Thursday, August 16, 2012
Four beloved Lansdale hardcore bands - Dysphoria, Chine, Inkling and Inane - are reuniting for one show of revolutionary proportions
Marty McFly and Doc Brown (and Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale for that matter) have lied to us. You don't need a flux capacitor, 88mph or 1.21 gigawatts to go back in time. It will be proven, here in Lansdale on Friday night at Third and Walnut Bar, that all you need is a desire, a passion and a need for local music. Musician and Quakertown resident Kevin Mooney and Lansdale promoter and West Point resident Derek Calhoun, of Lansdale Local Promotions, have played the roles of Doc Brown and Marty McFly, respectively. (Of course, those that know Mr. Mooney would think that analogy may have worked better with those long-gone dreadlocks substituting for crazy white hair). The duo have organized an auditory revival of epic microcosmic proportions…
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Spring-Ford Superintendent David Goodin gave a monthly report at a recent school board meeting.
Spring-Ford Superintendent David Goodin gave his monthly report at Tuesday's board of education meeting. In it, he discussed the Spring-Ford band, the arts program and various banquets. But first, Goodin gave a shout out to the special education department for the improvements made on "least restrictive environment" and "graduation dropout rate" categories, which the district was on a warning list for. Goodin then highlighted various programs and shows he recently got to attend. The Senior Academic Banquet was held at the high school. Goodin said it was a nice affair and very well organized. Students that received honors had to maintain a 95 percent grade point average throughout their four years in the high school. He also attended the …
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Band Director John Eckstine and 5/6 Center Principal Ed Smith say goodbye officially to Spring-Ford.
The Spring-Ford Area School District officially approved the resignations of Band Director John E. Eckstine Jr. and 5/6 Center Principal Edward J. Smith at Tuesday night's regular meeting. Eckstine's resignation comes as no surprise after he informed the district on May 4 that he would no longer serve the school. After personal issues arose resulting in a vehicle accident and an arrest, Eckstine chose to resign on his own accord. His case goes to the Court of Common Pleas in Norristown on the morning of July 5. At the beginning of the meeting, Kathy Bryant of Upper Providence spoke on the resignation. "Prior to accepting any resignations tonight, if you had considered an escalating bad situation, perhaps you could have avoided the …
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Jani-King, Eckstine, band/athletics awards among top items.
The Spring-Ford Area School District Board of Education will meet for a regular meeting tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the high school to discuss a number of things. Below is a list of the most important items on the agenda: Band Director John E. Eckstine Jr., resigned his position on May 4 in light of personal issues, which were covered on Patch throughout the month of May. The board may approve his resignation tonight. Below is a list of the Eckstine stories: On Friday, we learned that Jani-King allegedly "quit" working at the district. The following is from tonight's agenda. Administration is recommending approval to enter into a mutual agreement to end the contract with Jani-King Cleaning Services as soon as all the paperwork is completed. …
Monday, May 21, 2012
Multiple witnesses to the altercation between former Spring-Ford band director John Eckstine and a Limerick woman testified on Thursday.
Preliminary hearings for John E. Eckstine, former Spring-Ford band director, and Jacqueline M. Alegado, a Limerick woman and band parent, were held last Thursday. During the hearings, multiple witnesses testified. Four charges were dropped from Eckstine's case, while Alegado was held on all charges. Both cases will go to the Court of Common Pleas in Norristown on July 5. Below are accounts from multiple witnesses in the case. Morris, a 15-year veteran of the Limerick Police Department, saw the aftermath of a motor vehicle accident in the residential area where he resides. He was off duty at the time when he saw several people on both sides of the roadway. When attempting to find out who was involved in the accident, Morris said he …
Some photos and the program from Friday night's choir concert at Spring-Ford.
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Monday, May 21, 2012
The above photos were submitted by Andreina Erwin. Erwin noted she was not allowed to use her flash during the performance. Below is the program from the show. Concert Choir Lauren Exley - Accompanist Come to the Music……………………………………….………..J. Martin Caitlyn Colgan, piccolo For The Beauty of the Earth……………………………………………….……..J. Rutter God Bless America (A Gospel Medley)…………………………..……………..arr. E. Lojeski Soloists-DeDe Kimble, Marissa Strickland and Jordan Popky Vocal Jazz Words……………………………………………………………….A. Endroth Bass-Nick Perri, Vocal Percussion-Taylor Bates Life’s Too Good To Sing the Blues……………………………………………………….……J. Barnes Soloists-Kayla Dwyer, Caitlyn Colgan, Yvonne O’Dea, Drew Carr, Jordan Popky Women’s Choir Hello, Girls…
Friday, April 27, 2012
Photos and information about Thursday night's concert.
The above photos were contributed by Andreina Erwin The Spring-Ford Area School District held its First Annual String Jamboree on Thursday night at Spring-Ford High School. The jamboree was an informal concert featuring all Spring-Ford stringed instrument players ranging from grades four through 12. The band was comprised of more than 200 students.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
A recap of the band's recent trip to Massachusetts
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Tuesday, April 17, 2012
The following post was submitted by George Growcott of the Spring-Ford Area School District's Band Program. Growcott said the contribution came from Yvonne O'Dea and other members who went on the trip: The directors of the Spring-Ford High School Music Department, student members of the chorus, orchestra and bands representing the Spring-Ford Area School District this past weekend went on the road to Boston, Mass. to show off their talents and to be judged by professionals of the music world. This event is run by the “Festivals of Music” which runs music festivals across the United States has past and present music educators and performers who listen each group. They then give groups a rating based on their standards and then spend time …
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Checking in with Spring-Ford alumni to see what they're up to.
In 2005, the Spring-Ford High School Golden Ram Marching Band came so close to breaking the top five in the competition for the Atlantic Coast Championship. At the end of the day, they came in sixth - disappointed that their hard work did not pay off. So, when 2006 rolled around and it was time to choose a drum major, the band chose Lauren Exley, a junior. “Really? Me? Can I do this?” Exley said, not knowing that this would be the year the band would win its first of five ACC's. Exley attributed hard work and focus to the deed, and said the disappointment of years past motivated the band to go for the win, but she was still humble in her efforts. "We came out on top and it was really one of the highlights of my experiences with the band," …
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
The Montgomery County event is this Friday.
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Wednesday, November 9, 2011
The following release was sent in by Dan Rowe: Spring-Ford High School will be hosting Montgomery County Honors String Orchestra this Friday, Nov. 11. The concert will be held at the 10-12 Center in the auditorium at 7 p.m. and the guest conductor will be Dr. Mark Jelinek from Bloomsburg University. The concert is performed by select high school students from eight schools in Montgomery County. The songs selected cover every period in music including modern day. Some favorites include Allegro in D for Strings by Vivaldi, Bacchanale “from Samson and Delilah” by Saint-Saens, Danny Boy, and Farandole by Bizet. Upon hearing the Montgomery County Honors String Orchestra on Nov. 6, 1999, Melia Bowie, Suburban Staff member of the Philadelphia …
Mike Shultz
1:07 pm on Thursday, August 23, 2012
Actually was hoping to fly back this year when this show was going on, but alas, "life just gets in the way." These guys made high school much more entertaining. Thanks. more ›