QACHS’s Band Blog

From the Band Room – Episode Two – November 6, 2009

In this show we will take a look back at what the band accomplished in October. Brittany and Becca join me once again to bring our coming events. I will share more moments in both Classical Music History as well as Pop Music History. This month our spotlight is on the Freshman Concert Band as they go through one of their last rehearsals for the Veteran’s Day Ceremony that they will play for on November 11th in front of the Queen Anne’ s County Courthouse in downtown Centreville. The final selection also features that Queen Anne’s County Concert Choir as we did a combined rehearsal of the patriotic piece that we will perform together.

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Tuesday – The Jazz Band will begin its rehearsals for the Winter Concert.  Rehearsals will rehearse Tuesdays and Thursdays after school.

Wednesday – The Freshman Concert Band will travel downtown to the Courthouse lawn for the Veteran’s Day Ceremony.  The band will play beginning at 10:45 AM while everyone arives.  They will also perform a patriotic piece with the Concert Choir during the ceremony.  All students are to be dressed in black pants/skirt, white dress shirt/blouse, and black dress shoes.  Students are to report to the band room at the end of 1st period.

Thursday – Jazz Band Rehearsal after school.

Over the past couple of days, we have been handing out the first fundraiser for the year.  This fundraising campaign will be Gianni’s Pizza and Sensationally Sweet Deserts.

1. The purpose of this fundraiser is to raise money for your Student’s Spring Band Trip.  To reach their goal, we encourage everyone to participate.  The profits from the individual student’s sales go directly towards their OWN trip costs!

2. There is a color order form that describes all of the available products.  This should be used for recording all orders.  All money and order sheets are due back by Monday, October 19th.  No tax should be charged on the products.

3. Please make checks payable to QACHS Band Boosters

4. Gianni’s Delivery:
           WHERE:  QACHS Band Room
            WHEN:  Tuesday, October 27th
             PICK-UP:  3:00 PM until 5:00PM

5. VERY IMPORTANT DELIVERY NOTE:
Sellers are responsible for picking up their orders and should take them immediately to the customer or immediately home.  The pizza kits should be refrigerated or frozen.  they can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 10 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Monday – Pops Concert Dress Rehearsal during 4th Perod

Tuesday – 8th Annual Pops Concert, 7:30 PM in the Jon F. Andrews Performing Arts Center.  Students should report to get dressed in tuxes and gowns at 6:45 and ready for warm-up at 7:00.

Friday – Musical Theather Workshop (2nd – 4th Period)

Saturday – William Penn HS Competition at Frawley Stadium in Wilmington, DE.  Frawley Stadium is home to the Wilmington Blue Rocks Baseball team.  The show will start with QA’s performance at 6:00 PM.  Awards will be at 10:45 PM.  Complete details will be posted tomorrow morning.

We have begun a new year and a new edition of the podcasts being produced by the band program at Queen Anne’s County High School.  We are changing the format from the solo hosted show that I did to the new fomat in which students will be involved.  We are also going to add a couple new segments to the show and regularly spotlight one of our various ensembles.  So, check it out at www.qachsband.org/podcasts/Podcast01100209.mp3

As we begin the 5th week of school, we are looking at a very busy week.  Listed below are the various activites of the week:

Wednesday – Performance by the American Spiritual Ensemble during 3rd period.  All performing arts students will be in attendance.

Friday – Varsity Football Game 7:00PM, All students are to report back from dinner to get dressed at 5:45PM.

Saturday – Rehearsal 9AM – ?  Competition at Lake Forest HS, Felton, Delaware 6:00PM.  (I will post the information regarding Saturday’s Schedule as soon as it is made available to me.  We will take a break for lunch during our rehearsal time.  Dinner will need to be purchased at Lake Forest HS.

Many thanks to Michelle Thompson for her help in beginning the process of fitting the Symphonic Band in tuxes and gowns for the upcoming Pops Concert.  We still have students that need to be fitted and any assistance that can be given in this process would be greatly appreciated.  Please e-mail me if interested.

Letter went out this past week reguarding the possibility of traveling to Orlando over Spring Break to participate in the Disney Magic Music Days for our annual spring trip.  So, please keep an eye for that to arrive to your mailbox very soon.

For the past week, we have been busy doing the performance part of the final exam.  This week we will continue those and on Friday begin the written exams.  The Final Exam Schedule will be as follows:

Friday, June 12 – Symphonic Band Exam (students will stay in their first half of the Hybrid)

Monday, June 15 – Periods 1 and 2 (half day, students will be dismissed at 12:45)

Tuesday, June 16 – Periods 3 and Concert Band Exam (half day, students will be dismissed at
12:45)

Wednesday, June 17 – Make-up Exams (half day, students dismissed at 12:00)

The Queen Anne’s County High School Band Group on Facebook is the newest medium in technology for the band program at QACHS. First came the Band Website. Second came the Band Blog. Third was the concession stand Wiki. Fourth was the podcast series “From the Director’s Desk”. Now is the Facebook Group. I hope this will become an active place where everyone past and present can collaborate, stay up to date, and reminisce everything about the band program at QACHS.

Well, we are down to two full weeks and one partial week that is filled with three half days.  But this week will be busy in its own way with performance assessments for the final exam beginning tomorrow and running through next week, and graduation on Thursday.  We will have dress rehearsal on Wednesday morning.  Below is the schedule for Thursday.

Graduation Details

6:00 PM Report

7:00 PM Graduation

9:00 PM Clean-up instruments, chairs, stands, and uniforms.