White Station High School Band

Thanks to the amazing work and aid of Mami Wexler, our program has been granted a substantial amount of money to purchase new uniforms for our program. More information to come on this soon.

I also wish to send a huge thanks to all those that helped with our recent car wash as we did very well and the kids had a great time. Special thanks to Breanne Bozant for getting pizzas for the kids and Sherry Coates for helping get fruit and water for the kids as they washed cars and played on the sidewalk to the traffic on Poplar.

Also, a huge thanks to the Boosters as a whole and Graciela Pagin for helping to set this up, create the flyers and get us moving again after a quiet winter. It is nice to see the kids working together as they were Saturday. More car washes will be on the horizon – keep an eye on this site for more information.

Praise and important upcoming information

First, I wish to send a praise to all of our students that made All-West, and those moving on to All-State. At the All-West Clinic, during the concert on Saturday, Ellie Pappas was awarded the Ralph Hale Scholarship ($1000) for her perseverance in academics and music, coupled with her desire to continue music in college. Congratulations, Ellie!!! I also wish to recognize Catherine Cheng who also was announced as one of the soloists that won the solo/ensemble competition during the All-West clinic and will now be performing and competing with her piece at All-State in Nashville, performing against the other top soloists in the state. Catherine was also selected to perform in the High School Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall. These are all huge honors and it is so wonderful to see students pushing themselves, performing at such a high level. Please congratulate them, and everyone else, when you see them next-a little praise goes a long way for all of their hard work.

Regarding All-State, information will be coming soon for those that are participating. These concerts highlight the top young musicians from each region of the state to form select ensembles. Parents may, but do not have to take their students to the Gaylord Opryland for the clinic, as Dr. Palmer and I, along with some other parents, will be transporting them to Nashville for the clinic. Parents will need to pick their child up, or arrange transportation back from the event.

Band Camp information for next year: At the moment, so parents are best able to plan events over the summer before school starts, the tentative dates for band camp are as follows (depends on teacher in-service and the scheduled first days of school): July 12-14 is only for Band Leadership (no band practice), July 17-18 is only the Freshman and Leadership (other band members may join but not required), July 19-21 and July 24-28 (8-5pm each day) is full band (everyone in attendance). More information will be coming as the year closes and we approach summer so everyone can plan accordingly.

8th Grade Band Camp at the High School: As we did this year, we will be hosting an 8th grade band camp at the high school for those students that wish to see what it is like at the high school level, play some of the music with existing band members, and ask as many questions about the high school ensembles as can be thought up to help the transition to the high school be as smooth as possible. We will, at the moment, assuming testing is not an issue for either middle or high school, hold this April 4-6 and April 11-13 after school each Tuesday-Thursday from 3-4:30. Bring your instrument and prepare to have a lot of fun with us. Attend as many of the days as you are able – no requirement. This is meant to help dispel the fear and intensity of playing music at the high school level and dealing with Marching Band.

Audition deadlines for the High School will be due on May 1^st. All auditions will be done online using Seesaw. The current code will be provided each week as it expires regularly. Sign up as a student for the High School Auditions page and use the code MFBS EALO. This will expire soon – email me to get the most recent code. Students will audition if they plan on trying to enter the Wind Ensemble, or Jazz Band. Those wishing to go straight into Symphonic Band with no audition do not need to enter but do need to reach out to me so I know to expect you. Auditions will consist of playing a full octave chromatic scale, as many of the major scales as you are able to play (hopefully, all twelve), and the All-West audition music from this current year (the entire page of music).

AP Music Theory Review information to be coming soon. I will be hosting those students from across the district that are wishing to partake in a review for the AP Music Theory Exam.

The most important piece at the moment is ensuring ALL students have completed the online contract. If not, they may be sent home and not allowed to participate. Also, many students still have not paid the $55 to the school to cover the cost for the convention. If you do not pay in time, I will share with the board that they need to call up the next alternate in line and your child will not participate. If you have financial needs, and require aid, or cannot pay in time, please let me know as soon as possible. Also, all students participating should have band fees fully paid in full before attending the convention. Update, all students should wear the same clothes they wear for our concerts. The Jazz Band is specifically all black, typically with a black coat if available. Transportation is not provided by the school. All students will need to be dropped off and picked up for the clinic. I cannot provide a bus for everyone during this clinic as I have to be there during hours when several are not needing to be there.

The following is current information from the WTSBOA website for those parents that have students attending All-West. Meals are available at the concession stand (shown below), but many students choose to go off site to eat at nearby restaurants. I am happy to chaperone students to meals, but please share with your child to never go off without being in a group, or an adult. If you wish your student to eat on site, they may and can bring their own food but we have been asked to not have students bring food into the Convention Center. All food needs to be consumed off site, or purchased from the provided vendor.

