Annual Fall Music Showcase open to community
The annual Fall Music Showcase is returning again next week to highlight the talented students at The Sanibel School through this year’s theme – Music Changes the World.
The theme focuses on music that had a big impact on the world, talk about the power of music, or makes people feel good through music.
The showcase will feature the Steel Drum Band, Elementary Choir and the Seahorse Chorale at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18, in The Sanibel School cafeteria, 3840 Sanibel Captiva Rd.
Tickets, which are $5, can be purchased the night of the showcase. The funds will support the school’s music department.
There will also be a concession available for food and drink purchases, which will help support the Seahorse Chorale’s performance fees, and the National Junior Honor Society expenses for their upcoming Washington, D.C. trip.
“We very much invite the community to come out and see the wonderful talent we have at The Sanibel School,” Music Director Joey Giangreco said.
The Steel Drum Band, which is comprised of sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students will perform “We Will Rock You,” originally by Queen, “Billy Jean,” by Michael Jackson, “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree,” and “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”
“We are so lucky to be able to have a very cool ensemble here at The Sanibel School. It’s unique and not something every student has the opportunity to play and learn,” he said.
Steel Drum Band is an elective class the first semester of school.
“We have 14 students in the band. It is an elective that meets Tuesday and Thursday morning. I very much enjoy seeing the joy that is brought to the students through playing their instruments and learning such a cool thing on the steel drum,” Giangreco said.
He said he does the arrangements – takes the original songs and arranges them for the instruments.
The Elementary Choir, which is open to any third, fourth, and fifth grader who wants to join, is an after school club that rehearses every Tuesday after school. There are 27 students in the choir.
Giangreco said they are really excited to perform four pieces – “Scales Arpeggios,” “Makin’ Music on the Eerie Canal, “I Love Rock and Roll Melody,” which is comprised of “I Love Rock and Roll,” “Rock Around the Clock,” and “Old Time Rock and Roll,” and the last piece is called “Our Voices Make a Symphony.”
“I love selecting repertoire for each ensemble,” he said, which comes down to several factors. “What type of skills I would like to work on with the ensemble, vocal technique, musicality and range and different genres I want to expose the children to. Also, I try to select music that all relates to a central theme.”
The Seahorse Chorale, is an elective class that meets both semesters, for sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students. In the fall the group of 21 students rehearse on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and in the spring rehearse on Tuesday and Thursday.
The chorale will perform several selections, “Bhombela,” which is in the language of Zulu and features body percussion and stomping, and “Songs of the Disney Villain.” The songs include “Cruella De Vil,” “Be Prepared,” “Trust in Me,” “Poor Unfortunate Soul,” and “Gaston.”
Giangreco said the Seahorse Chorale will perform these songs at the Disney Springs waterside stage at noon Friday, Dec. 11, which is free to attend.
The students will also sing songs of Jim Croce, one of which is “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown.”
Giangreco said his son AJ Croce has been to The Sanibel School before and saw the Seahorse Chorale perform. He said he extended an invitation to the chorale to join him on stage Sunday, Nov. 29, at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall to perform two songs, “Time in a Bottle,” and “I Got a Name.”
The Seahorse Chorale will also sing an arrangement of “Human Nature,” which was originally made popular by Michael Jackson, and “God Bless America.”
The showcase will conclude with the Elementary Choir and Seahorse Chorale joining together to sing “Music Changes the World.”
“It’s going to be an evening full of wonderful musical moments – full of joy, happiness and talented students who get a chance to shine and show the great music they worked on. I truly hope the community comes out to The Sanibel School and supports our very talented students in their performance. We can’t wait to see everyone there,” Giangreco said.
Any questions about the showcase, contact Giangreco at josephag@leeschools.net, or call The Sanibel School at 239- 472-1617
Seahorse Chorale
The Seahorse Chorale has had incredible opportunities, performances throughout the United States, over the last several years.
Giangreco said they had the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City where they received a gold rating for their performance.
“That was truly incredible. The following year we performed at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. Last year we performed in two cities – Boston at Faneuil Hall, and New York City on the top of One World Trade Center in the observatory. It was incredible to perform at those heights,” he said.
This year the Seahorse Chorale has the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C. for a full performance at the Church of the Epiphany and a recital performance somewhere in the city. Giangreco said he is excited for the students to perform at the nation’s capital and expose them to the great history that exists there.
“We get to partner with the National Junior Honor Society (advisor Michele Nitnitsky) at our school. Students also have the opportunity to attend the Lead Conference that takes place in Washington, D.C. and take that information and bring it back to our school and truly grow as amazing leaders at our school campus,” he said.
Giangreco said they partner with the company Music Celebrations International to find wonderful opportunities for the Seahorse Chorale. He said generally it is a matter of submitting audition material, and applications and seeing the opportunities available.
To help raise money for their trip, the Seahorse Chorale and National Honor Society is holding a car wash fundraiser at Bank of the Islands from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14.
He said they are also raising money through the purchase of pumpkin bread, which is made by A Bit of Bailey’s. Anyone interested in pre-ordering pumpkin bread to be picked up at the Fall Music Showcase can contact Ellen Vinciguerra at vinciguerra@gmail.com.
Giangreco said they are also collecting donations for a Christmas tree fundraiser and auction that will take place at Margaritaville Beach Resort on Fort Myers Beach. Anyone interested in donating gifts for the Christmas tree can email Vinciguerra at vinciguerra@gmail.com.
Seahorse Chorale
Steel Drum Band
Elementary Choir
To reach MEGHAN BRADBURY, please email mbradbury@breezenewspapers.com