Band Update: 4-3-2022

Contents:

  • From the Directors
    • WONDERFUL WINTER PARK!!!
    • Congratulations Oliver Zhang – 1st place in the National Trumpet Contest!!
    • A Busy Week Ahead:
      • Wednesday AM – Wind Ensemble.  Thursday AM – Symphonic Band
      • Drum Major Auditions – Volunteer Band Thursday Afternoon
      • Solo and Ensemble Festival on Saturday
      • Solo and Ensemble Festival April 9 – Volunteers Needed!
    • 4th quarter in the BVN Band
    • Seniors:  Please complete the Bio form for our Concert on the Lawn Program
  • The Week Ahead:  4/4-4/9/2022
    • Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band Performances, Leadership Applications Due/DM Auditions, and Solo/Ensemble.
  • BVN Band Pancake Dinner and Silent Auction.  Time to get to work!
    • SAVE THE DATE – Wednesday, April 27th, 5-7 PM Pancake Dinner/Silent Auction, then 7 PM Jazz and Percussion Extravaganza Concert!
    • Silent Auction is in Support of our Dr. Roberts Memorial Scholarship Fund
    • Pancake Dinner FUNdraiser for support of ALL THINGS BAND. – VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
  • BVN Band Calendar
  • Expanding your Musical Horizons!  Lettering, Lessons, Honor Bands!

From the Directors

Wonderful Winter Park!!!!  I write this Update as we ride the bus back from Colorado, and an AMAZING trip!!  GREAT performances, a TON of fun on the slopes, and so many wonderful memories!!

  • CONGRATULATIONS WINTER GUARD – Superior Rating and Best in Class Award!!
  • CONGRATULATIONS JAZZ BAND – Outstanding Rating and Best in Class Award!!
  • CONGRATULATIONS COMBINED SYMPHONIC/CONCERT BAND:  Outstanding Rating and Best in Class Award!!
  • CONGRATULATIONS WIND ENSEMBLE:  Superior Rating and a wonderful performance!!

Also – a HUGE HUGE Thank you to our ROCK STAR Parent Chaperones, who took incredible care of every student on the trip, as well as Mr. Wagoner, Mrs. Sipes, and I!!!  I’d travel with every single one of them, anytime, anywhere.  Finally – it can’t be said enough:  THANK YOU MRS. ELLIS!! Without Heather Ellis, this incredible experience for our students simply doesn’t happen. This was a great trip!  It will definitely be on the short list for future travel options.  Hooray!!

And the Congrats Continue… this is truly incredible – CONGRATULATIONS to BVN Band Junior OLIVER ZHANG!!! This past weekend, Oliver performed in the International Trumpet Guild’s National Trumpet Competition, High School Level…. and – Oliver earned 1st place in the country!!!!  This ranks Oliver amongst the strongest high school trumpet performers in the country – a truly remarkable accomplishment.  Congratulations Oliver!!!

This next week ahead is one of our busiest for the rest of the year.  Make sure to read all of the details about:

April and May are Busy and FLY by – Please read, print and hang on your fridge (if you haven’t already), this summary of the Fourth Quarter in the BVN Band.  It’s going to be awesome!

Band and Color Guard Seniors: if you have not yet completed THIS FORM  – stop what you are doing and complete it RIGHT NOW!  We need to get this info into our concert on the lawn program.

Volunteers Needed!  For Solo and Ensemble Festival on Saturday, April 9th, at Olathe South HS.  This festival is HUGE – OS does a phenomenal job hosting it, but there is no way that one school can provide enough volunteers.  All schools that participate are asked to help provide volunteer staffing.   Both students and parents can help.  CLICK HERE to sign up.

We’re right in the thick of the “push” to the end of the year.  We CAN and WILL do it – together!! Thanks, as always, for your careful reading and support of the Band!

Musically yours,
Mr. Freeman and Mr. Wagoner

The Week Ahead in the Band: 4/4-4/2022

CLICK HERE for the BVN Bell Schedule and Block Day Rotation

4/4 – 4/9/2022

Monday, 4/4

  • Odd Block Day
  • Winter Park Travelers (especially 1st hour Wind Ensemble):  I know we have just gotten back…. but come in ready to ROCK in rehearsals today!!  This is a critical rehearsal day.

