Menger's Musings

A Look Back at 2011 and a Huge Hello to 2012!

Dear Colt Choir Family,

As I reflect on our great Fall, I am speechless with blessings! I have the best job in the world and get to teach the best kids in the world!

Our Fall began with 317 strong choristers and a Fall concert that was a very fine beginning to a musical year. Our All State process was a huge success with 87 singers auditioning for Round 1. Of those 87, 42 advanced to Round 2! We were well represented at the Region 5 Clinic and Concert on November 19th, with 22 singers performing with the Region Choir, 8 singers performing with the District Choir and 13 performing with the 9/10 Honor Choir! We took 85 students to see West Side Story and attend the State Fair of Texas. Chamber Singers had a phenomenal clinic with Matt Oltman, former singer and music director of the Grammy award winning group Chanticleer, and we capped off 2011 with the new and improved Renaissance Festival, featuring all of our singers in 3 nights of merriment!

This is a perfect time to thank all of you who work tirelessly for this choral program. I couldn’t accomplish anything without the help of my sweet colleagues, Rebecca Nunez-Stubbs (new mommy to the beautiful Eleanor Ann Stubbs, born on December 29th and weighing in at 8 lbs 1 oz and 21 inches long) and Mason Barlow. Without them, I wouldn’t have near as much fun teaching each day. They are classy, funny, extremely talented and tireless and I have adopted them as my “work children”. Our choir department has 3 angels who work side by side with our choristers and all of the choir directors everyday. Our voice faculty is amazing and they not only teach voice lessons, but also attend and help at all choir functions and auditions. Mrs. Pam Wade, Mrs. Natalie Mitchell and Ms. Rachel Shirk are great role models for our singers. They exemplify class, grace, artistry and humility and I witness their presence in the lives of all of their students. It is nice to have yet another set of “eyes” on our teenagers as they grow.  My next thank you goes to our Booster Club and our Booster Club President, Mrs. Jennifer Dingler. Jennifer is mother to Matt, Jon and Mark and works in education at Swift Elementary. Her son Matt, 2010 AHS graduate, was in Colt Chorale, her son Jon is a current member of Colt Chorale, Chamber Singers and Choraliers and an All State Round 4 candidate, and her son Mark is involved in the chorale department at Bailey Junior High. Jennifer’s husband, Brian, is a CPA and an INCREDIBLY PATIENT HUSBAND! Jennifer works around the clock for this program and is a great choir advocate. The Choir Booster Club is made up of an incredibly active and strong group of parents and their presence, leadership and gifts of time, talent and treasure go far beyond my dreams and expectations. There is no job (large or small) that they leave undone and their role in this choir department is irreplaceable. I would like to thank our Booster Club Board. These parents oversee and help put into play all the desires and dreams of 3 crazy choir directors. Jennifer’s board includes Denise Hutcherson and Jenny English (Fundraising), Dena Knierim (Treasurer), Cathy Glass (Secretary), Lori Pitstick and Tracy Gastrock (Banquet), Renee Stanley (Renaissance Festival), Cindy Gann (Silent Auction-along with Dena Knierim), Tina Berman (Concert Programs), Lorie White (Decorations), Melissa Spivey and Shelly Cone (Reserved Seating/ Howdy Party/ Colt County Fair), Laura Scott (Public Relations, Tap Day, Goody Bags) and our beloved Marsha Coke (Communications, Web Site). Last but not least I would like to thank Karen McGuire (Past President) who is as active as she ever was and whose leadership and help we could not do without!! Her spirit, presence, patience, insight and wisdom are so valuable to us.

One of the massive events that ended our year was the Renaissance Festival on December 1, 2 and 3! This is a long-standing tradition in our choir program and we almost went without it this Christmas due to the renovation to our school cafeteria. Thanks to Dena Knierim, Alan Tappe (Pastor) and Park Row Church of Christ (who let us overtake and use their facility for FREE) we were able to continue this great and festive event! The undertaking was staggering and Renee Stanley (and her patient husband Mike) gets KUDOS for pulling off the best Festival yet! This was her first time to chair this event and everything was different and she did an outstanding job in making it all happen! Renee had so much help and everyone involved deserves recognition! It is so heart-warming to know how many parents support their children and drop everything (including sanity!!!) to come and lend a hand at all hours of the day and night! I will never forget Wednesday, November 30th when I walked into the church and there were at least 100 adults and students there to help get everything ready for the Renaissance Festival! I was floored! Following is a list of names…although this won’t BEGIN to cover everyone who, in some wonderful way, contributed to this project.

Renee and Mike Stanley, Jennifer and Brian Dingler, Karen and Damon McGuire,  Dena and Jeff Knierim, Jay and Denise Hutcherson, Ron and Tracy Gastrock, Phil and Shelly Cone, Jeff and Melissa Spivey,Cindy Gann and Tina Harris, Eileen Hollingsworth, Leslie Sprinkle, Jeff and Kathy Dalton, Robert and Lainie Byrnes, Patrick and Jeanette McElroy, Tom and Kathy Roth, Cathy Glass, Laura Scott, Rusty and Susan Crosier, Terri and Steve Stigler, Lori White, Natalie Mitchell, Pam Wade, Cynthia Butler, Harby Howell, Renata Anderson, Paul and Felisa Howell, Joe and Leslie Estes, Robbyn Steele, Melody Thompson, Desira Berry,Janis Williams,  Susan Webster, Debra Daniel, Tamera Fiset, Jerri-Lynn Atman, Leanne Singleton, Donna Rowland, Carol Culbertson, Tammy Calandro, Kris Hughes, Jenny English, Luvit Schock and Don Dixon (for supplying scaffolding)! I know there are many others who helped with this project and if I don’t have your name, make sure that I get it!! Along with all of these wonderful adults, I would like to thank my sweet young ladies that so cheerfully took on the thankless job of “wenching” all three nights. These girls got to the church each day way before everyone else to make sure that each table was ready. They interacted, fed and cleaned up after 620 guests and did it all without a single complaint! I would like to thank my “muscle men” who were responsible for hauling, lifting putting together and tearing down heavy tables, platforms, chairs, ladders, etc. There were so many willing young men on this crew that I won’t be able to name them all. A particular thanks to Duane Hughes, Chris Walsh Matt Corbin, Taylor Cone, Zack Spivey, Cole and Clark Stanley, Chad Williams, Daniel Huddleston, Kole Howie, Cole McGraw and Ikenna Okoye.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the tireless Choir Officers who are always the first to arrive and the last to leave every function! These are truly incredible and above average young adults and I owe them so much thanks.
Duane Hughes (Choir President), Reid Braziel and Nicole Green (Choir Vice Presidents), Megan Carlisle (Secretary/Treasurer), Savannah Berman and Jessica Vanover (Girls Social Chairwomen), Kole Howie and Chris Walsh (Boys Social Chairmen), Aven Jackson, Danielle Mikeworth and Ana Sprinkle (Choir Librarians)
The Arlington High School Choir Department wishes everyone a healthy, happy and fulfilling 2012! Stay in touch through our website. Come to everything these brilliant singers are involved in and come to our Booster Club meetings. The choir parents are a CRAZY FUN BUNCH!!! The first Booster Club meeting of 2012 will be on Tuesday evening, January 10th in the choir room. We meet at 7:00 pm and are usually through at 8:00 pm! Hope to see you there.

Here is a list of upcoming events for 2012!

This should keep your choristers busy!!!

Happy New Year,

Dinah Menger, Director of Choirs