Second Annual Watertown MusicFest Coming on Friday

Local musicians will play and students can get a feel for instruments at the 'petting zoo.'

Local musicians will put on a show on Friday night during the second annual Watertown MusicFest. The Friends of Watertown Music have sponsored the event, and will raise money to support the music program in the Watertown Public Schools. The event is much more than just a concert, however. The event features over 50 performances, from solos to ensembles, on four stages. There will be classical, jazz, folk, rock, and Broadway music to choose from, according to the Friends of Watertown Music. During the first hour, budding musicians can take a close look at musical instruments during the "petting zoo." Pizza and baked goods will be available. The MusicFest runs from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, March 1 at Watertown Middle School.  Donations …

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Musicians Wanted for the Second Annual Friends of Watertown's Music Fest

The group supporting music in the Watertown Public Schools plans its second concert in March.

Musicians from the Watertown community looking for a place to perform are invited to participate in the second annual Music Fest, which benefits the music program in the Watertown Public Schools. Friends of Watertown Music is hosting the event on Friday, March 1 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Watertown Middle School. Those wishing to particapate are asked to contact the Friends of Watertown Music by Feb. 1. You can email them at hellowatertownmusic@gmail.com. Last year, the Friends of Watertown music raised $8,600 from fund raising events, including nearly half that amount from the first annual Music Fest.

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Watertown Parents Want Private Music Lessons Back; School Head said Teachers Must be Vetted

Private music teachers had been able to teach students after school at the Middle School, but Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald said she did not even know they were in the building which sparked liability concerns.

On Monday, Watertown parents pleaded with the School Committee to again allow their children to be taught by private music instructors on school property. This practice was stopped this year after school officials learned they were occurring on campus without any supervision or background checks on the teachers. For years, parents who wanted extra music instruction for their children have arranged to have private instructors - who do not work for the Watertown Schools - come and teach their students in the music room at Watertown Middle School. The private lessons helped students master an instrument and prepare for competitive situations such as the District and All State bands, orchestra and chorus. Losing this option was a big blow, …

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Friends of Watertown Music Thank Donors for Helping the School Music Programs

The grass-roots group raised nearly $7,000 last year, and has more events planned this year.

The following information was provided by the Friends of Watertown Music: Founded about a year ago, the Friends of Watertown Music are very proud to announce that our fund raising and advocacy has paid off! We raised an incredible $6,800, which will be used as a grant to the schools to expand music programming for this coming year. Nearly half our funds came from the proceeds of the March 30, 2012 Music Festival! Thanks to gifts and advocacy from our student, parent and community supporters, the schools are restoring a 0.6 teaching position to the music program. The Friends of Watertown Music grant will be used to reinstate the Middle School Stage Band. Additionally, because of this newly funded teaching position, the school music programs…

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Get Out

Hear Jazz from the American Songbook at the Arsenal Center for the Arts

This weekend’s show features the music of composer Jimmy Van Heusen.

The Arsenal Center’s popular jazz series - The American Songbook: The Jazz View - continues on Saturday, April 14, as six of the area’s finest jazz artists pay tribute to the music of Jimmy Van Heusen. The series was conceived by world-renowned composer/saxophonist Larry Monroe and vocalist Donna McElroy, longtime fixtures of the Berklee College faculty. The two are joined by Russell Hoffmann on piano, John Repucci on bass, John Ramsay on drums, and Jeff Stout on trumpet. During his songwriting career, Van Heusen wrote more than 800 songs from the 1940s through the 1960s. His music was featured in more than 180 films and earned Van Heusen four Academy Awards.  A host of his tunes also were made popular by Frank Sinatra such as “My Kind of …

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Watertown Musicians Invited to Play at the First Annual MusicFest

The event will raise money for the Friends of Watertown Music, which seeks to support the music program in the Watertown Public Schools.

Watertown musicians are invited to take part in MusicFest, an event that will benefit the music program in the Watertown Public Schools. The event will be held March 30 from 6:30 p.m to 10 p.m. at Watertown Middle School, and is organized by the Friends of Watertown Music. "The MusicFest will be a celebration of music in Watertown and will feature concurrent solo and group performances by students, teachers, and community musicians of all ages and abilities," according to a release from the Friends of Watertown Music. To sign up to perform or volunteer, email the Friends of Watertown Music by March 20 at hellowatertownmusic@gmail.com. Along with the musical performances, there will be an instrument "petting zoo," pizza, refreshments, and a…

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