HHS BAND WEEKLY NEWSLETTER JANUARY 20-26, 2025

Things We Like

We love our HHS Color Guard! They are introducing their 2025 winter guard show, "Life Inside a Lava Lamp," at their first competition next Saturday at Mortimer Jordan High School! Follow them on Instagram @hhscolor.guard.

Weekly Schedule

Monday MLK Day.  No School.   Winter Guard practice 6-9 pm Small Gym!!
Tuesday:  Wind Ensemble 4-5:30.  Winter Guard 4-6 pm Small Gym!!
Wednesday:  Off.  
Thursday:  No Wind Ensemble rehearsal.
Friday:  Optional Basketball pep band for Women and Men's Game vs. Grissom 5:30 - 9:00 pm (wear your dry fit shirt or pep rally uniform -guard).
Saturday - Winter Guard Competition - Mortimer Jordan HS (see information in Winter guard section)

St. Louis Trip Update! Thursday May 1 - Saturday, May 3.
https://urtoursandevents.wetravel.com/trips/huntsville-high-school-band-trip-ur-tours-and-events-84984574  

Updates 1/20/25:
Here is the most updated itinerary.  We hate that we cannot perform the national anthem at the Cardinals game.  This was well beyond our control and we did everything we could to make it happen.  Because we are unable to perform the national anthem at the Cardinals game, it is going to save everyone $40 on the trip.

Wait list:  If you registered recently, you were placed on a wait list.  The reason for this is because our buses are completely full.  Getting another bus has 2 challenges - 1 it will change the price of the trip making it more expensive and 2 - getting charter buses May 1-3 has been very challenging - no availability of charter buses this particular weekend across many companies.   We are considering our options with this as we want as many people to go as possible, but for right now you are wait-listed.

Payment Schedule
$150.00 PER PERSON ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 31ST TO CONFIRM TRIP DETAILS
$200.00 PER PERSON ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 15, 2024
$250.00 PER PERSON ON OR BEFORE FEBRUARY 3, 2025
BALANCE DUE ON OR BEFORE MARCH 14, 2025

All State and District Honor Band Auditions - Friday, January 31/Saturday, Feb 1
We will once again be hosting 700+ middle school and high school students (and their families) from Madison, Morgan, and Limestone counties as they try out for all state and district honor band.  This is a huge service to our band community and we need your help volunteering!  The event will take place in the Freshman Academy and Fine Arts Building.

Adults - we will need help on Friday late afternoon/evening and all day Saturday running the registration table.  We may also need some extra hands for food and hospitality.  You are able to sign up to help in CutTime to help with registration or hospitality.

Students - we require all wind ensemble and symphonic band students to serve one shift either Friday or Saturday.  Students serve as judge assistants and runners throughout the 2 days.  A sign up sheet is posted in the band room.

MPA Dates
We have requested Symphonic Band perform at Music Performance Assessment on Tuesday, February 25th at Hartselle High School
We have requested Wind Ensemble perform at Music Performance Assessment on Wednesday, March 5 at James Clemens High School.

We will take school buses to these events, but they are open to the public.  These dates are based on the feedback we received from the students and the conflicts we were aware of through the school.  These are required performances and one of the most important performances of the year!

Summer Schedule and April/May adjustments
We are making some adjustments to our April/May schedule that will hopefully be beneficial to our families and program.  The most impactful change is that we are eliminating Rookie Camp after Memorial Day and replacing it with "Spring Training" sessions held in April and May after school.  We will have all of the percussion and winds in marching band attend a couple of these sessions.  This will allow us to plan better for the Fall while giving leadership team students and upcoming 9th grade students an extra week of off time in the summer.  

There are a few other additional changes that will mostly impact in class activities or leadership selection.  You can view the whole schedule and a more detailed explanation here.   We are updating our CutTime calendar to reflect these changes.  

