plus superior rating.
Sawgrass Springs band students are truly remarkable.

GO GATORS!

It's Official!

Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida, has selected the award winning SSMS marching band to participate in the Main Street parade in the Magic Kingdom on
Saturday, May 15, 2004. They tell us that an average of 50,000 people view this parade.
Expect information to be sent home soon. We are currently waiting on the approval of the North Area Superintendent.

FBA Solo/Ensemble Results, March 5-6, 2004

held at Ramblewood Middle School

The following students will receive a bronze medal for a "Superior"performance:

• Alyssa Weiner
• Bonnie Ng
• Braunstein QT (Trumpet Quartet - Marcelo Braunstein, Sam Foldy, Taylor Gray, Colin Nixon
• Brittany Pendley
• Browdy Trio (Hayley Browdy, Marie Mercado, Melanie Wirs)
• Heather Beson
• James Peng
• Marcelo Braunstein
• Marie Mercado
• Matt Swift
• Melissa Herman
• Sam Foldy
• Sam Soldano
  

The following students earned an "Excellent" rating in their performance:

• Clarinet Choir (Heather Beson, Melissa Escobar, Alex Flores)
• David Russell
• Harry FlagerJessica Leuchter
• Perry Alpert
• Sarah Darville
• Taylor Gray

Congratulations to all students!

STRAIGHT SUPERIORS...

CONGRATS to all students that performed at the FBA Jazz Festival at J.P.Taravella H.S. on 3/5/04.

We have updated our "Recent Performances & Pictures" page.
Check it out... lots of pictures!

In Mr.Helm own words....

"A representative from the City of Davie, Special Projects Division, named Bonnie Stafiej called me today and told me that twelve bands marched in the Orange Blossom Parade on Saturday, February 28. Eight of the bands were high school bands and they awarded only one "Best Band" trophy. That trophy was earned by our very own SSMS marching band. She said we both played and marched better than all the other bands, including the high school bands. Sawgrass Springs kids really are amazing!"

Want to see some pics? click here.

January Band News

Congratulations to the students who earned a seat in the North Area Honors Band.
They will perform in concert with other top students from ten North Area schools at Stoneman Douglas High School on January 23 at 7:00 p.m. The rehearsal schedule is in our Schedules & Dates page and the students names are in our Concert Band page.

The FMEA/FBA convention in Tampa, Jan 8 - 10/2004 was excellent. All students performance groups were awesome and everybody had a wonderful time.
We will post soon some pictures.

December Band News

The vote was unanimous!
Sawgrass Springs has been awarded the trophy for "Best Middle School Band" in the Coral Springs Holiday Parade for the third year in a row!
Congratulations to all students and Mr.Helm for the magnificent performance. GO GATORS!!

The Winter Concert at Stoneman Douglas Auditorium was terrific. All groups presented very very well.
Mrs. Andreano, other school administrators, and teachers were there supporting the band program, and the auditorium was filled to capacity. At the end, everybody sang together. We all had a great time.

November Band News

Shawn Benyounes, in a surprise anouncement at the first All County Jazz Band rehearsal, was recognized as the first chair bass player. He was left off the original list through a mistake in scoring.

Marcelo Braunstein earned a seat in the 2004 All State Middle School Band, which meets in Tampa, Florida in January. This is his second time to achieve this great honor. Last year he was one of only four Broward county middle school members. This year there are ten from Broward.

Adam Shapiro, Brandon Payette, Taylor Gray, and Matthew Swift each earned a chair in the 2003 All County Jazz Band. This band will present a concert at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts on Tuesday, November 25 at 7:00 p.m. Only twenty-five students from the whole county made this band. You can check the Schedules & Dates page for a complete schedule of the rehearsals and performances.

Many band students from all three grades marched in the Parkland Veteran's Day Parade, which was held on November 2, 2003. They did a fine job.

The jazz band performed in the Downtown Disney Festival of the Masters Art Festival on Saturday, November 8, 2003 in Orlando, Florida. In addition they had an exclusive two and a half hour workshop with Disney professionals. Experiences like this help us to keep our performance level at that which has come to be expected at SSMS.

Mr.Helm Gets An Award For His Fine Work

On Tuesday, October 14, 2003, Mr. Helm was awarded a special plaque
in honor of his placement among the final four in the Arts Teacher of the Year Award. The festivities took place at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts
in downtown Ft. Lauderdale. The Broward County Cultural Affairs Division presented the award.

