Band Update:  1-30-2022

Contents:

  • From the Directors – Musical Week and looking ahead to an exciting February!
  • Thank-You and Congratulations to Mr. Wagoner!
  • The Next Two Weeks Ahead:  Week of 1/31 and Week of 2/7
  • Winter Park – an Important Week!
    • Final Payment this Friday 2/4.  How to check balances
    • Roommate Sign-Ups this week.
  • Basketball Pep Bands
  • Second Semester at-a-glance
  • Band Calendar
  • Seniors: Scholarship Opportunity – 2/11 Deadline!
  • Expanding your Musical Horizons!  Lettering, Lessons, Honor Bands!

From the Directors

Hard to believe that February is here this week!   February is a FUN month that kicks off with our BVN Musical – “Grease”!  We hope that most of our Band Program will go support this wonderful production that combines talented students from many different areas at BVN!! The show will be WONDERFUL!!

For the Band, the next couple of weeks are very important preparation weeks, with a little bit lighter schedule of performances (outside of the Musical), and then a flurry of activity to end the month.

February at-a-Glance:

  • This week (week of 1/31):  Musical Week! Winter Park Final Payment.   BBAll Pep Bands on Tuesday and Friday evenings.  Friday is our RIVALRY Bball Game against BVNW!!! This game is always a big crowd, so we want LOTS of kids in the Pep band on Friday!
  • Next Week (week of 2/7): is our calmest week of performances (no performances), but perhaps the most important for our rehearsals.
  • Week of 2/14:  Happy Valentines Day! Bball on Tuesday evening.  Parent-Teacher Conferences, and our Winter Concert on Wednesday 2/16!  Also a Wind Ensemble Rehearsal on Friday morning (no school this day)
  • Week of 2/21:  No School Monday, All-Staters to Wichita Thursday – Saturday, Wind Ensemble Performing at the KMEA State Convention(!!) Friday 2/25 and with the KU Wind Ensemble in Lawrence (!!) on Sunday 2/27.

This will be a fun ride!  STUDENTS – the next couple of weeks of rehearsals should be really enjoyable and productive.  Remember that YOU make a HUGE difference to our groups – any practice and prep you do makes all of us better.  THANK YOU!!!

As we continue to live through the covid era:  please Click Here to read our current Covid Mitigation Procedures for Band.

Musically yours,
Mr. Freeman and Mr. Wagoner

Congratulations Mr. Wagoner!!!

Dear BVN Band Family,

Most of you have already heard the news, but I wanted to make sure you all knew. These past seven years make BVN the place where I’ve spent the majority of my career, and also quickly became a place which felt like home. I am and will always be so thankful for these past seven years! Next fall, I will be taking over the band program at Overland Trail Middle School. This is a position that I am so excited to be taking as it will allow me to continue to be connected to the BVN program and will also allow me to continue positively impacting our North area band program. Thank you all so much for being a part of my life these past years, and I look forward to our continued growth together, albeit in a different capacity!

Go Mustang Bands!
Mr. Wagoner
—-

The Next Two Weeks Ahead in the Band:  1/31 – 2/5 and 2/7-2/12/2022

CLICK HERE for the BVN Bell Schedule and Block Day Rotation

Monday, 1/31:

  • Odd Block Classes.
  • Winter Guard Practice 7 – 9 PM
  • Winter Park:  Roommate Sign-ups Posted!

Tuesday, 2/1

  • Even Block Day with Late Start
  • Basketball Pep Band – BLUE Pep Band for a Doubleheader against BVW
    • 5:oo Call time! We have moved this back to 5:00 for all remaining doubleheader games (except the game this Friday against NW).  Girls tip off at 5:30 and Boys at 7:00
    • GRAY “Road Not Taken” Shirts.

Wednesday, 2/2

  • Odd Block Day
  • Winter Guard Practice 7 – 9 PM
  • NO Wind Ensemble Evening Rehearsal – Musical week is busy enough for many of our students.

Thursday 2/3

  • Even Block Day with Late Start
  • BVN Musical “Grease” – 7 PM.

