Hello band parents and students,
Hope everyone has enjoyed our many days off this semester... it has made for a chaotic season, but there is still a lot going on around the MHS band. Here's hoping for clear skies ahead! Please read on for many important updates:
1. SPRING CONCERT DATE CHANGE - Due to the MHS jazz band qualifying for the Essentially Ellington Festival in NYC during May (see #8 below), there will be a slight change to the spring concert schedule. The concert previously scheduled for Wednesday, May 8th will be moved to Monday, May 20th at 7:30 following Music Awards Night. This affects all sophomores, juniors and seniors who are in Concert Band Block 2, Wind Ensemble, or Chamber Winds. The Tuesday 5/7 concert with freshmen and sophomores is unaffected. 2. Pep Band Season Ending & Grades - Our final pep band performance of the year is this Saturday, 2/16. Remember that each student needs 4 total for the year. To help everyone know where they stand, all outstanding pep bands will be posted as missing assignments today. If you can't make it to Saturday's game, complete a makeup during ASR 1 and 2 or attend the Kromrey pep band on 2/21. 3. Chamber Winds & Percussion Class Concert February 28th - A reminder that Chamber Winds and Percussion Class will be performing at 7:30PM on February 28th in the PAC. Report time 6:50, all black. Others are encouraged to come both as their concert listening requirement and for a great concert! See you there! 4. Spain Tour - A Spain email was sent this morning to all enrolled families. Contact us if you did not receive it. 5. Spring Supper - Remember that the annual Spring Supper concert is in the late afternoon on April 6th. All bands will be performing. Please sign up here to volunteer for the event; the Spring Supper committee is still especially looking for a few more parents to help with the popular silent auction. 6. Solo/Ensemble Congratulations - Congratulations to all the students who participated in the MCPASD solo/ensemble festival last Saturday, and a huge thank you to the many volunteers who made the event possible. There were many wonderful performances all day, and even though the weather created some difficulties in preparation, everyone rose to the occasion and gave their best performance. - Students who signed up to participate at Mt. Horeb or Waunakee should receive draft schedules in the near future. - State Solo/Ensemble registration for those individuals and groups who received a 1* rating will be available in about two weeks - watch for the registration form. State this year is on April 27th at UW-Platteville. 7. Jazz Tracs Guest Artist - We are thrilled to announce that the guest artist for Jazz Tracs 2019 will be trumpeter Wayne Bergeron. Mr. Bergeron is arguably the most well-known lead trumpet player in the world, performing with Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band and on numerous big-budget movie soundtracks including Disney's The Incredibles and Frozen. He will work with all four jazz bands and perform at Jazz Tracs on May 17th, 2019. 8. Essentially Ellington - A huge congratulations to the MHS 7 O'Clock Jazz Band, who qualified as a finalist for the Essentially Ellington program in NYC. Only 15 jazz bands from the nation are selected each year to work with members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center orchestra including Wynton Marsalis. This is not only an incredible opportunity for those students resulting from many hours of preparation, but a feather in the cap for the entire Middleton band program. The competition is held in NYC from May 9-11 (which is why the May 8 spring concert had to be rescheduled) and will also be available on live stream. -- Michael Ver Voort