hhs band weekly newsletter jan. 29- FEB 2, 2024

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Good luck to the Color guard, this Saturday, at their first competition of the season!! GBR!!!!

Marching Uniform collection information

Marching season is officially over, therefore starting January 16, 2024 students may start returning their marching uniforms to the uniform committee. Only the following items should be returned:
Uniform Jacket
Gauntlets
Shako
Red or White garment bag
**Exception: Those individuals that were fitted for a marching uniform specifically for the London
Parade only, must return ALL items. To include bibbers and shoes. If these items are not
returned, the cost of these items will be charged to your Charms account.
Uniform jacket should be dry cleaned and dry-cleaning receipt should be pinned to the jacket. If no dry-cleaning receipt is attached, a $15 cleaning fee will be charged to the students charms account. Deadline to have all items returned is January 31, 2024.
Very important: DO NOT dry clean the gauntlets! Spot clean the gauntlets with a solution of mild detergent(woolite or non-chlorine stain removers) and water. They should NOT be fully immersed and they should NOT be dried in the dryer, but laid flat to air dry.
If additional items are returned, such as bibbers/shoes (see exception above), socks, dri-fit shirts and gloves; they will be returned to the student. The uniform committee does not accept these items as they are yours to keep and have been paid for via your Charms account. If your intention is to donate any of these items to an under classmen, that should be coordinated between individual parents. The uniform committed does not have the capacity to coordinate donated items at this time. Any question, please contact a member of the uniform committee at [email protected]

Attention Senior Parents

Class of 2024 parents, you should have received an email from [email protected] this past Thursday or Friday with the topic: Band Banquet Video.  If you did not receive it, we may have the wrong contact information for you and need you to send an email to [email protected] with your Senior's full name.

Interest Poll for Spring Pictures-Deadline is Monday January 29th

Huntsville High School Band wants to know if you would be interested in having a formal picture of your child taken in their concert uniform by a professional photographer.  We are trying to determine if there is enough interest in this service at this time.  Only 1 response per family/student please.  Deadline to respond is no later than Monday, January 29, 2024. Please respond to the poll with the link below:
Concert Uniform Picture Interest Survey (google.com)

Volunteers needed for the mattress sale Feb 24th. Sign up in Charms

Schedule for the week

​​Monday-Symphonic Band 4 - 5:30 
Tuesday-Wind Ensemble 4-5:30; Winter Guard 4-6
Wednesday-Off
Thursday-Winter Camp 4:00 - 9:00 pm
Friday-Winter Camp 8:30 am - 6:00 pm
Saturday-Winter Camp 8:30 am - 1:30 pm.  Winter Guard Competition at Mortimer Jordan.

All State and District Honor Band
Congratulations to the following students for making district honor band and all state.  

All State (April 25-27 in Huntsville at the VBC)
Jody Shaw, Flute - Blue Band
Tori Smith, Oboe - Unassigned
Calen Miller, Alto Sax - White Band
Jayne Hansberger, French Horn - White Band
Daniel Starnes, Trumpet - Blue Band
Kianna Thomas, Trombone - White Band
Matthew Hutcherson, Euphonium - Red Band

District Honor Band (February 16-17 at Grissom)
Jody Shaw, Flute 
Tori Smith, Oboe 
Calen Miller, Alto Sax
Jayne Hansberger, French Horn
Daniel Starnes, Trumpet 
Lila Boyd, Trumpet
Cole Long, Trumpet
Aidan McDavid, Trumpet
Kianna Thomas, Trombone 
Matthew Hutcherson, Euphonium 

Winter Camp 2024 - Feb 1-Feb 3
All Band students except color guard are required to participate in Winter Camp Thursday, February 1 through Saturday, February 3rd.   We have guest clinicians come in and this camp is crucial to our success, just like band camp in July is for marching band.

Schedule
Thursday, February 1st 4:00 - 9:00 pm
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm    Rehearsal (Wind Ensemble on Stage, Symphonic Band in Band room)
6:00-7:00 pm  Provided dinner from Taco Mama
7:00 - 9:00 pm   Rehearsal (Wind Ensemble on Stage, Symphonic Band in Band room)

Friday, February 2nd  8:30 am - 6:00 pm (students excused from classes this day)
8:30 am - 12:00 pm  Rehearsal (Wind Ensemble on Stage, Symphonic Band in Band room)
12-1 pm - Lunch (normal school lunch!!)
1:00 pm - 3:30 pm   Rehearsal (Wind Ensemble on Stage, Symphonic Band in Band room)
3:30 - 4:00 pm  Break
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm Masterclasses

Saturday, February 3rd 8:30 am - 1:30 pm
8:30 am - 10:00 am  Masterclasses
10:15 am - 11:45 pm Rehearsal (Symphonic Band on Stage, Wind Ensemble in the bandroom)
12:00 pm CONCERT!!!!
1:30 pm - Dismiss

About the camp and clinicians
This camp is required of all band members (except color guard) allows students to learn and be conducted by some of the best teachers and musicians in the country.    It also huge in our spring semester preparation!  The days are long, but WELL worth it!!

Alex Kaminsky is the Wind Ensemble conductor.  He is the band director at Vandercook College in Chicago.  You can read about him here.
Jerrell Horton is the Symphonic Band conductor.  He is the band director at Vestavia Hills High School in Birmingham and works with our leadership team at our camp every summer. You can read more about him here.

