Band Update: 5-2-2022

Contents:

  • From the Directors
    • CONGRATULATIONS State Solo and Ensemble!  AMAZING Night of Jazz and Percussion/Pancake Dinner!
    • Congratulations 22-23 BVN Color Guard!
    • May in the Band:  Concert on the Lawn, Graduation, Drumline Auditions, Marching Mustangs Mini-Camp
    • 4th quarter in the BVN Band
  • Concert on the Lawn and Recognition Dinner – May 11th!
  • The Next Two Weeks Ahead:  5/2-5/6/22 and 5/9-5/13/22
  • Summer Camps
  • BVN Band Calendar
  • Expanding your Musical Horizons!  Lettering, Lessons, Honor Bands!

From the Directors

What an AMAZING time in the band!

HUUUGE Congratulations to our State Solo and Ensemble Performers, who gave FANTASTIC performances this past weekend:

  • Hyesoo Song, Timpani Solo – I
  • Hannah Kwak, Flute Solo – II
  • Ryan Danda, Snare Solo – II
  • Emily Nelson, Flute Solo – I
  • Nash Rosado, Vibraphone Solo – II
  • Oliver Zhang, Trumpet Solo – I
  • Evan Lynam, Tuba Solo – II
  • Michael Chong, Snare Drum Solo – II
  • Trumpet Quartet: Matt Akridge, Nathan Condon, Max Zhang, Oliver Zhang – I
  • Clarinet Choir: Audrey Beckman, Jessica Bishop, Madi Bishop, Muhammed Daud, Miles Kim, Sumi Kotipalli, Sindhura Marella, Megan Meyer, John Muldoon, Landon Nelson, Brent Pitts, Dakota Raper, Leah Santos, William Snider, Reece Toben, Max Zhang – I
  • Hannah Chong, Flute Solo – II
  • Miles Kim, Clarinet Solo – I
  • Nathaniel Beckman, Marimba Solo – II
  • Max Zhang, Trumpet Solo – I
  • John Muldoon, Clarinet Solo – I
  • Sax Quartet: Ella Davis, Alli DeBaun, Jacob Schneller, Triston Schelstrate – I
  • Junie Ko, Alto Saxophone Solo – I

PHENOMENAL Performances!!! We are SO Proud!!

An AWESOME 1st Annual Night of Jazz and Percussion, an Incredible Return of the Pancake Dinner and Silent Auction!!  We started a new tradition:  The “Night of Jazz and Percussion” Concert was AMAZING!  Our Percussionists and Jazz Ensemble gave an engaging, enjoyable, and high quality performance.  And the Pancake Dinner was FANTASTIC – netting over $2000 of support for our Band and Orchestra Programs, with the Silent Auction bringing in just over $1500 worth of support for our Doc Roberts Scholarship Fund.  HUGE thanks to Mrs. Nix and Mrs. Nichols for coordinating the dinner and auction (respectively), and to a huge team of volunteers who made it happen.  This was a truly wonderful evening for our Band Program!!

And it keeps going…. BIG Congrats to our 2022-2023 BVN Color Guard (click for roster), after an outstanding clinic/audition week!  (Apologies to new member Noemi N for the misspelling on this announcement… it has been corrected for future publications.)

May will FLY by.  Concert on the Lawn and Graduation are two of our biggest performances of the year.  We also look ahead to next year with Drumline Auditions and our Marching Mustangs Mini Camp at the end of the month.  Please read, print and hang on your fridge (if you haven’t already), this updated summary of the Fourth Quarter in the BVN Band.  Details for all events will come out in the Band Update a couple of weeks in front.

We’re right in the thick of the “push” to the end of the year.  The students are handling this with poise and fantastic performances.  With each event that passes, I have more fun and am more proud of the students.  Thanks, as always, for your careful reading of the update and support of all things BAND!

Musically yours,
Mr. Freeman and Mr. Wagoner

BVN Band Annual Concert on the Lawn and Recognition Dinner!

Wednesday, May 11th is our annual Concert on the Lawn and Recognition Dinner.  We are SO excited for this event to fully return this year.  It is one of our nicest and most enjoyable evenings of the year.  Here is the flow of the evening:

  • Wednesday, May 11th, 2022
  • 5:00 – 6:00 PM:  Dinner in the BVN Commons.
    • Quick replies! – Please print, complete, and submit THIS COTL MEAL ORDER FORM, along with payment, by the end of the school day this Friday 5/6.
  • 6:00-6:30:  Band Awards Ceremony in the Commons
  • 6:30 – 8:00 PM:  Concert on the Lawn.  Weather permitting, it is an outdoor concert, on the green space just outside of the band room.  Bring your camping/lawn chairs or picnic blankets, and claim a spot in our nice green space, to enjoy performances by Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Wind Ensemble, as well as our traditional senior send-off at the end of the concert.  If it rains, we’ll move inside to the PAC.

