Band Update – Beginning of Spring Semester REMINDERS

Happy New Year to Everyone! It’s a busy week in the Freeman household, so I don’t have a full band update ready to go, yet… one is coming. I hope everyone is doing well!

Until I can get a full/new update put together, a few reminders to pass along to get our semester jump started:

Basketball Pep Bands:
- CALL TIME UPDATE!!
- 1st two weeks back are busy: Games Thursday 1/5, Tuesday 1/10, and Friday 1/13.
Spain Trip Enrollment forms and Deposit Due Tuesday 1/10
All-State Auditions on January 7th – Details for the day.
Wind Ensemble Schedule info:
- BV Performing Arts Day Performance – Wednesday 1/11
- Wind Ensemble Camp – 1/21/23.
- Reminder of Wind Ensemble performances added: 1/11/23 and 3/8/23
Band Spring Calendar
Cliffs Note Version of what’s ahead in the Spring Semester
Important communications note for EVERYONE – The shift to Booster Hub!
Honor Bands (for all students) and Senior Scholarship Opportunity

I hope all of you enjoyed a wonderful break spending lots of time with family and loved ones.

Musically Yours,
Mr. Freeman

Basketball Pep Bands, January – February

CALL TIME UPDATE: after our first game in December, we are making the following update to student call times
- On double-header nights only (when both boys and girls play), The band that comes in later… Call times are updated as follows:
- by 6:30 – be in the band room – get ready and do a quick warm-up on your personal instrument. by 6:40 – be in the bleachers and join in the other band that is already performing.
- This moves the call times 15 minutes later than previously stated. This will fit the flow of the evening better/be better for everyone’s schedule.
1st two weeks of January have three game nights:
- Thursday
CLICK HERE for the complete Basketball Pep Band Info
WELL DONE to our Students for the first pep band on 12/16.

Spain Trip Enrollment Forms/Deposit Due 1/10

Planning to go to Spain?!? Reminder that your completed trip commitment form and deposit are due Tuesday 1/10
Click here for the complete Spain Trip Info Pack
PARENTS: interested in chaperoning? Please email Mr. Freeman to indicate your interest by Tuesday 1/10! (If you emailed me over break, I will send a confirming reply in the next couple of days – haven’t cleared the backlog of over-break emails, yet… will do soon!).

All-State Auditions, Saturday 1/7/2023 (inclement weather fall back date 1/14).

For eligible students (anyone who performed with our District Honor Bands)
CLICK HERE for COMPLETE DETAILS of the Day
Summary: Meet at BVN at 5:15 AM, travel to Salina, audition, and return. Estimated return to BVN of late afternoon/early evening. Bring cash for lunch ($10-ish)

BVN Band Calendar UPDATES for the Spring

Calendar Notes for WIND ENSEMBLE:

Wind Ensemble to Perform at the Blue Valley School District Performing Arts Day on January 11, 2023. This is a during the school day performance – students will be dismissed from classes. We will perform for elementary students from across the whole BV district at the Hilltop Campus. It will be a really fun day! Full details will be distributed after break.
Wind Ensemble Camp 1/21/2023. For Wind Ensemble Members, 8:30 AM – 2:30 PM. A time to work with professionals and prep for some incredible performances.
Wind Ensemble to Perform at the UMKC Conservatory/Music For All Concert Festival on Wednesday, 3/8/2023!
- We have received a very prestigious invitation to perform at this festival, along side some incredible band programs from across the region and country. The festival is hosted by UMKC and sponsored by Music For All, an amazing organization that presents and sponsors these regional festivals across the country.
- We’ll listen to other groups, give our own performance, and receive clinics from world class educators and clinicians.
- This is an incredible opportunity that has been in the works for a couple of months… we finally received confirmation during the week of 12/12, and I am really excited to have accepted this invitation!!!
- Full Details are forthcoming. Our performance will be in the evening on 3/8/2023. Mark you calendars for this very special performance

Spring Semester in the Bands, Cliffs Notes Version:

January – Pep Bands, All-State Auditions, BV Performing Arts Day, Wind Ensemble Camp. Spain Trip enrollments due 1/10.
February – Pep Bands, BVN Musical!, February Band Concert on 2/15, and KMEA State Convention for all-state performers.
March – BVN Area 6th-12th band festival concert, Wind Ensemble at the UMKC/MFA Festival, Post-Season Pep Bands.
April – BIG month
- Festival Month! Solo and Ensemble Festivals, State Large Group Festival, and pre-festival concert (4/10) and clinics.
- Pancake Dinner and Night of Jazz and Percussion on 4/26!!
May – the culmination month – a truly special time. BVN Bands Concert on the Lawn/Recognition Dinner on 5/17. Graduation performance on 5/20.
Spain Trip: Follow the payment schedule! Likely a rules/details meeting at some point. Fundraisers!! This spring is the work time towards this wonderful trip!
TBA: Preparation for 23-24. Drum Major Auditions and Leadership Application Process. Summer rehearsals and Band Camp Schedule. All info coming early in the Spring Semester!

The Shift to Booster Hub!

We are beginning the switch to using Booster hub as our primary organizational platform for our Band Program.
What does this mean to you?
- In the immediate future: you will receive band communications through both Charms and Boosterhub. Sometime in January, we will shift ENTIRELY to Booster Hub…
- Once the Spain trip planning gets rolling full speed ahead, Boosterhub will serve as our primary trip planning platform.
The immediate TO-DO: Please make sure you accept the Booster Hub Invite, and make sure that emails from Booster Hub are getting through to your email/on your safe senders list/etc.
More to come… Booster hub is a phenomenal web-based organizational platform designed for school groups like our Mustang Band Boosters, and is going to streamline and enhance our operations in many, many ways.

Honor Band Opportunities!

Now that we have passed District Honor Band and Sousa Auditions, a new round of extra honor band opportunities is here! These are WONDERFUL experiences in which our students will work with collegiate performers and professors, as well as other wonderful band students from all over the region. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

The best one is KU’s Prairie Wind Festival! (Click link for all info and to register) It is a great combination of high level music making and phenomenal people. February 3rd-4th

William Jewell College in the Northlands hosts a spectacular “Windfest”! This is a director nominated honor band event that will happen Saturday, March 11th, and Sunday, March 12th. Please let Mr. Freeman or Mr. McCarty know if you are interested!

K-State’s Concert Band Clinic, January 20-22, is a very fun experience! This one is unique… it’s usually really BIG Bands and usually involves students from the smallest through the biggest schools in the state of Kansas. It is a director recommended event – please talk with Mr. Freeman or Mr. McCarty if you are interested

These events are like mini summer band-camps. You’ll build connections/make friendships that will last a lifetime, and make GREAT music with wonderful musicians.

Seniors – Apply for the Kerry Layton Scholarship

The Kerry Layton Memorial Scholarship is an award given to one Blue Valley School District Senior who has participated in Band throughout their High School Life. It is provided by the Blue Valley Education Foundation, and BVN has had more winners than all of the other BV schools combined… In the 10 years the award has been given, I believe we’ve had 6 recipients.

The Application is very straightforward: complete a simple form, submit a resume, and write a paragraph explaining how music has impacted your life. Applications due February 10th, 2023.

Kerry Layton Memorial Scholarship online application: https://bluevalleyeducationalfoundation.formstack.com/forms/layton_memorial_scholarship_2023