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Similar to NYSSMA, YHS Band students are eligible to audition for our Westchester All County Jazz Band.  Being selected is an elite musical honor and a fantastic opportunity to perform with some of Westchester’s most talented student jazz musicians!  Interested students should prepare a jazz solo, fill out an application and attend the audition.   Please see me for solo literature and an application. The application is DUE to me by Wednesday, 12/9.  Auditions are Saturday, January 9, 2016 (9:00am – 1:00pm) at Greenville Elementary School in Scarsdale, NY.

The citrus delivery date is Friday 12/18. All students are required to pick up their ENTIRE order on this day.  Please mark your calendars!  WE ARE IN NEED OF PARENT VOLUNTEERS.  Parent and student volunteers will be needed from 7:00 – 11:00am to help unload the trucks, and again from 2:00 – 7:00pm to help students assemble and pick up their orders. Please e-mail me if you are available.

85% of the funds generated from the Citrus Sale go directly into student personal accounts, toward their spring festival trip. 15% go into the band “general fund” and are used to pay for items that benefit all band students. Some examples include: chaperones for our festival trips (we can’t go on trips without chaperones, and are not allowed to roll chaperone fees into student costs), and band events and awards. This year funds enabled us to host the Ice Cream Social, will be used to host the Brentwood HS Wind Ensemble on 11/23, and for senior awards and scholarships at the end of the year. Funds generated from the Tag Sale and Swing Dance also benefit the band general fund. We are fortunate to be able to provide these opportunities to our students! Thanks to all for helping us do so.

Congratulations to the YHS Bands and Orchestras on another successful Citrus Sale! After a month of selling and a week of sorting through and tabulating orders (A HUGE THANK YOU to all the parent volunteers!) the results are in. Thanks to all for your help!

CB Total Boxes Sold: 542 (525 boxes last year)
CB Total Pounds Sold: 11,940
CB Total Citrus Sold: $16,178
CB Total Profit: $5,607

WE Total Boxes Sold: 479 (662 boxes last year)
WE Total Pounds Sold: 11,320
WE Total Citrus Sold: $14,554
WE Total Profit: $5,139

All lesson assignments and extra credit are up-to-date on the parent portal.  Late work will be accepted for partial credit until Friday 11/6.

All band students have an end-of-quarter performance assessment at this week’s lesson (11/2).  Students have been asked to prepare the scales and music that we have studied this quarter.  We have reviewed the specific requirements together in class, and they are posted on the Dashboard.  In addition, students are required to organize their band binder and bring it to their lesson.  Directions for the binder check are attached.

You should hear your student practicing (and improving!) at home. Students are always welcome to practice during their free periods or after school.  If your student would like extra help, I am available by appointment.

Often, Ms. Kluga receives requests for student musicians for various community events and activities.  Some events offer community service hours, others offer payment.  If you student would be interested in participating in any of the below events, please have them contact me.

1. North Westchester Nursing Home – looking for instrumental ensembles to perform holiday music, anytime this season. $25/hour

2. Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser for Brielle Furci – looking for instrumental ensembles to perform.  Saturday November 7, 2015 at the Yorktown Firehouse.  4PM-8PM.  Community Service Hours.

3. Yorktown Holiday Lights Parade – looking for band students to perform in the parade. Saturday12/6 6:00pm. Community Service Hours. 

Each year we order sweatshirts for interested students.  The sweatshirts are sold at cost.  Sweatshirts are $32.95, or $39.95 if your student would like to have their name or instrument written on their sleeve.  Interested students should fill out the attached form and bring in with payment.  PLEASE MAKE CHECKS OUT TO THE YHS MUSIC BOOSTERS.

**ALL ORDERS need to be entered on-line BY FRIDAY 10/30 at 11:59pm.

**ALL PAPERWORK/PAYMENTS are DUE FRIDAY 10/30 in class**

Please follow the attached directions to log on to your personal citrus account page.  If you have forgotten your personal password, you can find it by logging in to your dashboard.

