Greenleaf Teen's Music Recorded in Bulgaria

Views on BG | May 27, 2012, Sunday // 17:48
Bulgaria: Greenleaf Teen's Music Recorded in Bulgaria File photo

Green Bay Press Gazette

It took musicians from Sofia, Bulgaria, to perform and record the music of a young composer from Greenleaf.

Alaric Coussons, 17, has been composing music since he was 14. Unable to find interested area college music faculty members to help him, he worked alone, gleaning tips from music teachers and summer music camps.

The break for the son of Herb and Anna Coussons came when a client of his father from Florida heard Alaric's music and was impressed. He sent it to Bulgaria for the manager of the renowned Sofia Soloists to hear. They liked the music and wanted to play it to be professionally recorded.

Last fall, Alaric traveled to Sofia, where his music was performed by the Sofia Soloists and some of the best orchestral musicians in Eastern Europe.

Included are three orchestral scores, a brass quintet and string chamber music. The Wrightstown High School senior was able to work next to the conductor and take an active role in editing the music that resulted in his "Awakening the Horizon" CD showcasing nine of his compositions.

Alaric plays first violin in the Green Bay Youth Symphony. At Wrightstown, he plays percussion in the marching and concert bands and piano in the jazz band. He was awarded an honors internship and two music scholarships to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point to study music. His dream is to write film scores one day.

Mary Spielbauer, an eighth-grade teacher at Bay View Middle School in Howard, was the winner in the Barnes & Noble "My Favorite Teacher" contest. The winning essayist was her student, Sydney Begotka.

The program provides students with the opportunity to tell their communities how much they appreciate their teachers. It is open to students in grades first through 12th, who may nominate their teachers by writing essays, poems or thank you letters.

Spielbauer received an award and gift, and Begotka, a certificate and B&N gift card.

"The newly exalted ruler of the Green Bay Elks Lodge 259 is George Harper. Other officers installed are Lori Ahnen, leading knight; Sean Murphy, loyal knight; Delores Burich, lecturing knight; Kristy Hazaert, secretary; and Tom Mathias, treasurer.

Also Dave Crevcoure, PER-esquire; John Wolfe, inner guard; Cliff Doxtator, tiller; Gert Ryba, chaplin; and Will Burich, trustee.

The lodge has been serving the Green Bay community since 1893.

Rachel Demerath, a nursing major at Carroll University, recently traveled to Guatemala with her professor and classmates to deliver sustainable health care solutions to rural villages.

Paired into five project teams, Rachel and her partner worked with a Guatemalan nonprofit organization to build vents on cooking stoves to decrease smoke exposure.

A graduate of Notre Dame Academy, she is the daughter of Jim and Kris Demerath of Green Bay.

Two area youths were recently named winners in the local PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest.

Sophia Utrie, Green Bay, received a first-place in the kindergarten category for her story "The Craziest Campout Ever," and Hunter Guilette, Casco, received a Judge's Award in the first-grade category for his story "Mr. Rat in the Castle."

The contest received 485 entries from students in kindergarten through third grade. Prizes were awarded in each grade level for achievement in writing and illustration.

Emily Vegoe-Waskosky, Green Bay, was one of seven Chapter Sweethearts who received her crown and sash recently at a Wisconsin DeMolay formal dinner, ceremony and coronation event at West Allis Masonic Center.

The young women will compete for the title of Wisconsin DeMolay Sweetheart at Wintergreen Resort in Wisconsin Dells in 2013.

The Sweethearts will travel throughout Wisconsin and participate in various charity and fundraising events for their chapters, plus the DeMolay national charity program "Relay for Life."

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Tags: music, musicians, sofia, Bulgaria, Greenleaf

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