End of Year Banquet for Middle School Band

End of Year Banquet for Middle School Band

Monday May 15, 2017 at 6pm

SOA Cafeteria

It has been a wonderful year for the SOA MS Band; and to celebrate, we will hold an end of the year banquet

for all band students and their families in the SOA Cafeteria on Monday May 15th at 6pm.  

This year's dinner will be a potluck

We are asking 6th grade families to bring a meat or pasta dish (lasagna, fried chicken,etc...) and

for all 7th grade families to bring a hot or cold side dish.

The band booster board will provide dessert, drinks, paper products and a large salad.

Eighth grade families please just come and enjoy as we celebrate the 8th grade students.  

Please bring all dishes to the food tables by 5:45 so we can set up and begin on time.  

If you have any questions please email Teresa Muthard at mikemuthard@hotmail.com.

Thank you and we look forward to seeing everyone at the banquet on Monday.

Band Booster Board

What to Do Spring Concert 2017

What to Do Spring Concert

Tuesday 5/9/2017

·        3:35pm – Report to the RMMT with instruments

o   6^th grade band on stage

o   7^th &8^th gr. In house

·        Rehearsal order

o   6^th grade @ 3:45

o   Jazz band @ 4:00

o   Wind Ensemble @4:45

·        5:00 – Report to band room for Pizza and dessert

·        5:30 – change clothes

·        5:45pm - 6^th grade on stage

§  jazz band in front 2 rows left side of house

§  7^th & 8^th grade band in second row of the theater

·        6:00 pm – All warm up

·        6:15 pm – house opens

·        6:30pm - Concert begins – 6^th grade band

·        6:55-  Jazz ensemble plays

·        7:20 – Wind Ensemble plays

·        7:50 – concert Finale – all students!

·        8:00 – Concert over / reception in lobby

Other information:

1.     Parent help supervising students in the band room and in the RMMT will be required.

2.     Concert BLACK attire for all students!  Don’t forget your black socks (hose) and shoes.

What to bring for the Spring Concert reception:

For our final concert on May 9th, we are asking all our band families to bring in something for a post-performance reception, so everyone can enjoy a treat.

Please bring the following:

6th graders - Dessert

7th graders - Salty snack, cheese and crackers, or fruit

8th graders - Dessert

Bring food to the lobby before the concert. Boosters will be waiting to take your item.

Thank you for your help with this so we can make sure everyone gets a little something.

Thank you and see you at the concert!

The Band Booster Board

Important Update from Mrs. Reed!

Dear parents,

Wow! We have had a very exciting and successful weekend!  Our 6th grade band students did great at the SCBDA solo &Ensemble festival.  They received 17 superior ratings!  The 7th &8th grade wind ensemble went to the GNAI band contest in Chattanooga Tn., and received a superior rating, best Brass ( French Horns), best woodwinds (Flutes), and Kelly Thorvalson (oboe) won the most outstanding soloist for the Middle school division.  I have posted pictures on the Facebook page.

This week is going to be challenging for us to prepare for our annual spring concert on Tuesday May9!  The 6th &8th gr. students are in testing everyday this week and the 7th grade has testing next week.  The students really want to have our concert, so it will be shorter in duration.  I have put a lot of thought into this conundrum and with guidance from some of the 8th grade band students I have decided to have 2 after school rehearsals listed here.

Thursday May 4 is for 7th and 8th graders only.  Rehearsal time is 3:45 - 5:15 p.m.

Tuesday May 9 is for all grades.  Rehearsal time is at 3:45.  Boosters will feed them pizza between rehearsal and the concert.

I know that this is not ideal for any of us, however I believe that this will make the best of a hard situation.  The students do not want to cancel the concert and I have looked at the calendar and there are just not dates available.  I always work hard to avoid things like this but the state  did not release the testing calendar until January and then they or the school made changes to it in March and then again as late as the week of spring break making it nearly impossible to work around.  I have told the students that they will not be penalized if they do not attend the rehearsal on Thursday and those that come will receive an A in powerschool for their attendance.  They must attend the concert.