Summer Schedule 2025June 30 - July 2 Leadership Camp (Leadership team only - mornings and afternoons)
July 9-11 Marching Percussion Camp (required for all marching band percussion)
July 14-18 Band Camp Week 1 - All Day (required for all marching band students)
July 21-25 Band Camp Week 2 - All day (required for all marching band students)
Friday, July 25th  Optional DCI Trip to MTSU (afternoon and evening)
Tuesday, July 29 Rehearsal  6-9 pm (required for all marching band students)
Thursday, July 31 Rehearsal 6-9 pm (required for all marching band students)
Monday, August 4th First Day of School

Winter Guard 
 The schedule can be viewed here.  
We are rehearsing Monday and Tuesday this week because the basketball schedule allows us access to the small gym!  

Competition Schedule for Saturday 1/25
11:45 am - Meet in the HHS Band room.  Please eat brunch or an early lunch prior to arriving!   Load floor.  Make sure you have your flag bag, accessories, uniform, make up and anything else you may need!
12:00 pm - Load school bus.
12:15 pm - Depart for Mortimer Jordan HS.
2:00 pm - Arrive at Mortimer Jordan HS. 
2:15 pm - Check in.  Find our home location. Change into uniform, do make up, prepare for warm up.
3:48 pm - Warm up 
4:03 pm - On deck
4:10 pm - PERFORMANCE.  
After performance, put up equipment and floor and prepare for awards (do not change).
4:30 pm - AWARDS!!! (comments only - this is an early competition)
After awards you will be given time to change clothes, eat some dinner from concessions, and watch other groups.  We will sit together in the stands!
7:30 pm - Alta Marea (world class guard) performs.  Depart immediately after
9:15 pm - Back at School! 

Staff/Teachers
As you may/may not know, our color guard instructors Logan and Evie are not only great teachers, but perform as well.  They are doing a world-class winter guard called "Paramount" that is based in Atlanta this Spring and we are really happy they have this unique opportunity.  While this does not impact their daily commitment to the guard, it does impact their weekend schedules.  They will not be with us at Saturday competition.  Luckily, one of our new art teachers at HHS, Mrs. Rizzardi, is a former HHS Color Guard captain from a few years ago and has been involved with our color guard over the past few months.  Mrs. Rizzardi will be the primary contact at competitions.   Mr. Tankesley will also be at all the away competitions this year to assist as well (will be meeting the guard in Birmingham on Saturday as I will already be in Birmingham for a conference).  In addition, Mrs. Gorman will be with us and probably other guard parents as well!

Transportation
All students should ride the bus.   We have invested in buses for the first time to make it easier on families, so we need to utilize them.   We should have room for some adult chaperones/extra riders if you would like to join.  To make sure we have plenty of room, please email me (stuart[email protected]) if you plan on riding the bus.    If there are extenuating circumstances that would necessitate you not riding the bus to a particular competition, please email me at stuart[email protected] prior to competition day.    Students who are not riding the bus back home should be checked out through Mrs. Rizzardi.  

Uniform/Make up 
Do make up and hair on the bus to Mortimer Jordan.  Always have hair and make up down prior to putting uniform on.   We will change into uniform after we arrive.    

Other
You will have time at competitions after we perform to grab food at concessions.  Please bring $$.  You are also welcome to bring your own snacks if you would like for the bus.  

Upcoming Dates
January 31-February 1   All State/District Honor Band Auditions at Huntsville HS - Optional
February 13-15   Winter Camp!! (Required for all Symphonic band and wind ensemble students)
February 15 - Winter Guard Competition at Bob Jones HS
February 22 - Mattress Sale!

Questions/Concerns?  Please contact the following:
Grades, missing rehearsals/absences, conflicts, instruments, general band questions - stuart[email protected] or [email protected]

If you have any of the following issues, please direct your questions to [email protected]. They’ll be able to guide you to the appropriate point of contact.

• Band Student Account Balances, band fees
• Business or Individual Sponsorships
• Fundraising Questions 
• Volunteering/Chaperones 
• Cut Time, Band App, or Social Media Questions 
• Senior Night 
• Uniforms (except color guard uniforms)  
• Color Guard including uniforms (except for absences, conflicts, or grades) 
• Percussion 
• General Band Boosters Questions 

A Big Thank You To Our Sponsor, The Biscuit Express