Our masterclasses will be done by faculty at UAB, UAH, UNA, and a few free lance professional musicians.
Food
Thursday Dinner - Taco Mama (provided)
Friday lunch - School lunch as normal.  
Saturday - no meals

Concert only students and anyone else who didn't pay for the summer band camp lunch plan (which included winter camp dinner) will be charged $11 in your charms account for Thursday night's Taco Mama dinner​​.

Concert and Attire
We will do a concert to end the camp at 12:00 pm on Saturday in the auditorium with our guest conductors.  Our students would love a huge crowd of parents and family at this event as we prepare for the rest of the semester and to show off what we did at camp!

This concert is more informal - we will announce early in the week.  It will not be tuxes/dresses.  We typically wear band polos, but we are navigating an issue that some concert only students do not have these and we are low in our supply of extras.    

Wind Ensemble - Memphis 
This past summer the Wind Ensemble was one of 3 high school ensembles selected from 11 states to perform at the College Band Director's National Association (CBDNA) Southern Division Conference in Memphis.  It is crucial and required that every wind ensemble member attend this performance.  It is a huge honor and a great way to put our organization in front of some very valuable audience members.  We have already received notable mentions including in the national school band and orchestra magazine.

Cost
$100 per traveler.  

Hotel / Rooming
Hyatt Place Primacy Parkway (east Memphis/Germantown)
Students will be 4 to a room.  Chaperones will be 2 to a room (1 per bed).
Students will sign up for rooms will be on Monday!

Schedule
Departing at 8 am on Thursday, February 29th by bus.
Our performance is 10:30 am on Friday, March 1st.
We will be back at school by 7:00 pm on Friday, March 1st.

A Full itinerary will be released in the next couple of weeks​​ and will include some fun/educational attractions in Memphis as well.

US Navy Band Concert - Tuesday, February 13th
The United States Navy Band from Washington DC is performing a concert in the Huntsville High School Auditorium at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, February 13th.

The event is FREE, but you must acquire an e-ticket to attend.  To get your e-ticket, go to the following link:  U.S. Navy Band Concert Band - Huntsville AL - 2024 National Tour Tickets in Huntsville, AL, United States (ticketleap.com)

Upcoming 9th grade Meeting
Our upcoming 9th grade meeting will be held Thursday, February 15th at 6:00 pm in the HHS Band room.  This is for any student  currently in 8th grade and their parent to come learn about the HHS Band including the process of joining for next school year.  If you know any 8th grader in band coming to HHS, make sure they attend!

Winter Guard Schedule 23-24 - "Bluebird"
Rehearsal Schedule
Tuesdays from 4-6 pm and Fridays before competitions from 4-5 pm.

Mortimer Jordan Competition Information
How we are getting there:  Carpooling (if you do NOT have a ride or need assistance email Pam Rogers [email protected]
Where are we going:  Mortimer Jordan High School.  1920 Blue Devil Drive, Kimberly, AL 35091

You are responsible for making sure your equipment and uniform gets to the competition!

Schedule (tentative)
1:00 pm - Meet at Mortimer Jordan High School near the unit check in area.
1:45 pm - Check in and go to our "home" location in the school
3:15 pm Official Warm up Time
3:40  pm PEFORMANCE!!
After performance change out of uniform and watch other winter guards
7:40 pm Awards

 Competition Schedule (open to the public with purchase of a ticket)
February 10 - Green Hills High School (Nashville Metro) -school bus
February 17 - Bob Jones (Madison, Al) - carpool
March 9 - Columbia Central (Columba, Tn) - carpool
April 6 - SCGC Championships (Bowling Green, Kentucky)-school bus

Summer Schedule 2024 
April 29-May 3- Color Guard Auditions 4-6 pm.
May 10-11-Marching Percussion Auditions - Fri - 4-8, Saturday 8:30-12:30 (required for all percussion in marching band).
May 28-31 (Tuesday - Friday)  Rookie Camp 8 -12 (required for new members and leadership team), Color Guard Camp.
June 30-July 2-Leadership Camp.  Sunday, June 30th will be afternoon/evening.  July 1st and 2nd - all day. (leadership team only)
July 10-12-Make up Rookie Camp 8-12.  Marching Percussion Camp 12-4. (required for percussion in marching band)
July 15-19- Band Camp Week #1.  All Day.  (required for all marching band students)
July 22-26- Band Camp Week #2.  All day (required for all marching band students).  Band Camp on July 26th will dismiss at noon.
Juily 29-31- Additional rehearsals 6-9 pm.
July 26-optional trip to DCI in Murfreesboro for additional cost.


Upcoming Events
February 10- Winter Guard competition at Green Hills HS (Nashville) 
February 13-Navy Band Concert 7:00 pm Auditorium (must have ticket)
February 15-8th grade Band Meeting at 6:00 pm in Band room (HHS Band interest meeting)
February 16-17- District Honor Band at Grissom (for those that make it)
February 17-Winter Guard Competition at Bob Jones
February 24-Mattress Sale!! 10-5 in the Freshman Cafeteria.
February 29-March 1-Wind Ensemble CBDNA performance in Memphis
March 5-7- MPA at James Clemens High School for Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band

HHS Band would like to thank our sponsors: