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Our Swing Dance Concert is an eagerly anticipated, well-attended and fun evening for our entire Yorktown community.  Each year it always makes me smile to see so many generations come together to enjoy the music and the evening together!

All YHS Band students are required to attend – Concert Band, Jazz Band, and Wind Ensemble will perform.

INFORMATION TO HELP YOU PLAN YOUR EVENING:

·      Cost: $15 for adults / $10 for students and seniors.  Tickets sold at the door only. Cash, Check or Zelle.  YHS Band students are free.

·      Time: Dance Lesson 7-8pm / Music and Dancing 8-10:30pm

·      WHEN STUDENTS SHOULD ARRIVE:

1.     Jazz Band – arrive at 5:30 so that you are ready to play for our soundcheck at 5:45.

2.     Students interested in participating in the dance lesson – arrive by 6:50.

3.     Students NOT interested in the dance lesson – arrive by 7:45.

4.     FYI – students can earn 2 points of extra credit for quarter #2 or #3 (you pick!) by respectfully participating in the dance lesson (about 45 minutes).

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 (appropriate length).

·      Swing Additions: saddle shoes, any color 1940’s style dress as long as it has an appropriate neckline, length, and sleeves.

·      Ladies – Skirt/dress lengths are incredibly short these days. Please save these short styles for another event.  When seated to perform, your skirt should cover your knees.

Many parent and student volunteers are needed, please, to make this evening a success.  

Please mark your calendars to help us set up and tear down the gym on Saturday 2/8. Part of the fun (and community building) of this event is setting up and decorating the space together!

·      Saturday 2/8, 8:00am – 4:00pm – help is needed setting up and decorating the gym.

·      Saturday 2/8, 10:30pm-12:00am – help is needed cleaning up the gym.  

In addition, student help is needed organizing supplies and decorations during any free period, or p.9 during the week of 2/3.

As part of our Jazz curriculum, students study the music from the period and also learn to social dance the Jitterbug. Here is a peek into our dance moves from this week 🙂 

 Concert Band Students Dance Lesson 1-23-25 .MOV

 Wind Ensemble Students Dance Lesson 1-23-25.MOV

SHIM SHAM TUTORIAL

The Shim Sham is a line dance the students are learning – that we will perform 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.

Come out and support our Huskers and Blythedale Children’s Hospital at YHS’s 4^th 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.

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.

Sessions are held period 9, unless noted otherwise. I am also always available for help by appointment.

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):

• Help asking local businesses or personal corporate contacts for raffle donations
• Donations of raffle prize items or monetary amounts to help acquire them

• Products, services, or gift certs/cards from a business you own or are affiliated with
• Gift certs/cards for local Yorktown businesses (restaurants, salons, shops – big or small!)

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!