To be selected for the IMMORTALS a candidate must... 1.  Be enrolled as a student at Loudoun Music Instruction. 2.  Consistently complete assignments as directed at his/her lessons.  Show ability and passion to "take it past the lesson" and incorporate material into his/her personal playing and/or vocal style. 3.  Have a firm grip on chord and scale theory and the ability to put it to use. 4.  Demonstrate excellent rhythm and rhythmic ability.  5.  Show respect, humilty and ability to work with others in band workshops. 6.  Make it impossible for me NOT to choose him/her, by always being ready for every opportunity. 7.  Drummers must excel at their rudiments; master rock, blues, jazz, and big band styles.   Must also be able to incoporate skills and styles from key drumming innovators. 8.  All candidates must show a strong desire to confront their weaknesses head on and focus on what they do not know.  Consistent growth is expected. **selections are made between Sept and Oct each year. _____________________________________________________________ CONGRATULATIONS to our newest Immortals Erin Taylor, Ryan McCall and Abbe Scheerschmidt.  They have been selected for 2012. IMMORTAL AWARDS 2010 - the kids have voted and selected the following individuals for honors. 2nd Annual "Kyle Lee Award" for consistent leadership, musical excellence and performance ability goes to.....ZACH DeHART.  Zach has been in the Immortals for 3 years and is an unbelievable musician.  Zach's singing has added GREATLY to the group in the last 12 months.  His renditions of John Mayer, Pink Floyd, Marc Anthony and Eminem are incredible. Zach is a big fan of Stevie Ray Vaughan and it shows in his playing.  I'm proud of your growth Zach andI hope to see more in 2011. Most Improved Immortal goes to JOSEPH KEIM.  Joseph's drumming has grown by leaps and bounds in 2010.  His ability to play rock, blues, jazz, gospel  and R&B have elevated the Immortals to a whole new level.  Joseph specializes in establishing layered grooves that allow the band and audience to feel the music on many levels.  He admires Bernard Purdie, Gerald Heyward, and Aaron Spears.  Thanks Joseph for all your hard work...it shows.  The 2012 Immortals Lineup   Julia Hiser - Sophomore - Woodgrove HS - Piano, Synth, Vocals Julia has talent and the drive to use it.  She has taken lesson here since 2006, starting with singing and guitar.  Julia began taking piano lessons here in 2008 and was invited to be an Immortal in 2009.  Julia's vocal performances are electrifying.  She has taken on much more responsibility and leadership within the Immortals in this last year.  She has made the most of her opportunity in the Immortals to grow as a performer, singer and pianist.  As of January 20th, 2012 she is the primary voice of the Immortals and sang 11 tough numbers in the first Immortals show of the year.  Joseph Keim - Sophomore - Woodgrove HS - Drums, Piano, Synth, Vocals Joseph is inspiring to all who seem him perform.  He plays his shows the way he practices...relentlessly.  Joseph has been taking lessons here since 2002, and has taken responsibility for his own improvement.  Whether he knows it or not, he is developing a personal style unlike any I have heard.  He combines strong rock technique, a slick left HH foot, Gospel and R&B undertones, and soul snare technique.  Joseph looks at every possiblity for creating an additional layer or element to his beat.  He never settles.  On Jan 14th, 2012 Joseph won 2nd Place in the Washington DC Drumfest that took place in Centreville, VA.  The competition was tough and his prize was a scholarship to the Trombley Jazz Program in the Summer 2012.   Ryan McCall - Freshman - Woodgrove HS Ryan has taken lesson here since 2008.  He is an extremely capable bassist with a solid foundation in music theory.  Ryan earned his Immortals opportunity and is making the most of it.  The group calls him "House."  You should too.   Travis Guyton - Junior - Woodgrove HS Travis has taken guitar and vocal instruction here since 2006!!  He has brought down the house for years with his great vocals.   He has spent years refining his guitar knowledge and technique, and is ready for this opportunity in the Immortals.  Watch out for Travis in 2012.   Tyler Scheerschmidt - Freshman - Woodgrove HS Tyler is a talented hard working young man.  He has taken drum lessons here since 2007.  Anyone who has ever seen him play knows why he's in the Immortals.  The kid's out of his mind.  He entered into the Immortals as an 8th grader in 2011, and has brought serious fire to the group.  He has started learning piano as well to add to his ability.  His friends call him "T," but you can't.   Erin Taylor - Freshman - Woodgrove HS I met Erin Taylor when she was something like 3 years old!  She began lesson here in 2005.  She made her Immortals debut on January 20th, 2012 was simply fabulous.  The Immortals welcome her.  She will take the group to a whoel new level I am sure.  I for one cannot wait to push her to see just how good she can be!   Abbe Scheerschmidt - Junior -Woodgrove HS Abbe Scheerschmidt is just flat out awesome.  She is a super singer and songwriter.  She is also a powerful performer with a voice the commands you to listen.  She began with guitar and voice lessons here in January 2005!  I am not surprised by any amazing thing she accomplishes.  Abbe is EXACTLY the type of humble, talented person who could make it very big in this world.   Past Immortals John Rodeffer - 2006 Kelly Hausfeld - 2006 Ashleigh Hendrick Van Briggle - 2006 David Baxter - 2006/2007 JT Davis - 2006 to 2008 Victoria Protic - 2007-2008 Jamie Dahlman - 2006 to 2008 Erik Driscoll - 2006 to 2010 Kyle Lee - 2006 to 2009 Lily Cousland - 2007 to 2009 Felicia Filicetti - 2010 Patrick Ryan - 2006 to 2011 Zach DeHart - 2007 to 2012 David Kennedy - 2011 to 2012 ------------------------------- THE STORY OF THE IMMORTALS In August 2006 I began calling parents of quite a few extremely gifted students to tell them I had an idea.  The call basically informed the parents that they had an extremely gifted child on their hands who wasn't getting fed enough in a 30 minute lesson each week.  Seeing their passion for music motivated me to propose a solution. The plan was a three hour intensive weekly session with a group of extremely smart, driven, passionate peers.  We would meet each Saturday from 9am to noon.  This group of 6 young men and 3 young women would be pushed hard with college level material each week.  They would have to maintain certain grade levels at school to stay in the program.  They would be tested like undergrads on advanced music theory and be given the opportunity to write music, jam with and exchange ideas with others as talented as themselves.

They all rolled in here the first week of September 2006 for this new phase of their musical education.  There was, Lily Cousland (bassist), James Dahlman (Drums), JT Davis (guitar), Erik Driscoll (drummer and bassist), Laura Keim (bassist and vocalist), Kyle Lee (guitarist and vocalist), Victoria Protic (piano), Patrick Ryan (guitarist and vocalist) and joining a bit later Zachary DeHart (guitar). They did not know what to expect and neither did I.  I just started teaching them what I knew as best I could and I pushed hard.  By using many different angles I was able to get what is years of experience in their young heads in a short time.  We learned as a group then applied to our instruments.  Students were encouraged to pick up a 2nd instrument to get a well rounded experience. Here is their course of study so far... Major Scale Theory Reading Odd Meter and Complex Time Blues Theory      12 bar/8 bar      Dominant/Minor Chord Theory Phrasing    Soloing with phrases on guitar & piano    Moving phrases around/changing timing Chord Fragments- Intervals and Double Stops Minor Scale Theory Melody Composition Accompaniment Composition Modulation      Simple      Complex Modal Music Theory & Modal Interchange Vocal Technique Stage Presence and Performance Modified and Altered Chords Intervals Inversions and Figured Bass Notation/Application Jazz Theory      The II - V - I  jazz progression and common modulation      Implied tonality/chord substitution      How melody can affect a chord progression      Chord Progressions that emphasize modal tonality      Arpeggio Soloing      Applying Blues Scales to Jazz soloing Song Writing and Arrangement    I would put my Immortals up against many college level students or graduates.  Some are still grasping the enormity of it all, but their peers in the group are there for them, always helping.  (thanks Vic and Kyle!!!!) The Immortals became a truly great rock group in 2007.  A super group if you will.  They have four guitarists, 2 drummers, 3 bassists, 2 pianists and 2 great vocalists with a few more on their way.  They played a good schedule of gigs in the summer of 2007 and gained the support and praise of their community and the county.  They played songs from the Who, Jefferson Airplane, Pink Floyd, The Pretenders, the Clash and more.  Whatever they did, they did the Immortal way and it was something. With these successes under our belt I wanted to reward them.  I looked into a group field trip to the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH.  Upon speaking with the Education Department, they asked to hear the kids and offered me an invitation to play there at the Rock Hall.  I was floored, but the expense turned out to be huge. The kids went to work as did the parents.  The community in Western Loudoun are the ones who sent the Immortals to play at the Rock Hall.  The Loudoun Times Mirror did it with Shannon Solliger's excellent front page story on the kids and their accomplishments.  Chuck Blough, owner of Lovettsville Pizza and Subs, did it by giving the kids a place to perform and appeal to folks for support while honing their performance skills.  The town Lovettsville and Lovettsville's Mayor Elaine Walker did it by allowing us to again present our Fall Show at Oktoberfest 2007 and all the contributors large and small did it too. Well it isn't surprising that the best group of musicians I ever knew played their best show ever when it counted most.  I had people from all over the United States tell me they'd seen nothing like this from the clubs in New York to the Rock Halls of California.  The kids closed with a full rendition of "Who are You" that brought down the house.  The director of Relic Acquisition at the Rock Hall personally came out to congratulate the kids and heap his praise.  He also had the staff emerge from the bowels of the joint with Joe Strummer and Mick Jones' guitars for the Immortals to check out up close as they covered the Clash's Guns of Brixton with such style.  The director of the Education Department, Jason Hanley, asked my kids to teach seminars at the Rock Hall of Fame.  I went back to the hotel in a daze. The Immortals have elevated the performance of my entire 90+ student body.  They lead by example.  What I give to the Immortals, they give back.  What I ask, they deliver.  Among today's generation of young people, no one can deny this is unique.  I am fixing to graduate my first Immortal to college.  I am distraught, hurting and already missing him, but I'm so proud at the same time.  There will always be an Immortals.  There will always be students that make it a no brainer for me to pick them to move on in.  The older ones will be there as mentors and the younger ones will bring the fire...  I will smile till it hurts.

2010 News - This year the Immortals have elevated their performance to a whole new level.  Jazz techniques have begun to have a huge impact on the way the kids perform.  Each song whether a cover or an original is carefully arranged for the talent of the musicians.  The sound of the band is very unique and beautiful to hear.  The contributions of Julia Hiser and Joseph Keim have been superb and have added to the skills of the older students to put the Immortals into a whole new class.  . January 2011 - The Immortals played a wonderful show on January 15th, 2011.  The group gave the Franklin Park crowd 2 hours of professional entertainment.  The set was jazz standards to current pop music.  Congratulations to Laura for an amazing show!!!!   The photo below is the very last song played by the 2008-2009 lineup of the Immortals.  This group was so very special.