Please note that all students must have a stand and their own music for the event. I will provide stands to those that do not have their own – just ask! Brass players will need to be aware and take mutes as needed, Jazz performers especially. Percussionists will need to take any instruments listed on the given sheet that came with your music.

Students in the jazz ensembles need to be aware of their start times and when they need to be on site. Concert members also need to be aware they should arrive by noon to be registered. I have already done the paperwork side of things, but I need to pass out the tags and any new information for the event. Blue Jazz members should not be late at all as it could not only cost you the chance to audition for All-State, but it could cause you to lose your place at All-West altogether. I will meet everyone in the lobby to get things started. Parking is available underneath the Convention Center, and is usually $10, but the gate is typically open during the convention times – not the concert. There is also parking in lots for cheap nearby, but do not park in the slots in the hotel across the street as you will either be towed, or your car can get a boot placed on it keeping you from getting home.

Click to access All-West-schedule-2023.pdf

• The only instruments provided will be Vibes for Aux Percussion Players. All Rhythm Players must provide their OWN bass, amps, keyboards, congas, drum set, cymbals, sticks, cords, etc.

• Brass players (except Bass Trombone) will need cup mutes for their All-State Jazz Auditions. CHECK their music to see what other mutes they need for their All-West Jazz Band Performances.

• Auditions are scheduled to start AT 8 AM on Thursday in room 108 in the Convention Center. Students should be there already warmed up/set up BEFORE 8 AM.

• All students need their OWN stands for rehearsal.

Concessions will be available for purchase in the Renasant Convention Center during the lunch break Friday afternoon. See below for the menu and prices. No outside food or drinks are allowed in the Renasant Convention Center.

White Station High School Band

Starting this Tuesday until November 28 our students have another opportunity to raise money individually while shopping for the holidays.
Money raised can be used for all music needs, to cover band fees or the band trip cost. Money raised this year will stay in the student’s account until graduation and can be used anytime. To start your individual online store, go to: https://www.boonsupply.com/collections/618596-white-station-high-school-band

Tuesday rehearsals are off for the next two weeks. The next two Thursdays will have rehearsals from 2:30-4:30. Senior Night is this Friday versus Germantown (@ Kirby HS). Seniors will be recognized during half time with family. We are in full uniform for the last two games and will plan on performing our show each game.

Seniors, for those who still have not completed the information form, please follow this link and complete the form ASAP: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=lBwpK7Bet0SJ6kuvFuzEqW3-KdU9–pCkht4BkdV0bBUQVlXRFVRTlJXQ0cxQVdGTk02WTQxWE5QOS4u

For those who have raised money through the popcorn fundraiser and would like to use it for the band trip, or anything else, email the boosters through this site: About Us tab, Director and Booster Leaders, scroll to the bottom and leave your message. The sooner you get the information to them, the faster they are able to send a list to the travel agency and move forward.

The Jazz Band has been asked to perform at the University of Memphis, Holiday Inn Hotel for a special function. They will be leaving school to play around 11am and playing at 11:30. This is only the beginning of opportunities for everyone who wishes to get out in the community to perform. I would like to introduce a coffee house experience in the future for students to perform in classical and jazz formats, either solo or in combos, for an array of people. I am trying to provide opportunities for everyone to play while also involving our neighborhood in what we do. Keep your eyes and ears open for this in the future as well.

Questions about anything, email me directly or the boosters. Have a great day and rest of the Fall Break!

There will be no practice or sectionals today after school, or Thursday. I am also calling all sectionals to be cancelled by section leaders as well so everyone can focus on completing class work for all classes before grades are posted. Focus on the concert tonight and grades for the remainder of the week. Symphonic Band does not have to attend the concert tonight.

Concert attire for band members

Boys: black slacks (no jeans or sweats), the band concert shirt, black socks, and black dress shoes.

Girls: black full-length dress (not a mini skirt), or black blouse or the concert shirt with black pants, black dress shoes, and black socks.

No tennis shoes, jeans, off-color pants, or head coverings (hats, etc,).

The Band Boosters have set up a Double Good virtual fundraiser!

It’s 100% contactless, we keep 50% of the profit, and the product ships directly to your supporters. We’ll each create a Pop-Up Store and sell Double Good ultra-premium popcorn! Prices for Signature Bags (5 cups each) start at $9, and Curated Collections at $26. The popcorn is delicious and award-winning!

Our fundraiser begins on September 27 and goes until October 1.

