Winter Guard @ Athena Spectacular

Congratulations to the DGN Winter Guard on their terrific performances
today at the Athena Spectacular.

Choir Tour Begins!

We wish safe travels and beautiful music to the DGN Choirs as they
depart on their 2010 Tour.

Scholastic Gold

Congratulations to the North High visual art students who earned Scholastic Art Award Gold!


Kristiana Bonomo, Bernadette Calvino, Sabreena Damra, Katie Earl, Nicole Irwin, Rob Lott, Ellen McCammon, Ansley McLeod, Heather McNeil, Dan Meinhart, Padraic O'Connor, and Crystal Yi.

DGN Vocal Festival

Congratulations to all of the DGN student musicians who participated in 87 different adjudicated vocal events today during the 2010 Vocal Festival.  A panel of four professional vocal educators heard over 100 students, provided written feedback and worked with students in educational clinics.

The DGN Fine Arts Department offers a special note of thanks to our Applied Vocal Faculty for their dedication and assistance in preparing the students for today's festival.

Triple Set - Rehearsal with Composer Don Owens

Composer and Northwestern University Professor Emeritus Don Owens
worked with the DGN Wind Ensemble this evening from 6 - 8 PM in a
special rehearsal designed to introduce his new composition "Triple
Set." The Wind Ensemble will perform the world-premier of this new
major work on May 20, 2010.

Scholastic Art Awards Opening Reception

Images from the 2010 Scholastic Art Awards Opening Reception

Scholastic Art Show Opens Sunday!

District 99 is pleased to host the 2010 Scholastic Art Show for the Chicago West-Suburban Region.  Hundreds of award-winning artists will be featured in an expansive exhibition that opens this Sunday, February 7th.  A 1:00 - 4:00 PM Opening Reception will be held this Sunday in conjunction with the exhibit's opening at Downers Grove North High School, 4436 Main St.

NIU Jazz Concert

A fabulous day of jazz immersion concluded with the NIU Jazz Ensemble, led by Ron Carter, and featuring guest soloist John Fedchock. Mr. Fedchock's fluency is matched only by his artistry. It was an amazing evenving indeed.

Congratulations to the members of the DGN Jazz Lab Band and DGN Jazz Ensemble - as well as our cross-town colleagues - for terrific performances to open the concert!

NIU Jazz Clinics

Professor Ron Carter of Northern Illinois University worked with students from Jazz Lab Band and Jazz Ensemble today during a field trip to Downers Grove South.  Professor Carter's incomperable teaching style continues to inspire our jazz musicians at DGN.

DGMC partners with District 99 Fine Arts

The Downers Grove Music Club, in partnership with the District 99 Fine Arts Department, provided a music-education enrichment opportunity this morning for DGN student musicians.  Ms. Marilyn Wilgocki, Director of Vocal Music and Handbell Choir at the Presbyterian Church of Western Springs, and the President of the Downers Grove Music Club, led a 60-min. 'before school' Master Class on conducting techniques.

District 99 is appreciative of the DGMC's outreach efforts, and their dedication to music education in our community.

DGN Jazz to perform at DGS with NIU Jazz Ensemble

The internationally acclaimed Northern Illinois University Jazz Ensemble will be in Downers Grove this Thursday, February 4, for a 7 PM concert at the Downers Grove South High School Auditorium.  High School Jazz Bands from both DGN and DGS will open the show, followed by the NIU band and guest trombone soloist John Fedchock.  Tickets may be purchased at the door.

Winter Guard off to a great start!

The Winter Guard has already competed at three Team Dance Illinois regional Flag competitions this year.  The team competes in both the Varsity Tall Flag and Varsity Lyrical Flag categories.  This year the Tall Flag routine is set to music from Cirque du Soleil's Kooza and the Lyrical Flag routine is set to "Requiem for a Tower" from Lord of the Rings.

The team has earned the following awards at the three competitions they've gone to so far:

Schaumburg H.S. Competition: Lyrical Flag - 1st Place; Tall Flag - 4th Place.  The team also earned the Artistic Excellence award for the top Artistic score of the day and a qualification to the State Competition in the Lyrical Flag category.

Plainfield East H.S. Competition: Lyrical Flag - 3rd Place; Tall Flag - 3rd Place

Palatine H.S. Competition: Lyrical Flag: 5th Place; Tall Flag - 2nd Place.  The team also earned a State Qualification in the Tall Flag category.

In the coming weeks the team will be competing at the Athena Spectacular at North H.S. as well as the TDI State Competition held in Peoria on March 7th.