Check out some recordings of both the Band and Choral Holiday concerts posted by Mr. Ryerson! https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B9CGbyxjnpzeY1o0ZE9ELVcybDg&authuser=0

The first Band concert of the year was Thursday, December 18th, and it also marked Mr. Harden’s debut as Band Director here at HHS. After an awesome marching season, people were excited to hear what the band could produce in a concert setting. The Band certainly did not disappoint! Concert Band, Percussion Ensemble, and Jazz Ensemble were the groups to perform that night, each putting their own spin on Christmas music.

Concert Band started off with a medley of famous Christmas carols including Silent Night and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. Right after, they played Seal Lullaby, which was meant to be the slow song of the show. Mr. Schnelle was featured on the piano for that song and, for everyone in the audience, it was quite the musical treat. After that, the band played the Nutcracker suite. Any musician would agree that this piece is challenging, but it was quite the feeling to hear the audience raving about the Band’s performance. Finally, Concert Band played Sleigh Ride by Leroy Anderson. I can guarantee that you have heard this song on the radio. The pressure of everyone knowing the song you are about to play was certainly there but it was amazing to hear how well it came out.

Concert Band has around 60 students and includes freshmen through seniors. One of the awesome things about Concert Band, in my opinion, is that it includes anyone who wants to play. Everyone learns so much about music and it always amazes me how far the Band comes from our first reading of a piece to the final performance during a concert.

Percussion Ensemble also played two songs for the concert. This group meets after school for about an hour once a week and is open to anyone who wants to join. They play drums of all sizes and even mallet instruments. The music they played was truly breathtaking and I really enjoyed it.

Jazz Ensemble ended the concert with some, you guessed it, jazzy Christmas songs. Jazz Ensemble is an audition-based group of about 15 musicians that is meant to emulate a 1930s era big band. They play in concerts and also “gig” at various events in the Hanover area. If you have the opportunity to hear them, they are amazing! Many students had the chance to solo and they all were really good.

Everyone I’ve talked to has raved about the Band’s holiday concert. If you couldn’t make this one, I encourage you to attend the next concert which will feature the songs the Band is going to play during our tour at Williamsburg in the spring. You won’t want to miss it.

Click here to see the program from the concert: HHS Winter Instrumental Concert

Many of us, at one time or another, have wished we could be someone else: someone cooler, smarter, better looking, more popular, whatever. But would we be crazy enough — or, as some people might say, brave enough — to just walk away from everything we know and reinvent ourselves?

After high school junior Christopher Creed disappears, leaving only a cryptic note, the community is left to wonder if he ran away, killed himself or was murdered. Everyone has their own version of what happened. Classmates who saw Chris as an obnoxious weirdo and a target for bullies had no trouble believing he committed suicide even though no body had been found. His parents, certain Chris had been happy and and would never hurt himself or run away, began looking for someone to blame. His neighbor Ali, who saw things from her bedroom window that others didn’t know, wasn’t sure if Chris was dead or alive but was convinced his parents had played a part.

The Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci explores not just a teen’s mysterious disappearance but also how one event can ricochet throughout a community. It highlights how gossip, rumors and a belief in reputation over fact can have dangerous consequences. The main character, Torey Adams, is one of the students who paid little attention to Chris Creed — except for the time he punched Chris for touching his guitar (seems most of the boys in Chris’ class have their own memory of punching him). But after Chris disappears, Torey starts to feel guilty about the careless rumors and insensitive jokes of his friends and their parents. With the help of Ali and Bo, a kid from the “wrong side” of town whose police record makes him a suspect in Chris’ disappearance, Torey begins tracking down clues in hopes of solving the mystery. As the belief that Chris may have run away to create a new identity takes hold in Torey’s mind, he comes to the realization that everyone, no matter their reputation or differences, deserves some compassion. The climax in an Indian burial ground is as surprising as it is terrifying, but still leaves more questions than answers.

I recommend this book to mystery lovers, who will enjoy putting the pieces together as they are revealed bit by bit in flashbacks. But I also think all readers can relate to the gossip mill that is high school, and the pressures from parents and peers on teens that don’t fit in. The book is 276 pages long but not a difficult read.

I would say that the best thing about Christmas is all of those beloved Christmas songs you hear every second on every single radio station. But on Thursday, December 11th, the three choirs (Concert Chorus, VOX and Chorale) of HHS made those Christmas songs go from tiresome to delightful once again.