We are all coming off of such a successful weekend! Thank you for all of your constant support of me and our fantastic students.  We could not have done any of this with out YOU!

Humbly,

Suzanne Reed

IMPORTANT: GNAI packing and luggage drop-off on Thursday, April 27

Dear Wind Ensemble Families,

All luggage will need to be dropped of to the middle school band room on Thursday, April 27, no later than 3:30 p.m.  We are leaving at 7:30 am on Friday, April 28 and want to make the morning of the travel as easy as possible, for everyone.

Band students can bring their luggage to school with them on Thursday morning. Please bring it and your instrument to the band room and place it in the location marked for you. Luggage must be tagged with the student's name and it cannot be locked. Your instrument must be in a case and tagged with your name, but not locked.  Each piece of luggage must be inspected prior to it being loaded onto the bus. Parent volunteers will be performing luggage inspections on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

All students must pack:

-  their red band T-shirt, 

-  comfortable shoes for Six Flags, , 

-  appropriate, comfortable clothes for travel,  

-  and all formal uniform attire. Boys must have black shoes, black socks, red bow tie and cummerbund and medals, white tux shirt and studs, and their black jackets.  Girls must have black, closed toe shoes, black knee hi's or stockings, the formal dress and red sash with medals. You may pack your formal concert attire in a garment bag, separate from your luggage, if you wish. The inspection will include making sure all of these items are present.

Other options for luggage drop off on Thursday, 4/27 include:

-  Early morning 7:30 am - 8:00 am - Pull into the bus loop and park behind the MS band room.  The back door will be open for your to bring in luggage. 

-  Mid morning. 11:30 am to 1:00 pm, Mrs. Reed will be in her planning period and able to let you in the back door to the band room to bring in luggage. Pull into the bus loop and park behind the MS band room. 

The students are allowed to bring a small carry on bag for the bus ride, but it will be searched by their chaperone prior to boarding the busses on the morning of departure.

This will be an amazing trip for your band students.

Thank you for your cooperation and support,

Adina Garner

SOA MS Band Booster President

Volunteers Needed!

Baggage Inspectors As you know, all checked bags and instruments are due at the school Thursday, April 27th.  We need volunteers to help inspect and tag this luggage for the MS Band GNAI Trip. Before baggage is boarded on busses Friday morning, we are required to inspect everything - garment bags, luggage, and instrument cases. To do this, we need volunteers to meet in the MS band room at 4:30pm, Thursday, 4/27. Please sign-up! Even if your child is in the 6th grade and not going on this trip, you are still invited to help.  This is a great way to wrap up getting all your Fair Share hours. Thank you!

April/May PE Calendar!

Invitation to a High School Band event!

Parents and friends of the SOA Bands:

The High School Band Boosters is excited to announce a Spring Instrument Fundraiser and Silent Auction/Raffle on Sunday, April 23, 2017, at 2 pm at the new Rusty Bull Brewing Company located at 3005 Montague Avenue, North Charleston. Tickets are only $20.00 for admission ($15 for students) and includes food and non-alcoholic beverages from The Caterer of Charleston, as well as the ability to bid on many wonderful items.  You may buy your tickets at the door on Sunday. Beer and wine will also be available for purchase.

The High School wants us to know that one of the auction items is a slightly used student grade clarinet. This may be a nice item with the winning bid for a beginning clarinet student.

All proceeds for the event will go toward new instruments, to allow our children to continue to grow their abilities. Please come out on Sunday from 2 pm to 5 pm to the Rusty Bull Brewing Company and support the High School Band!

Thank you for your continued support,

SOA High School Band Board Boosters

What to Do! Spring showcase, April 6th!

SOA MS BAND

WHAT TO DO

SOA SHOWCASE

4/6/17

5:00PM – CONCERT BAND to Pegasus Garden

5:15PM – The Concert band Performs!

