By Nicole Matheson

As the winter season beckons, the Lake Havasu High School music department is in full swing preparing for its December concerts, while polishing up Arizona State competition opportunities both upcoming and ongoing.

Multi-Faceted Departments

Carmen Domek, who heads the choir department, and Kimberly Schreiber, who heads the band program, both lead a multi-faceted approach to their respective fields, offering a wide range of programs to meet the needs and interests of their students.

Domek, a 35-year veteran with experience teaching choir, drama and band in Colorado and Wisconsin, brought a growing versatility to the LHHS choir program for the past five years as head of the department. “I currently teach Concert Choir, Knight Voices Advanced Choir, Beginning Guitar and Music Appreciation,” she said.

The Knight Voices Advanced Choir. Photo courtesy Carmen Domek

The guitar class is one such example of the innovative forward thinking Domek has brought the students at LHHS this year.

When asked about what preparations go into the development of a new class, Domek said, “Developing the curriculum for the new one semester guitar class and purchasing the guitars from the choir gifts/donations fund.  Thank you to our community!  There are 36 students enrolled in beginning guitar first semester and 40 for second semester.”

Domec’s said her dedication to her position is only a down payment for what she receives in return. “My favorite aspect of my work is the confidence that I see develop in students as a result of working through rehearsals and experiencing the finished product at performance.”

Schreiber has led a band program to a position of prominence as she shares, “Our marching band qualified for the state level for the first time in over 10 years in this division! We are so extremely proud of their hard work, dedication, and perseverance this season! They really showed that on the field this season, and I am truly grateful to be a part of it – they are more importantly proud of themselves as well.”

Schreiber, an alum of LHHS in 2006, is ecstatic to teach in the very halls she roamed as a student. “It was awesome coming back to the school I grew up in – where I had so many great memories! Going back to the same band room that I spent SO much of my time in as a student was so surreal – it was literally like coming home and a little weird at first, to be honest!”

The Band of Knights perform at the Homecoming game in September. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

The offerings at LHHS are as varied as the students themselves. “I have multiple ensembles that I lead at the high school — main ones being Wind Ensemble, Marching Band and Jazz Band.  I offer marching band in the fall (the band you see at football games, marching competitions, etc). I have wind ensemble (competes in the spring at concert style band festivals), and Jazz Band as well (advanced class, audition only group). I have a percussion ensemble class (performs with marching band and wind ensemble. And I also have a colorguard class (performs with the marching band in the fall, and as their own group in the spring). I also offer a spring only class for beginning instrumentalists — so if students want to learn a second band instrument, or a first band instrument at high school level – that is the class they take!”

Accomplishments This Year

Choir:
•Performing for the LHC community 9/11 ceremony
•Taking Knight Voices advanced choir to the Yavapai College Regional Choral Festival in Prescott
•Performing at Lakeview Terrace Memory Care.
Band:
•Marching band qualifies for state for the first time in 10 years
•Have attended 3 competitions, including Veterans Day Parade and two state level competitions

What’s Coming Up?

Choir:
•Nov. 15 – Perform for the Sadies pep assembly
•Nov. 19 – Perform for the LHUSD #1 Governing Board Meeting
•Dec. 4 – LHHS Winter Choir Concert at 7:00 pm in the Performing Arts Center on the LHHS campus. Admission is one non-perishable food item for the community food bank
•Dec. 6 and 7 – Perform Christmas Carols aboard the KonTiki in the LHC Boat Parade of Lights
•Dec. 10-12 – Caroling at local nursing homes/assisted living/hospital
Band:
•Dec. 6 – 8 and 13 – 15 – gift wrapping and bake sale at Kmart
•Dec. 10 – Winter Band Concert at 7pm

Funding for both programs are largely community sponsored and they said the appreciate the Lake Havasu community for their continued support. To help with funding these programs, contact Carmen.Domek@lhusd.org or Kimberly.schreiber@lhusd.org

Feature Photo by Erin O’Callaghan/RiverScene