BAND PARENTS' UPDATE

HELLO, GH BAND FAMILIES! Boy howdy, have we missed you! It's been a long, hard year in COVID-land, but we are starting to see some very faint lights at the end of this

very long tunnel. And that means it's time to start dusting off our Band Parent chops and start communicating with you all again...so here we are! And here's what's new.

1. WE NEED YOU: every year around this time, we start asking folks to consider helping out the Band Parents Association by serving as an officer or committee chair for the coming school year, but this year the need is ESPECIALLY DIRE for a couple of reasons. First, due to graduations, nearly every officer and committee chair will be rotating off this year. And second, due to the pandemic, we are seeing a significant drop-off in band enrollment for 2021-22. Fewer students in band means fewer parents to do the important work of supporting the bands - so that means we really need EVERY ONE OF US to pitch in and help in some way. Like many other student groups and organizations, we expect it may take some time to build the band programs back stronger and better than before - but that will only happen if we have the help of some dedicated parent volunteers like you. Never volunteered before? No worries! You're perfect for this! Nearly everyone on the board will be new next year, so you will not be alone. A list of current officers and committee chairs can be found here. Please contact current GHBPA president Karen Smith or reply to this email with questions or for more information (or, better yet, to volunteer!).
2. RECORDED CONCERTS: in a typical school year, March would have brought the second round of concerts for our band groups, but we obviously didn't have that opportunity (stupid covid). This past winter, as a substitute for the holiday concert series, the HS concert band and jazz ensembles both recorded performances that were available for a limited time on the District's YouTube channel. For the March concert cycle, all of the groups (including the middle school bands) will be doing so, and those recordings should be released for your viewing pleasure very soon. 
3. LIVE CONCERTS: Wait, what?! Yes, you read that right! There is a possibility that we will be able to arrange for live performances before the end of the school year! The band faculty and school administration are working very hard to make this happen, and we plan to keep you posted as plans unfold and things become more firm. Stay tuned!
4. CAKE WEEK!: anyone who has lived in Grandview very long knows that the Grandview Heights Cake Walk was a staple of our community for decades (more information available here, if you are new in town), and it was also a big fundraiser for the band program. Cake Walk went virtual for the first time last year, and it too was a rousing success as we sought to find a way to have a little fun, raise a little money, and unify our community in the early days of a confusing and isolating global crisis. This year we plan to top that, of course, and are pleased to offer a full CAKE WEEK of activities, APRIL 26 through APRIL 30. More details coming soon to an in-box, web site, and Facebook page near you, so please stay tuned! 
5. HERE'S HOW ELSE YOU CAN HELP: Do you know a family with a 5th or 6th grade band student this year? Well, we don't! Right now our database does not include any 5th or 6th grade families, and we would of course like to be able to communicate with everyone. Please ask your friends with 5th or 6th grade band students to email us at GrandviewHeightsBPA@gmail.com and include their student's name, adult family members' names, and any email addresses they would like us to add to this distribution list. Thanks!