Announcements 3/29/20

1)  No memorization assignments this week.  Enjoy your Spring Break!

2)  With school now out until April 24, the Spring Concert and Jazz Concert have been cancelled.  If possible, I would like to play some kind of Spring Performance in May before school lets out, so keep that music worked up.

3)  The directors of the Mass Band have been talking, and we are working to get this performance in at some point, even if it means performing the Mass Band in the summer.  So keep the Tennessee Pride song worked up.  Guard, all of the bands involved in this never got a chance to get uniforms together for the spring parades, including us.  We are looking at doing something easy, such as black leggings and a plain color top.  Keep an eye out for further details on all of this.

4)  Next week, I will have google forms ready for next year's Marching Band members to fill out.  It's the usual information forms that we normally fill out on paper plus a new one for this year.  The big Fall kickoff meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, April 7, but now that will have to be done online.  More details next week.  

5)  Thomas Tours has been working to get us as much refund as possible from the NY trip.  So far businesses have been cooperative.  The last hurdle seems to be the hotel room refunds, and the hotels in NY have been recently shut down themselves.  So that should work out.  If you are going to the Rose Parade this winter, all of your individual account fundraising money from NY will be transferred to your Rose Parade account.  

Announcements 3/22/20

1)  I hope everyone is staying safe and not going crazy yet.  Last week was very stressful and I know there is still a lot of uncertainty about the next few weeks.  Please thank your teachers for continuing to adapt how they teach and provide instruction.  They are, on the fly, having to completely rethink how to teach.  I encourage you to do the work assigned, not for the grade, but for the continuation of learning.  The grades will work themselves out and I can assure you that teachers and administration are working hard to make sure that grades will not be unfairly affected.  You must do your part, though, and complete the work assigned to you. 

2)  Neither the Teapot Parade nor the Strawberry Festival have been cancelled yet.  I am keeping daily tabs on their websites and looking for emails from both parties.  I will tell you that I want to perform these two parade songs.  If the parades are cancelled, it will become my goal to march a parade somewhere by the time the Seniors graduate, even if it's down the streets of Medina.  I want to give the seniors their final performance.  That being said, here are your memorization assignments for this week:

Star Wars - beginning to 20, memorized by Friday.

Tennessee Pride - beginning to letter B, memorized by Friday

Percussion Cadence - beginning to letter B, memorized by Friday.

I am not asking for videos of you playing the excerpts yet, but it could happen if we are still out of school in April.  

Color Guard - we are working on the routine now and will have videos ASAP.

3)  Nothing in April has been cancelled yet.  That includes the Spring Concert, the Jazz Concert, and the Fall Kickoff meeting on April 7.  Band, keep working on the concert tunes including the new one that was handed out Friday.  

Announcements 3/15/20

1)  It was with a heavy heart that the decision was made not to go to New York, but ultimately it would have been irresponsible to send the students to New York in the current situation and put them at risk for sickness.  Seniors, I am sorry this is happened during your final year, but I want you to know how much you have meant to me and this program during your tenure here.  You have continued to carry the tradition of excellence and pushed the band to even newer heights.  I ask now that everyone be patient as we begin the process of recouping our funds as much as possible over the next few weeks.  I will keep you updated during the process.

2)  Tomorrow's NY rehearsal has been cancelled, but I am going to keep the Jazz Band Rehearsal on Tuesday.  Monday's are usually when teachers have called staff meetings and the odds of a meeting happening tomorrow are high, I am sure.

3)  The mattress fundraiser is the Saturday!  I am going to be sending out lots of reminders and marketing information out this week as we let the community know about our first fundraiser geared toward the Rose Parade.  I will also be asking for a few student volunteers to stand outside the school on Saturday to help publicize the event throughout the day.  

4)  I want to congratulate the Band again on their accomplishment at Concert Festival last Thursday.  Such a great concert! It made it into the top 4 highlights of this school year! 

5)  Happy Pi Day everyone!

Announcements 3/8/20

1)  Rehearsal for the New York Trip will be Monday from 3:30 to 5:00.  Guard will be in the cafeteria.  If it stops raining long enough, the plan would be to eventually go out in the parking lot and practice together like we would at the Statue of Liberty.

2)  Jazz Band will be on Tuesday from 3:30 to 4:30.

3)  Concert Festival is Thursday.  Band students will report to the Band Room during Focus time to load instruments on the small Band trailer.  Concert attire is needed for this performance.  We will depart and eat at Brooksie's Barn for lunch.  The buffet is $12.95 plus tax with soft drinks and tea $2 more if you don't want water. We will then go to Lane College and perform at 3:40 in the Chamber/McClure Academic Building.  Parents are welcome to watch this performance for free.  After Sight-reading we will depart Lane at approximately 5:00 and get back to school by 5:30.  Students can be picked up from Lane.

Announcements 3/1/20

1)  Jazz Band will have to meet on Tuesday.  There is a mandatory Faculty Meeting Monday that will last a while.  That means that for the next three weeks we will be meeting on Tuesday. 

2)  This Thursday is the booster meeting at 6:30.  Many of you might remember last year that we had a representative come in last year for the Mattress Fundraiser and they gave $5 to the band account for every adult in attendance at the meeting.  They do this to get the excitement and interest built up for the fundraiser.  This year, the mattress fundraiser is the first fundraiser toward individual Rose Parade trip accounts.  At the meeting Thursday night, for every adult up to 100 adults, $5 will be put in the account of the student of choice.  You will sign in and then put the student's name beside your name that you want the $5 to go toward.  

3) For students who signed up for Solo and Ensemble, the event is Saturday morning at Northside HS.  Our allotted time is from 8:50 to 9:30.  You will have to find your own way there as I will be there all morning.  When you get there you will warmup in the cafeteria and then go to the room that is assigned to your instrument.  There will be a list posted in the Cafeteria.  After you perform, you are free to leave.  I will pick up the medals at the end of the morning.