Tuesday, 4/5

Wednesday, 4/6:

  • Odd Block Day – Begin Pancake Dinner Ticket Sales.
  • WIND ENSEMBLE Pre-Festival Performance for the other BV High School Wind Ensembles, @BVSW
    • 6 AM Load Bus and Depart
    • 6:30:  Warm-up at BVSW
    • 7 AM Performances.  BVNW – BVH – BVW – BVN – BVSW
    • Return to BVN at the end of 1st block
    • Wear nice jeans and the BVN Band 1/4 Zip.
  • Percussion Rehearsal 6 – 8:30 PM

Thursday 4/7:

  • Even Block Day with Late Start
  • SYMPHONIC BAND Pre-Festival Performance for the other BV High School Symphonic Bands, @BVSW
    • 6 AM Load Bus and Depart
    • 6:30:  Warm-up at BVSW
    • 7 AM Performances.  BVNW – BVH – BVW – BVN – BVSW
    • Return to BVN during 2nd block.
    • Wear nice jeans and the BVN Band 1/4 Zip.
  • Clarinet Choir Rehearsal During AST
  • DRUM MAJOR AUDITIONS after school
    • 3:30 – 5 PM in the BVN Band Room
    • All Applicants for 22-23 BVN Band Drum Majors and Junior Student Directors will complete a live audition.
    • VOLUNTEERS NEEDED – CLICK HERE:  Any/ALL Band Students to perform for the DM candidates as they audition – including color guard members!  All volunteers will be eligible to vote for next year’s DM’s.

Friday 4/8

  • TRADITIONAL schedule with North Time

Saturday 4/9:

The week of 4/11 features the State Large Group Festival performances for Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band.  Performance schedule and details coming soon!

Winter Park Trip

A HUUUUGE Thanks to our Trip Coordinator, Mrs. Ellis, who has done phenomenal work over the last few weeks, and will continue to do so.

BVN Band Pancake Dinner and Silent Auction – let’s get started!

  • SAVE THE DATE – Wednesday, April 27th, 5-7 PM Pancake Dinner/Silent Auction, then 7 PM Jazz and Percussion Extravaganza Concert!
  • Silent Auction is in Support of our Dr. Roberts Memorial Scholarship Fund – helping us to preserve this scholarship for perpetuity, which is awarded to 1-3 BVN Band Seniors each year.
  • Pancake Dinner FUNdraiser for support of ALL THINGS BAND.  This really is a very FUN event!!!
    • VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
    • Ticket Pre-Sales will be April 6-20
    • Tickets are $7 in advance and $8 at the door.  Any tickets purchased after pre-sales end should be “at the door”

Silent Auction Donations Needed – Support our Wonderful Senior Scholarship in Memory of Dr. Marion K. Roberts

Don’t miss the silent auction at this year’s BVN band pancake dinner on April 27th.  Funds from the auction will go to support the Senior Student Scholarship. If you or your company has an item(s) you would like to donate, please either place items in the “Silent Auction” donation box in the band room at BVN or contact Paula Nichols at [email protected] , topic BVN BAND, by April 20th and she can arrange to pick them up. In addition to donating items, you can donate expertise, service, gift cards, or dollars.  Checks can be made payable to BVN Band. Alternatively, funds can be donated directly via Venmo to @Mark-Nichols-49. The last four digits of Marks phone number is 5266.  Use the topic “Band Donation”.

Applications for 2022-2023 BVN Band Leadership

  • CLICK HERE for the Application Packet and all info
  • CLICK HERE for the Drum Major/Junior Student Director Agreement form
  • Timeline:
    • Page 1 of the Application Packet due to the Blue Box by Wednesday, March 30th, at 3:30 PM.  This is a quick turnaround – but this page is very simple to complete, and it gives the director’s the info needed to organize auditions.
    • All Essays, Videos, and the DM/JSD Agreement form are due to Mr. Freeman by 3:30 PM on Tuesday, April 5th
    • Thursday, April 7th, 3:30 – 5:00:  Live Auditions for DM/JSD Candidates.  VOLUNTEERS Needed to perform for the auditioners.
    • Friday, April 8th:  Leadership List Posted
  • On Tuesday and Thursday April 12th and 14th, we will take a small group of 22-23 Student leaders to visit our 8th grade bands at LMS and OTMS.  Details will be communicated directly to those students after April 8th.

BVN BAND CALENDAR

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.