GREAT IMPROVEMENT THIS PAST WEEK. JV GUARD, VARSITY GUARD, AND INDOOR PERCUSSION HAD OUTSTANDING 1st PERFORMANCES THIS PAST SATURDAY! THANK YOU TO all the parents WHO HELPED WITH EQUIPMENT AND TRANSPORTATION on saturday. WE’VE GOT A BIG REHEARSAL WEEK WITH SAX-Y GRAMS ON WEDNESDAY AND THE ABCUSD HONOR BAND CONCERT ON THURSDAY AT 7:00PM AT WHITNEY HS!

HONOR BAND CONCERT THIS THURSDAY 2/15 – Please join us for the ABCUSD Middle & High School Honor Band Concert this Thursday, February 15th at 7:00PM in the Whitney HS Auditorium! Enjoy some fantastic music performed by the top musicians in the district. Admission is free – but seating is limited! Please come and support our wonderful student musicians.

STUDENTS: Our final rehearsal with Dr. Cross is this Tuesday 2/13 from 6:00-8:30PM at Whitney HS. Make sure to continue to practice and have your ALL BLACK CONCERT ATTIRE ready to go for Thursday’s concert. Call time on Thursday is 5:15PM to set up and be ready for a 5:30PM sound check on stage.

SAX-Y GRAM SALES EXTENDED THROUGH TUESDAY – We’re EXTENDING 💕 SAX-Y GRAM SALES through TUESDAY 2/13! Show that special someone how much you love them (or just embarrass them) with a serenade by our sax-y saxophones 🎷 and a beautiful rose 🌹 for just $10. SAX-Y GRAMS will be delivered live, in-person during school on Valentine’s Day, Wednesday 2/14.

We will have in-person sales tomorrow at lunch and after school. 💘 You can also buy SAX-Y GRAMS online! 📲 As long as you know the full name of the student, you do not need to fill in their ID number or class schedule. THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO GET A SAX-Y GRAM AND MAKE SOMEONE’S DAY SPECIAL!!!

http://tinyurl.com/saxygram

STUDENTS: If you are a Sax-y Grams helper or saxophonist, please make sure you’ve turned in the field trip form to be excused on Wednesday to participate in the Sax-y Grams. If you’re a helper, please dress nicely and wear Valentine’s colors (pinks, reds). If you’re a saxophonist, keep practicing so you have it really solid and memorized, and make sure you wear “Sergio Sax-man Flores” attire. We need EVERYONE helping TOMORROW at break, lunch, and after school to see Sax-y Grams!!

BAND PRACTICE THIS WEEK – There is no Wind Ensemble or Concert Band rehearsal again this week due to Honor Band rehearsal and the Honor Band concert; however, you will need to have a 1-hour sectional or individual practice in the Band Room either TUESDAY or WEDNESDAY after school (your choice). Please check in and out with Mr. Loney or Mr. Miller to receive credit. Thank you.

VARSITY GUARD SAN DIEGO TRIP 2/24-25!

The Varsity Winter Guard will be participating in the WGI Regional Winter Guard competition held at Del Norte High School in San Diego on February 24-25th. This event draws the best Winter Guards from throughout the area and gives our students the opportunity to not only compete against these top guards, but also to watch some of the best groups in the nation competing in the world division. Please make sure you’ve turned in this permission form to Mr. Loney or Mr. Miller.

This is an overnight trip and will cost $150 per student — DUE AND PAID IN FULL BY THIS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16TH. We accept cash, checks made payable to “Gahr Band Boosters,” or click here to pay online. This covers lodging for one night, as well as meals throughout the weekend. Students are still welcome to bring additional money for food and snacks at 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. 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.

We are asking for all students to carpool with the same students that will be in their hotel room – one room per vehicle if possible. 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).

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 student needs to be current on their Winter Guard donations to participate in this trip. PLEASE NOTE: The cost of this trip is in addition to the Winter Guard donations.

We’re looking forward to a fun-filled and rewarding trip!

WGASC PARENT COMMITTEE MEETING 2/21 – The Gahr Instrumental Music Program will be hosting our first-ever WGASC Winter Guard competition on Sunday, April 7th in the Gahr HS Gym! This is a huge undertaking and we will need all hands on deck – not just color guard – to make this a success! Please join us for our first WGASC Committee Meeting next Wednesday, February 21st at 6:30PM in the staff lounge (connected to the Band Room). We would love to see all of our guard parents in attendance, as well as band parents too!! This event only works if everyone volunteers and helps out, similar to the Gahr Invitational Field Tournament. See you there!

