Extra-Curricular Groups 

Winter Guard
Winter Guard Home Show February 20, 2010
The Greater Johnstown School District Winter Guard hosted its 14th annual Artistry in Motion Home Show at 4 p.m. on Saturday, February 20, in the JHS gymnasium.

Competing in the Mid-York Color Guard Circuit under the direction of Christine VanValkenburgh, Johnstown’s Amethyst Gold varsity guard, now in its 17th year of competition, presented its 2010 Celtic performance  "Céilí," representing a gathering to experience the rhythms of the Earth in a celebration of music, storytelling and dance. The Amethyst junior guard, in its 11th year of competition, performed its 2010 show "Citizen’s of the Planet," while the Gold Dust exhibition guard performed a show titled "Let’s Get this Party Started."

Other guards performing in the event include: Shenendehowa, Albany City, Westmoreland, Mount Markham, Fonda-Fultonville, Mohonasen, and Altmar-Parish-Williamstown.

Marching Band
Johnstown Marching “Sir Bills” Earn Local and Out-of-State Honors
The Johnstown High School Marching Band recently traveled to Salem, Virginia for the Central Virginia Regional Band Competition. Performing its competitive show titled “Mountain of Dragons,” the band placed first in the 2A division with a score of 77.2, ahead of King George High School’s second place score of 73.7.  JHS also won four special caption awards: best color guard, best percussion, best music and best effect.

Sponsored by the United States Scholastic Band Association (USSBA), the competition was held at Salem Stadium in Salem, Virginia and was part of a five day trip.  The first stop on the band’s itinerary included performing at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, Maryland on Thursday, October 4. This was followed by an enjoyable day in the City of Richmond on Friday and then rehearsal under the very warm Virginia sun on Saturday, prior to the competition. Sunday’s activities included spending time at King’s Dominion Theme Park and a luncheon cruise in Philadelphia, with everyone returning to Johnstown on Monday.

Competing in the New York State Field Band Conference (NYSFBC) since early September, the band consistently placed second in local competition, right behind the Mohonasen High School Marching Band, until October 13. On that Saturday, JHS placed first in a competition at Mohonasen High School by earning a total of 79.7 points to Mohonasen’s 78.85.

The marching season will come to a close following the New York State Championships on October 28 at the Syracuse University Carrier Dome. For more information please visit any of the following websites: www.yea.org, www.nysfbc.org.

JHS Marching Band Wins Top Honors, Takes in Historical Sites
On Saturday, Oct 7, the JHS marching band competed in the United States Scholastic Band Association (USSBA) Delaware Valley Regional held at Washington Township HS in Sewell, NJ. In division II A, the band earned 1st place with a score of 80.6 and won all 5 special caption awards: Best Percussion, Best Color Guard, Best Music, Best Visual and Best Effect. In 2nd place was the Kennet HS marching band with a score of 75.7 and in 3rd place was the band from Salesianum HS with a score of 75.05.

The band also took in several tourist and historical sights. In New York City, the group attended the off-Broadway African percussion show :"Drumstruck," and visited Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick's Cathedral and Times Square. On Sunday in Washington D.C., the band visited the US Capitol Building, the Washington Monument, the memorials for Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam Wall. The members toured the Museum of Natural History and the National Air and Space Museum. On Sunday night the band enjoyed a DJ Dinner Dance cruise up and down the Potomac River.

In Philadelphia, the band visited the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, place of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution, as well as home of the first US Supreme Court. (Above photo: Congratulations await Band Director Dan Jones and marching band members as they return from their big win this past weekend in the USSBA Delaware Valley Regional competition.)

Winter Guard
The Greater Johnstown School District Winter Guards traveled to Cicero-North Syracuse Jr. High School on March 29 for the final competition of the regular season in the Mid-York Color Guard Circuit. The Cicero-North Syracuse Northstars Winter Guards hosted over 30 color guards at the competition from across the region.

Competing in the Novice Class (three years experience or less) Johnstown’s Gold Dust elementary winter guard placed first over West Genesee Jr., Reflections Novice, and East Syracuse-Minoa Novice. This marks a third straight victory for Gold Dust with their show “Color Them Wonderful,” which is set to Edwin McCain’s acoustic version of “I’ll Be.”

Later that day, Johnstown’s Amethyst junior varsity guard placed first from a field of nine other guards in the Scholastic Regional A Class (SRA). With a score of 80.9, the 30-member Johnstown team ended their regular season undefeated. Their performance of “He Lives in You,” from the Broadway Musical “The Lion King,” brought a terrific crowd reaction Saturday night.

Rounding out the evening, Johnstown’s Amethyst Gold varsity guard placed first in the Scholastic Open class, with a score of 82.5 over the CNS Northstars’ 78.5. Their show titled “Wires and Lights in a Box” portrays the powers of television media over the independent thoughts of its viewers.