The evening begins with our Recognition Dinner and Band Awards.  This is a very special moment each year in the band, as we recognize a wonderful year and our amazing senior class.  All Band Students and Band Families are invited, and all Senior Band Members eat free.  This year’s dinner is catered by one of our very own – Mrs. Mieczkowski (mother of Ben Mieczkowski, Freshman Saxophone) is a professional caterer and will be catering our dinner.  It will be WONDERFUL!  Desserts are her specialty… I can’t wait for those… yum!   Meals cost $15 for everyone who is not a band senior.  This is not a fundraising event – the cost of the meal covers our expenses for the evening and the seniors’ dinners.

PERFORMANCE ATTIRE for Students is a little bit different for Concert on the Lawn.  Take the formality level of your Concert Black look… and make it all colors!

  • All Non Seniors:  Attire is Concert “All-Colors” Attire:  No Jeans/Tennis shoes/holy pants/etc. Collared dress shirts/ties level of formality, with an emphasis on modesty – make it colorful if you can!   This will also be your attire for the Graduation Peroformance.
  • SENIORS:  This is your night – Dress to the Nines!  Prom Dresses/Tuxes/Etc.   Go for it!!

The Next Two Weeks Ahead in the Band: 5/2-5/6/22 and 5/9 – 5/13/22

CLICK HERE for the BVN Bell Schedule and Block Day Rotation

5/2-5/7/22

Monday, 5/2

  • Odd Block Day
  • AP Testing.
  • Drumline Auditions Clinic #1:  6 – 7:30 in the Band Room

Tuesday, 5/3

  • Even Block Day with Late Start
  • AP Testing
  • AST Rehearsal:  Symphonic Band Clarinets, Saxes, and Tubas Combined With all of Wind Ensemble and All Senior Band Members.

Wednesday, 5/4:

  • Odd Block Day
  • AP Testing

Thursday 5/5:

  • Even Block Day with Late Start
  • AP Testing

Friday 5/6:

5/9-5/13/22

Monday, 5/9

  • Odd Block Day
  • AP Testing.
  • Drumline Auditions Clinic #2:  6 – 7:30 in the Band Room

Tuesday, 5/10

  • Even Block Day with Late Start
  • AP Testing

Wednesday, 5/11:

  • Odd Block Day
  • AP Testing
  • BVN Bands Annual Concert on the Lawn and Recognition Dinner!
    • 5:00 – 6:00 PM:  Dinner in the BVN Commons.
    • 6:00-6:30:  Band Awards Ceremony in the Commons
    • 6:30 – 8:00 PM:  Concert on the Lawn.  Weather permitting, it is an outdoor concert, on the green space just outside of the band room.  Bring your camping/lawn chairs or picnic blankets, and claim a spot in our nice green space, to enjoy performances by Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Wind Ensemble, as well as our traditional senior send-off at the end of the concert.  If it rains, we’ll move inside to the PAC.
    • Students:  Read info above for Concert Attire!

Thursday 5/12:

  • Even Block Day with Late Start
  • AP Testing

Friday 5/13:

  • Funky Schedule Day!  Adjusted EVEN BLOCK Schedule, NO Late Start, YES North Time.  Senior Celebration and Yearbook Distro.
    • 2nd Hour: 7:4 0 – 9:23
    • 4th Hour:  9:28-11:11
    • North Time: 11:16 – 12:06
    • 6th Hour: 12:11-1:54
    • Yearkbook Distribution:  1:59-2:55
  • AP Testing

SUMMER CAMPS!!

Summer music camps are AMAZING Experiences, and highly recommended for any student who wants to expand their musical horizons.  At these camps, you’ll join students with similar interests and passion for music from across the country!  You will make lifelong friendships and see marked improvements in your musical skills… and the camps are FUN!

A non-exhaustive, but fairly thorough list of camps to consider:

NATIONAL CAMPS

  • HIGHLY Recommended:  the MFA Summer Symposium at Ball State University.  This one is INCREDIBLE.
    • It includes Marching Band, Color Guard, Percussion, Drum Major, and Music production tracks, as well as a weekend leadership academy.
    • https://camp.musicforall.org/
  • Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp
  • Interlochen Summer Arts Camp
  • Note:  Blue Lake and Interlochen are a couple of the best in the world, but are full summer commitments with pretty strict admission requirements.

KANSAS & MISSOURI CAMPS

MIDWESTERN U.S. CAMPS
UARK Music Camp https://cms.uark.edu/

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.