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Each year, the YHS Band participates in the town of Yorktown Memorial Day Parade.  This is our most public event of the year, and is an important service for our Yorktown community.  All YHS Band students are required to participate.  Contact me with questions. FYI: students will wear their YHS Band polo, long black pants (please no yoga pants, sweat pants, or leggings) and black shoes.

After our parade performance, all YHS Band students are invited to the Vespucci home for our 14^th annual YHS Band Memorial Day BBQ.  A sign-up sheet and information on how to contribute food for this event will be available in the coming weeks.

The First Nighters is a parent group whose mission is to support the YCSD Performing Arts programs.  Each year they honor our junior and senior students at a Performing Arts awards banquet.  Junior and senior students should have received an invitation (please let Ms. Kluga know if you have not).   This year’s banquet will take place on Wednesday, May 24^th at 7:00pm at the Putnam National Golf Course, and will include catered dinner, entertainment, and awards presentations.  Please look “nice” as this banquet is honoring you and your achievements in the Arts.  No jeans or sneakers.

Auditions for the 2017-2018 Wind Ensemble will take place 5/22 – 5/26 (Monday– Friday).  Students wishing to audition should review the audition information sheet with you.

A fantastic opportunity for your child to experience a week (or more!) of musical study, surrounded by college level teachers, enthusiastic counselors, and new band friends from other towns, counties, and states!  A huge variety of camps are available (both near and far!).  An informational handout is in the corresponding email. Please contact Ms. Kluga with questions.

Sat 5/13: Concert Band Hershey Festival Trip

Wed 5/17: YHS Band Spring Concert @ 7:30pm (Senior Dinner @ 5pm, Restaurant TBD)

Fri – Sat 5/19-20: NYSSMA Solo Festival

Mon – Fri 5/22-26: Wind Ensemble ’17-’18 Auditions

Wed 5/24: First Nighter’s Awards Dinner @ 7pm, Putnam National Golf Course (Juniors and Seniors only)

Mon 5/29: Memorial Day Parade and YHS Band BBQ (at the Vespucci home – more info to follow)

Thurs 6/1: Band Officer Elections ’17-’18

The YHSCB will travel to Hershey Park on Saturday 5/13 to participate in the Music in the Parks regional festival.  The students will perform for a panel of college music educators (who will offer feedback and adjudicate our performance), enjoy time in Hershey Park, and attend an awards ceremony where they will receive an award based on their performance rating.  What I love about this experience is that it is a music festival, not a competition.  We are not being compared to other bands – and therefore do not “win” 1^st, 2^nd, or 3^rd place.  Instead we are graded on a 100-point-scale, and receive a rating of Good, Excellent, or Superior, based on how many points we score for the musical things we do well.  The judges provide written and recorded feedback of what we did well, and how we can continue to improve.

To help us prepare for our festival, Concert Band students will perform a video assessment of their festival music.  The assessments will take place during their lesson the week of 4/24.

If any YHSWE Seniors are interested in attending the Hershey trip to cheer on our Concert Band (and help with equipment!), please e-mail Ms. Kluga ASAP.   The amount of seniors attending will determine the cost.

Auditions for the 2017-2018 Wind Ensemble will take place 5/22 – 5/26 (Monday– Friday).  Students wishing to audition should review the audition information sheet with you.  This completed audition form is DUE FRIDAY 4/21.

A fantastic opportunity for your child to experience a week (or more!) of musical study, surrounded by college level teachers, enthusiastic counselors, and new band friends from other towns, counties, and states!  A huge variety of camps are available (both near and far!).  An informational handout is attached.  Please contact Ms. Kluga with questions.

INFO:

* Students, please arrive by 5:50pm.

* Please wear long black pants and a white shirt.

* Please bring a FOLDING MUSIC STAND if you own one.  Put your name on it so we can return it to you.

PARENT HELP NEEDED!

To make the evening successful, we need about 20 YHS Band parent helpers!  Please refer to the e-mail from YHS Band parent organizer Jennifer Weitman outlining how you can help.

