Hello,
There is much to be excited about as we enter this new school year!  We not only have a beautiful new music room and other facilities at Northside, but many new improvements throughout the district.  Perhaps the most profound improvements are currently transforming the High School, with a new stadium, and numerous upgrades to music facilities including a fantastic new Concert Hall with a capacity of over eight hundred people.  These new facilities will serve students in our district as well as the community for years to come.
Listed below is  a list of Northside performances for this year.  Please consider helping with some of our musical events.  For concerts this involves setting up and taking down risers, chairs, sound equipment, instruments, and props.  For Fine Arts Day, there are various tasks, from preparing food for our luncheon to assisting our presenters.  Please fill out and return the attached page with your child.  Any and all assistance will be greatly appreciated!
In all grades, we are again using the Spotlight on Music series in all grades as a basis for all music lessons.  We also incorporate a variety of other resources on a daily basis to create a fuller Music Education experience.
3rd grade students will soon receive recorders and will be starting Recorder Karate. 
Using this system, students will receive belts for each song that they master. The belts start simple with the white belt’s “Hot Cross Buns” and make their way up to the black belt’s more advanced “Ode to Joy.”
4th and 5th grade students are busy preparing for our upcoming Harvest Festival concert:
The theme of the Harvest Festival is “Mr. Johnson’s Jukebox.”  We will perform as part of the Finale Concert on September 24th at 4:45 p.m. in the Geneseo City Park.  The rain location will be the Geneseo High School Gym. We hope to see you there!
Earlier in the day on September 24th, there will be a talent show for which 4th and 5th graders may audition. Many students have already spoken to me regarding their acts.  Please have your child see me this week if they are interested in auditioning.  I will assist students during specified morning and lunch recess times in putting together and practicing their acts.  Auditions will take place on Monday, September 11th from 3:30-5:30 p.m. at Geneseo High School.  Parents will be responsible for bringing their children to and from this audition.  Students should sign up with me for a high school audition time.  All acts that audition at the High School will have the opportunity to perform at the Northside Talent Show on October 31st. 
Harvest Fest Volunteers needed! The weekend’s success depends on numerous volunteers.  Please consider assisting with events either Saturday or Sunday.  You may view different areas where help is still needed and sign up on GPAC’s Signup.com page at: http://signup.com/go/LdOuoxs.  All Proceeds from the weekend’s events benefit music and theatre programs from Kindergarten through High School in the Geneseo School District.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions at meckwall@geneseoschools.org or (309) 945-0625.
Thank you for your support of the arts in Geneseo!
Sincerely in Music,
Mike Eckwall
Northside Music Teacher                                                                                               
Back to school note and signup 2017
rehearsal schedule Harvest Fest 2017 TO SEND
 
Northside Fine Arts Dates 2017-18
Harvest Fest Talent Show Auditions (4th and 5th grades)-Monday, September 11, 2017, 3:30 p.m., HS Choir Room.
Harvest Festival (4th and 5th grades)-Sunday, September 24, 2017 Geneseo City Park (rain location HS Gym)
- Talent Show 3:00 p.m.
- Finale Choir Concert 4:45 p.m.
Northside Talent Show (4th and 5th grade acts perform)- Tuesday, October 31, 2017, 12:30 p.m., Northside Gym
Geneseo Christmas Walk (4th and 5th grades)– Saturday, December 9, 2017, Location TBA, Southwest 3:30 p.m., Millikin 4:00 p.m., Northside 4:30 p.m.
Northside Christmas Programs- Monday, December 18, 2017, High School Concert Hall
- Grades K-1 5:45 p.m.
- Grades 2-3 6:45 p.m.
- Grades 4-5 7:30 p.m.
Quad City Symphony Day-(4th grade) –TBA February/March 2018
Music in Our Schools Concert (4th and 5th grades)– Tuesday, March 13, 2018, 7:00 p.m., HS TBA
Northside Fine Arts Day– Friday, March 23, 2018
All-Unit Concert (4th and 5th grade)- Monday, May 7, 2018, 7:00 p.m., HS Gym
5th grade Recorder Concert Monday, May 14, 2018
Practice– 1:00 p.m., location TBA
Concert-  7:00 p.m., HS TBA
 
Northside Spring ProgramsРWednesday, May 23, 2018, Location TBA
- Grades 4-5 9:00 a.m.
- Grades 2-3 10:15 a.m.
- Grades K-1 2:15 p.m