Daily Archives: February 1, 2022

Many thanks to the YHS Band families who braved the cold today for ice skating at Bear Mountain! It was so fun to have this opportunity to spend some social time together! 

Will take place next week. Specific instructions will be reviewed in class this week.

Please save the date, our Swing Dance concert performance has been moved to Saturday 4/23/22 at 7:00pm, in the YHS GYM.  More details to follow. 

A group of band parents and Ms. Kluga will be meeting via zoom on Tuesday, February 8th to plan the details of this event. If you are interested in being on this planning committee, please e-mail Ms. Kluga. 

Please save the date! Our YHS Band Spring Concert is scheduled for Wednesday 5/18/22 at 7:00pm in the YHS Auditorium.

Offered weekly and hosted by our junior and senior band members. Thank you! Students who lead or attend a session receive 1 point of extra credit. Sessions are held period 9, unless noted otherwise. Ms. Kluga is also always available for help by appointment.

Our next rehearsal is Thursday 2/3 from 6:50-8:30. Your homework, professional recordings, and sheet music are posted on Dashboard. There were trouble spots that need your attention – please arrive with these sections prepared.

On Tuesday 2/7, Staff Sergeant Hopkins, a percussionist with the “President’s Own” Marine Band will present a clinic, via zoom, to our Wind Ensemble students (period 8). The clinic is part of the band’s educational outreach campaign and is titled Reading Music Like an Engineer. Interested Concert Band students are also welcome to attend, e-mail Ms, Kluga for more information. We are thrilled to have this opportunity!

Was reviewed in class last week. The NYSSMA (New York State School Music Association) solo festival is a wonderful opportunity for your student to grow as a musician! As of now NYSSMA will be in-person.

To participate, students prepare scales (or rudiments for snare drummers), a solo and sight-reading.  At the festival, students perform for a judge who will give them a score and comments. 

Next week, all YHS Band students will begin learning a NYSSMA solo as part of their lesson homework; so if they are interested in participating in NYSSMA, or auditioning for Wind Ensemble (see below), they will have the necessary tools to do so.

Information and forms are attached. NYSSMA forms are due by Wednesday 2/16.

In addition to the musical opportunity, NYSSMA provides, students are able to receive honors credit for Concert Band or Wind Ensemble by earning a score of 95 or above on a level 6 solo/ensemble, or a score of 97 or above on a level 5 solo/ensemble. 

Auditions for the 2022-2023 Wind Ensemble will take place at the end of April.  Students wishing to audition should review the audition information sheet (attached).  Ms. Kluga strongly suggests that interested students also participate in NYSSMA.  The Wind Ensemble audition information sheet/permission slip is attached and is also available in the band room.

Thanks for your attention and support! Happy to answer questions if you have them.