Thank you to everyone who attended our concert on Tuesday night! I am extremely proud of how well the students adjusted to the last-minute change in venue, and for everyone’s cooperation and understanding throughout the evening. I was looking forward to performing outside, as I think it would have been a wonderful space for the students to perform and would have been an enjoyable environment for our audience as well, but unfortunately, the weather had different plans! If you were not able to access the concert program, you can find it here. Now that the concert is behind us, we will spend the next few days making sure everything is set for the awards ceremony next Thursday (6/3) at Ebenezer Park.
Next week, we will begin looking at marching band music for next fall. My hope is that our students will have a firm grasp on the music by the time we leave school on June 22nd. We will also begin discussing the application process for next year’s student leadership positions. Students who hope to be part of the band council next year, please keep July 15th open as we will attend a leadership workshop that day in Fort Mill. More details will be shared with the students once the band council is elected next month.
Congratulations & Recognitions:
- Congratulations to the Northwestern High School Varsity Winter Guard on their 3rd place finish at the Carolina Winter Ensemble Association Virtual Championships. The guard competed against high school guards from both Carolinas, Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia in the Scholastic A division. The guard members have worked very hard since January preparing their show, and we are very proud of the work they did during these difficult times.
- Congratulations to the band students for your results at the SCBDA Solo & Ensemble Assessments. I am very pleased to announce that all 66 of the students who submitted a recording for evaluation received either an overall Superior or Excellent rating from the adjudicators. The students participated in 40 different events, 22 of which received the highest rating of a Superior, and 18 received an Excellent.
- Special recognition for the Solo & Ensemble Assessments goes out to seniors Amariana Gaston & Carlyle McDowell who earned three superior ratings in three different events.
- Also earning recognition are Gabrielle Harvey, Kaelin King, Tyler McRae, and Jackson Shaw who each earned superior ratings for two different events.
- 13 students, performing in 7 different events, received perfect scores for their performances. They include Aidan Armstrong, Kara Bates, Matthew Clark, Amariana Gaston, Gabrielle Harvey, Kaelin King, Carlyle McDowell, Tyler McRae, Jonathan Parker, Katie Pickel, Josh Reese, Jackson Shaw, Kyle Springs-McCottry.
Announcements & Reminders for this week include:
- Band awards night is Thursday, June 3rd, at Ebenezer Park. We will eat between 6:00 and 7:00 pm at the large picnic shelter and will move to the stage at 7:00 to present awards. We plan to be finished by 9:00. Please click HERE if you plan to attend so we can anticipate how much food to prepare. Also included in the link are the menu choices for the meal, safety protocols, and parking information. Please bring lawn chairs or blankets as there is no seating available in the area where the stage is located. We have an inclement weather location and will announce any changes before the end of the school day on June 3rd.
- The first marching band preseason rehearsal will be next Tuesday, June 1st, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm in the band room. Students should dress comfortably and be sure to bring their instruments. Students are strongly encouraged to wear their masks as we will be inside for the majority of the rehearsal.
- The rising 9th-grade parent meeting will also be on Tuesday, June 1st, from 6:30 to 7:30 in the media center. If you know a parent of a rising 9th-grade band student, please encourage them to attend this meeting. We will be distanced in the room and will certainly encourage the use of masks during the meeting.
- In the event you didn’t see this last week, we have received confirmation that the band will NOT perform at commencement on June 24th. Since this would have been the final exam, students will be given the option to play a performance-based exam OR they will be able to take a traditional written test that will include the music theory that was discussed throughout the semester, as well as musical terms appropriate for their grade level.
- Please be sure to submit the marching band registration no later than Friday, June 11. This information was part of the mailing you should have received a couple of weeks ago if your child is signed up for marching band in the fall. Enter the information digitally by clicking HERE, or scan the QR code found on the yellow page in the mailing. Please be sure to contact Mr. Yost as soon as possible if you did not receive the mailing and we will get one to you as soon as possible.
- Marching Band Fees from this past fall should be paid as soon as possible. If you have questions, please contact the band office.
Other Dates to keep in mind:
- June 8 & 15 – Marching Band Music rehearsals in the band room from 6:00 to 8:00 pm
- June 8 & 15 – Chaperone training sessions in the media center from 6:30-7:30
- June 7-10 – Drum major auditions in the band room from 4:00 to 5:30
As always, feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns. You can reach us through email at the addresses listed below, or call the band room and leave a message. We will return your call as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Mark S. Yost