BEFORE THE FUNDRAISER BEGINS:

1. Download the Double Good app

2. Enter our Event Code LZKNZA in the app

3. Create your Pop-Up Store

The Double Good app is available for free on iOS and Android.

This is an easy way for anyone still needing to pay off band fees or pay for the band trip to do so now. Remember, any extra money you fundraise may also be used in the following years for band fees, band trips, or to purchase musical items (mutes, mouthpieces, reeds, music, etc.). This is a huge opportunity to provide gifts for family and friends while raising money for yourselves. Mr. Sims will talk more about this in class Monday, but I do encourage everyone to sign up now.

PS: Central High School Band Director, Dr. Ollie Liddell, shared with Mr. Sims that his band raised $19,800 in the four days.

The Band Booster meeting will be hosted at Chipotle (Summer Ave) this Tuesday 9/13 at 5:30pm.

Please join us for this month’s update, some yummy food, and support the band. We will get 33% of all sales!

We will share more information about the Band trip to Dallas and some fundraiser opportunities for students that can be used to help pay for band fees, plus some more important information.

Remember to tell the cashier you are with the band. If you order online, you can add the code 43YNFGB to the promo code.

See y’all on Tuesday!

Band trip signup before 9/30/2022. The annual band fee has to be paid in full before you may signup for the trip.

Students can only stay in Quad rooms.

We need chaperones! If you want to go on the trip contact Mr. Sims or any booster member.

trip code: whitestation23

password: dfwtrip23

Here is the game day routine that we follow each week:

Students end school at 2:15 pm. I tend to leave the school around 4 pm to get food at which point the students need to be outside the school. The call time for students is 5 pm at which point, all students need to be dressed and ready in the band room. The sousaphones and baritones will not take out their instruments as they will go on the trailer. Once the driver of the trailer arrives and pulls the trailer in front of the band room, the drums load up first, followed by the sousaphones and baritones. Then, we load up the front ensemble (mallet) instruments and water cart.

Students will board the buses around 5:30 pm. Chaperones traveling with the band will split up between the buses and check students off before they board the bus to set seat assignments and each bus list (clipboards are already made and in my office for use). These same lists and buses will be used in the same manner on the way back from the game. We should depart the school at 5:45 pm to head to whatever school we are playing. Games start at 7:00 pm and run typically until close to 9 pm (penalty time excluded). Parents signed up for Remind will receive notifications when we are on our way back so you are here to pick them up post the game.

Food is not provided for students, but the backpacks they have (only band backpacks allowed) may contain any food they wish to bring to consume during the game. We will have four water containers for students to refill bottles, but we will not have extra bottles on hand. Each student must bring their own bottle to the game. Water is a must as we are exercising hard for the game and students can easily become dehydrated. There are also concession stands that students may purchase food from, but only during the third quarter after we have performed the half-time show.

Very Important: If you are planning on taking your child home from the game, I have to have the Bus Exemption Form filled out and signed by one of the principals before you take them. This form is in the band room and on this site under the resources tab. I need to have it 24 hours before the game as it goes to the chaperones so we all know who we are traveling with and don’t stress trying to find your child at the stadium. Any other questions, please send me a remind or email – you can also send a message through this site to the boosters who can also help answer questions. Go Spartans!

Please send any forms in that are needed, especially for new students: Band Handbook form, Instrument Loan Form, and Student Info. form all of which are found here on our website under the forms tab.

Reminder that the uniform orders have to be in by August 11^th. Band fees largely cover the cost of the buses for our games so sending in money for the band fees will allow us to go to the games. It is not fair to take students that don’t pay for each game (which amounts to $7-10/game per student). If the only thing sent in is the money for the games each week in order to budget for the year, that is fine. I just have to account for each thing we spend. I also have to recoup the money the boosters are putting forth to pay the musicians from the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and the University of Memphis that have helped your children the last two weeks. Please let me know if there are extenuating circumstances and I can definitely work with everyone as needed to ensure your child can still participate.

We desperately need someone to pull our trailer for the games. Even if you can only pull for one game, that is fine. The sign up genius on our Facebook page will enable you to sign up for any game you are able to help us. At the moment, I have no one signed up which will keep us from going to any games at the moment. If anyone has questions about what is needed to do this, please reach out to me and I am happy to explain and walk through the process.

The general schedule for this week will be 3-6pm each day with a preview show for the parents Thursday at 5:30. This has been a potluck in the past but with Covid, I feel it is safer to bring your own food if you wish to eat at the outside table courtyard while the students perform for you.

