Sessions are held period 9, unless noted otherwise. I am also always available for help by appointment.
| Tuesday 1/21 | JB Low Brass, JB Trumpet , Sax |
| Wednesday 1/22 | JB Sax, Percussion, Clarinet, Flute |
| Thursday 1/23 | JB Rhythm, Trumpet |
| Friday 1/24 | Low Brass |
Please join me before school (from 7:10…or whenever you get off the bus… until the first bell) to practice improvising. Help yourself develop your skills and a plan for success!
This will be rehearsal #4 out of 6 to prepare for our Swing Dance Concert. Our music, recordings, and your assignment are posted on Dashboard. I’m looking forward to your progress this Thursday 1/23/25 from 6:50-8:30pm. Happy practicing!
Jazz Band Field Trip – Permission Slips Due
Wednesday 2/5: Jazz Band and Chamber Orchestra annual “World Tour of Yorktown” Fieldtrip (7:45-3:00pm, Mohansic, Crompond, Brookside, The Country House, and MESMS). Permission slip is attached.
An event unique to YCSD, our fabulous Swing Dance Concert highlights our students and brings generations of our community together. Help is needed to plan this event, please consider volunteering your time or donating to our raffle.
For raffle item help, we are looking for (please):
If you are able to help, attached is a letter you can use to ask businesses for donations.
A Sign-Up Genius will be sent out mid-week with more ways you can help. Thank you!
I am so excited to present these festival opportunities to our students! Paperwork was distributed and reviewed in class last week. We are asking for a first payment installment, please, by Friday 1/17/25.
WIND ENSEMBLE FESTIVAL TRIP
Students in the Wind Ensemble will participate in the 2025 Rhythms International Music Festival during the weekend of 4/25-4/27. Destination will be announced in class this week. Cost estimate is $600 per student. Down payment is $200, and will include student citrus earnings.
CONCERT BAND FESTIVAL TRIP
Students in the Concert Band will participate in the 2025 Rhythms International Music Festival at Six Flags Great Adventure on Saturday 5/17/25. Cost estimate is $215 per student. Down payment is $100, and will include student citrus earnings.
The Band Officers will host a skating outing at Bear Mountain on Sunday 1/26 during the 2:00-3:30pm public skating session.
Students must be accompanied by an adult chaperone. Everyone is responsible for paying for their own skating. Meet at 1:30pm to get in line and purchase your tickets. (Parking is $10. Skate rentals are $10. Tickets for skaters and spectators are $5 each). All people entering the rink area need a ticket. The Bear Mountain Skating Rink website is: https://bearmountainicerink.org/
All YHS Band students are welcome. We hope you will join us! Please RSVP on the sign-up sheet in the Band Room so we have a basic idea of whom to expect. Thanks!
Come out and support our Huskers and Blythedale Children’s Hospital at YHS’s 4th annual “Charlie Strong” game!
WHEN: Friday 2/7/25. Report at 5:00pm in the Band Room (note the time change!)
BRING: Bring your instrument and charged cell phone.
WEAR: Your YHS Band polo. Music and Snacks will be provided.
GAME: The basketball game will run from 6-7:30pm.
Our next major event is the fun and fabulous Swing Dance Concert! Please save the date: Saturday, February 8th 2025 from 7-10:30pm in the YHS Gym. All YHS Band students are required to attend.
Now in its 16th year, the Swing Dance Concert is an eagerly anticipated, well-attended and fun evening for our entire Yorktown community (each year we have many senior citizens and community members attend and enjoy the evening with us!).
Please be aware that the Swing Dance Concert Snow Date is Sunday 2/9.
Get into the “swing” of things and have fun dressing up in 1940’s style.
Gentlemen
· Usual Concert Attire: Black pants, long sleeved button-down black shirt, black shoes, black socks
· Swing Additions: fedora hats, suspenders, solid color or pin striped shirts, colorful ties, spats, jackets.
Ladies
· Usual Concert Attire: Black top (appropriate neck-line, no spaghetti straps or sleeveless tops), black pants, or black skirt/dress (appropriately below the knee).
· Swing Additions: saddle shoes, any color 1940’s style dress as long as it has an appropriate neckline, sleeves, and falls below the knee. When seated to perform, your skirt must cover your knees.
As part of our Jazz curriculum, students study the music from the period and also learn to social dance the Jitterbug. We have had 2 dance lessons so far! Students have learned the first part of a line dance, the social etiquette of dancing with a partner, and a variety of dance moves. We are off to a great start!
SHIM SHAM TUTORIAL
The Shim Sham is a line dance the students are learning, to take part in at our Swing Dance Concert. For those interested, here is a video I made over COVID to help review/teach the steps.
EAST COAST (JITTERBUG) BASIC STEPS
To review the social dance steps we are learning, I recommend this video.
Flyers are attached for your review and listed below. Some interesting musical opportunities for our students!
· Westchester Symphonic Winds Concert – Sunday 2/9, 2PM, Tarrytown Music Hall. Free tickets are available for students, parent tickets available at a discount. Please e-mail me for details.