MAYFAIR JAZZ FESTIVAL NEXT FRIDAY 2/23 – Jazz A AND Jazz B will be performing in the Mayfair Jazz Festival next Friday, February 23rd! Students will need to be excused for 6th period to have time to change, load, and travel to Mayfair High School. Bring $15-20 for concessions to eat for dinner at the festival. The festival is FREE and open to family and friends!

Bring $15-20 for dinner and your jazz attire – long black socks, dress shoes, tie, etc.
2:25PM Jazz A and B report to Band Room 6th Period
2:30PM Change ASAP, load equipment under bus
3:00PM Depart for Mayfair HS – 6000 Woodruff Ave, Lakewood, CA 90713
3:30PM Arrive and unload
4:00PM Start warming up
4:30PM Jazz B – Warm up time
5:00PM Jazz B – Performance / Clinic in MPB (Jazz A watches)
5:30PM Jazz B – Put away equipment, eat, and watch other bands
6:30PM Jazz A – Warm up time
7:00PM Jazz A – Performance / Clinic in MPB (Jazz B watches)
7:30PM Jazz A – Put away equipment, eat, and watch other bands
9:00PM Watch Long Beach City College
9:35PM Awards!
10:00PM Depart for Gahr HS
10:30PM Unload ASAP / Dismissal

3RD DRUMLINE & GUARD DONATION – The 3rd donation for Indoor Percussion is due Wednesday 3/6 and the 3rd donation for Winter Guard is due Thursday 3/7. This is critical so we are able to pay for instructors, costumes, and production costs. STUDENTS MUST BE CAUGHT UP WITH OUTSTANDING DONATIONS TO RECEIVE THEIR COSTUME. We accept cash, checks made payable to “Gahr Band Boosters,” or you can click here to pay online with a credit card.

DATE CHANGES: The Gahr Area Concert has been moved one week earlier to Wednesday, May 8th at 6:30PM in the Gahr High School Gym. Our End-of-Year Awards Banquet has been moved to Thursday evening, May 16th at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts.

UPCOMING EVENTS

2/13 SAX-Y GRAMS EXTENDED DEADLINE & Honor Band Rehearsal 6:00-8:30PM at Whitney HS
2/14 Sax-y Grams Delivery!
2/15 ABCUSD Honor Band Concert at 7:00PM at Whitney HS
2/16 Varsity Guard $150 for San Diego Due & STEAM Event in Gym
2/17 Indoor Percussion Camp 10AM-5PM
2/19 Indoor Percussion Rehearsal 9AM-1PM
2/21 WGASC Committee Meeting at 6:30PM – All parents encouraged to attend
2/23 Jazz A and B @ Mayfair Jazz Festival!
2/24-25 Varsity Guard @ WGI San Diego Regional
3/2 Wind Ensemble at CSUF Festival of Winds and JV Guard at WGASC OC Show
3/2-3 Varsity Guard @ WGI Manhattan Beach Regional
3/3 Indoor Percussion @ SCPA Monrovia

THIS WEEK:

MONDAY 2/12
NO SCHOOL
9:00AM-4:00PM Indoor Percussion Camp (bring $5 for lunch)
12:00-4:00PM Sax-y Grams prep

TUESDAY 2/13
LAST DAY TO BUY A SAX-Y GRAM
SAX-Y GRAMS & STEAM FIELD TRIP FORMS DUE
7:17AM Jazz A and B zero period
6th-5:00PM JV Guard rehearsal
5:00-9:00PM Varsity Guard rehearsal
6:00-8:30PM Honor Band rehearsal at Whitney HS

WEDNESDAY 2/14
SAX-Y GRAMS DELIVERY!
6:00-9:00PM Indoor Percussion rehearsal

THURSDAY 2/15
7:17AM Jazz A and B zero period
6th-5:00PM JV Guard rehearsal
5:00-9:00PM Varsity Guard rehearsal
TAKE YOUR INSTRUMENT AND MUSIC WITH YOU AFTER SCHOOL.
5:15PM Honor Band call time at Whitney HS
5:30PM Honor Band sound check on stage
7:00PM ABCUSD Honor Band Concert at Whitney HS!

FRIDAY 2/16
VARSITY GUARD $150 DUE FOR WGI SAN DIEGO
No Jazz A and B zero period
STEAM Day at Gahr!
TAKE YOUR INSTRUMENT AND MUSIC HOME FOR THE WEEKEND.
3:30-5:30PM Jazz A and B rehearsal

SATURDAY 2/17
10:00AM-5:00PM Indoor Percussion Camp (bring $5 for lunch)

MONDAY 2/19
NO SCHOOL
9:00AM-1:00PM Indoor Percussion Rehearsal