Being a member of concert chorus, I can personally say that the best word for the process of becoming performance ready is this: chaos! We had very little time to prepare and our Chorus director, Mr. John Schnelle, is still a noobie learning the ropes here at HHS.

But despite these setbacks, the concert was amazing.

The evening started off with the tradition of VOX singing “Carol of the Bells,” which always sounds beautiful. Chorale sang alongside Concert Chorus’s traditional Christmas songs such as “Sleigh Ride,” “Do You Hear What I Hear,” “Silver Bells” and “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.” Though there were some minor mistakes in “Silver Bells,”,they did not distract from the overall joyous sounds of the carols. As Mr. Schnelle says, “Make lots of mistakes, I’d rather have you make lots of confident mistakes than no sound at all.”

Then VOX stepped away from conventional Christmas songs and sang “A Ceremony of Carols.” This exquisite collection of poems portrays the birth of Jesus. The mood of the carols vary, ranging from the lightheartedness of Mary holding Jesus in her arms to the coldness of God fighting against the dark forces of Satan. The finale ends the way it began, with an overall sense of joyful closure. VOX was able to depict all of these emotions perfectly; fantastic job ladies!

The concert ended with a sing-a-long of “Joy To The World” and “Silent Night.” All members of the audience were encouraged to sing along and sure enough, the performers were not the only ones singing. The tradition of asking the alumni to join the choruses on stage once again added to the spirit of the sing-a-long. As for the grand finale, for the first time in HHS, the tradition of the choruses singing the “Hallelujah Chorus” had a twist. The HHS chamber wind band accompanied the choirs for an extraordinary blend of music. It really gave the powerful sound the “Hallelujah Chorus” demands.

An awesome job all around to everyone in the music department, I can’t wait to attend the band concert — hopefully now, people won’t be moaning about Christmas coming around the corner.

UPDATE: We now have the program from the concert. Click here to see it: HHS Winter Choral Concert.

She’s straightened her hair, she’s moved to Manhattan and she’s released a pop album.  Taylor Swift has changed a lot in the past few years and nothing reflects this more than her new album, 1989.

For many years we have known Taylor as the sweet, emotional, country girl whose album covers featured her flowing curls and innocent face. Much like the girl, the music on those albums was also sweet, emotional and country.  The songs had many singer/songwriter melodies with a banjo, and truck references thrown in to emphasize the whole country aspect of her albums. However, after the first record, each became increasingly more pop. Her penultimate album, Red, stretched so far into pop territory that it featured mellow dub-step influences.  Yet, it was still performed at country music award shows and followed by Luke Bryan songs on various radio stations.  Now, eight years since Taylor took over the radio and earned the worship of millions of girls, she has made the bold move to completely abandon any country ties with 1989.

The album is entitled 1989 for two reasons.  The first being that it was the year its creator was born.  Second, the music is said to be inspired by a various ’80s icons, such as David Bowie and Madonna. In fact,the album cover was made to emulate one of Bowie’s.  To the majority of her listeners that were born in the ’90s, the music sounds like the indie style pop music of today.  Songs like Out of The Woods  and Wish You Would sound remarkably similar to current pop band The Bleachers.  Also, songs like Bad Blood clearly are influenced by Taylor’s good friend Lorde. But her ability to combine these influences with her own personal voice makes these songs unique.

1989 differs not only in style, but subject matter as well.  Swift is well-known for her songs about relationships that spur fans to sing their hearts out after a successful first date or a devastating last date.  These songs have been criticized as melodramatic, far too emotional and immature.  Perhaps as a demonstration as her developed maturity, Taylor strays away from this subject.  There are still several love-sick songs, but they are much less “why me”  and more “this is the way it is.”  This is shown through the lyrics in Blank Space: “So it’s gonna be forever, or we’re gonna go down in flames. You can tell me when it’s over, if the  high was worth the pain.”  She also explores more themes of self development and the excitements that her new life offers.  The songs reflect a far more independent and, I think, better role model than before.

There is one feature of 1989 that strongly relates to her previous albums.  All of them provide a clear picture of their lyricist.  Taylor writes as though she is within the privacy of her own diary  and, because of that, she has never lost the deeply personal voice that touches millions. I can’t wait to hear what else that voice has to say.

