BAND PARENTS' UPDATE

Greetings, GH Families! We hope that everyone out there enjoyed their long holiday weekend and is ready to get back to the business of making music. We have a TON of

important updates below for families with students of all ages, so please read on!

1. MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND CONCERT: the Middle School bands will perform their winter concert this week on Wednesday evening Feb 23 at the "Bandnasium" in the NEW Larson Middle School. 5th and 6th grade bands go on at 6pm, and 7th and 8th grade bands will perform at 7pm. Click here for details about what your band student should wear and what time and where they should report for pre-concert warm up. While you are there you can also download your electronic copy of the concert program!
2. ATTENTION EIGHTH GRADE BAND FAMILIES! We know many of you are thinking about high school scheduling, and may be wondering what a typical year looks like for a student in the high school instrumental music programs. We have a resource for you! Bobcat Bands 101, available on the Band web site, is a chronologically arranged summary of the life of the GH instrumental music programs. There is helpful information here for all instrumental music families, but it's especially helpful for those who are looking to get a sense of what the transition from middle school to high school looks like. Check it out!
3. HIGH SCHOOL CONCERTS: The next round of concerts for the high school bands begins March 15, when the GHHS Concert Band will perform its "Music in our Schools" month concert. The GHHS Jazz Ensemble follows with its annual Artist in Residence concert on March 17. (Both performances at 7pm, locations TBD.) And don't forget that the "Seven O'Clock Jazz Band," Mr. Stanley's exploratory jazz group for grades 7-12, will be making a special appearance at the March 17 Jazz Ensemble concert, where they will perform as the opening act! Mark your calendars now for a great week of music.
4. GHHS JAZZ ENSEMBLE AUDITIONS: Students currently in grades 8-11 are encouraged to consider auditioning for next year's GHHS Jazz Ensemble, which has many openings for new members. Nearly 70% of the current jazz ensemble members are graduating seniors, so there is LOTS of opportunity for our younger up-and-coming Bobcat musicians! Auditions will be held the week of March 14; click here for information on how to prepare.
5. SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS: Did you know that the GH Band Parents Association sponsors three scholarships for graduating seniors? Now you do! Applications are available now (you can pick one up in the HS guidance office or click here to print one from our web site) and are due back to Mr. Herrmann by March 4. Two $1000 scholarships will be awarded to students who have had a positive impact on the instrumental music programs during their time as a student, and a $500 scholarship honoring former GHHS Band Director Mary Jo Gaskalla is awarded to a graduating senior who intends to study or participate in music at the next level. Winners will be announced during the GHHS spring scholarship awards ceremony.
6. GHHS MARCHING BAND CAMP: Finally, details for this year's Band Camp are still being finalized, but the dates are set, and anyone with a 2022-23 GHHS Marching Band student in the house can mark their calendars now for July 24-29, which is when the five day sleep-away camp week will occur. Pre-Band Camp rehearsals will begin the preceding week, at the high school. More details to follow soon! And hey, did we mention we coudl really use some help coordinating Band Camp? If you are interested in helping out, please reply to this email or contact Dot Keil with your questions. It's a great role for someone who wants to help out early and get all their volunteering out of the way before the school year starts. Is that you? Contact us!