5:35pm – Concert band is done, Go and enjoy the rest of the showcase!

5:35 pm – 8^th grade to Pegasus Garden with instruments

5:45pm – band students Grades 8-12 take places in Pegasus Garden – Warm up – Tune up

5:55pm – Dedication of Tree /band plays

6:15pm – 8^th grade is finished, enjoy the showcase!

6:20pm- HS chamber groups and Jazz groups play

7:35pm – move instruments and equipment to band room

8:00pm – Go HOME!

Performance attire = Red band shirts and jeans

Bring Money for the food trucks, clothespins, & bug spray.

Mandatory Band Meeting!!!

Please remember...

Our mandatory Band Parent Meeting for the band trip to Chattanooga, TN is this Monday, April 3rd at 7:00 p.m. in the Cafeteria.  At least one parent (or adult proxy) must attend this important meeting.  Trip details and expectations will be discussed.  

We will also be collecting the Band Trip Permission Forms if you have not already handed them in.  These were sent home with your student (and were handed out during the Pre-Festival Concert) and include:

-  CCSD Instructional Field Trip Permission Signature Form

-  SOA Field Trip Behavior Contract

-  CCSD Permission to Swim on Field Trip

-  Emergency Student Information Sheet for SOA field trips

-  Medication form:  After Hours/Overnight Field Trips

-  Parental Consent to CCSD Health Care Chaperone

These forms are due back to Leah King no later than April 3rd.

We look forward to seeing you Monday evening.

Sincerely,

Theresa Horan

SOA MS Band email coordinator

Clarinet for Sale!

Clarinet, an E11 Buffet for sale, used for one year and in perfect condition. Please contact Milena Urroz at milenaurroz@gmail.com if you are interested.

Krispy Kreme Fundraiser

Links for the order forms and additional information can be found at:

Krispy Kreme Fundraiser

Spirit Night!

First Concert Band Rehearsal

Dear parents and students,

The SOA MS concert band consists of all of the students in 6th &7th grade bands.  I combine these 2 grades so that the younger students have the experience of playing in a larger ensemble and the 7th grade students have the opportunity to play the lead parts in the music.  This has been a WIN-WIN for our program over the past several years.  Yes, the 7th graders have double the work but they have always risen to this challenge and together with the 6th graders, brought home a Superior award!

To obtain the goal of this outstanding experience all students must rehearse after school since their classes do not meet at the same time during the school day.  I spend many hours in the summer months scheduling these rehearsals based on the CCSD and SOA calendars.  After many revisions, I have the calendar ready for hand out.  Well, this year one revision slipped up on me.  Our First Rehearsal next week has conflicting date and weekday listed.  The date is correct not the day of the week.  The first rehearsal after school is Monday, February 6, 2017.  I am so sorry for my oversight.  I understand if you can't have your child at this first rehearsal.  If your child can stay, it will be great.  The very first time that the 6th graders play in a band like this, it is a great day.  Many of them are blown away by how good it sounds.  It is very exciting.

I hope to see your child at band on Monday after school but I will understand if you are unable to make it work with this short notice.  Thank you for understanding.

Humbly,

Suzanne Reed

SAVE THE DATE!!!

SAVE THE DATE!

February 16, 2017!

There will be a SOA MS band spirit night at Kickin' Chicken West Ashley from 5 to 8.

We will be meeting to socialize and have fun -Kickin' Chicken will donate a portion of sales to the MS Band. Take a night off from cooking and come to the Kickin' Chicken that night!!

Thank You!

Follow up on the 2017 Oyster Roast

Thank you to all who came out on Sunday to brave the rainy weather to enjoy the oyster roast.

It was a great day and I think everyone who came had a lot of fun and definitely had some great food!

Thank you again to Swig & Swine for providing all of the food and for cooking the oysters.

We could not have had this great day without them!!

Please go to one of their two locations and let them know how much we appreciate them!

