The Schlagle Marching Stallions will be marching in a parade this weekend in downtown Kansas City, Kan

The catch?

They'll be the lone participant.

The Marching Stallions will march this Saturday at 2 p.m. on the corner of 13th and Washington Blvd. in an effort to raise more funding for a trip to Washington, D.C.

The band has been invited to participate in a Fourth of July parade in Washington.

“It will be an incredible experience to perform on the nation’s stage in Washington," said Reginald May, director of the band. "Most of our students have never been there, and many haven’t traveled far outside of Kansas City."

Starting at 13th and Washington Blvd., the band will march three blocks to the Internet Café, located at 1645 Washington Blvd.

The band is still looking for more donations to help pay for the trip.

"This trip in July is a terrific opportunity to expand their horizons and allow them to see an important part of America," May said. "But we still need to raise $25,000 to take our students and staff on this trip."

The band so far was raised about $25,000.

For more information about donating to the band's trip, visit schlaglemarchingband.com or call May at (913) 627-7544. He can be emailed at remay@kckps.org.

By ALAN HOSKINS, Kansan Contributor

High school students from Turner, Tonganoxie, J.C. Harmon and Sumner Academy will join Kansas City Kansas Community College choirs in performing Faure’s “Requiem” Sunday, March 7.

A High School Invitational Master Works Concert, it will be performed at 4 p.m. at St. Patrick’s Church, 94th and State Avenue. Open to the public, there is no charge.

The concert is being directed by Dale Shetler, retiring Director of Vocal Music at KCKCC, in conjunction with high school directors Becky Thomas, Sumner Academy; Juli Hossain, J.C. Harmon; and Tom Gifford, Tonganoxie.

"They love having their singers participate in this event,” said Shelter. “Their students learn a tremendous amount during the five Saturday rehearsals on our campus and bring those skills back to their program and influence their choirs with tremendous enthusiasm and excitement.”

Solos by soprano Bailey Wetta, baritone Michael Burnworth and tenor Shaun Lindsey will highlight the performance of Faure’s “Requiem.”

In addition, the KCKCC Chamber Choir will perform Ned Rorem’s “Three Prayers” and the Kyrie from William Byrd’s “Mass for Four Voices” while the KCKCC Jazz Choir will perform Vijay Singh’s arrangement of “I Wish You Love,” a Dave Cross arrangement of “Wee Dot;” and Phil Mattson’s “If I Love You” featuring soloist Amy Olbert.

Michael Young and Gabe Harris will be scatting on “Wee Dot” with well-known Kansas City jazz artist Mike Ning on jazz piano.

Photos by SUSAN ENLOE

Just after Kansas City, Kan., Board of Education members received news that music programs and athletic programs could be on the budget cutting table in the future, the F.L. Schlagle choir performed for those same board members.

Hopefully this performance will remind them and many of the importance of music, athletics and other non-academic activities in school districts. 

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90 min. of dancing fun followed by 30 min. of deep yoga stretching.

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Location: KCFitnessLink, 510 N/ 6th Street, Kansas City, KS 6601

From ALAN HOSKINS, Kansan Contributor

The “blues” are coming to Kansas City Kansas Community College to kick off a new fun-filled “Fun Arts Concert Series” Thursday, Feb. 4.

The award-winning Blue Edge recording artists, “Trampled Under Foot,” will be featured in concert at 7:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center on the KCKCC campus at 7250 State Avenue.

“It’s a new concert series we’re starting with two primary objectives – to encourage student participation and to bring students and the community together to have fun on the campus,” said Bill Yeazel, Performing Arts Center Director, “Toward these goals, 100 percent of the ticket sales will go directly to student organizations and programs.”

Individual tickets are on sale for $5 but the big push is for sponsorships, which will sell for $25 and include two tickets and recognition from the stage and in the printed program.

Presented in cooperation with the KCKCC Student Activities office, advance tickets are available in the Student Activities Office in Room 2313 in the lower level of the Jewell Center or by calling the Student Activities Office at 913-288-7652 or Yeazel at 913-288-7690.

An electric blues family trio of two brothers and a sister, “Trampled Under Foot” has toured the U.S., Europe and Caribbean and won several awards including the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tenn.

“By special request, they will cover classic blues standards during their first set and their popular ‘festival set’ of all original songs will close the show,” said Yeazel.