Attached is the order form for our uniform for the games this season. The order form is all online and the money is also paid online straight to MidSouth Solutions. The T-shirt, Backpack (unless previously owned), and shorts are the mandatory pieces. The hoodie, and track suit are optional this year due to the heat, and because I am trying to keep families costs down with the band. Please observe that the purchase must be made before August 11^th. *Note* This is different than the uniform that we checked out to each student within the last couple of days. That is the full uniform that is owned by the school. The uniform ordered here is what you can use each year minus the change in t-shirt each year. https://stores.inksoft.com/wshs_band/shop/home

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0d45a5a72faafc1-football

Jazz Band Parents @b6eh6; Marching Band (this is for all of the parents) @wshsmarch; Symphonic Band Parents @6h9e7; Wind Ensemble Parents @gcb63; Color Guard @wshscolor

Hello to all of you! As our leadership group begins our training this week, we are all excited to meet and work with everyone this coming season and year. There are many exciting things ahead of us. As we approach the first days of band camp starting next week, I just wanted to share some critical information that will help keep everyone healthy and safe, and also make our first days run smoother.

First, before we start next week, I wanted to remind everyone that we will have an introductory meeting both at the school, in person in the band room, and through Teams (see link posted below) for those that are unable to join us. This is to answer any questions for the upcoming year, and to introduce the current Boosters, fill any positions needed within the boosters, and share the ways that parents can help the band. Aid and time is, usually, minimal and as you are able. Accepting the opportunity to help the boosters, or become a booster, does not mean dedicating a lot of your time. Most of what is needed is aid for events: Football games, Festivals, Band Trips, Fundraising (Car washes), etc. None of the activities take a lot of time minus the football games, if you are a chaperone, but even the games are usually filled with fun watching your child play and watching the game itself (assuming we have a good team!).

Second, for those new to our program, and especially for those that have not really marched a season with us before, there are some basics that everyone needs to survive the heat and activity of learning the music and show for the season. First, a refillable water bottle is a must! We have many coolers filled with ice water, and we will be taking precautions due to CoVid to ensure they are used and maintained properly. Second, short sleeve shirts and shorts are recommended to deal with the heat. Third, Closed toed shoes are a Must! Sandals, or slides of any kind will not work outside on the field as injuries can occur. Fourth, Sun tan lotion, lotion, and bug spray are highly recommended as we will be outside as the weather permits.

Regarding the weather, I will be monitoring the heat index closely and am already planning on being inside for the coming heat waves. We will be outside as much as possible to learn the show, but will move inside once the heat index climbs, becoming unsafe.

Something that will speed up our processes for the first couple of days would be to go on this site under the Band Forms tab and fill out the Music Equipment Loan Agreement Form (if an instrument is needed from the school), the Student Information Form (Medical information is the most important), and the Band Handbook Form. I will go through the band handbook during band camp, but signing these forms will help speed up our process in our first days.

Currently, our band fare share fees are at $235 for the year. The breakout of the fees will be shared upon request. This is slightly higher than previous years as I am bringing in members of the Memphis Symphony and Professors from the University of Memphis to clinic the instrument sections each day during camp after lunch. This is still more than half of everyone else in the city. I am looking into going out on a band trip this year – to Dallas, Fort Worth – details to come if it comes to fruition. The uniform fees are not included in the above amount, but that will be much less than previous years. I will have more information on that as soon as I am able as well. The uniform will be less but with the option to purchase everything we have had in the past if desired. All money for the uniform will be written to the company itself, not the boosters or school!

I look forward to meeting and working with everyone and hope everyone has a cool rest of the week.

I will be holding a brief meeting for all new parents July 15th. This is an informational meeting (6-7) for everyone concerning the upcoming Marching Band Camp starting July 18th. For those unable to attend the meeting, it will be live through Microsoft Teams:

Microsoft Teams meeting

Join on your computer or mobile app

Click here to join the meeting

Or call in (audio only)

+1 901-602-6178,,817892209#  United States, Memphis Phone Conference ID: 817 892 209#

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Hello everyone and happy end of the school year! All information pertaining to times for band camp are posted in our calendar. More detailed information will be forthcoming with details for the camp as we near the dates. Just keep in mind the following items that are of great importance for camp: a water bottle, light clothing, and sunscreen. More information will be provided but those items are the most important for now to have available. Have a fantastic summer and take care!

Congratulations to all that auditioned. This year, we had a fantastic turn out considering CoVid and the smaller group of students that auditioned this year. This year, we had 33 students make All West, and 17 alternates with a couple with immediate births into All State and a couple students in Jazz Band with the chance to go into All State. I am so proud of everyone and excited to see everyone that made it at the clinic downtown at the new Renesant Center. More information to follow. Score sheets will be passed out in class when we return.