Following a fundraising exhibition on April 2 in the Warren Street Elementary School gym, all three guards traveled to the Mid-York Color Guard Circuit’s 2008 Championship Color Guard Competition on April 5 and 6 at Shenendehowa High School. Johnstown’s winter guards (Gold Dust Elementary Guard, Amethyst Junior Guard and Amethyst Gold Senior Guard) competed in their respective classes before a packed gym of supportive spectators.

On Saturday, April 5, Gold Dust placed first in the Novice class, earning the gold medal and a chance to perform in exhibition that evening as the new champion. On that same day, Amethyst placed first in the Scholastic regional A class, also earning the gold medal and an exhibition performance on April 6. Returning to Shenendehowa on Sunday, Amethyst Gold placed first in the Scholastic Open class, earning the gold medal and stretching its championship title to encompass a fourth straight year.

Currently ranked first in New York State and twenty-first in the country, the Amethyst Gold Senior Guard will be competing in the Winter Guard International (WGI) World Championships in Dayton, Ohio April 10 –12.

The Greater Johnstown School District is very proud of the efforts and achievements of its Winter Guard members!

More information can be found at www.mycgc.org or by calling the Johnstown High School band office at 762-4661 x416.

Winter Guard - Earlier in the Season
The senior winter guard, Amethyst Gold, premiered their 2008 show “Lights in a Box” at Phoenix High School on January 12 in the Mid-York Color Guard Circuit (http://www.mycgc.org/).  The 24-member group has entered the Scholastic Open (SO) division this year, a step up from the Scholastic A class they have competed in for the past several years.  The group will be facing new experiences this season, rising to the demands of a more challenging routine and a more experienced field of competitors across the country.  The senior guard performs their show to the ever-poignant words of journalist Edward R. Murrow from the 2005 motion picture Good Night and Good Luck, with dialogue from the 1976 motion picture Network set over music of Peter Gabriel. The design explores the powers of television; can this instrument teach, illuminate and inspire, or is it just a collection of wires and lights in a box? The 18 young women and six young men perform around stages holding television sets which bind the students in machine-like choreography and then release them as if they were electrons traveling across the TV screen floor mat.  Amethyst Gold will compete in Salem, Massachusetts, Trumbull, Connecticut, and South Brunswick, New Jersey as they prepare for World Championships in Dayton, Ohio.

The junior guard, Amethyst, competing in the Scholastic Regional A (SRA) class also premiered their show “He Lives in You” at Phoenix High School on January 12.  Based on music from the Broadway musical “The Lion King,” the 30-member group is dressed in contemporary costumes designed in the style of traditional African dress and perform on a beautiful set featuring a waterfall painted on to the props and floor mat by Christine VanValkenburgh.  The show features several of the members on live percussion instruments, marimbas, djembe drums and other accessories, performing along with the soundtrack.  Always a crowd favorite, this group will be appearing at many Mid-York Color Guard contests throughout the season.

In their third year of competition, the elementary winter guard, Gold Dust, is comprised of 30 students grades 4-6 representing each of the 4 elementary schools in the GJSD.  With oversized crayons on a white floor mat, the students perform to "I’ll Be" by Edwin McCain and debuted at the Artistry in Motion held at Johnstown High School on February 16. 

On January 19 the varsity and junior varsity guards traveled to Cicero-North Syracuse Junior High School, returning to Phoenix High School on January 26.

During the weekend of March 8, all three groups took part in a competition hosted by Laurens Winter Guard at Oneonta High School. Gold Dust cadet guard placed first in Novice against Unatego and Reflections JV. Amethyst junior guard placed first in Scholastic Regional A against Westmoreland, Sherburne-Earlville and Binghamton. Amethyst gold varsity guard placed second in Scholastic Open to Laurens High School.

Check Out Gold Dust's Championship Performance

Under the direction of JHS and Warren Street instrumental music teacher, Dan Jones, Johnstown's elementary winter guard, Gold Dust, competed in the Mid-York Color Guard Circuit Championship held at Cicero-North Syracuse Junior High School.  The guard brought home second place in the Novice Class and earned a silver medal.  To view their performance, click here.

Winter Guards Rock the Championships
Performing beautifully this past weekend at the Mid-York Color Guard Circuit Championships, the Johnstown Winter Guards made their presence known, and brought great pride to the Johnstown School District. Championships were held at the Cicero-North Syracuse Junior High School on Saturday and Sunday, March 30 and April 1. The elementary and junior varsity color guards competed on Saturday and the varsity color guard returned to CNS on Sunday to compete.

Gold Dust, (grades 4-6), competing in the Novice class, placed second out of 8 groups, earning the silver medal. Our JV guard, Amethyst, competing in the Scholastic Regional A class, placed second out of 10 groups and also earned the silver medal. The varsity guard, Amethyst Gold, competing in the Scholastic A-1 class, placed first out of 5 groups earning the gold medal. This marks the third consecutive year that the varsity winter guard has won championships.

Elementary and JV Winter Guards Take First Place

On February 24, two of the three winterguards traveled to Baldwinsville High School, just northwest of Syracuse, for a Mid-York Color Guard Circuit (MYCGC) competition. The elementary winter guard, "Gold Dust," was traveling for the first time this season after their debut at the competition held in Johnstown High School the week earlier. "Amethyst," the JV winter guard, comprised of students in grades 7-12 also traveled to compete.

