SENIOR BIOS!

For interested seniors, your YHS Band Senior Bio is due by MONDAY 5/6, to be featured in our Spring Concert program.  Please e-mail your completed Bio to Ms. Kluga.  A worksheet on how to write a Senior Bio is attached.

SUMMER MUSIC CAMPS

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 me with questions.

YHSWE FESTIVAL TRIP IS THIS WEEKEND!

And we are SO excited! Our itinerary is packed with musical awesomeness: attending a West Point concert and masterclasses, enjoying STOMP and workshop with the cast, participating in our adjudication and clinic with a panel of nationally recognized music educators, experiencing a Jazz at Lincoln Center concert with Wynton Marsalis, McCoy Tyner and Charles McPherson. Also a solemn visit to the 9/11 memorial and museum. One of the pieces we are performing is dedicated to the victims and survivors. “A Hymn for the Lost and the Living” by Eric Ewazen. Music teaches empathy and is at the core of ESTEAM. We are so grateful for the support of all these musical opportunities!

A few Wind Ensemble reminders are below as you pack and prepare tonight:

·       Students, please arrive to school tomorrow morning by 7:15 wearing your YHS Band polo, black pants (no sweatpants) and black shoes and socks. If you can arrive earlier, please do.

·       Please report immediately to the auditorium. The goal is to be on the bus and driving by 7:30.

·       Please pack your festival music, jazz band music, NYSSMA solo, and West Point music.

·       Please pack your photo ID for the security check at West Point

·       Listen to today’s rehearsal recordings as you pack! They are available on Dashboard. Enjoy our music and be proud!


NEXT JAZZ BAND REHEARSAL IS TUESDAY 4/9

There is no Jazz Band tonight. Next week’s rehearsal is TUESDAY. This is due to the Mr. Yorktown pageant Thursday 4/11. See you all at 7:20 on Tuesday evening in the band room!

REMINDER: SPRING DATES – Please double check your calendars!

4/5-7 (Fri-Sun)               Wind Ensemble Festival Trip to NYC

4/29-5/3 (Mon-Fri)          ’19-‘20 Wind Ensemble Auditions                                    

5/1 (Wed)                       First Nighters Awards Dinner (Juniors/Seniors only) 7:00pm

5/10-5/11 (Fri-Sat)           NYSSMA Solo Festival @ Henrick Hudson HS       

5/11 (Sat)                       Concert Band Hershey Park Festival Trip

5/15 (Wed)                     YHS Spring Band Concert @ 7:00 pm

6/8 (Fri)                         Jazz Band performs at Relay for Life @ time TBA

5/27 (Mon)                     Memorial Day Parade and Annual YHS Band BBQ

CONCERT BAND FESTIVAL PREP!

All CB students have a homework assignment due at their weekly band lesson. You should hear your student practicing at home.  Professional recordings of our festival music are available for download on your student’s YHS Band Dashboard. Ms. Kluga is always available for help by appointment.

FIRST NIGHTER’S AWARDS DINNER WED. 5/1

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 1st at 7:00pm at Vittoria’Z on the Lake in Jefferson Valley, and will include catered dinner, entertainment, and awards presentations. Please be sure to RSVP!

CB FESTIVAL CHAPERONES NEEDED

We are in need of a few additional parent chaperones for our Six Flags festival trip on Saturday 5/11.  If you are interested in spending your Saturday with 70 teenagers at a music festival and an amusement park, please e-mail Ms. Kluga. 🙂

YHS WE SENIORS TO SIX FLAGS

YHSWE Seniors are welcome to attend our Six Flags trip to cheer on our Concert Band (and help with equipment!). If you are interested, please e-mail Ms. Kluga.   The number of WE seniors attending will determine your cost. The trip is Saturday 5/11.

SUMMER MUSIC CAMPS

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 me with questions.

FESTIVAL TIME!

Spring Festival season is upon us! Both the Concert Band (Sat. 5/11) and the Wind Ensemble (Fri thru Sun 4/5-7) will each attend a music festival that I created just for them; each group will perform before a panel of adjudicators AND experience an on-stage clinic with the adjudicators, as they coach the students on how to achieve better musicianship.  I am so excited for them to learn from this musical experience!

All students have a homework assignment due at their weekly band lesson. You should hear your student practicing at home.  Professional recordings of our festival music are available for download on your student’s YHS Band Dashboard. I am always available for help by appointment.

The March/April lesson calendar is attached FYI.

WE FESTIVAL INFO NEEDED

Please remind your WE student to fill out the on-line form that we discussed in class (food allergies/West Point security). The form was sent to students via e-mail, with multiple reminders. I cannot take the next steps in planning our trip without this information.

WE FESTIVAL DRESS REHEARSALS

Please note, we will be rehearsing on Tuesday 4/2, Wednesday 4/3 and Thursday 4/4 periods 8+9 (12:45-2:15) in the auditorium. Students, please make sure these rehearsals are on your personal calendars.  See me this week if you have a conflict so we can make a plan.

WE FESTIVAL HOMEWORK TIME-LINE

The attached document outlines exactly what students need to practice each week so that they are on-track to have their music prepared for our festival. Professional recordings are available on their Dashboard. If your student needs help with their music, I am available every day after school, by appointment, until 3:00.

WE FESTIVAL – AUDIENCE WELCOME AT OUR ADJUDICATION!

If you are interested in supporting the Wind Ensemble at their adjudication, you are welcome to watch our performance! Our adjudication and clinic will take place on Saturday 4/6 from 9:30-11:00 at Nutley HS in Nutley, NJ. (315 Franklin Ave. Nutley NJ 07110). Please let me know if you plan to attend so that I can alert the festival.