SUMMER UPDATE
We hope you’re having a great summer so far. Congratulations to the students, alumni, and families who participated in the Hawaii trip! The Band and Color Guard had two amazing performances in the “Aloha State,” — at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial and the Ala Moana CenterStage. We have created a Google Drive for you to share and exchange photos and videos from the Hawaii trip:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1djXPCmmBKPWKJTPen_1k19U4MQ0pOpjC?usp=share_link
PLEASE DO THIS NOW IF YOU HAVEN’T >> All NEW AND RETURNING members of the Gahr Marching Gladiators must fill out the 2023-24 Band Registration & Participation Form. Please have a parent or guardian fill this out with the student. This takes about 10 minutes to complete and is crucial for us to get off to a good start!
Band Camp is LESS THAN THREE WEEKS AWAY! Band Camp runs from July 24th-August 4th, Monday-Friday, from 8:30AM-5:00PM each day at the Gahr High School Stadium. We will begin learning the music and choreography for our 2023 field show production, “On Top of Spaghetti.”
The $225 Band Camp Donation was due for all students on June 15th. This is crucial for us to be able to pay for instructors, production costs, registration fees, and uniforms/costumes. We accept cash, checks made payable to “Gahr Band Boosters,” or you can pay on the website here. Missing any part of Band Camp does NOT exclude you from this donation.
We are thrilled to announce that Gahr High School has added an Associate Director of Bands – Mr. Matt Miller! Mr. Miller has been on our instructional staff at Gahr for the past seven years. He completed his undergrad at CSULB and Master’s at USC. He will be teaching several new courses, including the second Jazz Band, Concert Band, and AP Music Theory. Mr. Miller brings a wealth of knowledge and instrumental pedagogy, and we are excited to have him on board as a full-time, credentialed teacher!
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1. DCI AT THE ROSE BOWL — This Saturday, July 8th, many students and families will be carpooling to see drum corps LIVE at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena! This is an awesome experience and you’ll get to see some of the top professional marching groups in the country including Blue Devils, Mandarins, Blue Knights, and Pacific Crest.
Pick up tickets IN-PERSON this Saturday, July 8th at 2:00PM in the Gahr High School parking. Please note that the Rose Bowl typically charges a $10 parking fee per vehicle. Please double-check this final list:
1 - Arnold, Kyle
4 - Ballon, Jaren
5 - Baola, Henry
4 - Barrera, Cassandra
2 - Bass, Maliyah
3 - Castro, Julie
5 - Chiang, Oscar
3 - Defreitas, Justine
2 - Dominguez, Felipe
2 - Garcia, Jonathan
2 - Goncalves, Ammie
3 - Hibionada, Ryley
4 - Hsiung, Michelle
1 - Islas, Aiden
2 - Kim, Sean
1 - Kotb, Yanine
2 - Loney
2 - Meraz, Lucas
2 - Ojeda, Terra
2 - Pham, Cody
2 - Rayon, Julissa
1 - Rodriguez, Alegria
1 - Santana, Devon
2 - Tapanes, Dante
3 - Thompson, Brandi
2 - Vandeventer, Lori
3 - Wood, Nehemiah
1 - Yu, Faith
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2. BAND REGISTRATION & PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT — https://forms.gle/x6KeEJcqgiWaxjBL7
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3. BAND CAMP NEWSLETTER — Please read through the summer Band Camp Newsletter. This contains important information so we can be successful. All students MUST attend band camp to be admitted into the field show for the fall semester. We perform before the school year starts, and it is very difficult to catch up after missing 75+ hours of instruction. Due to construction of our newly remodeled band room and black box theater, Band Camp will be held at the Gahr HS Stadium.
If you are in the Battery or Front Ensemble, we have a rehearsal on Wednesday, July 12th from 4:30-8:30PM. If you have any friends who are interested, we are still looking to fill a few more percussion/synth spots. Just have them show up and we can get them worked into the group!
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4. MARCHING BAND DONATION DUE — The 1st Marching Band donation of $225 was due on June 15th. This is crucial for us to be able to pay for instructors, production costs, registration fees, and uniforms/costumes. We accept cash, checks made payable to “Gahr Band Boosters,” or you can pay on the website here:
https://www.gahrband.org/store/p/marching-band-donation
The total student donation for the marching band is $675. Your donation helps cover major items such as instructional staff, equipment and instruments, uniform maintenance, production costs, tournament entry fees, and transportation. Specialized instruction inspires students to keep at it, a skill they can apply to their other classes. Students will gain knowledge of a specific instrument or equipment, a performance mentality, and invaluable life skills.
We highly encourage the donation to be paid in full to help with upfront costs such as show design, production costs, and competition entry fees. If needed, it can be broken down in the following way:
$225 - 1st Donation
$150 - 2nd Donation
$150 - 3rd Donation
$150 - 4th Donation
Your donation may be tax-deductible; please consult your accounting professional. Tax ID #45-4683974. Scholarships and fundraising may help offset your donations. Please contact darren.loney@abcusd.us for additional details.
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5. ATHLETIC CLEARANCE DUE 7/21 — All NEW AND RETURNING STUDENTS must complete their athletic clearance to be admitted into the band or color guard. Here are the steps:
STEP 1 - Get a physical exam. You need to bring a print out of Gahr’s Physical Evaluation Form for the doctor to fill out. It is highly recommended to use a walk-in clinic instead of scheduling this with your primary care physician.
STEP 2 - Take a photo of the form. Click here for instructions on how to use your iPhone as a document scanner.
STEP 3 - Register and upload your form on the Family ID website: https://www.familyid.com/gahr-high-school
All students will eventually need to purchase an ASB card and pay for transportation, but this can also be done in person during Gahr High School registration.
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6. SIGN UP FOR REMIND ANNOUNCEMENTS — If you are a STUDENT OR PARENT not getting Remind text messages, please take a moment to sign up by your student’s grade level. This is our primary method of communication.
FRESHMEN: Text "@gahr2027" TO: 81010
SOPHOMORES: Text "@music2026" TO: 81010
JUNIORS: Text "@music2025" TO: 81010
SENIORS: Text "@music2024" TO: 81010
If you are a STUDENT, please also sign up to use “Slack” for important rehearsal communication:
https://join.slack.com/t/gahrband/shared_invite/zt-1a9al3s2v-mqytQ9nRPPVnRnZgaE86kQ
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7. STUDENT SPONSORSHIP LETTER — This is a great way to raise money for your marching band donations! All of the money sponsorships goes directly to your student account. This is the BEST TIME to do it before we get busy with school starting. These take a few hours to complete and mail out, but the return on investment is HUGE if you can make $500 or more! Click here to download the letter and instructions.
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NEXT STEPS:
Get your band camp gear: 1-gallon water jug, sunscreen, athletic clothing and shoes, hat (no visors), and a black 3-ring binder with sheet protectors for winds and percussion.
Pay your first donation of $225.00. Checks are made payable to “Gahr Band Boosters.”
https://www.gahrband.org/store/p/marching-band-donationGet your physical evaluation completed and upload to FamilyID.
Fill out the Band Registration & Participation Form:
https://forms.gle/x6KeEJcqgiWaxjBL7We’re gearing up for an awesome year!