January 2, 2014/Winterguard

Post date: Jan 7, 2014 8:45:56 PM

Announcements

· Here’s hoping each of you have a Happy Holiday season and are ready to start a new year and new semester!

· School starts back Monday, January 6 and is a ½ day for students. Students will need their Spring 2014 Schedules. NO MEALS will be served and school will dismiss at11:30. We will NOT play on Monday.

· We will begin playing Tuesday! All students will be expected to have his/her horn at school! Grades for concert band are based on being prepared for class each day, random playing tests (PRACTICE), attendance at rehearsals and attendance at performances.

· The final All-West lessons before auditions will be THIS TUESDAY AND THURSDAY! These students will audition NEXT SATURDAY, JANUARY 11 @ JCM/Madison in Jackson. Auditions times should be released sometime next week. Students should plan to arrive ~45 minutes before his/her audition time and spend ~20 minutes in warm-up (DON’T PLAY TOO MUCH). Students will report to their audition rooms ~10 minutes before their audition time. If you are late, they will NOT let you audition. You are free to leave after your audition. Mr. Tate will be working at the event all day (~7a.m.-8 p.m.) if you have an emergency. Good Luck to all those auditioning!

· Mr. Hoekstra (our private bass instructor) , along with 3 other band directors, will be hosting a mock All-West Audition (and a 20-30 minute lesson afterward) THIS SATURDAY (January 4) and the cost is only $5! The mock auditions will be at the Medina Cumberland Presbyterian Church building. Auditions will begin at 10 a.m. Contact Mr. Hoekstra ASAP to schedule a time. His number is 931-801-1602.

· The Spring 2014 Calendar is attached to this email. All dates in BOLD are performance dates in which attendance is MANDATORY! Remember, if your student is not in concert band this spring they MUST return for parade band (all rehearsals plus parade) in order to attend the banquet in May unless they are involved in a major spring sport!

· Percussion Ensemble is an ensemble that meets in the spring that is open to ANY band student, not just percussionists, who would like to participate. This ensemble is for lettering credit. A student may not miss more than 2 rehearsals to receive lettering credit. The first Percussion Ensemble rehearsal will be NEXT THURSDAY, January 9 from 5-7:30 in the band room. See the attached schedule from Tico for details. If you have questions contact Tico via email-listed on the attachment.

· Jazz Band is another opportunity for students to participate in another type of ensemble for lettering credit. The jazz band meets every Monday after school from 3-4:30. The first jazz band meeting will be January 13. The Jazz Band performs at the Spring Concert and again in May at the Teapot Music Feast. Instrumentation for the ensemble includes: alto saxes, tenor saxes, bari sax, trombones (or baritones), tuba, trumpets, drum set, piano, guitar (must be able to read music), bass (Keyboard, electric or upright), and percussion accessories. There will be a sign-up sheet posted on the office window on Monday for any student interested in this ensemble. If our instrumentation needs are not met, the ensemble will NOT make so be sure your student signs up if they want to participate. Students may not miss more than 2 rehearsals in order to receive lettering credit. Mr. Brockman is in charge of this ensemble. Please contact him with any questions @ wbrockman@gsccd.org

· The next Disney Trip payment is due by January 15 to Thomas Tours in Nashville. Mr. Tate has attached a list (as of 12/29/13) from Thomas Tours of folks attending the trip. These are people who TT has already booked hotel rooms, purchased tickets, etc. for the trip. If you or your child’s name is on the list and you are not planning to attend, you need to contact Thomas Tours ASAP @ 1-800-292-0470. According to the TT trip document “any cancellations between December 17 and January 14 will have a $350 cancellation charge”. Any cancellations after January 14 will have a $550 cancellation charge. Room lists must be turned in to TT by mid-February so be sure you know will you will be rooming with ASAP. Mr. Tate will have the students sign up for rooms by the end of the month. If your student sold fruit/nuts, 25% of the profit from what they sold will be credited to their account by the January 15 payment deadline.

· Our 1st Annual Winter Guard Competition is just a little over 2 weeks away! WE NEED YOUR HELP! You will be hearing more and more information about how you can help in the coming days. OUR NEXT BAND BOOSTER MEETING IS MONDAY, JANUARY 13 AND THIS COMPETITION WILL BE OUR PRIMARY TOPIC. Make plans to attend! All concert band members will be REQUIRED to attend the competition. Any student NOT in concert band can still help out for the event but they MUST sign up for a specific job. If they are not signed up for a job, they will have to pay to get in to the event.

· All students selected for the UTM Honor Band Clinic will need to pay his/her room fee of $52 by Friday, January 17th!

Other Dates of Interest

As you being making your summer plans, these will be our summer rehearsal dates:

· June rehearsals-JUNE 10, 17, 24 (6-9 p.m.)-Attendance is REQUIRED at 2 of these in order to secure a spot in the fall show!

· Percussion/Guard Camp-July 7-11 (8-4:30)-Attendance is REQUIRED

· Fundamentals Camp (ALL BAND MEMBERS)-July 9-11 (8-11:30)-Attendance is REQUIRED!

· FULL BAND CAMP (EVERYONE)-July 14-18-(8 a.m.-DARK)-ATTENDANCE IS REQUIRED

· Post Band Camp Rehearsals-July 29, 31; August 5, 7 (6-9 p.m.)-These rehearsals will be EVERY TUESDAY AND THURSDAY beginning the 29th until school starts back. Attendance is REQUIRED!!

Winterguard

Our Winterguard show is just around the corner. Less than two weeks.

WE NEED HELP!

Does anyone know of someone they can ask for a trophy sponsor or place an ad in the program? We need to know by the end of this week. We only need 7 more trophy sponsors. 5 - 1st and 2 - 2nd.

We also need every band member to bring a 12 pk of Pepsi, Dr. Pepper or Mountain Dew.

On the day of the show we need lots of help. I am going to list the jobs. If you can help in anyway, please email, text or call me and let me know.

Many of the jobs are similar to the jobs at our band competition.

1. Concessions

2. Host/hostesses

3. dressing room and bathroom monitors

4. Parking

5. Gate workers

Please let me know as soon as possible if you are able to help work on Jan 18.

If this show goes well, we should only have one more fundraiser for the general fund this year and that will be the stew in February.

Let's make this a wonderful experience for guards from all over.

Thanks,

Kim Todd