Winter Park Band Notes
October 30, 2016
From Mr. Blackmer
Dear Band Families,
I hope that everyone is having a restful weekend. I suspect a great deal of it is being spent catching up on work from last week. I really appreciate the diligence of our students, especially during weeks like Homecoming! There is no getting around the fact that it is probably the 'worst week' of the year in terms of the amount of time spent at school or at school events. It can be a trying week, but our students handled it very well!
Congratulations to the "Sound of the Wildcats" on their terrific Homecoming performance on their new field! They looked and sounded great! It was also great to see so many great Winter Park Band Alumni return to Showalter Field and perform with the Marching Band!
Congratulations as well to Kerry Sullivan on making Homecoming Court!
As we enter into our final week of the "marching band season," I believe you'll notice that things will calm down a bit. However, please continue to review the Band Calendar and make note of upcoming rehearsals and performance.
Finally, please make plans this coming Thursday to eat out at Spoleto in Winter Park - across from the Winter Park Village! They will be donating 10% of all receipts identified as supporting the Winter Park Bands between 6 PM and 9:30 PM! Invite your entire family, relatives in the area, neighbors, co-workers, etc., to come out and support the Winter Park Band!
All the Best!
Mr. Blackmer
Spoleto Spirit Night
The Spoleto restaurant in Winter Park will be holding a "spirit night" to support the Winter Park High School Band on Thursday, November 3, from 6 PM - 9:30 PM. They will be donating 10% of all receipts for patrons identifying themselves with the Winter Park Band! Please make it a night out to enjoy some terrific Italian food, and invite your friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc. All they need to do is tell their server that they are there supporting the Winter Park Bands, and we will receive 10% of their total bill!
The Winter Park Spoleto is located at 349 N. Orlando Ave., Winter Park 32789. Their phone number is (321) 972-1425. You can find out more about their restaurant and menu by visiting their website at www.spoletoitalian.com.
Trunk-R-Treat
Due to the National Honor Society meeting on Tuesday, November 1, we have moved "Trunk-R-Treat" to Wednesday, November 2, following Marching Band rehearsal at 5:00 PM.
Parents who can participate: please arrive in D-Lot by 4:45 PM to line-up cars and prep trunks, etc. The Band students will travel from car to car beginning at 5 PM. You may decorate your trunk if you wish! Please join us for this fun tradition!
New York Fundraising
As David Bornstein announced during our Fall Band Concert, if you know a business or philanthropic individual who might consider making a contribution to the Winter Park Bands to assist with the funding of the Wind Ensemble's performance in Carnegie Hall next June, please e-mail Mr. Blackmer. He will forward the information on to the parent fundraising committee, and they will take it from there!
Like Mr. Bornstein said, we are just looking for a "foot in the door," and this would be a terrific tax-deductible contribution to our Band Program!
"Senior Night"
On Senior Night, we honor our Band seniors, their years of dedication to the WPHS Band and their service to WPHS. This year's Senior Night is our final home performance on Friday, November 4 beginning at 6:45pm. Senior parents need to physically be on the track in front of the Band section immediately following Pre-Game!
Special traditions and activities are planned throughout the football game at Showalter, including a family photo with the Band directors and Mr. Smith during the first quarter, recognition on field after the half time show, and our name banners held by each senior parent during the final Alma Mater sung by our seniors.
Senior parents—please mark the date on your calendar and plan to attend and support your senior!
Marching Band MPA
The culmination of our "marching band season" takes place this coming Saturday with the Florida Bandmasters' Marching Band MPA. The event will be hosted at University High School, and the first band will take the field at 2:00 PM. The "Sound of the Wildcats" perform at 6:30 PM.
Please make note of the itinerary for this day. It is similar to the itinerary used for the University Classic a few weeks ago, but times are slightly different. Similar to the University Classic, the Band will be eating once we arrive at University HS. Those who did not order a Chick-fil-A meal a few weeks ago will need to bring their own meal. A list of those who originally ordered a meal can be found on the Band Office window. Bottled water will be provided like always.
Solo & Ensemble MPA
Registration for Solo & Ensemble MPA is just a few weeks away! Visit the Band website for S&E information. Remember that all WP Band students are required to participate in S&E in some form. If you have questions, please direct them to Mr. Blackmer or Mr. Clemente, but don't wait until the last minute to do so!
Beethoven & Co. @ Lake Nona HS and Apopka HS
On Thursday November 10, Lake Nona HS is hosting Beethoven & Company for a Solo & Ensemble music night from 5 PM - 8 PM in their Band Room. And, on Monday, November 21, Apopka HS will be hosting Beethoven & Company from 3 PM - 6 PM. These are a great opportunity to acquire music for Solo & Ensemble AND get some of their awesome free pencils!
Like last year, if you tell the Beethoven & Company representative that you are with the Winter Park Band (and show them your school ID), they will bill the music to the school.
Additionally, their website is an outstanding resource for finding and selecting S&E music. If you find something on their site, you can call them and (if they have it in stock) they can bring it on November 10 for you to look at!
Home Play-Off Game - November 11
As announced last week, there will be a play-off game at Showalter Field on Friday, November 11, beginning at 7:30 PM (note the time change).
If Winter Park wins on November 11, they will most likely travel to Apopka High School on November 18, and we'll send a volunteer pep band. Play-off game attendance following November 18 will be based on location and available students/chaperones.
An itinerary for the November 11 game can be found HERE.
Band Fair Share 3
The 3rd Band Fair Share payment was due on Wednesday, October 5. If you ever need reminders about what is due and when, the Financial Obligation forms can be found on the Band website under FORMS.
The next Guard Fair Share is due this coming Wednesday, November 2!
Sight Reading Factory Update
A notification from Sight Reading Factory came through last week that the browsers Safari and Internet Explorer will no longer be able to run SRF due to compatibility issues. Google Chrome (which is on all student laptop devices) and Firefox are the new recommended browsers for SRF.