Please be on the lookout for our first ever SOA MS band spirit night which will take place at the West Ashley Kickin' Chicken. Since there were so many people and kids missing on Sunday we want to have a community building night where it is just good food and fun.  There will be no charge to get in and the restaurant will run some great specials for us and will donate a portion of the sales to the middle school band.

We will have it sometime in February-we are working out a date with them now.  There will also be a few fun raffles for some items that were left from the silent auction and a few new ones!!!

Again, thank you to everyone who helped out and just came out to the oyster roast. We have made over $16,000 so far and there are still a few funds coming in.  Have a great night!

Teresa Muthard 

Regional Audition Results - How to Read Them

Band Parents,

Seasoned 8^th grade students and parents that have been through this last year understand how Region and All State auditions and scores work. This hopefully will serve as a tool for those new to Honor Band auditions for Region 4. It is my hope that this will help you interpret the Region Wind and Percussion Results determined by the judges after Region or All State auditions.

School of the Arts is in Region 4- There are 5 Regions in SC. The scores that you will be seeing are considered the UNOFFICIAL Region Results for the Wind and Percussion only for our school. Each of our students auditioned and their computed scores ranked the band student based on their junior scales, band terms, chromatic scale, the solo for their instrument, 2 sight-reading pieces, and overall tone. There are 2 judges in the rooms for the chromatic scale, solo, and sight-reading. That is why you will see Chrom 1 and Chrom 2, Solo 1 and Solo 2, and so on... on the UNOFFICIAL scoring grid for our school.

All 7^th and 8^th grade band students are in the junior band. The grid is listed in instrument order and the student is listed by their rank within Region 4. The “Y” in the Call back column lets you know that they have made the call back to audition for the All State band. Audition times will be sent out once the band directors have received them. You must provide your student’s own travel to and from that audition. https://www.bandlink.org/all-state-band/rosters/  Be patient for those rosters to be announced.

As you continue to follow the grid across for your student each column has a score. This is an interpretation of what is in those columns and how the final score for the student was computed. The total Region score is out of 200 points. If the student has a Region score lower than 75 points they did not receive ranking in the Region.

The junior scales are scored with a max score of 30.

The terms are scored with a max score of 10.

The chromatic scale is scored with a max score of 5, (2 separate scores, 2 judges).

The solo is scored with a max score of 30, (2 separate scores, 2 judges).

2 sight-reading pieces, Example 1 and Example 2, both individually scored by 2 separate judges with a max score 15 on each example.

Tone judged by the 2 separate judges to a max score of 15.

The amount of students chosen for the Honor Band is determined by the suggested instrumentation set forth by the SCBDA.

https://www.bandlink.org/all-state-band/auditions/audition-requirements/suggested-instrumentations/

Thank you,

Adina Garner

All State Band Audition Information

Congratulations to our band members who will be auditioning for All State Band!

2017 Callback Audition Times

Charleston School of the Arts Middle School

(arranged in Score Order)

Level Instrument Time Name

JR Flute 10:12 AM Riley Beckett

JR Oboe 1:12 PM Kelsey Thorvalson

JR Bassoon 2:08 PM Andrew Bednarczyk

JR Clarinet 9:24 AM Gabriella Hylton

JR Clarinet 10:54 AM Keah Rodwell

JR Clarinet 1:06 PM Natalie Holland

JR Clarinet 1:36 PM Ruth Liu

JR Bass Clarinet 10:42 AM Vigi LeBlanc

JR Trumpet 9:06 AM Grace Hill

JR Horn 10:04 AM Maria Alexander

JR Horn 10:52 AM Tiffany Chan

JR Euphonium 10:36 AM Hannah Jones

JR Timpani 11:51 AM Cecilia Ollis

SC All State Bands – Final Auditions January 21, 2017 

Lexington High School 

2463 Augusta Hwy. Lexington, SC 29072 

Instructions for students auditioning: 

• Audition tickets have been provided for all directors via email and are also available at www.bandlink.org. Students will need to have their audition time (available from band director) written on audition ticket. No student will need to know or use an ID number. 