We are looking for parent volunteers to help us tally our orders during the school day on Wednesday 10/28, Thursday 10/29 and Friday 10/30 from 7:15-9:00am and from 12:30 – 2:15pm.  If you are able to be a part of these monumental counting sessions, please e-mail Ms. Kluga.  

The students from Brentwood HS will be visiting our Wind Ensemble on Monday, November 23 from 10:00am – 6:00pm.  We are looking for parent volunteers to assist with the set up and clean up of students meals.  If you are available to help out during the day, please e-mail Ms Kluga. (Lunch set up: 11:30-12:15, Lunch clean up 1:15-1:45.  Dinner set up: 4:15-5:00, Dinner clean up: 5:45-6:30). 

Only a few days left!!  Please help your student do their part and sell 5 boxes.  Help us reach our goal! 

Currently our sales stats are:

CONCERT BAND: Goal is 550 boxes.  (Last year we sold 525 boxes).  To date we have only sold 72 boxes.

WIND ENSEMBLE: Goal is 750 boxes.  (Last year we sold 662 boxes). To date we have only sold 56 boxes.

After sorting through and organizing mountains of “stuff” Friday afternoon and evening (the donations were truly overwhelming, thank you so much!), we kicked off our sale at 9am Saturday and enjoyed a steady stream of customers throughout the day.  In all we made $4,100 profit (a new record)!  None of this would have been possible without your help and support; many thanks to all who donated items, refreshments, or your valuable time to help make this endeavor a success!

Also, many special thanks to band parents Kathleen Brawitsch, Stephanie Buckhout, Maureen DiPierro, Cindy Scinto, and Lisa. Statler, for their tireless organizational, logistical, and advertising expertise!!  SPECIAL THANKS to Cindy Scinto for her amazing work organizing all of the parent volunteers and working out so many of our logistical and planning details behind the scenes.  SPECIAL THANKS also to Mrs. Statler for working with WHUD to attend and advertise our sale, Kathleen Brawitsch for her work with local businesses to donate food for our volunteers, and Teresa Ryan-Onatzevitch for securing Rita’s Ice to attend.  Please thank these local businesses for their generosity the next time you visit: Jake’s Way Back, JV Hot Bagles II, Turco’s, Yorktown Pizza and Pasta, and Rita’s Ice.  In addition, SPECIAL THANKS to Maureen DiPierro and Lisa Kyer for securing local charities Big Brothers/Sisters, and Purple Heart, to whom we donated all our remaining items.

Bard Conservatory is offering a FREE event for student French horn and bassoon players.  The day will feature master classes and workshop led by their outstanding music faculty:

• Barbara Currie, fourth horn from the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
• Julia Pilant, assistant horn from the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
• Marc Goldberg, bassoonist of the NY Woodwind Quintet, and former associate bassoonist of the NY Philharmonic
• Alex Farkas, certified Alexander Technician, and pianist formerly on faculty at Yale School of Music, the Hartt School, University of Hartford, and Vassar College.

Students are asked to bring instruments and be ready to participate in workshops.  They will have the opportunity to receive individual coaching, feedback on audition pieces or all-state solos and perform with current Bard students and with the faculty in an ensemble performance.

Please see the attached flier for more information.   For a detailed schedule of events, and information on how to register, please visit their website at: http://www.bard.edu/conservatory/events/horn-bassoon/

Ms. Kluga is also pleased to announce that the YHSCB will travel to Hershey Park on Saturday 5/21 to participate in the Music in the Parks regional festival.  The students will be adjudicated by a panel of college music educators and then enjoy time in Hershey Park.   A tentative itinerary and information will be sent home with your student this week.  The cost of this trip is approximately $140.

Ms. Kluga is pleased to announce that the YHSWE will travel to NYC the weekend of Saturday 5/14 through Monday 5/16.  During our stay, the students will participate in the Rhythms International Music Festival, where we will be adjudicated by a panel of nationally and internationally recognized music educators, take part in master classes, and an on-stage clinic.  In addition we will have fun touring the city.  A tentative itinerary and info will be sent home with your student this week.  The cost of this trip is approximately $600.