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Special thanks to Rich Gramann for taking and sharing these pictures!!!
http://rich1960.smugmug.com/gallery/8289908_ZFbmi/12/542962191_2c8Me#542962191_2c8Me
Photos from Our December 2008 Holiday Concert
http://rich1960.smugmug.com/gallery/6808110_NoCFZ/1/435141883_Vs5ck#435141883_Vs5ck
Courtesy of Rich Gramman
Congratulations to Our Outstanding Musicians
The following KMS Band students were selected to participate in the 2008 Region Band Festival:
Paul Holmes - oboe, Concert Band
Hannah Bangs - clarinet, Symphonic Band
Anna Robinson - clarinet, Concert Band
Hannah Rieden - alto sax, Concert Band
Keivaun Waugh - alto sax, Concert Band
Jules Ochoa - trumpet, Concert Band
Zach Krebs - french horn, Symphonic Band
Phillip Hawkins - trombone, Concert Band
Nicholas Fu - trombone, Concert Band
Evan Taylor-Adair - tuba, Concert Band
The directors want you all to know we are proud of your success!
Kealing Suffers Heartbreaking Loss
The Kealing Wind Ensemble followed through on its commitment to perform at the Windy City Classic Band Festival in Chicago, IL, despite the loss on Friday of 7th-grade clarinetist Shoshana Weintraub to a sudden and fatal illness. Saturday's performance at the Lindner Conference Center was a fitting memorial to a beloved friend.
The final eight hours of the tour schedule was cancelled to permit the group to come home to their Austin families.
The Kealing Band directors are grateful to the counselors and staff from the Chicago School District, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Hargrove Hospital Social Services, the Chicago Fire Department, and clergy from the Presbyterian and Jewish faiths for their selfless and caring support in our time of need; Kealing Principal Ariel Cloud for facilitating timely and accurate communication between Austin ISD staff, Chicago support resources, the Austin news media, and the Kealing community; the staff and management of the Courtyard by Marriott (Chicago) for providing a communal gathering space as well as beverages; the House of Blues Restaurant for delivering the Friday evening meal to our hotel; to our superb band parent/chaperones who tirelessly attended to every student's needs throughout the tour; and to the student members of the Kealing Wind Ensemble for demonstrating maturity, courage and caring for one another in the face of tragedy.
No doubt there are others whose efforts to render aid and comfort deserve to be recognized in this space. We apologize for their omission and will strive to acknowledge them appropriately and as soon as possible.
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The following is a letter to the Kealing community from Head Director Mark Gurgel:
My Dearest Kealing Family,
The young adults that I had the opportunity to be with this weekend are some
of the strongest and most caring people I've ever seen. I was constantly amazed
at the way everyone reached out to each other to help and support ones in need
of comfort.
We had several support groups available at the hotel for the students and chaperones,
including people from the Chicago Board of Education, NOVA, and local hospitals.
Many of these people mentioned that they could see the love the students had
for each other. The counselors consistently expressed their amazement at how
the students came together as a family.
I was especially touched by a group of students who met with a Rabbi who was
able to stop by the hotel. Although I do not understand Hebrew, his spiritual
guidance through discussion & prayers helped me greatly in a time of need.
That the students chose to perform on Saturday is also amazing. The incredible
power of great music touches the core of our need to express our deepest emotions.
No one knew that all those scales and exercises and rehearsals would end up
in honor of the memory of a fellow student. I will never forget that performance.
What we need to do for Shoshana now is remember her with love. We will see
her, not in person, but in our minds and memories in the band hall where we
played and laughed together; we will see her in our minds and hearts in the
halls and classrooms where she learned and grew and was such an important part
of us.
We will keep the memory of Shoshana alive in our hearts and minds; we will
cherish that memory as something very special - very special indeed.
____________________________________________________
Mark Gurgel
Kealing Middle School
Band Director
Phone: 512-414-2702
www.austinschools.org/kealing/band
Director Mark Gurgel leads the KMS Wind Ensemble
The Kealing Middle School Wind Ensemble on stage