• All students will need to have a paper hard copy of the audition solo. Students may not read the solos off of electronic devices in the audition room. Photocopies of solos will not be provided at the audition site - students need to be prepared and bring their own copy.

 • All students should arrive at Lexington High School 30 to 45 minutes before scheduled audition time.

 • Upon arrival at Lexington High School, follow signs to locate warm-up room and audition room or rooms. 

• No one will be allowed to play their instruments except during audition and in warm-up room. 

• When ready to audition, all students will need to check in with their audition room page prior to their audition time. Ask your room page if your audition is completed in one or two rooms. Once inside audition room, students will sign in on a signature list in their audition room. 

• Food and snacks will be available for purchase at Lexington High School. 

• Do not call or contact Lexington High School with questions or requests for travel directions. Travel directions will be available online at www.bandlink.org. If you have any questions concerning final auditions, ask your band director. 

2017 Region Band Auditions - Official Statement from the SCBDA President

The 2017 SCBDA Region Band auditions have been moved to the inclement weather date, January 14th. Over the past week, the All-State Chairman, Region Chairmen, Site Hosts, and the SCBDA Executive Board have been in daily, sometimes hourly discussions about the viability of holding auditions this weekend based on the forecasted weather events. On Thursday morning, based on National Weather Service forecasts and school district guidance around much of the state, it was determined to postpone the region auditions for Region 1, 2, 3, & 5 to the inclement weather date. On early Friday afternoon, three school districts in Region 4 canceled all weekend travel based on the current forecast at the time. Please understand that many students across the state travel to auditions on school or activity buses. This decision, along with other concerns, forced the postponement of Region 4 auditions to the inclement weather date as well.

We understand that the implementation of this option will present many challenges for both students and directors, but this is the procedure approved by the membership (band directors). There have been many concerns with the region band inclement weather date being on the MLK Holiday weekend and questions as to why it cannot be moved to January 21st.

1. The region audition inclement weather date is January 14th. Moving it to the 21st would create just as many, possibly more issues than using the established/published date.
2. Most region audition host sites are not available to host the weekend of the 21st.  
3. Moving to the 21st would require the All-State auditions to be moved as well thus creating an additional conflict.

Our first priority will always be the safety of students, parents, and anyone involved with our events. After that, we do everything possible to ensure that we do what we can to run the affected event with as little disruptions as possible. Region Band auditions are held in five separate locations involving over 8,500 students and 500+ directors and others who serve as judges. Some regions encompass very large geographic areas and the weather events of this weekend may not affect the entire region.

The SCBDA established inclement weather audition dates years ago to have a contingency for winter weather events. These dates have been developed to allow the most flexibly in the event of “multiple” weekends of weather issues. These dates are posted in the SCBDA handbook and have been approved by the membership of SCBDA. Under our rules, if the region band audition date is compromised then we move to the inclement weather date that is the following weekend.

Furthermore, there have been requests for alternate audition opportunities. Per the established rules, students must audition in person the day of the audition and no alternate form of audition is allowed. Unfortunately, there is no feasible way for students to not be present on the audition day and allow for a fair audition process for all involved. Again, we realize that this will present hardships and decisions for many students who have been working towards the auditions this weekend, but there are no other possible contingencies.

There are a multitude of factors that have to be taken into consideration when making a decision of this magnitude. It is our hope that everyone involved can understand that all decisions are made with the best interests of ALL students and programs involved in our events.

Sincerely,

Joe F. Gulledge III

President South Carolina Band Directors Association

Rock'n Roast Tickets!

Sunday, January 22nd at 2:00

Bowen's Island

Oysters, BBQ, Music, Silent Auction and Fun!

Tickets can be purchased on-line at:  

http://www.charlestoncountysoabands.com/rock-n-oyster-roast-2017.html