April 2025 CHS Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Don’t miss the chance to experience the incredible talent of our student musicians—come enjoy captivating performances from our choir, band, orchestra, and jazz ensembles!

Concerts
April 29
Band/Jazz Pops Concert 7pm

April 30
Choir/Orchestra Pops Concert 6pm

Volunteer: April Concert Greeters

Special Events
April 23-27
Spring Trip
​
​June 10 (new date)
FOM General Meeting:
Thank You Celebration &
New Families Welcome

Wind Ensemble is Headed to Midwest Clinic!

A huge congratulations to Centennial's Wind Ensemble as they were invited received to perform at The Midwest Clinic in December!

The Midwest Clinic is the largest international music education conference in the world with over 17,000 attendees a year. An invitation to perform at The Midwest Clinic is the highest recognition a high school band program can receive. Only five high school concert bands are invited to perform each year from across the country. The CHS Wind Ensemble will perform a 60-minute program of new and traditional music at the conference in December 2025.

For context, it is such a competitive process that in 2018, the CHS Wind Ensemble was the first high school concert band in 45 years to be invited from the state of Maryland. No other high school in Maryland has received this honor since 2018.

Congratulations to Mr. Matchim and the CHS Wind Ensemble!

Participation in this program involves many moving parts. We have set up a fund to help cover costs for participation in The Midwest Clinic and scholarship students that need assistance to attend. Details about how to support this fund are forthcoming.

​Volunteers: We need your help!

Volunteering is a wonderful way to connect with other parents, engage with the school, and support the growth of music education at CHS. Get involved and make a difference by volunteering at concerts, marching band performances, and FOM fundraisers—your support helps our music programs thrive and creates unforgettable experiences for our students! 

Thinking ahead to next school year, we are looking for parents interested in helping out in the following ways. Complete the interest form online or contact us with any questions: ​c[email protected]

• Social Media Coordinator: Manage Friends of Music social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram. Publish information for events, concerts, and fundraisers. 
• ​Restaurant Night Coordinator: Plan and coordinate one restaurant night a quarter. We have a list of restaurants that donate to FOM and would love to host nights, but we are also open to other ideas! 
• Volunteer Coordinator: Support our many volunteers for events and fundraisers. Post volunteer opportunities via Sign Up Genius and coordinate parent greeters before concerts.
• Choir Uniform Coordinator: Work with the Choral Director to measure students for concert attire and handle ordering at the beginning of the year. Manage inventory of Madrigal outfits and coordinate dry cleaning at the end of the year.
• ​Spirit Wear Coordinator: Support our Spirit Wear sales by tracking orders and selling at events.
• Bingo Donations Outreach, Corporate Sponsors: Reach out to local businesses for monetary donations/sponsorship of Bingo. This can be done at your convenience in the fall or winter, leading up to our Bingo Night in February. 
• Bingo Donations Outreach, Gift Cards: Reach out to local businesses for gift cards for our Bingo event. This can be done at your convenience in the fall or winter, leading up to our Bingo Night in February. 

SAVE THE DATE: June 10th Friends of Music Meeting​

Your many hours volunteering and your support for our Crescendo Club and our annual fundraisers make all the difference for our music programs. Every purchase and donation helps our music program thrive! We want to extend a special thank you for our many volunteers and donors this year at our final meeting of the year. Join us June 10th at 7pm in CHS Cafeteria for light refreshments, find out plans for next year and welcome new families. (Rescheduled; originally planned for May.)

Invite your friends and neighbors, including families of rising 9th graders, to hear all about the fantastic music program at CHS. Back-to-School Night is never enough time to meet the directors and learn about all that is going on with the music program. Come out to learn and ask questions.