Jazz Band students – please talk to your section and schedule a p.9 meeting for this week. Communicate with Ms. Kluga as to your chosen day and time. Ms. Kluga is looking forward to working with you on our new music!
This week, all YHS Band students will begin learning NYSSMA skills 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 information 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! 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. As previously stated, we will be working on all of these skills in class and lessons for the next 6 weeks.
Additional information and forms are attached. NYSSMA forms and payments are due by Wednesday 3/8.
In addition to the musical opportunities 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 2023-2024 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.
Final itinerary details and pricing will be communicated this week.
Final pricing is in the works. We are looking for parent chaperones to spend the day with us! If you are interested, please e-mail Ms. Kluga.
Dear YHS Band Parents and Students,
Thank you so much for being a part of Saturday night’s 14th Annual Valentine Swing Dance Concert! Bravo to our students on their performance!
A huge thank you to everyone who so generously contributed their time, talents, or donations, to help make this event possible. Whether you worked behind the scenes on our event planning team, helped us decorate the gym, dropped off food items, or volunteered your time – SO many people worked SO hard to make this event a success. The students and Ms. Kluga sincerely THANK YOU! And, thanks to our efforts we made a profit of $3,300!
Huge thanks to Mr. Moore and the YHS Tech Crew for planning our sound and lighting. Thanks to their time and help, our students sounded fabulous, despite the cavernous gym acoustics, and the lighting effects really transformed the space.
Special thanks to the core planning team of Mrs. Aoukar, Mrs. Gambetta, Mrs. Griffiths, Mrs. Kindler, Mrs. Newberger, Mrs. Olener, and Mrs. Tropp, who spearheaded the many aspects of this event. Thank you for your leadership, organization and creativity!
Special thanks to Mr. Grabowski for volunteering his vast technical knowledge and expertise to help the evening run smoothly and help our students shine!
Thank you all, also, for the beautiful flowers and very generous gift. Ms. Kluga is so thankful to have the privilege of working with such enthusiastic students and supportive parents, and am so proud of what we together created for our community!
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.
| Monday 1/30: | |
| Tuesday 1/31: | Clarinets p.1, JB Sax |
| Wednesday 2/1: | Trumpet, Clarinet, JB Rhythm, JB Trombone, JB Trumpet |
| Thursday 2/2: | |
| Friday 2/3: | Tuba Time p.1 |
What: 14th Annual Swing Dance Concert
When: Saturday 2/11
Time: Dance Lesson 7-8pm / Music and Dancing 8-10:30pm
Where: YHS Gym
Cost: $15 for adults / $10 for students and seniors. Tickets sold at the door. YHS Band students are free.
WHEN STUDENTS SHOULD ARRIVE:
- Jazz Band – our sound check begins at 5:45. Arrive at 5:30 to be ready to play by 5:45.
- Students interested in participating in the dance lesson – arrive by 6:45.
Students who participate in the entire lesson will earn 2 extra credit points.
3. Students NOT interested in the dance lesson– arrive by 7:30.
Upon arrival, please place your instrument/case/coat/etc. in your designated warm up rooms. A reminder to respect these spaces – do not touch items that are not yours, and clean up after yourself. Then, report to the ticket table for a hand stamp for free entrance into the dance.
WIND ENSEMBLE WU ROOM: Husker Discovery
CONCERT BAND WU ROOM: Room 138
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.
PARENT HELP NEEDED
Please click on this link for ways you can help make this event a success for our students. THANK YOU!
As of this e-mail, we are particularly in need of:
· Cut up fruit
· Chocolate covered strawberries
· Chocolate covered pretzels
· Cookies/brownies
· Drinks
· Paper goods
· VOLUNTEERS – especially for clean up!
· Raffle basket items
STUDENT HELP NEEDED:
· To help organize supplies and decorations during any free period, or p.9
· To help decorate the gym on Saturday 2/11 from 8:00am – 4:00pm.
· To help CLEAN UP the gym from 10:30pm-12:00am.
In case they haven’t shared, we have all been learning how to swing dance in class every Thursday. All YHS Band students are now equipped with 8 stunning swing dance moves which Ms. Kluga hopes they will use at our event. (Now, they just have to get up the courage to ask someone to dance!
Please be aware that the Swing Dance Snow Date is Saturday 2/18.