1ST HONOR BAND REHEARSAL TOMORROW!
Great improvement last week in all our ensembles, and thank you to the parents who helped with the drumline lunch yesterday. We’re less than two weeks away from our first JV & Varsity Winter Guard shows, the ABCUSD Honor Band Concert, and our first Winter Drumline competition! Continue staying on top of your homework and practicing so you can have the best performances you’re capable of. It’s going to be hard work, but it’s also going to be rewarding and fun!!
We have a busy week ahead — Honor Band rehearsal Monday and Tuesday 6-9PM at Whitney HS, our monthly Parent Booster Meeting Wednesday at 6:30PM, Winter Drumline Camp Saturday 10AM-6PM, and our first ever JV Winter Guard show this Saturday! Due to Honor Band, we will be ending Winter Drumline rehearsal at 5PM the next two Mondays and will not have Jazz Band or after school Wind Ensemble rehearsals the next two Tuesdays. This Thursday we WILL have rehearsal for all wind players in both Concert Band and Wind Ensemble from 3:30-5:15PM to continue making progress on our festival music. If you are in the Honor Band, please make sure you print and bring the Honor Band Contract to the first rehearsal.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
WINTER DONATIONS — If you are in the Winter Guard or Winter Drumline, please make sure you’re caught up with your first donation. This is super important so we can pay our instructional staff. The next donation is due next week, February 6th. Mr. Loney will be sending home Sponsorship Letters you can mail out to friends and family to raise money. Students must be caught up with donations to receive new costumes and to participate in our upcoming competitions and San Diego trip.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
WINTER DRUMLINE SHOES — All Winter Drumline members will need to purchase show shoes to wear for next week’s competition. Please see the links below to get them on Amazon. You can also get the battery shoe at Big 5 Sporting Goods.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
PARENTS — Please join us at our monthly Parent Booster Meeting this Wednesday 2/1 at 6:30PM in the Band Room! We will be going through upcoming events, as well as more information for the Hawaii trip. We also have several performances coming up and need your help so the students can be successful. Please consider making a donation or volunteering your time. We will be sending messages out for prop building for drumline and guard, serving lunches for camp rehearsals, and volunteering at fundraising events. The students are working hard and would love to see you at their next performance. Thank you!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES:
Mon 1/30 Honor Band Rehearsal 6-9PM @ Whitney HS
Tue 1/31 Honor Band Rehearsal 6-9PM @ Whitney HS
Wed 2/1 Sax-y Grams on sale
Wed 2/1 Parent Booster Meeting @ 6:30PM
Sat 2/4 JV Guard @ OC Classification Show (WGASC)
Mon 2/6 Winter Guard & Winter Drumline Payment #2 Due
Mon 2/6 Honor Band Rehearsal 6-9PM @ Whitney HS
Tue 2/7 ABCUSD Honor Band Concert 7PM @ Whitney HS (FREE)
Wed 2/8 Chipotle Fundraiser 4-8PM
Thu 2/9 Jazz Band Performance 5PM @ Open House
Fri 2/10 Varsity Guard $150 Due for San Diego Trip
Fri 2/10 Sax-y Gram Deadline
Sat 2/11 Winter Drumline @ La Quinta (SCPA)
Sat 2/11 JV & Varsity Winter Guards @ Chino Hills Preview Show
Tue 2/14 Sax-y Grams!
Sat 2/18 FUNDrive Clothes & Shoes Drop-off from 9AM-2PM!
Sat 2/18 Varsity Guard Camp 9AM-5PM
Sat 2/18 Winter Drumline Camp 10AM-6PM
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
JV WINTER GUARD @ EL TORO HIGH SCHOOL 2/4
Our first ever JV Winter Guard competition is this Saturday, February 4th at El Toro High School! Call time is 11:45AM at Gahr High School to carpool to the competition. Eat a good lunch and bring money for concessions. We expect all members of the Varsity Guard to attend and support the JV Guard. Performance time is 3:35PM. Please click here for more info: https://wgasc.org/events/42253
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
VARSITY WINTER GUARD SAN DIEGO TRIP 2/25-26!
We’re excited to be traveling February 25-26th to the Winter Guard International (WGI) San Diego Regional competition! This is an overnight trip and will cost $150 per student — due and paid in full by Friday, February 10th. We accept cash, checks made payable to “Gahr Band Boosters,” or you can click here to pay online. This covers lodging for one night, as well as meals throughout the weekend — including a pizza restaurant dinner Saturday evening (pending performance times) and breakfast at the hotel Sunday morning. Students are still welcome to bring additional money for food and snacks at the competition site. Click here to download the itinerary. We will not have the times solidified until approximately two weeks before the competition.
The students will be staying at The Hilton Garden Inn (about 4 miles from the competition site). If this is your first overnight trip, please know that it is standard to have students stay four to a room, typically with two queen-sized beds. Based on our current numbers, however, we will have some rooms with only three students. Students in rooms of three will not pay any additional cost. Students can select who they would like to have in their room and we will do our best to accommodate their requests if possible.
