HHS BAND WEEKLy newsletter MAY 11-17, 2026

Don't Miss This

• Rome 2028 Trip: Preliminary planning is underway for the New Year's Day Parade in Italy. Students or parents in grades 7–10 should complete the interest survey 
• Band Banquet Volunteers Needed: Parents of non-seniors are needed to help with setup and dinner service for this week's banquet, please sign up through your CutTime Events 

Schedule of the Week

Monday: Spring Training 4- 7 pm.  (Drum Majors, captains, and section leaders plus all new members) and Marching Percussion placements. HJHS students dismissed at 6 for their concert....  HJHS Band Concert - 7 pm.
Tuesday:  Marching Percussion placements 4-6:30 pm.  HJHS Choir Concert in Auditorium
Wednesday:  Spring Training 4- 7 pm.  (Drum Majors, captains, and section leaders plus all new members) 
Thursday:   Band Banquet at the Round House
Friday:   Off. 

Highlights

A huge congratulations to Mr. Tankesley on his election as President-Elect for the Alabama Music Educators Association (AMEA). We are incredibly proud to have his leadership representing Huntsville High School at the state level.

Kudos to our student leaders! Throughout April, some of our students have been diving deep into what it means to be a leader. Beyond interviews with community mentors and leadership workshops, a core part of their application process was a servant leadership service project. From assisting our feeder programs to improving our own band facilities, these students have shown that true leadership starts with a heart for service. 

​Announcements

Rome New Year's Parade 2028 
Please Complete the Interest Survey
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We are headed to Rome! The trip is scheduled for approximately December 27, 2027 – January 3, 2028.

• If you are a student or parent in grades 7–10, please fill out this interest survey to help us with our preliminary planning. It's anonymous and non-binding.
• More Info: You can find the March 23rd presentation, sample itineraries, and additional details in this Google Drive folder.

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Seniors Only
Did you receive a band, music, or other fine arts scholarship offer?  If you did, Please let us know by filling out this form.

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Graduation
Huntsville High School's graduation is Friday, May 22nd at 5:30 pm in the VBC Arena.  All band students (excluding seniors and color guard) are required to perform. We will also take a limited number of percussion students. This is the day after the last day of school.   We will take school buses to the event. ​

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2026-27 Football and Tentative Marching Competition Schedule
August 14 - vs. Florence (Milton Frank)
August 21 - vs. Jasper (Milton Frank)
August 27 vs. Mae Jemison (Thursday)  (Milton Frank)
September 4  vs. Grissom (Milton Frank)
September 11 at Buckhorn (school buses)
September 18 vs. Sparkman (Homecoming)
September 25  Open
September 26 - Rocket City Invitational Marching Competition
October 2 at Hazel Green (school buses) (Required game right before Fall break)
October 9 vs Gadsden City - Senior Night (REQUIRED FALL BREAK GAME).
October 16 at Bob Jones (Madison City Stadium - school buses)
October 17 - Possible competition
October 23 at James Clemens  (Madison City Stadium - school buses)
October 24 - Possible competition
October 30  at Muscle Shoals (school buses)
October 31 - Possible Competition

Mrs. Flippo wants the band at all of the games including the game before and during Fall break.  This is a change from past years as the game during Fall Break has been optional.  We plan to do the halftime show at the Fall break game.  We will excuse anyone from this game who has already spent money on a 2026 Fall break trip and let us know prior to April 1st. ​

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Summer Dates and Band Camp 2026
May 26-29 (Tues - Friday)  Color Guard Camp (Color Guard Only)
June 29 - July 1 Leadership Camp (leadership team only)
July 13-14 (Mon-Tues) 9th grade marching band students, leadership team, all percussion, all color guard.
Wednesday, July 15 - Monday, August 3 Band Camp - All Marching Band Students (excluding weekends)
**Friday, July 24th  Optional DCI Trip to Nashville (afternoon and evening)
Tuesday, August 4th - Parent Preview Performance (evening)
​Wednesday, August 5th First Day of School (pending school board approval - this is not official yet).

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2025–26 Band Awards Banquet
For those who have signed up to join us for "Music Under the Stars," we look forward to seeing you this Thursday as we celebrate our students’ accomplishments!
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Event Details: Thursday(May 14), 6:00 PM, The Roundhouse
Attire for the Evening: The theme colors for the evening are black with silver and gold/yellow. We invite you to join in the theme if you’d like, or simply come ready to impress.
Banquet Volunteers Needed: Please take a look at the volunteer sign-up in CutTime. We need a few parents to help set up the banquet and a few to help serve dinner. We ask that parents of seniors not sign up so they can fully enjoy their student's final banquet. 

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2026–27 Band Fees
As we look ahead to another great year, band fees for 2026–27 will be $800 for marching band & color guard and $400 for concert-only students. A 5% discount is available for families who pay in full by the end of band camp ($760 marching / $380 concert-only).
Marching & Guard Payment Schedule:

• $275 due by August 5, 2026
• $275 due by September 11, 2026
• $250 due by the Fall Concert (Oct/Nov)

Concert-Only Payment Schedule:

• $200 due by September 11, 2026
• $200 due by the Fall Concert (Oct/Nov)

Families with multiple students will receive a multi-child discount, with additional students eligible for the concert-only rate.
If you have any questions, please reach out to [email protected]. We’re happy to help!

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Help Wanted: Video Coordinator
We are still looking for a volunteer to help capture the HHS Band’s best moments for the 2026-27 season!

• The Mission: Film halftime shows, competitions, and concerts.
• ​The Impact: Your work preserves memories for our students and populates our HHS Band YouTube channel.
• The Perk: Best seat in the house for every performance!

No professional experience is required just a passion for our students and a willingness to help. If you're interested, please email [email protected].

Color Guard

Color Guard marching band uniform return should follow the instruction of Mrs. Morales. 

Color Guard 26-27 Camp 
May 26th - 29th
Location: Band Room and Soccer Field 
Times: 2:00pm-8:00pm
Dinner: 4:30pm-5:30pm, at school
***Thursday Dinner: team dinner. Build your own Sandwiches, chips, fruit and veggies (Morales has it covered)
***Friday Dinner: team dinner. Pizza, salad, and fruit (Morales has it covered)
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If any parents would like to help with guard camp dinners, please let Mrs. Morales know! [email protected]

Upcoming Dates

Mon, May 18 - Spring Training for 8th graders and leadership
Tues, May 19 - Spring Training for 8th graders and leadership.  8th grade parent meeting 7:00 pm.
May 22 - Graduation

The 25-26 Band Schedule can be found here and on the Cut Time calendar.

Who To Contact

Directors
For grades, absences, conflicts, instruments, or general band questions:

• Stuart Tankesley: [email protected]
• Andrew Kirk: [email protected]

Color Guard
For all guard-related inquiries:

• Annabelle Morales: [email protected]

Band Booster Support
For all inquiries below, email: [email protected]

• Finances: Account balances, band fees, and sponsorships
• Support: Fundraising questions and Volunteering/Chaperone opportunities
• Digital: Questions regarding Cut Time, the Band App, or Social Media
• Events & Gear: Senior Night and Uniforms (excluding guard)

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Thank you to our sponsors!