Band Update:  1-17-2021

Contents:

  • From the Directors – GREAT news! All-State congrats, adjunct faculty.
  • The Week Ahead:  1/17-1/22/22
  • Second Semester at-a-glance
  • Band Calendar Updates
    • Announcing the first ever (first annual) BVN Night of Percussion and Jazz – Wednesday, April 27th
    • Pancake Dinner Moved to be a part of the Night of Percussion and Jazz!
    • April Concert Moved to 4/11
  • Immediate happenings – details:
  • Winter Park Trip Information
    • REGISTER on the Trip Website.
    • CFAR Trip Insurance – time to purchase is now.
    • Roommate Sign-Ups Coming Soon – Time to start thinking about it!
    • Chaperones:  Charms Login info
  • Seniors: Scholarship Opportunity – 2/11 Deadline!
  • Expanding your Musical Horizons!  Lettering, Lessons, Honor Bands!

From the Directors

Away we go!  Our spring semester has started with a flurry of activity in amongst our latest version of covid reality.  I am so incredibly grateful to experience this with a community as wonderful as our band family.  Thank you, and…. take the deep breath before the plunge…  this is going to be a flurry of FUN and WONDERFUL MUSIC!

HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to our ALL-STATE MUSICIANS!!!

  • Michael Chong, Percussion – 1st Chair/Principal Player!!
  • Louis Cierpiot, Percussion
  • Miles Kim, Clarinet
  • Quinn Koffman, Clarinet
  • John Muldoon, Clarinet – 3 Year All Stater, the most possible!!!
  • Harry Wang, Alto Sax – 3 Year All-Stater, the most possible, AND 1st chair/Principal Player!!
  • David Stutz, Euphonium
  • Max Zhang, Clarinet
  • Oliver Zhang, Trumpet – 1st chair/Principal Player!!

The Start of Something AMAZING…. Introducing our BVN Adjunct Instrumental Instructors!! Thanks to a wonderful bit of support from district office, each BV Band Program (by HS attendance area) is getting to add a staff of Adjunct Instructors – high level professional musicians/instrument specialists – to come and teach sectionals and lessons to our students.  This is INCREDIBLE – it will be a huge benefit to all of our current students and a game changer for our full program looking into the future.  Over the next couple of weeks, our students will get to meet our new adjunct faculty:

  • Dr. Gina Hart-Kemper, Flute
  • Ashley White, Clarinet
  • Michael Meier, Trumpet
  • Kurt Vellenga, French Horn
  • Charlie Betzelberger, Percussion (yes, Charlie is/has been our percussion director –  but he is now paid by the district rather than by your dues….. YES!!!)
  • TBA:  Bassoon and Oboe Adjunct Instructors
  • Saxophones will be taught by the esteemed Mr. Wagoner
  • Tuba and Euphonium will be taught by Mr. Freeman

To say we are excited about our semester is an understatement.  This is going to be an incredible few months….. Away we go!!

Musically yours,
Mr. Freeman and Mr. Wagoner

The Week Ahead in the Band:  1/17 – 1/22/2021

CLICK HERE for the BVN Bell Schedule and Block Day Rotation

Monday, 1/17:  No School, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Tuesday, 1/18

Wednesday, 1/19

  • Odd Block Day
  • CONCESSIONS VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for evening BBall Games..  Click here to Sign up!
  • Basketball Pep Band – BLUE Pep Band for the second round of the KA-MO (Kansas-Missouri) Girls Bball Tourney
    • CLICK HERE for the Tournament Bracket.
    • Game time TBD:  Either a 4:45 Call time for a 5:30 Game or a 6:15 Call time for a 7 PM Game.  (6:15 call time is more likely)
    • This Year’s GRAY Road Not Taken T-Shirts
  • Winter Guard Practice 7 – 9 PM
  • Wind Ensemble Evening Rehearsal scheduled for 6:30 – 8 PM is going to be modified.  Details will be covered in class Wednesday morning (we have some conflicts this week and will discuss during 1st hour class on Weds).

Thursday 1/20

  • Even Block Day with Late Start

Friday 1/21

  • Odd Block Day.  Note:  NO traditional schedule day this week.
  • Kansas Sousa Honor Band (for selected students) at KU

Saturday 1/22:

  • Kansas Sousa Honor Band (for selected students) at KU.

Second Semester At-A-Glance

  • January:  Semester Kick-off Meeting (1/13, 6:30 PM).  Pep Bands.  Snap-Raise.  Mattress Sale.
  • February:  BVN Musical.  Pancake Dinner!! (2/4).  Pep Bands.  Band Concert 2/16.  Wind Ensemble to KMEA and Lied Center
  • March:  BVN Area Bands 6-8 Festival Concert.  Jazz Festival. Winter Park Trip!  Potential postseason BBall pep bands (voluntary)
  • April:  Return from Winter Park.  Band Concert 4/11.  Then…. Contest Month!    Solo/Ensemble Festivals (voluntary) and State Large Group Festival (Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble).  BVW Band Festival (Concert Band). Cap it off with the Pancake Dinner and our first ever Night of Percussion and Jazz on Wednesday 4/27.  April…. WOW!
  • May:  Celebration Month!  Band Recognition Dinner (Band Banquet) and Concert on the Lawn 5/11.  Class Day and Graduation Performances.

Band Calendar Updates!

Please mark your personal calendars with these updates!