As with all trips for the Gahr Instrumental Music Program, students must stay in the hotel with other students. A block of rooms has already been reserved and we are able to keep the trip cost low based on the students staying together. If you are a parent interested in staying at the same hotel, please contact Dee Dee Varney at dvarney15@gmail.com no later than Friday, February 10th and she can help you get a room.
We ask that students stay together as a group for the entire weekend – traveling to/from San Diego, the competition, meals offsite, etc. It is great that a number of parents and families will be coming to support, but we ask that you please do not pull your child away from the rest of the group. Your child will make friendships and memories that will last a lifetime!
We have five amazing parents who have volunteered to drive the students throughout the weekend:
Terra Ojeda (Deslyn’s mom)
(562) 619-0707
Aymee Abreu (Eri’s mom)
(323) 303-6262
Maria Gaspar (Fatima’s mom)
(562) 991-9984
Joji Cruz (Hannah’s mom)
(510) 258-1054
Tennesy Ting (Lauren’s mom)
(626) 782-8183
We are asking for all students to carpool with the same students that will be in their hotel room – one room per vehicle. There are many times throughout the weekend that we will be traveling – to and from the hotel to the show site, to dinner, back to the hotel, etc. This will help to make sure no one is left behind (and also that the students are not walking around alone). This is also another chance for students to bond and have fun on the trip. We are looking forward to a fun trip and to celebrating all the hard work of our first ever Varsity Winter Guard!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
SAX-Y GRAMS ON SALE!
Looking to serenade someone special for Valentine's Day? Purchase a SAX-Y GRAM for only $10! This includes a personal performance by our very own Sax-y Saxophones and comes with a beautiful rose. Show someone how much they mean to you this Valentine’s Day by purchasing a SAX-Y GRAM! The deadline for SAX-Y GRAM orders is FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2023. Check out the video below for an example:
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
FUNDRIVE CLOTHING DONATION EVENT 2/18
Clean out your closets and win a $40 Amazon Gift Card! We’re collecting men’s, women’s, and children’s clothes, shoes, coats, scarves, ties, belts, bedding, comforters, blankets, towels, linens, pillows, and more! Our goal is to raise $2,000 for the Gahr Instrumental Music Program.
Please place donated items into 13-gallon kitchen trash bags. All items must be clean and in sellable condition. We’re asking each family to donate a minimum of three (3) bags.
DROP-OFF: Please drop off bags at Gahr High School on Saturday, February 18th from 9AM-2PM
BONUS: We’re raffling off a $40 Amazon gift card! Each student who donates three full bags will receive one (1) raffle ticket.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
ABCUSD HONOR BAND CONCERT 2/7
There are three mandatory rehearsals that will take place at Whitney HS with Dr. Whitmore. Please make sure you print and bring the Honor Band Contract to the first rehearsal.
Monday, January 30th from 6:00-9:00PM
Tuesday, January 31st from 6:00-9:00PM
Monday, February 6th from 6:00-9:00PM
The ABCUSD Middle and High School Honor Band concert is on Tuesday, February 7th at 7:00PM at Whitney HS. This is a FREE CONCERT so invite your family and friends and come listen to some fantastic music and support our incredible student musicians!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
JAZZ BAND @ GAHR OPEN HOUSE 2/9!
The Jazz Band will be performing next Thursday 2/9 at Gahr High School’s Open House! This will be a more casual performance in the gym to welcome parents to the event. We will have more details, but need to be set up and ready to play a few tunes by 5PM.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
FORGET THE DATE!
We will not be running the Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser because of a date conflict with the Gahr High School Sadie Hawkins Dance. Mr. Loney will be providing Sponsorship Letters to raise money for the JV Guard, Variety Guard, Winter Drumline, and the Hawaii trip.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
THIS WEEK:
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
MONDAY 1/30
7:20AM Jazz Band
6th-5:00PM Winter Drumline rehearsal (ending early for Honor Band)
6:00-9:00PM Honor Band Rehearsal @ Whitney HS
TUESDAY 1/31
NO JAZZ BAND
NO WIND ENSEMBLE
6th-5:00PM JV Guard rehearsal
5:00-9:00PM Varsity Guard rehearsal
6:00-9:00PM Honor Band Rehearsal @ Whitney HS
WEDNESDAY 2/1
SAX-Y GRAMS GO ON SALE!
6:00-9:00PM Winter Drumline rehearsal
6:30PM Monthly Parent Booster Meeting!
THURSDAY 2/2
7:20AM Jazz Band
6th-5:00PM JV Guard rehearsal
3:30-5:15PM ALL WINDS REHEARSAL
5:00-9:00PM Varsity Guard rehearsal
FRIDAY 2/3
7:20AM Jazz Band
6th-5:30PM Winter Drumline rehearsal
SATURDAY 2/4
10:00AM-6:00PM Winter Drumline Camp (bring $5 for lunch)
JV Winter Guard Competition @ El Toro HS
More info: https://wgasc.org/events/42253
11:45AM Call time