BAND PARENTS' UPDATE

Greetings, GH music families! We have a LOT of important updates for all grade levels below. Please read on!

1. RETURN OF THE CAKE WALK! After a two-year hiatus, the Band Parents are pleased to be bringing back the live and in-person Cake Walk event, on Friday April 8 in the OLD Larson Middle School gym and commons. This is one of BPA's major fundraisers for the year, and it truly is an all-hands-on-deck operation. If you have a student in the bands at any grade level, 5 through 12, please consider volunteering to help with this event, because we need you. The signupgenius is available here. New to Cake Walk? No problem! Visit this page on our web site for a little bit of info about the long history of the event in Grandview Heights. 
2. AND, DON'T FORGET THE CAKE: Whether you are able to volunteer or not, we do ask that each and every band family donate one cake per 5-12 band student in their home (so if you have two band students, please plan to donate two cakes, three band students = three cakes, and so on). Cakes can be dropped off starting at 3pm on the day of the event, Friday April 8, at the OLD Larson Middle School. PLEASE NOTE: while you are welcome to bake your own, store-bought cakes are also totally fine for this purpose. (Pro tip: our local Grandview grocery stores often run specials on bakery cakes around this time, because they know you may come calling.) These donated cakes are given away as prizes throughout the event. 
3. HIGH SCHOOL CONCERTS THIS WEEK: We have two opportunities to see GH musicians in live performance this week! On Tuesday March 15, the GHHS Concert Band will give its "Music in Our Schools Month" concert, at 7pm in the NEW Larson Middle School gymnasium. The concert program is available here, and it looks great! Then on Thursday March 17, the GHHS Jazz Ensemble offers it annual "Artist in Residence" concert, featuring multi-instrumentalist Derek DiCenzo and percussionist Zach Compston. The Seven O'Clock Jazz Band will also perform! The concert program is still being finalized, but you should be able to find it here within the next couple of days. Should be a great week of music-making!
4. HIGH SCHOOL BAND CAMP: The Band Parents are pleased to announce that we have selected the location for the 2022 edition of GHHS Marching Band Camp: Otterbein University! Please check out the 2022 edition of the GHHS Marching Band's Band Camp Newsletterfor lots more details on Band Camp, including important dates and deadlines, cost, uniform items, volunteer opportunities, departure and return schedules, and really everything else you might need to know about Band Camp. We hope it's all there or on the Band Camp page, but if you still have questions, let us know.
5. 
   HIGH SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: And speaking of Band Camp, remember when the Bobcat Boosters saved Band Camp for 2021? We here at BPA HQ sure do! The Boosters could use the help of any available HS students to assist with mulch delivery during their annual mulch sale fundraiser on Saturday April 9 - and what a great way to say THANKS to the Boosters for supporting our Band students in our time of need! If your student is able to help, please ask them to show up at the parking lot behind the office building at 815 Grandview Ave at 7:30 that morning, dressed to get dirty, and send a pair of gardening/work gloves along if you have them. The work should wrap up by noon, but your student can leave earlier if needed. 
6. 
   EXTENDED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES: Finally, just a reminder that we are maintaining a page on our web site where you can learn about workshops, summer camps, and other extended learning opportunities for your young instrumentalists. Check back often for updates - including our most recent addition from the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in western Michigan (more details available here).