Between upcoming choir and band concerts, plus hosting the U.S. Navy Band this week, it's a wonder River Hill High School's music department has time to do much besides rehearsal and preparation.

Among its other endeavors, the school also happens to be in search of its second Grammy.

After being named a Grammy Signature School in 2000, and reaching finalist status for the prestigious designation in 2007, the school's young musicians and their band director hope to again claim the title this school year.

The school learned last week that it had been named a finalist in this year's competition.

River Hill band director Joseph Fischer insists his program isn't in the Grammy competition for the glory, although praise from such a widely recognized organization is a bonus.

"We don't actively pursue competitions. ... It's really searching for funding for our programs," Fischer said of entering the competition, which provides grants to winning schools.

The Grammy organization tapped River Hill as one of 144 finalist schools in the country. The Signature School, along with other grant recipients, will be announced in March 2009, according to Joseph Langford, a spokesman for the Grammy Foundation, organizers of the competition that was founded in 1999.

The Grammy Foundation is part of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the entity that heads the annual Grammy Awards. Its goal is to raise awareness for and promote the advancement of recorded music, particularly in schools, according to the foundation's Web site.

A screening committee rates schools based on the quality of music education and the degree of financial need at the school, according to the Web site. Prizes include grants ranging from $1,000 to $10,000, Langford said.

To enter the competition, Fischer submitted recordings of River Hill musical performances, concert programs, and information about the school's offerings, including its orchestras, band, choir and jazz ensembles, as well as a selection of elective music courses, Fischer said.

If River Hill wins a grant from the Grammy Foundation, the funding likely will go toward the purchase of new instruments and sheet music, band member David Young, a senior, said.

Sheet music is "surprisingly expensive," he added.

Young also said that the grant would allow the school to compete on a national level and help the music program grow.

Prize money and competition aside, "good music is good music," Fischer said, and that is the philosophy that drives his program.

Other Howard County schools also have entered the Grammy Signature School competition, with Mt. Hebron High School having earned finalist status also in 2007, according to Langford.

* The Glenelg High School Marching Unit is holding a holiday bazaar Dec. 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the school's cafeteria. Vendors are needed. Contact Kim Wissman at 410-489-5715, or e-mail wissman6@comcast.net for more information. The school is at 14025 Burntwoods Road, in Glenelg.

* Bryant Woods Elementary School's Winter Bazaar will be held Saturday, Dec. 6 and will feature local vendors with both commercial and hand-crafted items, in addition to a silent auction and bake sale. Vendors are still needed. Spaces are available at $20 per table plus contribution to silent auction. For further information, please contact Heather Barham at hgpeek@aol.com. The school is at 5450 Blue Heron Lane, Columbia.

* Running Brook Children's Nursery, a cooperative preschool in Columbia, has a few openings in its 2008-2009 class for 3- and 4-year-olds. Contact Wendy Silver at 410-997-4662 or go to www.rbcn.org for more information.

Send school-related items to School Days, Flier/Times, 10750 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia, MD 21044. Fax items to 410-997-4564 or e-mail mroshan@patuxent.com.

---

user comments (0)