Thunder Band News 11/13/2017

/ Announcements, Booster, Color Guard, Concert Bands, Fundraising, Guards, Marching Thunder, Percussion / By

In This Issue

  • Rose Parade Float Decorating
  • Rose Parade Tour Dietary Restrictions
  • Rose Parade Media Passes
  • Rose Parade Media Package Survey (Wednesday Deadline)
  • All-State Band Updated Audition Information
  • Lifting Hands International and Festival of Trees Service Events
  • Band Booster Meeting November 15
  • State Marching Band Results Correction
  • SignUpGenius Summary
  • Upcoming Events
  • Upcoming Rehearsals

There are 49 days until the 2018 Rose Parade. Rose Parade fun fact of the week: There are opportunities for volunteers to help decorate the floats that will be part of the Rose Parade. Because the floats are created using live flowers and other organic materials, they have to be assembled as close to parade time as possible. Keep reading for more information about float decorating.

Rose Parade Float Decorating

Today’s trivia item is about decorating Rose Parade floats. Our students will have the opportunity to work on floats Saturday evening while we are in Pasadena. Make sure to ask your student which float they worked on so that you can take a look at their handwork while watching the parade on New Year’s Day.

A waiver is required for students to participate in this activity. The waiver can be downloaded here. Please print the waiver, sign it, and return it to the envelope on Mr. Mangelson’s door. Waivers should be put in the same envelope as the medical release forms. Please make sure both the medical release form and liability waiver are turned in before Thanksgiving break.

 

Rose Parade Tour Dietary Restrictions

Bob Rogers Travel has asked us to verify that they have all information about dietary restrictions, allergies, and special requests for tour participants. If you or your student will be on the tour and have special dietary information that you would like the tour company to know abut, please email Charlotte Ducos (cdducos@gmail.com) so that she can confirm that you are on the list and have all of the information they need to meet your needs.

 

Rose Parade Media Passes

We have the opportunity to receive two media passes at the Rose Parade: one for video and one for photos. These passes do not grant access to the parade or to seating; they only grant access to the photo stands at TV corner as our band is passing.

If you are attending the Rose Parade and are interested in filming or photographing the band from the photo stand as they pass through TV corner, please contact Charlotte Ducos at cdducos@gmail.com. It is preferred that you have photography or videography experience.

 

Rose Parade Media Package Survey (Wednesday Deadline)

GOAL Digital Storytellers is a company which provides Rose Parade participants with the opportunity to purchase a video package that documents their full experience at the Rose Parade. They do this for a fee, of course. We are trying to gauge how much interest there is among band families in purchasing video coverage.

Video coverage would include:

  • TV Coverage that shows the band on any of the TV broadcasters (ABC, NBC, HGTV, KTLA, RFD-TV, and UNIVISION)
  • A dedicated field crew to follow the band’s parade day experience from early dawn hours through the end of the parade route
  • After-parade festivities coverage of the band
  • BandFest coverage (dedicated field crew) with coverage of their performance and the general atmosphere

Basically, we would have our own dedicated film crew documenting our experience for the Rose Parade day events and Band Fest, as well as any television coverage that shows us in it.

The cost to produce this video is a set price of $5,145. The band does not have money to subsidize the production of the video, so the cost per video depends on the number of people who order the video. In essence, those who order would be splitting the cost of production. For example, if 100 videos were purchased, the video would cost around $52. If only 50 people purchased videos, the video would cost around $104.

We cannot just order without knowing we can cover the cost, so we are taking a survey to see how many people are interested in purchasing a video and at what price points you would be willing to purchase. There is zero obligation at this time—we are simply gauging interest. If we determine that there are enough who would like to order, we will take orders at that time. Otherwise we will let GOAL know that we are not interested.

Please fill out this survey before the booster meeting on Wednesday night. We will review the results at the booster meeting and make a final decision at that time.

Here is the link to the survey: https://goo.gl/forms/K7yZ1QLF3l5oVGdR2

 

All-State Band Updated Audition Information

We have received the following updated information regarding All-State Band auditions.