One of Kansas City’s most popular boogie piano players, Shinetop Jr., will get the Performing Arts Center jumping about 6:30 p.m. with a performance in the lobby.

“This promises to be a high energy evening and there may be a few surprises thrown in,” said Yeazel. “With any luck, we might score some Kansas City blues-style hors d’oeuvres.”

Yeazel said the initial concert will kick off a series of three different style shows in 2010. 

“Linda Sutton, the Director of Student Activities, and Brian Bode, Dean of Financial and Administrative Services, have been very supportive in this,” said Yeazel. “We want to use local talent and have some fun. It’s all about including students and the community in a variety of ways.”

From ALAN HOSKINS, Kansan Contributor

An award-winning percussionist will join Kansas City Kansas Community College’s award-winning Jazz Band and Jazz Combo for the annual KCKCC Fall Jazz Concert Tuesday, Nov. 24.

Scott Prebys, who won the North Dakota Governor’s Award, will be featured on the Zen Drum, vibraphone and steel drum in the 7 p.m. concert in the Performing Arts Center on the KCKCC campus at 7250 State Avenue. Tickets are $5.

Multi-award winners at the Pittsburg Jazz Festival and other jazz festivals and directed by Jim Mair, the Jazz Band and the 11 a.m. Jazz Combo will be joined by the 3 p.m. Jazz Band, the Latin Band under the direction of Jurgen Welge and the college’s community Blue Devils Big Band directed by David Chael in the performance of jazz classics by such legends as Duke Ellington, Woody Herman, Bobby Shew, Les Hooper, Thad Jones, Joe Williams, Gordon Goodwin, Fats Navarro, Sammy Nestico, Grover Washington Jr. and Carlos Santana.

Students in the jazz groups are not only alumni of the Kansas City Kansas public schools but also Basehor-Linwood, Turner, Tonganoxie, Shawnee Mission, Lansing, Olathe, McLouth, DeSoto, Blue Valley and Lee’s Summit and Warrensburg, Mo., school districts along with the countries of Turkey and Korea.
 

From ALAN HOSKINS, Kansan Contributor:

Outstanding clinicians will work with four area high schools and two jazz combos in a High School Jazz Workshop at Kansas City Kansas Community College Tuesday, Nov. 24.

Saxophonist Chris Burnett, brass specialist Stephanie Bryan and rhythm section specialists James Albright and Scott Prebys will work with the high school bands and KCKCC combos in the workshop to be held in the Performing Arts Center on the KCKCC campus at 7250 State Avenue.

The Tonganoxie High School Jazz Band will open the workshop at 8 a.m. followed by Shawnee Mission North, 9 a.m.; Turner, 10 a.m.; Lansing, 11 a.m.; and two KCKCC jazz combos at noon.

The workshop will be followed by KCKCC’s annual Fall Jazz Concert to be held Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center.

Percussion specialist Scott Prebys, the winner of the North Dakota Governor’s Award, will be featured on the Zen Drum, vibraphone and steel drum.

The concert will also feature KCKCC’s multi-award winning Jazz Band and 11 a.m. Jazz Combo along with the 3 p.m. Jazz Combo, Latin Band and Blue Devil Big Band.

Thanks in part to private fundraising and help from the Kansas City, Kan., Board of Education, it's already a busy year for the renown F.L. Schlagle Marching Stallions band.

The board approved two out of district travel memorandum's last night to allow the band to travel outside of Kansas City, Kan.

The Marching Stallions will perform in the Veterans Day Parade in Branson, Mo., on Nov. 11 and will perform in the 2010 Independence Day Parade in Washington D.C., as a guest of U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts.

Along with practicing, members of the band have been fundraising to help in travel. So far, $10,000 of revenue has been generated by those efforts.

"The kids have been working hard to start the year," said Reginald May, the band's director. "We've been hustling and selling trash bags and they've raised over $10,000. "

The upcoming Veterans Day parade will begin at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 11. In previous years, the marching band has performed in parades in St. Louis, Alabama and recently traveled to California to take part in a national festival.

• The board also approved out of district travel for the Sumner Academy Chorale and Women's Ensemble. The students from Sumner Academy will perform at the Heritage Musical Festival on Thursday, March 25.

Students will fundraise for the event.

Here's a video of the Schlagle band from a performance last year in Indianapolis.