Check out her latest video.

Sixteen-year-old Lydia Lee appears to have it all. She spends hours on the phone each evening, talking to friends. She dives into advanced science classes in the hopes of one day becoming a doctor. She’s polite to her parents, agreeing to their every request without so much as a grumble or complaint.

But, as her family is soon to find out, picture-perfect Lydia is only an illusion. When she goes missing and is found dead, drowned in a local lake, her family struggles to understand what happened. They eventually realize that everything they thought they knew about Lydia was wrong.

In Everything I Never Told You, author Celeste Ng explores what it’s like to be a minority. Lydia’s father was the only Chinese-American student in all of his schools growing up. Her white mother was the sole woman pursuing a medical degree in a time most people thought women went to college only to catch a husband. Their biracial marriage in the 1950s was rare, and in some states, illegal. In the town where Lydia grew up in the 1970s, there is no one outside of her family who looks like her. In all of their experiences, being the minority meant facing taunts, isolation and limited opportunities.

Those limited opportunities haunted Lydia’s parents, who transferred all of their hopes and dreams onto her. Lydia struggled under the weight of their expectations, creating a public face that masked her unhappiness and insecurity. While readers are shown what is going through each character’s mind — during the current investigation into Lydia’s death and in the decades before — it is clear that the family members never shared their experiences and feelings with one another. If they had, maybe they could have helped one another. Or maybe they would have been further weighed down with guilt and shame. We’ll never know. And while readers learn what Lydia was thinking the night she died, her parents and siblings never do. They are left with countless questions that they will never be able to answer.

This is not a happy book, but it is an interesting one. Reading about the experiences of Lydia and her family through their eyes brought home the challenges faced by anyone who feels isolated or unaccepted because of their race, religion or sexual orientation. Some of us will never experience this firsthand. Books like this help us better understand what others may be going through.

Another plus is that the book is written like a mystery, with the opening line telling us “Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet.” Pieces of the puzzle are slowly revealed as the author alternates between present time and the past.

I’d recommend this book to anyone who likes realistic fiction about families or mysteries that aren’t necessarily about detectives and crimes. Fans of Ellen Hopkins’ books may also like this. Even though it is not written in verse, it is the same kind of story of dysfunctional families and survivors of tragedy that Hopkins often writes about.

As the cold weather approaches, I know I find myself anywhere but outside when it comes to staying warm! Don’t get me wrong, I love the winter, but without the beach, the pool, or even the backyard to chill out, I grow bored with my surroundings. Where does one go for excitement during such a cold season?!

Might I suggest . . .  Patriot Cinemas?

For you fellow students who may not know of Patriot Cinemas, it is the Hanover movie theater! I don’t know about you, but I sure remember going to the movies all the time back in middle school. Why not pay them another visit this holiday season? Sometimes it does get a bit cold in the theaters, but throw on a fleece jacket with some fuzzy socks and boots and you’ll be good to go!

Located right behind the Hanover mall at 1775 Washington Street, the theater has all of your ‘need-to-see’ movies for this season. Currently showing “Horrible Bosses 2,” “Penguins of Madagascar” (showing in both 3D and 2D based upon your preference), “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 1,” “Dumb and Dumber to” (no, that is not a misspelling of “two”), “Big Hero 6,” and so many other great options! Check out the rest of the shows online at patriotcinemas.com. You can check out the shows coming soon, or you can even buy your tickets right from the website. If only you could buy the popcorn and snacks online too!

Did I mention the beyond affordable cost for the movie tickets???

Adults– $9.50
Children under 12 – $6.50
Seniors (65 & over) – $6.50
Daily Bargain Matinees until 6:00pm– All Seats $6.50
SUPER TUESDAYS !! All Seats for All Shows – $5.00
(3D Movies – $2.50 Premium Fee for all Admissions)

Close your eyes and imagine the smell of buttery popcorn, the sweet flavor of the cherry ice slushies, the delectable taste of cheesy nachos, and the anticipation of the movie you’re about to view. Sounds good to me! Looks like I’m going to be seeing a movie this upcoming Tuesday! How could I skip out on a $5 movie ticket!?!? Now all I need is somebody to go with . . . any takers?

Warning: Contains spoilers if you have not yet seen Mockingjay or read the books.