STUDENT HELP NEEDED!

Many, many students are needed to help set up the 500 chairs, help mentor the younger students, and to clean up after the concert.  Sign up sheets are available in the band room (Student Help time-slots are from 1:30 – 4:30, and 7:00 – 8:30). As always, your student’s extra efforts are worth extra credit!

With your help, Bandapalooza IV will be an inspiring musical experience!  Thank you so much, as always, for your amazing support!!!  We are very grateful for the parents understanding, the support of the administration, and all the hard work involved to make this event (and all of our events) happen for our students!

For interested band students, the yearbook staff will be taking the yearbook for Pep Band on Thursday 3/23 at 7:15AM.

Please wear your YHS Band Polo shirt and report to the Band Room.

The NYSSMA (New York State School Music Association) solo festival is a wonderful opportunity for your student to grow as a musician, gain confidence, earn the full 5 extra credit points, and possibly be selected to perform in an ensemble with the best band students in all of Westchester. To participate, students prepare scales, a solo and sight-reading.  At the festival, students will perform for a judge who will give them a score and comments.  This quarter, all band students will be 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).

NYSSMA Festival Dates: Friday – Saturday May 19 – 20, 2017

Location: Somers HS

NYSSMA Forms are available in the band room.  COMPLETED FORMS ARE DUE FRIDAY 3/24 (forms are attached, if needed).

Auditions for the 2017-2018 Wind Ensemble will take place 5/22 – 5/26 (Monday- Friday).  Students wishing to audition should review the audition information sheet (attached) with you.  If your student is interested in auditioning, I strongly suggest that they also participate in NYSSMA.  The Wind Ensemble audition information sheet/permission slip is attached and is also available in the band room.  FORMS ARE DUE FRIDAY 4/21.

A fantastic opportunity for your child to experience a week (or more!) of musical study, surrounded by college level teachers, enthusiastic counselors, and new band friends from other towns, counties, and states!  A huge variety of camps are available (both near and far!).  An informational handout is attached.  Please contact Ms. Kluga with questions.

On Friday, March 10th, the YCSD Band Program will host the fourth annual District Band Concert from 6:30 – 7:30 pm in the YHS Gym.  All band students grades 5-12 will participate.  We hope this will be a wonderful experience for all of our students – fostering positive relationships between all levels, and allowing our youngest band students and their parents to see the full progression of our band program.

INFO:

* Students, please arrive by 5:50pm.

* Please wear long black pants and a white shirt.

* Please bring a FOLDING MUSIC STAND if you own one.  Put your name on it so we can return it to you.

PURPOSE:

The purpose of the evening is to reach our younger band students and their parents.  We want to show them the full progression of our YCSD band program, and give them the experience of hearing what awaits their children if they stick with band.

However, as in past years, due to fire codes and the possibility of exceeding the maximum gym capacity, we ask that YHS band parents and families please not attend this concert as audience members.  I apologize for this and thank you for your understanding.  If it is any consolation, we will be performing selections you have already heard at our Swing Dance.

However, if you are interested in volunteering that evening, and helping us achieve this intensely logistical feat, we would love your help!

PARENT HELP NEEDED!

To make the evening successful, we need about 20 YHS Band parent helpers!  Please refer to the e-mail from YHS Band parent organizer Jennifer Weitman outlining how you can help.

STUDENT HELP NEEDED!

Many, many students are needed to help set up the 500 chairs, help mentor the younger students, and to clean up after the concert.  Sign up sheets are available in the band room (Student Help time-slots are from 1:30 – 4:30, and 7:00 – 8:30). As always, your student’s extra efforts are worth extra credit!  Thank you in advance!!

With your help, Bandapalooza IV will be an inspiring musical experience!  Thank you so much, as always, for your amazing support!!!  We are very grateful for the parents understanding, the support of the administration, and all the hard work involved to make this event (and all of our events) happen for our students!