The snow didn’t deter the show last Thursday 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 three graduating seniors $500 scholarships. Two dozen top performances were given by soloists, duets, and ensembles comprised of vocalists and instrumentalists beginning with pianist Paul Butts playing a beautiful rendition of "Morning Has Broken." As the crowd munched on tasty treats served by members of the chorus, a mixture of melodies filled the air ranging from flutists Mckayla Willet and Katherine Clarke’s "Offenbach’s Ballet" and pianist Allie Guimaraes’ "Pachelbel Variations" to trumpeter Connor Skinner’s "Easy Winners" and vocalist Madelyn Wright’s "A Thousand Years." One of the largest ensembles to take the stage was the talented Sixth Grade Band who made their March Music Madness debut by playing "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious." The Honors Chorus sang "One Day More" and the Acapella Ensemble earned big cheers when they sang "You Make My Dreams Come True" featuring Becka Lawson. Guitarist Nadia Golubov accompanied vocalists Sarah Malley and Megan Cullity in a polished performance of "Hallelujah," and she later joined another singer, Jamie Flood, in playing "The Only Exception." Justin Cara-Donna impressed the audience with his incredible guitar solo called "Guitar Musings." He also joined fellow guitarist and 2013 All-State vocalist, Nathaniel Singer (yes that is his last name) in playing "The A Team" and Carver’s other 2013 All-State vocalist Katherine Hildebrandt in singing a wonderful duet called "Michicant." Brandon Walsh also showcased his percussion prowess during his solo performance, and Ben Bonenfant joined Allie Guimaraes for an amazing piano duet entitled "Cortege." Alana Dunham, Tia Costa, and Tristan Marshall earned loud applause after they sang "Popular," "On My Own," and "Everything" respectively, and trombonists Josh Goodman and Nick Falzarano played a flawless "Sonata #2." Josh later accompanied singer/guitarist Jessica Rizzuto on the drums as she sang "I Am the Highway," illustrating his musical versatility. Evan Hermenau demonstrated his superb saxophone skills when he played "Adagio and Presto," and Rachel Cohenno and Micayla Consentino showcased their powerful pipes when Rachel sang "Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde" and Micayla sang "Don’t Know Why." The CHS Jazz Ensemble rounded out the evening with a foot-stomping "Six String Shuffle" featuring terrific trumpet solos by Connor Skinner and Allie Guimaraes. The Music Boosters would like to give special thanks to 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 and Walmart for donating refreshments, and all of the music parents who donated their time and menu items. For those of you who missed this festive evening of entertainment, you can watch the replay on CCAT, and you can also view photos by visiting either www.carvermusicboosters.org. or Bruce Skinner’s photography website at www.hyperionphoto.us.

On February 2nd several talented CMHS vocalists and instrumentalists traveled to Sharon 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 11 instrumentalists and 7 vocalists earned coveted spots on stage this year. Playing in the Junior SEMSBA Band will be: Liam Archer, trombone; Paul Butts, tuba; Anthony Macrina, trumpet; and Natalie Mosher, bass clarinet. The Junior SEMSBA Orchestra will include Carley Ryan, flute; and Connor Skinner, trumpet; and singing in the Junior SEMSBA Chorus will be Gabrielle Adams, Jill Hubert, Priya Tait, and Madelyn Wright. The Senior SEMSBA Band will include: Casey Armanetti, clarinet; Benjamin Bonenfant, alto saxophone; Alexandra Guimaraes, trumpet; Evan Hermenau, tenor saxophone; and Emma Perkins, clarinet. The Senior SEMSBA Chorus welcomed Matthew Chasey, Alana Dunham, and Brian Glaneuski. The Senior SEMSBA Festival will be held on April 6, 2013 at Hanover HS, and the Junior SEMSBA Festival will be held on May 4, 2013 at Rockland 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 21, 2013 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!