Tuesday 20 February 2018

Optimist Souvenir Photography



Optimist Festival 2018
Group photos from JJ Ali Photography

JJ Ali Photography is proud once again to be the official photographer for the 2018 Optimist Festival.
We will provide a file download of the group photo of your band(s) to you and all your musicians and one 8x12 print of each band will be sent to your school.

DOWNLOAD GROUP PHOTOS

Prints will also be available for purchase at JJAliPhotography.com after the completion of the event. Click on ORDER NOW
8x12  -  $20
12x18  -  $40
Orders placed before March 10 will receive free shipping to the school. After that, they will charged a $10 late fee and shipped directly to the purchaser.

Your musicians won't have to worry about bringing money to order photos at the festival!
All they'll have to worry about is being a musician. All the group photo files will be available within a week
of the end of the festival. An email will be sent to you once the files are ready to be downloaded.
They will be available to download for 30 days only!

Please share this email with your students and their parents.

And if you have any questions don't hesitate to contact us.

Friday 9 February 2018

Westwood Artists of the Month




Artists of the month - February 


There are many reasons that the Westwood Band Program continues to be recognized as one of the top in the country, but one of the most often overlooked factors is the super-awesome students that we continue to attract.  This month we celebrate the hard work and dedication of eleven students…. that’s right, eleven students.  Each of these individuals have selflessly given up their spares, their free time and, in some cases, their precious morning sleep time to participate in and extra ensemble in addition to their regularly scheduled Concert Band and/or Jazz Band. They have acted as peer tutors and have added well need support and encouragement to our ensembles. Please join me in recognizing: Gracie B., Brett D., Drew D., Avery E., Blake E., Kathryn E., Chase M., Lidiya O., Isabella R. Jordan W. and Rachel W. as band students of the month for February.

Thursday 1 February 2018

Winter Concert Information for new Parents and Families

As I am sure you have now heard, We will be hosting our Winter Concert in just a few days.  If you have not heard.... Feb. 6th 7:00PM in our Gym.

We have a strong tradition of holding some pretty fantastic concerts here at Westwood and we are truly honoured and excited that you have chosen to spend your night with us.









Here are a few things you should know about the concert before you arrive that will make your evening so much more enjoyable.


  • Concerts are free.  No cost whatsoever.
  • Doors open at 3:30PM.... Yes, you read that right.  If you like you can come on by and reserve some choice seats and stake out your territory.  Never any waiting in long lines.
  • Come early.  Parking is at a premium.  Traditionally there is not a seat to be found by 6:50 and there is standing room only.  This is a huge event and first time parents are often overwhelmed by the fun.
  • Concert attendance is mandatory for all students.  This is their Mid-Term exam and they are expected to be there for the entire concert.  THE WHOLE CONCERT... NOT JUST THEIR INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE.  We are are an extremely team based program and we support all members of our team 9 through 12.
  • Concerts traditionally last around 2 to 2.5 hours.  And, like a great movie of the same length, it will pass by very quickly.
  • Concerts are presented in a Masterworks format where each piece is proceeded with accompanying anecdotes as a great way to get to know our music a little better, and receive some insight into the evening's concert.  Did the composer write the piece after a battle with cancer?  Is it about an ancient dance?  Did the composer write the piece about a temper tantrum his son had?
  • There is no printed program.
  • Students are to be in the building by 5:30PM at the latest and they will make their way to their assigned rooms..... no parents back stage please.
  • All students are responsible to help with tear down.  Usually takes about 20 minutes at most... no parents are needed, but you are welcome to pitch in.  The best way to help is by putting your chair back on the rack at the back of the room.
  • As you may have noticed all of our concerts are professionally webcast. If you would like someone from afar who cannot be here in person to join us, simply have them watch via our website or you can share this link - http://thecube.com/e/771478
  • It seems that most people are accustomed to watching live performances through the smudgy window of their device as they try to record their son or daughter's awesome night.  It is an epidemic.  For the past 15 years, we have hired professional photographers and videographers to take brilliant hi-res photos of our concert and thus make your evening so much more enjoyable.  Of course you can still take your own pictures, but wouldn't you rather leave that to the pros so you can actually sit back and enjoy the show?  
  • At the Final concert in May you will be able to purchase all of the pictures and footage of all of our concerts for $20.00.  It is the only fundraiser we do.  The videos and images come on a custom flash drive that acts as a keepsake after you have downloaded them onto your device.

Playing a musical instrument good for brain health

  The study found playing keyboard instruments was particularly beneficial for brain health Playing a musical instrument or singing could he...