Friday 2/4

  • Traditional Schedule, all 7 classes meet.
  • Basketball Pep Band – SILVER Pep Band for a Doubleheader against BVNW
    • 4:45 Call time!  Girls tip off at 5:30 and Boys at 7:00
    • The theme of this game is a “Red Out” in support of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. There are $10 red-out t-shirts for sale at lunch all week this week.  Band Students can wear these shirts for the game – OR if our older students still have the red “Reign” Marching Show T-shirt.  If neither – wear the Blue Band Shirt!
    • BLUE BAND STUDENTS – if you can play this game, PLEASE DO!! It will be a packed house and we want a BIG and LOUD Band for this.  Our presence makes a HUGE difference.
  • Winter Park Trip Members – Final Payment Due!  Last day for Roommate Sign-ups.
  • BVN Musical “Grease” – 7 PM

Week of 2/7/2022

Monday, 2/7:

  • Odd Block Classes.
  • Winter Guard Practice 7 – 9 PM

Tuesday, 2/8

  • Even Block Day with Late Start

Wednesday, 2/9

  • Odd Block Day
  • Winter Guard Practice 7 – 9 PM
  • Wind Ensemble Evening Rehearsal, 6:30 – 8 PM

Thursday 2/10

  • Even Block Day with Late Start

Friday 2/11

  • Traditional Schedule, all 7 classes meet.

Winter Park Trip Info

This week (week of 1/31) is a very important one for our trip!  Two big happenings – Roommate Sign-ups and the Final Payment is due!!

Roommate Sign-Ups:

  • Roommate Sign-up lists have been posted, and will be up this full week.  Students can sign up on the lists on the band bulletin board (just across the hall from the Band Room Door)
  • Rooms hold 6:  one Queen sized bed and two sets of bunk beds.  Roommates need to sign up in Groups of 6!  All male/all Female rooms.
  • If you do not have a group of 6, there will be a sign-up for smaller groups.  Please be aware that Mr. Freeman and Mr. Wagoner will have to tetris these groups together, which might mean breaking up some roommate sign-ups.  We will do all we can to make sure you are with whomever you sign-up.
  • Sign-up lists come down at the end of the day on Friday.  Anyone not signed up will get assigned to a room.

Final Payment on Friday 2/4 and How to check balances:

  • The Final Payment for all travelers is due on Friday 2/4.  Please bring checks to the Band Room Blue Box, payable to BVN Band.
    • Student payments are $300 or whatever your balance is to complete the total $750 cost of the trip.
    • Chaperone Payments are $350 or whatever your balance is to complete the total $700 trip cost.  We were able to reduce the trip cost for chaperones to $700, total.
    • All travelers should have received a statement emailed from the Charms system today (Sunday 1/30) showing your balance due.  These balances include fundraising credits as applicable as well as late payment fees where necessary.
  • Several of our travelers have received payments towards their trip due to fundraising efforts (Hen House, Snap Raise, and today’s Mattress Sale)
    • All Hen House and Snap Raise payments can be seen in Charms.
    • We will receive the Mattress Sale Results on Wednesday, and post any credits into CHARMS ASAP after we receive them. If you believe you are getting some funds from the Mattress sale, please check your Charms ledger at the end of the day Thursday.  If we have a delay in the Mattress Sale Results, we will contact you with updates.
  • Please check your email for a trip statement from Charms.  These will be/were emailed out on Sunday evening, 1/30.
  • You can also check your trip balance 24/7:
    • Go to www.charmsoffice.com
    • Upper Right Corner to login – you are a “parent/student/helper”
    • In the “school code”, input BluevalleyNHSBand
    • Students – input you password in the appropriate box.  If you’re not sure, try your school ID # (lunch code).  If you can’t get in, please email Mr. Freeman or Mr. Wagoner and we can reset your login.
    • Chaperones – please input your chaperone ID # into the appropriate box.  Mr. Freeman will email these out.
    • Once in Charms – Click on the “trip statement” wallet icon to see all payments and your balance due.

A BIG BIG BIG BIG THANK YOU to Mrs. Ellis, who has put in a LOT of hours the last few weeks doing remarkable work behind the scenes for our Winter Park Trip!!!!

If you have not Registered online or turned in your rules form, you are now overdue – please complete this ASAP!!!

  • Register online!!! If you have not yet done this, please do it ASAP!! This registration sets up important things such as ski equipment rentals and helps us confirm lodging details.  The deadline has passed to get this done… if you haven’t, get it done NOW!
    • Hard copy instructions distributed in classes 1/18 and 1/19.
    • These contain individual login instructions/passwords for each traveler.

Trip Forms:

Basketball Pep Bands!

Second Semester At-A-Glance

  • February:  BVN Musical  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

Please mark your personal calendars with our Band Events!

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.