In the eyes of many, the third installment of The Hunger Games did not disappoint. Theaters everywhere hosted 8 pm, 10 pm and midnight premieres which fans attended, both dressed up as characters and clad in pajamas per usual. For myself, I sported a t-shirt with the widely known symbol of the mockingjay glistening in gold, surrounded by flames. According to online sources, including insidemovies.com, Mockingjay conquered the weekend’s ticket sales, and may possibly be the biggest opening of the year. While being compared to previous films as not grossing enough money in its opening weekend, the film itself was as spectacular as the original Hunger Games and its sequel, Catching Fire.

Mockingjay is emotion-evoking not only because  of the context and plot that dedicated fans will already know (a rebellion against the tyrannical Capitol), but with Katniss’ pleas for peace, humanity, and justice for her fellow victor, Peeta, who was left behind when she was rescued from the Quarter Quell. Even non-readers of the book can have their heartstrings pulled during the powerful District 8 scene, when Katniss visits a hospital of wounded only to see it bombed moments later by Capitol forces. The moment is empowering to Katniss, making it clear to her that she is the one who needs to bring justice to the people, and, more importantly, that she is capable of doing so.

We see a wide variety of both new and old characters in the film, including President Coin, the leader of District 13, who was reluctant to belief Katniss could lead the rebellion, but did not come across as resistant and suspicious as she did in the book. Gale, who was celebrated as a hero for rescuing many people before District 12 was destroyed, was eager to join the fight but still stood in support of a sometimes fragile, traumatized Katniss. A battered Peeta, whose scars from the Capitol’s torture grew worse as the movie went on, was a crushing sight for many fans.

Colleen Dowd, an HHS student in attendance at the Patriot Cinemas 8 pm premiere, has never read the third book of the series but is a “huge fan of the character Finnick.” Devastated that the woman he loves is being held by the Capitol after his escape, Finnick struggles to hold himself together and then delivers a crushing blow to the evil President Snow. (spoiler alert: Mockingjay Part 2 is not going to leave Colleen very happy)

During the highly emotional scenes, it was hard not to hear the intake of breaths from many fans and viewers in the theater. Junior Annika Rowland, a fan of the series and a bibliophile says, “I thought Mockingjay was great, except there was not much action compared to the last two films, in my opinion. I’m looking forward to seeing the second part of Mockingjay.”

Mockingjay followed the recent trend of splitting the final, highly anticipated last film adaptation in a book series into two, such as Harry Potter and Twilight. Viewers are in store for a lot of tears, and a lot of action, when the final installment of the movie premieres next November.

Music is one of the most important things ever, without a doubt. Think about a world without music. It would be completely different from the one we live in today. It would be even more dreadful to walk into work, school, or anything you dislike without absolutely bumping to “Don’t Stop Believing” in the car beforehand.

What’s odd about the concept of music is, why do we like it? (“Duh Eric, ’cause, like, it sounds good.”)(Ok, voice in my head, shut up! It’s bigger than that)  Different  people are attracted to different types of music; that’s well known. What I’m curious about is why do we enjoy, say, the sounds of music but not a lecture? Why do we enjoy having our ears bombarded by varying frequencies of sound?

What I’ve found is quite interesting. Music can make us feel different emotions (“Lol of course it does.”)(I don’t need this right now, voice. Cool it.) A sad song will bring up memories associated with sadness and the feeling is not necessarily due to the lyrics of the song. We recall a certain emotion when we listen to various genres. Generally, happy emotions are applied with pop or upbeat music while sadness could be in blues or easy listening.  There’s even science behind it. When we listen to good music, the limbic and the paralimbic areas of the brain stimulate the euphoric responses. The same effect is felt when we eat good food or uhhhh….how do I put it….when a boy and a girl wrestle.

I asked some teachers  which emotions they attached to certain songs. Mr. Perry associates Shiny Happy People by REM with the carefree days of college. Mrs. Lisa Green attaches  sadness to the song Tears In Heaven by Eric Clapton and, trust me, that song, which Clapton wrote after the death of his young son, makes you feel many things. Mr. Brown’s heart of cold-tempered steel is melted by the Happy Birthday song, which surprised me greatly considering I believed the only things that made Mr. Brown feel were the hymns of the battlefield.

