FOMAHI NEWS - March 2025

The FOMAHI board would like to extend a HUGE THANK YOU to the Hamilton community – you came together to support the Music-a-thon with your time, your music appreciation, and your donated funds. At the heart of the Music-a-thon were the student musicians, who performed impressively all day on February 11^th, from busking before school and during lunch, to playing and singing at the Young Musicians Showcase that night.

Thanks to your generous donations, we raised $44,000, surpassing our goal of $40,000.

These funds will support our students and music teachers, including purchasing new instruments, hiring tutors, keeping the cost of festival and field trip down for students, providing scholarships, and supplying sheet music, and other essential items not covered by SPS.

Thank you for your support!!

Winter Concerts

Another concert season is upon us!

Please mark your calendars for the upcoming concerts and consider volunteering for the events:

Choir Concert: Tuesday, March 4th at 6:30 pm (Volunteer HERE)
Orchestra Concert: Thursday, March 6th at 7:00 pm (Volunteer HERE)
Band Concert: Thursday, March 13th at 7:00 pm (Volunteer HERE)
Jazz Night: Tuesday, March 18th at 7:00 pm (Volunteer HERE)

Out-of-Town Music Festivals

Spring is around the corner, along with several exciting music festivals! You may have seen permission slips starting to circulate for the trips listed below, some of which involve hotel stays.

Please consider chaperoning a trip!

We are so lucky that our music directors, Ms. Pence and Mr. Ogle, prioritize these experiences for our young musicians - these are amazing opportunities for our students to share their hard work, receive feedback from clinicians, and bond with their classmates over music!

FOMAHI uses your generously donated funds to help pay for buses and reduce costs for all students.

Frank DeMiero Jazz Festival (Edmonds, WA) - March 7 - Vocal Jazz
Elliott Bay Music Educators Association (Whitman MS) - March 25 - Band festival
Elliott Bay Music Educators Association (Whitman MS) - March 27 - Orchestra festival
NW Choral Showcase (Ballard HS)- April 8- Intermediate and Concert Choirs
Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival (Moscow, Idaho) - April 15 to 17 - Vocal Jazz, Jazz Band
Oaks Park Music Festival (Portland, Oregon) - May 10 - Premier Band, Premier Orchestra, Concert Choir, Vocal Jazz, Jr. Jazz
Bellevue Jazz Festival (Bellevue, WA), May 2 - Jazz Band
Silverwood Music Festival (Silverwood, Idaho) - May 30 to June 1 - Concert Band, Jazz Band, Concert Orchestra

FOMAHI funding corner

We aim to use this section to showcase how FOMAHI donations are supporting the music program.

This year, we've already spent over $12,000 on coaching for the instruments that require the most attention. We covered the cost of piano tuning and invested more than $3,000 in essential consumables, including strings and reeds for the band and orchestra. Additionally, FOMAHI paid the registration fees for all festivals, relieving parents from those costs.

Join us at FOMAHI board!

We anticipate having a few open positions on the FOMAHI board for the upcoming year, including Fundraising Co-Chair and Secretary.

If you're interested, please reach out to us at fomahihelp@gmail.com. With just a few hours per month, you can make a valuable contribution to the excellence of your school's music program!

Come Meet Us!

All are welcome to join the next Board Meeting, happening virtually on March25th from 7:00-8:30 pm. Come introduce yourself, hear updates from our music directors, and listen in on the decisions and discussions surrounding FOMAHI Board business.

Email fomahihelp@gmail.com for the Zoom link or check our calendar on the website.

FOMAHI Board:

Co-Presidents: