Saratoga Music Boosters

Saratoga music boosters 2025-2026 update

superintendent heath rocha's japan tour
2026 farewell message to students

As I reflect on these past two weeks, I am simply in awe of you.

I am in awe of your musical talent and academic excellence. But even more than that, I am in awe of your resilience, grit, character, and the way you cared for and supported one another throughout this journey.

If I could give each of you one gift, it would be the ability to see yourselves through the eyes of those who admire you.

I wish you could fully understand how remarkable you are.

I wish you could see the strength, courage, and potential that others see in you every day. I wish you could be as proud of yourselves as we are of you.

As we return home, I hope you carry with you more than memories of Japan. I hope you carry a deeper belief in yourselves.

Be proud of what you have accomplished.

Be grateful for the journey.

And never underestimate who you already are.

superintendent Heath Rocha's Farewell Message of Music, Friendship and Peace from Hiroshima, Japan

Today is our final concert in a country that has captured our hearts. The places we have visited have been unforgettable, but it is the people of Japan who have transformed this experience into far more than a tour. It has been a once-in-a-lifetime journey that will stay with us forever.

We gather in a place that reminds us of humanity’s capacity for destruction. Yet through these students, we are reminded of humanity’s even greater capacity—for connection, understanding, and peace.

This afternoon, students from Hijiyama High School and Saratoga High School have come together through a language that needs no translation: music.

When young people from different countries create music together, they show us what the future can be—not divided by our differences, but strengthened by them; not fearful of what makes us unique, but enriched by it.

Tonight, may the music we share honor the past, celebrate our friendship, and inspire hope for a more peaceful world.
If peace has a sound, perhaps it sounds something like this.

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Saratoga Music Boosters (SMB) was founded in 1974 to support Saratoga Union School District (SUSD) and Saratoga High School (SHS) by helping its music directors accomplish their visions to offer the best music programs, music clinics as well as many enriching opportunities to their students. This includes ensuring all music students have the possibility to attend important performances that require travel regardless of their family’s financial situation.

There are two beloved annual fundraisers run by Saratoga Music Boosters: the Cookie dough fundraiser and the Pancake Breakfast. All schools participate to help raise funds for the booster. The idea of the Cookie Dough is of course to sell as many cookie dough orders as possible and for the latter the Booster offers a beautiful pancake breakfast where all music programs from SUSD and SHS showcase their talents as pancakes are devoured. These two fundraising events are a student and community favorite.

During this academic year SMB was honored to recognize its 50th year since its founding to host its own SMB Jubilee fundraising Gala. It definitely was a very well attended event with our very own students performing their best in support of SMB. The night ended with a surprise performance of all our SUSD and SHS music educators performing a few pieces.Thank you for the love, support and talent everyone brought to this great memorable evening.

For the 2024-25 fiscal year, SMB supported the following SHS music programs and music students:

Band (176 students including Marching and Concert Band), Jazz Band (47 students), Color Guard (20 students), Winter Guard (16 students), Winter Percussion (59 students), Orchestra (162 students), and Choir (36 students).

SMB is also proud to support the initiative driven by the music directors to offer SHS concerto competitions where 5 adjudicators were invited to judge all student performances. The winners of this competition perform at the end of year concert. There were 4 winners
from 20 competitors.

California Music Educators Association (CMEA) is the annual benchmark tool our music educators use to understand how their students have grown as performers. The evaluation includes a sight reading evaluation. SMB is proud to announce that this year’s CMEA’s Don Shmear and Byron Hoyt Band Educator of the Year award recipient was awarded to our very own Mr. Jason Shiuan.

Another yearly event some of our SHS music students prepare and audition for is the California All-State Music Education Conference (CASMEC). 18 students from SHS were selected and even some of them had solos.

We are proud to share the events and achievements recorded for each music program:

Choir list of trips, experiences and achievements

Jazz band list of trips, experiences and achievements

Bands (Marching, Concert & Percussion), Color Guard and SHS Symphonic Wind ensemble

Winter Percussion (WP) & Winter Guard (WG)

Orchestra’s year in review

Saratoga Music Boosters is proud to report a slight uptick in music student enrollment at Redwood Middle School (RMS) even though general school enrollment is on the decline.

The numbers are as follows:

5th grade instrumental: 182 (this includes all three elementary schools Saratoga, Foothill and Argonaut)
RMS Bands (Woodwind, Brass, Concert): 216
RMS Percussion: 19
RMS Choir: 29
RMS Orchestra: 221
RMS Color/Winter Guard: 21
RMS Winter Percussion: 15 (this is the first year it returned after COVID) RMS Jazz (returns this year thanks to a dedicated ‘pro bono’ Jazz educator)

In summary, RMS band, orchestra, and choir in school at Redwood spread across 13 different classes/sections. This translates to having over 400 students enrolled in in-school music classes at Redwood. One of the beloved opportunities offered by the program is the ability to travel to Disney and the RMS band and orchestra students combined to form the RMS Symphony to offer a wonderful performance at Disney.

All school concerts were performed in standing room only auditorium…. Great success! RMS students auditioned for CASMEC and 13 were accepted in this prestigious event.

RMS ORCHESTRA

RMS Band (Concert, Percussion and Jazz), Color Guard & Winter Percussion

RMS CHOIR

5th Grade Music:

5th graders learn to play two types of instruments throughout the year: Strings and Wind.

SMB BENEFACTOR DONATIONS

SMB and our music programs are grateful for your tax-deductible support and generosity in our 2025-2026 Benefactor Donations Drive. Any donation amount is welcome and appreciated. You can also double your impact with corporate matching!

You can now choose to donate online, or send your check donation with the benefactor donation form to your student's music teacher.

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ONLINE PROGRAM Contributions

Our 2025-2026 school year is here! Parents can now contribute with their credit card for their membership donation and music program contributions using the buttons above. Checks are always welcome, as there is a transaction fee administered by PayPal, our payment gateway.

SUSD Music Web Store

Donate Today!

SHS Music Web Store

Donations are fully tax deductible. SMB is a registered 501(c)(3) organization. EIN#: 51-0187615

Questions? Visit our Web Store FAQs.

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Have questions?

If you would like to join our board, please visit our job description page for details of our board positions. There are still several open positions for 2025-2026 year. Please visit our board members page for details.
For questions regarding donations, program contributions, tax receipts and volunteering, or for general questions about SMB, please contact our booster president.
For website issues and web content, please contact our webmaster.
For questions regarding SHS music programs, classes and calendar of events, please contact the corresponding music directors.
SUSD and Redwood music program information can be found here.

Why Study Music?

AdvocacyForMusicEd.com

MIDWEST CLINIC - ACCOLADES & RECOGNITION

The Midwest Clinic is an international conference that has been going on for nearly 80 years with 18-20k international attendees annually. Congratulations to Saratoga High Music Directors - Mr. Michael Boitz & Mr. Jason Shiuan, and the 50+ Saratoga Strings students for amazing accolades and recognition!!

Supporting music education across Saratoga schools