Students I spoke to said music may pump them up before a game (for me, Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen has this effect). Others feel inspired, like Sophie Morril when she listens to Ave Maria.  Greta Barry and Maggie Fuller feel sad when listening to Forever and Always by Taylor Swift. “But only the piano version,” they said. Tyler Anderson feels “trippy” when listening to Laplux’s Without You.

“I wouldn’t be as happy without music,” one student told me. “It would be as if a whole part of my life would be ripped out.”

Music gives us a safe and responsible escape from the world, and we all need it to function no matter who we are.

The holidays are not only a time of making Christmas lists and unwrapping stacks of presents, but also a time of giving. Presents should be more than just something you pick up at the store last minute, they should make the recipient know you were thinking of them and wanted to give something they would truly appreciate. This of course is easier said than done, especially when the majority of us high schoolers are living off minimum wage. But fear not, dear reader, this guide will provide you with gift ideas guaranteed to please, but not break the bank.

Mom:
Despite their unwavering generosity at Christmastime and Hanukkah, mothers do not usually expect a lot in return. All they really want is to feel appreciated and loved by the children for whom the do so much. When it comes to buying your mom a gift, the worst route you can take is the generic bottle of floral scented lotion found at the nearest Walmart store. Instead, try to match you gift to one of your mom’s interests. It doesn’t have to be something crazy extravagant or meaningful, just show her you took the time to think about what she likes. Some examples of gift ideas are the newest CD produced by her favorite singer, a candle in the scent she likes best, or a framed quote that means something to her.

Dad:
When it comes to dads, I have one word for you: STARBUCKS. If there’s one thing my dad will love anytime of the year, it’s coffee. A gift card to his coffee joint of choice is usually a pretty sure bet, and even if it’s not the most exciting gift, it will definately be much appreciated. Dad’s not a coffee drinker? No problem! A safe fallback is always sports. I’ve never met a guy who doesn’t love some sport, whether it be football or baseball or golf. Some gift ideas in this domain are a jersey of his favorite player, cap for his favorite team, or subscription to magazines such as Sports Illustrated or Golf Digest.

Siblings:
To be quite honest, in my experience I have found that siblings (older and younger alike) are usually thrilled by some form of cash. I usually take the gift card route, that way they can choose whatever they want and will be guaranteed to love their purchases. For sisters, I would suggest money to stores such as American Eagle Outfitters, Bath and Body works, or Forever 21. Brothers are easier to please: Dick’s Sporting Goods, Chipotle, or GameStop gift cards will do the trick. Gas cards are a great gift idea to show appreciation the older siblings who drive you to school everyday!

Grandparents:
If your grandparents are anything like mine, you know the only thing they really want is to be surrounded by their family and know that their children and grandchildren are happy. Grandparents are not usually very materialistic, as they have pretty much seen it all and know there is more to life than possessions. The greatest gift you can give your grandma or grandpa is something handmade. Make a card setting aside a date you will take your grandmother out to lunch, or watch the Pats’ game with your grandfather. If you are the crafty type, wrap up a scarf you knit, or an art project you worked hard on at school, or simply paint a frame and put a picture of you and your grandparents in it.

Best Friends:
You probably know your best friends better than anyone else in the world, so any advice here is open to interpretation. A good idea for a group of girlfriends is anything that matches: rings, necklaces, etc. One summer my friends and I all got matching bracelets and it still reminds me of those fun days at the beach. Another suggestion is to give a gift card of a place your friend group frequents such as Panera or Dunkin Donuts. That way, next time you all go out you are basically footing everyone’s bill! If you and your friends are much more casual about the holidays, just make a batch of cookies and bring them to the lunch table the day before vacation. You’ll be the most popular one in the cafeteria!

Yankee Swap:
Yankee swaps are a hallmark of any New England Christmas, and whether it be friends, sports, or family, almost everyone will attend at least one. So here’s the million-dollar question: what is an inexpensive gift that everyone will be happy with? First of all, don’t make the gift too gender specific. A guy would be just about as happy with a Victoria’s Secret gift card as a girl would be with a lifetime supply of beef jerky. Instead, opt for something everyone has a common interest in such as technology (headphones, speakers, phone cases), food (dinner out at local restaurants), or movies (movie passes, DVDs of recent blockbusters).

Basically, this holiday season, try to put as much thought into the gifts you are giving loved ones as the time spent on your own wish list. But in the end, it’s not really about what is being given or received, it’s the people you spend the holiday with.