  • Exciting New Event!  Wednesday, April 27th, our First Ever and First Annual BVN Night of Percussion and Jazz!  This will be an end of the year celebration for our Jazz Ensemble and Percussion Ensembles!  7 PM in the PAC!
  • Pancake Dinner MOVED!  Due to covid considerations, we are delaying our Annual Pancake Dinner.  It will now be a fun kickoff to our Night of Percussion and Jazz!  Wednesday, April 27th, 5 – 7 PM Eat Pancakes.  7 PM enjoy a really FUN concert by our Percussionists and Jazzers!
  • April Concert MOVED to Monday, 4/11.  this is our “Pre-festival” concert where each of our concert bands gives a preview of the contest literature.  It was previously scheduled for Monday 4/4.  We moved it back one week because of proximity to the Winter Park trip (we return from Winter Park on Sunday 4/3).
  • All of these calendar updates can now be seen on our calendar resources:

Immediate Happenings in the Band!

Winter Park Trip – Updates and Reminders:

  • We have a GREAT group of Students and Parent Chaperones on the Trip.  It is going to be FUN!!
  • You have a To-Do!  Register online!!! This registration sets up important things such as ski equipment rentals and helps us confirm lodging details.  ALL travelers must do this by 1/23/2022
    • Hard copy instructions distributed in classes 1/18 and 1/19.
    • These contain individual login instructions/passwords for each traveler.
  • CFAR (Cancel for any reason trip insurance – an optional purchase) – the time to do this is now!
    • Purchase this insurance through “travel insurance center”.  This is the same company that provides the included festival insurance.
    • Our included festival insurance covers us from the moment we depart on the trip.  Should something untoward happen on the trip, we have insurance.
    • The CFAR insurance covers individuals for cancellations/etc that happen before the trip begins.  It is an individual option, and not required.
    • Instructions:
  • Notarized Rules forms:  I know getting notarization has been an epic journey for some.  THANK YOU!  Please submit these as soon as you can get the notarization – we’ll take ’em!
  • Coming soon – ROOMMATE SIGN-UPS!
    • Students will be 6 to a room.  the rooms have one queen size bed and two sets of bunk beds.
    • STUDENTS – start thinking now about forming your rooming groups, and come see Mr. Freeman or Mr. Wagoner with questions.
    • We will have a sign up posted in the next week or two.  It will include a sign up for “partials” – students that may not have a full 6 person room.  Mr. Wagoner and I will tetris the partials together to make full rooms.
  • Chaperones:  you will (soon) get an email from Mr. Freeman with instructions for how to access your chaperone account in charms to check your trip balance.  It’s easy… sorry for the delay on this!
  • CLICK HERE for the Trip Info Packet
  • CLICK HERE for the Trip Rules Form

The Week Ahead in the Band:  1/17 – 1/22/2021

CLICK HERE for the BVN Bell Schedule and Block Day Rotation

Monday, 1/17:  No School, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Tuesday, 1/18

Wednesday, 1/19

  • Odd Block Day
  • CONCESSIONS VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for evening BBall Games..  Click here to Sign up!
  • Basketball Pep Band – BLUE Pep Band for the second round of the KA-MO (Kansas-Missouri) Girls Bball Tourney
    • CLICK HERE for the Tournament Bracket.
    • Game time TBD:  Either a 4:45 Call time for a 5:30 Game or a 6:15 Call time for a 7 PM Game.  (6:15 call time is more likely)
    • This Year’s GRAY Road Not Taken T-Shirts
  • Winter Guard Practice 7 – 9 PM
  • Wind Ensemble Evening Rehearsal scheduled for 6:30 – 8 PM is going to be modified.  Details will be covered in class Wednesday morning (we have some conflicts this week and will discuss during 1st hour class on Weds).

Thursday 1/20

  • Even Block Day with Late Start

Friday 1/21

  • Odd Block Day.  Note:  NO traditional schedule day this week.
  • Kansas Sousa Honor Band (for selected students) at KU

Saturday 1/22:

  • Kansas Sousa Honor Band (for selected students) at KU.

Seniors – Scholarship Opportunity – 2/11/22 Deadline!

Each year, the Blue Valley Ed Foundation gives one “Kerry Layton Memorial Scholarship”, awarded to one outstanding senior in Band from across the BV School District.  It’s a straightforward application… all seniors should go for it!  CLICK HERE for the application and info.

Expanding your Musical Horizons!

During the School year, there will be many AMAZING opportunities to make music outside the walls of BVN. Honor Bands, Private Lessons, and much more can and will be highlights of your year, and memories that will last forever.

PRIVATE LESSONS are HIGHLY recommended!  Private lessons help students unlock skills and work on specific techniques that will greatly enhance their playing!  Students who wish to be in the BVN Wind Ensemble, or who want to go for honor bands, take solos to festivals, etc should seriously consider private lessons.  We are lucky to have many AMAZING private instructors in the area – just email Mr. Freeman or Mr. Wagoner for suggestions.

Fountain City Youth Brass Band – an incomparably awesome opportunity!!

The Fountain City Youth Brass Bands are INCREDIBLE.  A premiere organization – one of the best anywhere – and a phenomenal experience for brass and percussion students.  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!! Click here for more info.

Honor Bands

The First honor band experience will be auditions for the ECKMEA District Honor Bands (all band students are eligible), and the Kansas Sousa Honor Band (for 9th Graders).  These are FANTASTIC experiences and well worth the effort to audition.  HIGHLY recommended for all students.

Please find all details of these and much more on our Extra Musical Experiences Webpage.
Audition Materials can be found on the Student Resources Login Page of the website.  Students should know the password.

LETTERING IN BAND

Students can earn a varsity letter in band, just like in any sport.  Letters are awarded to students who go above and beyond what it takes to earn the band grade.  Volunteering for pep bands, serving as a member of leadership, taking private lessons, participating in FCYBB and/or the KC Youth Symphony, performing at church, and on and on… all of these and much more can qualify for lettering points.  CLICK HERE for lettering details. 

First year letter winners receive the Chenille Letter Award, and 2nd/3rd/4th year winners get pins to add to the letter.