Shaler Area Musicians Rank High
in Festivals of Music Adjudicated
Competition
SH AL ER AR EA SC H OO L NE WS
haler Area
Shaler Area High School students returned from the Festivals
of Music, held in Nashville, TN with 15 top awards as well as the
Dr. Tim Lautzenhauser’s Esprit de Corps award presented for the
group’s exemplary attitude of positive support and outstanding
personal behavior.
About 300 Shaler Area students from the Concert Band,
Marching Band and Auxiliaries, Choir and Orchestra participated
in the Festivals of Music, an adjudicated competition. Students
received ratings for their performances (fair, good, excellent,
superior) as well as placement within their competition
categories. Several additional awards were also given for top
scores within the categories (Best in Class) and top overall scores,
regardless of competing scores.
The Shaler Area Concert Band received an Excellent Rating and
came in second place. Wind Ensemble received a Superior Rating
and came in second place. The Jazz Band received a Superior
Rating and placed 1st for the third consecutive year. It also was
named Best Overall Jazz Band, and senior Adam Bleil (trumpet)
was named Outstanding Jazz Soloist.
The Marching Band, Dance Team, Drum Line, Silk Line and
Majorettes all came in first place in their respective categories.
The Marching Band and Dance Team received Superior Ratings;
the Drum Line received an Excellent Rating; and the Silk Line and
Majorettes received Good Ratings.
The Chamber Choir received a Superior Rating and placed
third. The Women’s Choir received a Superior Rating and came in
second place. The Concert Choir received an Excellent Rating and
fifth place.
The String Orchestra received an Excellent Rating and placed
first. It also was named Best Overall String Orchestra.
The Festivals of Music also recognized Shaler Area for its 33
years of participation, a “Gold Note Member” of the 35-year-old
organization.
The event attracted near 200 attendees and included specialty
food samples from local businesses in the Shaler Area and
entertainment provided by The Bleil Brothers, a jazz band that
includes a current Shaler Area High School senior as well as recent
graduates.
Student artwork and gift baskets also were available in a silent
auction. The Shaler Area Education Foundation extended the
silent auction for the $5,000 Duquesne University scholarship
beyond the date of the event. The silent auction for the Duquesne
University scholarship was open through Mar. 31.
Proceeds from the event will go to supporting Shaler Area
students and the district’s academic programs. To see a full list
of vendors or more information on the foundation, visit the
Shaler Area Education Foundation webpage sasd.k12.pa.us/
SAEducationFoundation.aspx.
Shaler Students Present at International
Green Schools Conference and Expo
“A Taste of Shaler Area” Thank You
Shaler Area Education Foundation hosted “A Taste of Shaler
Area” on Mar. 19 as its first fundraising event to benefit the
students and academic programs at Shaler Area School District.
46 Shaler
Shaler Area Middle School eighth graders Elisa Gabriel,
Michaela Brining and Mia Fantozzi were selected to present at the
2016 International Green Schools Conference and Expo on Mar. 31
at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.
The students discussed “Hydroponics in Your School: Grow
Edible, Healthy Crops in Water Indoors” as part of the Speed
Greening session of the Teaching and Learning track.
The middle school students were selected to present at this
conference alongside teachers and industry leaders. This year’s
selection process was highly competitive with more than 130
submissions and only 40 proposals accepted.