Along with this honor the jazz band was asked to perform in the lobby and later on stage. As always, Mrs. Andreano was there to show her support. She was very happy with the band's performance. North Area Superintendent, Dr. Joa nne Harrison, told Mr. Helm that she was very impressed and would be thinking about some special event the band could attend. Several people were very complimentary with one nice lady asking if this was the Glenn Miller band.

Mr. Helm and Judge Schiff were both very proud of the students. The next jazz event will be in Orlando with a workshop given by professional musicians and a performance at Downtown Disney.
(please check the Schedules & Dates page for more information).

Congratulations to Mr. Helm for his award and also to the band for their outstanding progress.

For the 2003-2004 calendar updates

Please check ou Schedules & Dates page.

Welcome to an exciting new year with the SSMS band.

New activities are already being planned. Mr. Helm is working on a $2 per student trip to a Marlins baseball game. The tentative date is Saturday, September 27. Hopefully all band students will be invited to attend. Chaperones are needed. Send a note to Mr. Helm at ssmsband12500@yahoo.com if you are interested. This time we go as fans. Next April we might go as featured performers.

There will be several parades this year: Veteran’s day in November, the Coral Springs Holiday parade on December 17, and perhaps a couple more in February and March.

Mr. Helm is considering entering the band in a performance evaluation festival in Tampa next spring with a second day spent at Busch Gardens. Please email Mr. Helm any thoughts you might have about this.

Congratulations to all our new sixth graders!

You have joined an award-winning band that promises many fine experiences for those who apply themselves.

Sixth graders should not acquire or bring instruments to school until instructed to do so. Wait until after September 3, 2003.

Sixth graders who work really hard could be involved in all of the above activities. Sixth grade students are currently gathering information in order to make a good choice about which instrument to play. On September 3rd, some professional musicians will help them to discover the instrument they will most likely be successful with. Parents should check the instrument rental page for more information.

Jazz one is already under way meeting Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:45 a.m. A second jazz band begins on September 2. It will meet each Tuesday and Thursday at 7:45 a.m.

Afternoon rehearsals and help days will be announced soon. Parents who wish to volunteer time to help the band may contact Mr. Helm by email or by phone. (954-796-5102)

ALL STATE AUDITION REQUIREMENTS

Audition requirements for the 2003-2004 All State Bands are now posted.
You can access it by clicking here!

2002/2003 School Year

STRAIGHT SUPERIORS!

Our FBA Concert Band achieved straight superiors ratings at the district Florida Bandmasters Association Middle School Music Performance Assessment on 4/3/03 at Taravella HS.

Congratulations to all who participated!

CONGRATULATIONS to

Laura Box,
Marcelo Braunstein,
Michael Schauben, and
Matthew Swift.

FBA Solo/Ensemble Results, February 28, & March 1, 2003

The following sixth graders will receive a bronze medal for a "Superior"
performance at the FBA Solo/Ensemble Festival held at Ramblewood Middle
School on February 28, & March 1, 2003:

• Perry Alpert, Hayley Browdy, Melissa Herman, and Melanie Wirs.
• Marie Mercado will receive two medals for two superior performances.
• JoAnn Moser earned a rating of "Excellent" for her performance.

Seventh graders who earned a "Superior" rating are:

• Marcelo Braunstein and Taylor Gray.
  Marcelo earned three medals playing two different instruments.
• Heather Beson and Brian Wilcox each earned a rating of "Excellent".

Eighth graders who earned "Superior" ratings are:

• Laura Box, two medals
• Andrew Dymburt, one medal
• Elliot Foster, one medal
• Ashley Kepchar, two medals
• Bobby Rice, one medal
• Joe Rogan, two medals
• Michael Schauben, three medals

Congratulations band students! Seventeen students earned twenty-two
"Superior" medals.

FBA Jazz Band Music Performance Assessment

On Thursday, February 27, 2003, our jazz band performed in front of three
Florida Bandmasters Association Music Performance Assessment judges. All
three gave a rating of "Superior" which earned the band an overall
"Superior" for their performance. Each jazz band member will receive a
bronze medal.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL JAZZ MUSICIANS!
AWESOME JOB!