LAST WEEK BEFORE SPRING BREAK!
This is our last week before Spring Break!! We had an awesome week with lots of improvement, including our final Honor Band rehearsal with conductor Dr. Jermie Arnold and special guest, composer Randall Standridge! STUDENTS: All final videos for “The Mandalorian” were due yesterday, Saturday 3/27, and your honor band recording of “Imaginarium” is due TODAY, Sunday 3/28. We’re on the home stretch of virtual performances, and after today, we should only have “The Rise of Skywalker” left to record! This week, we will be combining with Ross and Haskell in our band classes to work on “The Rise of Skywalker.” Make sure you review the piece and are ready to lead by example during rehearsal! All wind players (including clarinets) have after school sectionals this Tuesday 3/30.
If you enrolled in hybrid learning, the deadline to accept is tomorrow, Monday 3/29 by 12PM noon. Dr. Lois has said that Gahr will be giving you a “trial” period where you’ll be able to change your mind to revert back to online if you want. Either way, the good news is that all students are allowed to come on campus for 7th and 8th period! We are hoping that as many of our band and color guard students will be able to come in-person as possible so that we might be able to put together a pep band for football games as well as an outdoor concert/showcase by the end of the school year. Mr. Loney, Trent, John, Frankie, and Zach will all be fully vaccinated when we see you after spring break, and we’re excited to start preparations for this coming fall marching season!!
MUSICIAN MASKS & BELL COVERS 😷
If you are a wind player, you’ll need to purchase a double-layer face mask with instrument mouthpiece opening (flutes have a special one) and an instrument bell cover. While the district is helping provide one per student, it could take a long time for them to actually arrive. Protec has a great selection, including musician face masks and new bell covers with the MERV 13 filter.
You can even find good musician face masks on Amazon. This is a popular one for brass and reed players that comes in medium and large sizes.
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WIND SECTIONALS TUES 3/30 🎷
All winds have sectionals this Tuesday, March 30th. We will be focusing on “The Rise of Skywalker” with your coaches. Please use the 7th period Zoom link and see the times below for your section:
FLUTES - 2:15-3:10PM
ALL CLARINETS - 2:05-2:55PM
ALL SAXOPHONES - 2:30-3:20PM
TRUMPETS - 2:05-2:55PM
FRENCH HORNS - 2:05-2:55PM
TROMBONES/BARITONES - 2:05-2:55PM
TUBAS - 2:05-2:55PM
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PARENT UPDATE - PLEASE READ 💻
Thank you so much to everyone who brought in eWaste last weekend! We had 22 pallets of electronics that got recycled!! Our next Booster Parent Meeting is Wednesday, April 14th at 6:30PM on Zoom. We will be going through important information about in-person rehearsals, performances, and end-of-year events.
There is a new form from the district that needs to be filled out by parents and guardians for all students planning to come onto campus. This is for both hybrid students, as well as online students, to participate in 7th period Marching Band or any after school rehearsals. We need all parents to complete this Google form, if you filled out the original one for drumline and color guard. Sorry for the inconvenience and thank you in advance for taking care of this last hurdle.
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BAND & COLOR GUARD GROUP PHOTO! 📸
SAVE THE DATE: We’re planning to have a photo day for the band and color guard, and are currently looking at Saturday, April 24th. We are working with a COVID-safe photographer where the students have their photo taken one at a time in front of a green screen. All the photos are merged together to make one “group” photo. We would like the wind and percussion students to wear all black concert attire and for color guard to wear “concert blacks” (like for the solo festival). See the photo below for an example of how awesome this looks when photoshopped together. If you’d like to see more examples, visit the website: www.artistryfoto.com.
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UPDATED TIMELINE 📆
NOW — Order face masks and bell covers
Monday, 3/29 — Accept hybrid enrollment by 12PM noon
4/2-4/11 — Spring Break!
4/12-4/16 — Last week of 100% online learning and finish “The Rise of Skywalker”
Sunday, 4/18 — Final virtual ensemble video due for “Rise of Skywalker”
Monday, 4/19 — Start hybrid learning and in-person rehearsals for 7th period marching band
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GAHR INVITATIONAL FIELD TOURNAMENT 11/6
SAVE THE DATE: We are pleased to announce that we will be hosting the “Gahr Invitational Field Tournament” on Saturday, November 6, 2021! This is the last show of the regular competitive season, and we anticipate A LOT of bands. We will need all hands on deck, including current senior students and families!! 💙💛🎉
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SENIOR GRADUATION STOLES PAST DUE 🎓
Band and Color Guard seniors who have been in the program for 8-semesters are eligible for a graduation stole. You must be an active member of the music program and have at least a 2.0 GPA. This year, you’ll be able to log on to the Gahr Webstore and purchasing your stole for $40. The deadline for orders was March 8th. Once you’ve purchased a stole, the boosters will be helping cover the embroidery costs.
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2ND SEMESTER DONATION PAST DUE
The 2nd semester donation of $150 was due Friday, February 5th. We are unable to continue to afford coaches, music, or end-of-year awards without your donation. This donation is also critical for us to be able to have in-person rehearsals and summer practice. If you need to work out additional fundraisers or a payment plan, please email Mr. Darren Loney, Director of Bands, at darren.loney@abcusd.us. Thank you.