This year "Gold Dust" performs to the hit single by Daniel Powter, "Bad Day." The group is comprised of 30 children in grades 4-6, representing each elementary school in the Johnstown School District. With the finest performance of their choreographed show yet, the group placed first in the novice division, improving their score from the judges by 10 points. Soloists in the group include Elizabeth Van den Burgh, Aubrey Stegal, Kayla Gagliardo and Carissa O'Brien. The student members are dressed as Marcel Marceau-like clowns, supporting the song's theme by transitioning from sad to happy by the end of the routine. This is the second year that Gold Dust has been competing.

"Amethyst," the JV group, is comprised of 14 members grades 7-12 and has been competing for 8 years. Having been rehearsing since November, the group made its debut in early January. With advanced choreography demands placed on the student members, the group performs this year to the live recording of Emmylou Harris' "Deeper Well." Dressed in original costumes designed by Chad Duggan the group attacks the high energy music with strong movement, saber, rifle and flag skills. In a class of 4 other groups that night (Liverpool JV, Oswego Varsity, Susquehanna Valley, and Altmar-Parish-Williamson), the Johnstown squad placed 1st.
Both groups will be attending competitions in Oneonta and Syracuse before competing in championships on March 31 at Cicero-North Syracuse Junior High School.
Photo: Amethyst, the JV winter guard.  

JHS Winter Guard Makes Its Mark At WGI Regional Competition

The Johnstown High School Winter Guard placed third in a Winter Guard International (WGI) Regional competition held Saturday, February 10, in Salem, Massachusetts. Competing with a dozen groups in their division, the Johnstown group tied for 2nd place in prelims and ended up placing 3rd in finals. The top 5 scores were as follows: Newtown (CT) 79.0, Bethel (CT) 76.4, Johnstown (74.2), Shelton (CT) 72.2, Phoenix (NY) 72.1 and Ramsey (NJ) 72.0. More information can be found on www.wgi.org. The 16 members of the Winter Guard are in Grades 9-12 with one member from Grade 8. (Photo: Winter Guard members pose for a group shot before the WGI prelims competition.)

Chamber Choir

JHS Chamber Choir Performs at MIOSM Concert

The Johnstown High School Chamber Choir, under the direction of JHS Vocal Music Teacher Joshua Stamp, performed in the South Concourse of the Nelson R. Rockefeller Emprise State Plaza on Tuesday, March 6. The performance was presented as part of the Music In Our Schools Month festivities organized by NYSSMA, the New York State School Music Association. Before their performance, the choir toured the Capitol building, including visits to both the Senate and Assembly Chambers.

The choir presented a 45-minute program, including works by noted choral composers such as Thomas Tallis, Thomas Morley, Z. Randall Stroope, Stephen Hatfield, Steve Zegree, Mark Hayes, and Daniel Gawthrope. During the performance, the choir was greeted by NYS Assemblyman Marc W. Butler and a representative from the office of Senator Hugh T. Farley. The choir was also presented with a plaque commemorating their performance.

The Johnstown High School Chamber Choir is comprised of 14 students in grades 10-12. Membership is by audition, and students learn musicianship skills such as sight-reading and music literacy while performing a diverse program of music of advanced difficulty.

JHS Chamber Choir Presents Holiday Concerts at Community Venues

The JHS Chamber Choir, directed by JHS Vocal Music Teacher Joshua Stamp, presented their Holiday Concert for the community in two "run-out concerts." On Sun, December 3, the choir performed as part of the Glove Theater’s Annual Holiday Concert. On Dec 5, the choir traveled to the Lexington Center in Gloversville to perform for participants in the Day-Hab program there.

This year’s Holiday Concert program is composed of pieces celebrating the holidays from diverse places and eras. The concert opens with the 14th and 15th century English works "Pastyme with Good Company" by King Henry VIII of England and "Sound Forth the Trumpet in Zion" by Thomas Morley. The program also features works from France, with the Alice Parker arrangement of "Bring A Torch, Jeanette, Isabella," the Ukrainian folk song "Carol of the Bells" with words by Peter Wilhousky, and the 16th century Spanish carol "Riu, Riu, Chiu." The program ends with more familiar tunes from the American tradition, including "Carol of the Drum" by famous composer and music educator Katherine K. Davis and "Do You Hear What I Hear" composed by Noel Regney and Gloria Shayne.

The Johnstown High School Chamber Choir is comprised of 14 students in Gr 10-12. Membership is by audition, and students learn musicianship skills such as sight-reading and music literacy while performing a diverse program of music of advanced difficulty.

Jazz Ensemble
Under the direction of Mr. Jones, these dedicated musicians rehearse at the high school twice a week. The group prepares music from pop to swing, and rock to samba. The jazz band performed at the Winter Concert, and at the Johnstown Senior Citizen's Center.  Future performances will be held at the Prism Concert in March, the spring concert in May and a few appearances around at community events.
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