ABFOM Fall Kickoff Event A Rousing Success

A pleasantly surprising turn in the weather provided a great day on the golf course at Wayland Country Club for our Kickoff Golf Outing (photos)!  Many thanks to our organizers Craig and Janice VanDerAa and Paul Briske for all their work to create a day of friendly competition and fun for our participants.  

In the evening, luminarias and balloons marked the path to the well attended "Tunes and Tapas" event (photos) at Clock Tower Place.  The festivities included performances by our student ensembles; 13 Fish, Downbeat, AB Masti, Cascade, Freshbeat, The Testostertones, and the Quintessentials in addition to the hilarious comedy of our improv troupe Chuckle Sandwich.  Back by popular demand for the second year, our adult band "The Blue and The Old" entertained us with rousing music like "Washington Post March," "Sweet Caroline" and "Children of Sanchez."   Between performances, attendees bid on the wide variety of silent auction items from gift baskets to a piano!  Along with varied, delicious tapas offerings, we enjoyed live piano music, recorded AB jazz band and choral ensemble music, and a continuing slide show of our music programs in action.  

A huge thank you to our event coordinators Karen Taylor, Patty Geckler, and Mary Ann Smith, entertainment coordinators Jon and Wendy Linden and Peter and Beth Norton, sponsorship and auction coordinators Abby Reip and Sheryl Fox, program organizer Elaine Rowles, and registration and finance coordinator Lisa Soo.  We also appreciate the hard work of the many, many parent and student volunteers whose countless hours made this day so successful!   We are so grateful to all our auction donors and sponsors for supporting AB Music programs; and we ask that you help us thank them by patronizing their businesses. See the list to the right.