The Ross Sheppard Jazz Ensemble is hosting it's annual Night at the Haar. The ensemble is performing with a world renowned musician at MacEwan University's West Campus Haar Theatre. The event is Monday, May 27 at 7:00 PM. Tickets are required but admission is free. Contact Mr. Braye (Room 231 - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

Click here to view the event poster.

Many students from Ross Sheppard's music programs are heading to New York City to tour the area with a musical theme in mind. Among other things, they'll be visiting the Jazz museum, the Met, and seeing a couple musicals. Best of all, they'll be regularly blogging about their tour.

Anyone who's interested in following their trip should click here to see their blog.

On Wednesday, March 6, Edmonton Public Schools will host the 49^th annual Night of Music at the Northern Jubilee Auditorium (11455 87 Avenue). The event starts at 7 p.m. and runs until approximately 9:10 p.m.

After two months of endless practicing, around 800 students, 18 teacher conductors, and 65 music teachers will come together to share the power of music and demonstrate the quality music education programming in the District.

From birth to death, one is exposed to music. A mother’s singing of a lullaby, the lull of the tires of a car going ‘round, the songs of birds outside our windows, the blowing of the wind through the trees, the singing of students in the school gym, the background music in the elevator or stores, the radio in the car, the soundtrack of the movie, the orchestra in the concert hall, the aria at the opera, the pitter patter of a gentle rain, the roar of a rock band.

“Since music is all around us, it has a remarkable ability to affect and manipulate how we feel. Simply listening to songs we like, stimulates the brain’s reward system, creating feelings of pleasure and comfort (or pain).  But music goes beyond our hearts to our minds, shaping how we think.” Christie Wilcox Scientific American

The effect of music on and throughout our lives is great and through this theme of EPSB’s 49^th Night of Music, “Music’s In the Air”, we celebrate the music around us.  

There will be choirs, bands, an orchestra, an Orff group, a jazz band, along with small ensembles to perform for you throughout the evening. In conjunction with musical performances, an art exhibit will be displayed in the main floor foyer. The exhibit showcases the diversity and quality of art programming within Edmonton Public Schools.

The Shep drama department received some rave reviews from CAPPIES writers in the Sunday, Dec 16 edition of the Edmonton Journal. Five students from across the Edmonton area wrote reviews of the recent Les Misérables performance at Ross Shep at the end of November.  Here are their reviews.  Congratulations to the performers, the technical crew and Ms. Brenner.

The Shep Music department has had a busy week.  The Big Band Dinner & Dance and Silent Auction on Friday, Dec 14 was a huge success and well attended. On Tuesday, Dec 18, Breakfast TV (CityTV) aired live from the music room and featured the many talents of our music students. Many thanks to the music students (and parents) who got to early Tuesday morning. Special thanks to Mr. Braye, Mr. Maluzynsky and to our very own Constable Matt Leblanc.  Matt was a guest on Breakfast TV last month and extended an invitation for co-host Bridget Ryan to come out and see our awesome music program. Videos are now posted on their site. Note there are a couple of advertisements prior to each segment.

• Segment 1 (Intro, Jazz Band with Jadey Bauer)
• Segment 2 (Shep Singers)
• Segment 3 (Jazz Band with Constable Matt Leblanc)
• Segment 4 (ThunderDrum - our awesome DrumLine)

Don't forget that the Winter Concert is in the large gym on Wednesday, Dec 19 featuring the Shep Chorus, Shep Singers, Jazz Combo and Guitar program. The evening will be filled with great music and some seasonal tunes!  The concert is at 7:00 PM on Wednesday night in the large gym. Admission is FREE!

Muffins and Music is on Friday, Dec 21 in the Small Gym from 8:30 to 10:00, followed by Shep's Got Talent in the large gym from 10:15 to 11:45.

On Thursday, October 4^th at 7:00pm, the Band Parents' Association will be holding their Annual General Meeting in Room 231. At this meeting we will be electing new board members and discussing upcoming events for the current school year, including the music appreciation trip to New York City in April. If your child is going on the trip, please be aware that the first deposit is due on October 5^th.

See you at the meeting!

Four student written shows are being produced for NEXTFEST. What is NEXTFEST? It is Edmonton’s multidisciplinary arts festival dedicated to the cultivation and professional development of the emerging artist. Our annual June festival, June 7-17 runs for eleven days with over eighty celebrating new theatre, dance, cyber-art, music, painting, photography, filmmaking, poetry. NEXTFEST encourages emerging artists to explore inter-disciplinary work, multi-media, and new technologies.

On Sunday evening, June 10, students from the Shep Drama Program will attend the CAPPIES GALA at the Citadel Theatre. The Cappies, "Critics and Awards Program," is a program through which high school theater and journalism students are trained as critics, attend shows at other schools, write reviews, and publish those reviews in local newspapers such as the Edmonton Journal (print and online). Once again there are a number of nominees from Ross Sheppard this year:

• Best overall CAPPIES team
• Best grade 10 critic - Georgia Ashworth
• Best grade 11 critic - Naomi Brierley
• Best supporting actress - Florance Park (as Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet)
• Choreography - Grant Winfield (representing the team for fight choreography in Romeo and Juliet)

The Edmonton Journal has released its list for the 2012 Cappies nominees. Congratulations to the entire Ross Sheppard Cappies critic team for their nomination! Congratulations to Georgia Ashworth and Naomi Brierley for their nominations for Grade 10 and Grade 11 critic.  Congratulations to Florance Park for her nomination in the supporting actress in a play category, and to Grant Winfield for his nomination in choreography.

Well done!!

The Ross Sheppard Music Department is once again please to present An Evening at the Haar spring concert.

Join us on Monday, May 28^th at 7:00 pm and enjoy music performed by the choral and band ensembles from Ross Sheppard school. The Haar Theatre is located in the Grant MacEwan West Jasper Place campus (10045-156 street).

Admission is free but you will need a ticket. Contact Mr.Braye ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) for more details and tickets.