The concert originally scheduled for 7:30 tonight has been postponed due to weather. It will be held Thursday, January 15th at 7:30 p.m.

Due to the time change of the basketball games tonight and schedule conflicts, pep band is cancelled for this evening. See you in the morning.

If you did not receive your greenery order, please contact the band member that sold to you. There was a mix-up with the order forms that may have led to some people not receiving their greenery.

The greenery ordered from the fundraiser will be delivered tomorrow. Students are to pick up their orders outside on the east end of the building after school.

Originally found at NoiseAddicts on 11/16/08:

“Some say that laughter is the best medicine, and research seems to back this up - studies show that laughing has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system.

“As it turns out, Music might be an even better medicine than laughter .

“Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore have consucted a study which concludes that listening to your favorite music may be good for your cardiovascular system: Music that causes you joy has a positive effect on blood vessel functions.

“In the study, participants were allowed to select music which made them feel good and brought them joy. Researchers found a healthy response that matches the response found by an earlier study on laugher. The music caused tissue in the inner lining of blood vessels to or expand which increased blood flow. Conversely, listening to music that was perceived as stressful caused their blood vessels to narrow, producing a potentially unhealthy response that reduces blood flow.

“It’s what I’ve been saying all along: listening to good music gives you life, listening to bad music will kill you.

“Compared to a control group, the average blood vessel diameter in the arm increased 26 percent after the joyful music phase, while listening to music that caused anxiety narrowed blood vessels by six percent.

“‘I was impressed with the highly significant differences both before and after listening to joyful music as well as between joyful and anxious music,’ said principal investigator Michael Miller, M.D., director of preventive cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

“During the 2005 phase of the study, a 19 percent increase in dilation was seen. The relaxation phase increased dilation by 11 percent on average; a number that the investigators determined was not statistically significant.

“That physiological impact may also affect the activity of endorphins in the brain. ‘The emotional component may be an endorphin-mediated effect,’ says Dr. Miller. ‘The active listening to music evokes such raw positive emotions likely in part due to the release of endorphins, part of that mind-heart connection that we yearn to learn so much more about. Needless to say, these results were music to my ears because they signal another preventive strategy that we may incorporate in our daily lives to promote heart health.’”

“The results were presented presented at the Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association on November 11, 2008, in New Orleans.

“So there you have it. Next time you see someone clutching at their chest, forget the difibrulator & throw on some Jimi Hendrix.”

Sunday from 2:00-6:00 all high school band and choir students are invited to help clean the music room. There will be several jobs available and the more people that show up, the more we can get done in less time and have more fun doing it!

Pizza will be provided to those that come and help. This is not a required event.

The high school band has begun its greenery fundraiser. They are selling wreaths, garland, bows and more to raise funds for our 2010 trip to Disney World in Orlando. The fundraiser will run through Thursday, November 13. See any band member for ordering information.

Photos from the NSBA State Marching Festival are available online through Jolesch Photography.

The marching band wrapped up the competition season in Bellevue Saturday and earned an “excellent” rating at the Nebraska State Bandmasters Association Marching Competition. Scores improved in all areas on a day with very tough judging. The overall score jumped over 100 points. Congratulations on a very solid performance.

The marching band will have a brush-up rehearsal this Saturday at 12:30. This will help finalize some small issues and make up for lost marching time due to weather this week. We will leave as scheduled at 1:30.