The UMEA All-State Band auditions have been extended to Friday, November 17, at 11:59 PM. Please encourage your students to complete their auditions as soon as possible so that they do not have issues uploading their videos at the last minute. Currently, there are many instrumentation needs we need to fill, so we need your help in encouraging your students to audition.

The UMEA All-State Band will be conducted by Alfred Watkins from Mariotta, Georgia, and the Music For All Hall of Fame. Selections include pieces by Curnow (Fanfare and Flourishes), Camphouse (Second Essay for Band), Ticheli (Rest), Sousa (Sabre and Spurs), Marquez (Danzon No. 2), and Leroy Anderson (Rakes of Mallow). The All-State Band (as well as the All-State Orchestra Winds) will be a wonderful experience for your students. Please get them to audition and share their incredible talents with each other.

Information about auditions is at http://umea.us/allband.php.

Wind Symphony students are highly encouraged to send in an audition.

 

Lifting Hands International and Festival of Trees Service Events

On Tuesday, November 21, we will be meeting from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM to assemble hygiene and school kits for Lifting Hands International and to decorate the Christmas tree that we will donate to Primary Children’s Hospital for the Festival of Trees. We need several students help with assembly and parent volunteers to oversee the process of making bows for the tree and assembling the refugee kits. We would also love a few parent volunteers to provide treats!

This event is being held immediately after the rehearsal on November 21 so that students can stay after rehearsal to help with these events. All students are welcome to stay after rehearsal to help with refugee kits. Students who want to help with the tree need to sign up at the link below since there are only a limited number of slots to help with the tree.

Parents, please share this information with your students since many of them do not get the emails. Also, encourage your students to gather refugee kit items from neighbors, family, and friends. We don’t have a lot of time left to gather supplies for the kits. Please encourage them to use social media to get the word out fast.

Here is the information on refugee kit items so they can share it with people who might be willing to donate.

Hygiene kits contain two bars of soap, one shampoo, one comb, one toothbrush, one toothpaste (must not expire for at least one year), one spray deodorant, and one wash cloth. School kits contain three pencils (please donate a closed package of unsharpened pencils—it can have fewer than or more than three pencils), one pencil sharpener, one eraser, one box of crayons, one plain notebook, and one glue stick.

The donations need to be the exact items listed, but you can donate a package of something. Size does not matter except no travel-size items will be accepted. All items need to be new. You are welcome to donate individual items or to donate a complete kit in a gallon ziplock bag.

To volunteer for the service day, go to http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e044aa8a628aa8-festival.

To record your refugee kit donations (so that your section gets credit), go to http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e044aa8a628aa8-lifting.

 

Band Booster Meeting November 15

We will have our next band booster meeting on Wednesday, November, 15 at 7:30 PM. We will be working on preparations and details for our Rose Parade tour and final banquet.

There are also parent-teacher conferences that night, so we will begin our meeting without Mr. Mangelson and Mr. Megginson. They will join us when conferences end. See you there!

 

State Marching Band Results Correction

Last week’s email reported that the band placed fifth overall in 5A competition and fifth in state competition at the Red Rocks state championship. The band placed fifth overall among bands participating in the competition, but the band was third, not fifth, in the state championship placement. Congratulations, again, to the band on a successful season.

 

SignUpGenius Summary

 

Upcoming Events

  • November 15 – 7:30 PM – Band booster meeting
  • November17 – 11:59 PM – All-state audition deadline
  • November 30–December 2 – Alpine Honor Band

 

Upcoming Rehearsals

  • November 15 – 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM – Rose parade rehearsal
  • November 21 – 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM – Rose parade rehearsal (Tuesday rehearsal)
  • November 29 – 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM – Rose parade rehearsal
  • December 6 – 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM – Rose parade rehearsal

 

You are receiving this email because of your association with the Westlake High School band program. If you no longer have a student at Westlake or wish to be removed from the mailing list, contact us at thunderbandnews@gmail.com or reply to this message to be removed from the mailing list.