Weekly Update
January 9, 2021
Patriot Band:
We start our rehearsals for UIL Concert & Sight Reading this week. Students need to be prepared to participate in rehearsals both during class and after school. Students are also still working hard preparing their solos for UIL Solo & Ensemble. Please read further for more information.
Important Calendar Updates
Please add these dates to your calendar or subscribe to our calendar, which can be found on our website:
- February 27th : UIL Solo & Ensemble Contest
- March 4th : LCHS Pre-UIL Concert
- March 8th-12th : Intersession. Rehearsal schedule TBD
- March 15th-19th : Spring Break. No Rehearsals
- March 30th : Non-Varsity Band Pre-UIL Contest @ Rowlett HS
- April 1st : Varsity Band Pre-UIL Contest @ LCHS
- April 20th-22nd : UIL Concert & Sight Reading. Schedule TBA
UIL Rehearsals
Remember that all wind players and percussionists are expected to participate in after school rehearsals, either in person or virtually, as part of their course requirements. Percussionists will be given their specific assignments and schedules by Mr. Gonzalez.
Virtual Participation
Students who have indicated they will be participating virtually will need to log into the appropriate Google Meet for the duration of their assigned rehearsal. Students should also have all of their band materials available and are expected to participate and play along during rehearsal. As always, music and materials can be found in our Virtual Library.(GISD log-in required)
In-Person Participation
Students who are virtual learners but are planning on coming to campus for rehearsals will need to be screened upon arriving at school, including having their temperature taken and completing the Symptom Screening Form. (GISD log-in required). Please arrive 10 minutes early to allow time for screening,
Required Materials
All students participating in person will need the following required materials at every rehearsal:
- Instrument
- Binder with music (will be provided)
- Tuner and pickup cable
- Pencil
- Instrument bell cover (will be provided)
- Black GISD band mask (will be provided)
Rehearsal Schedule
Varsity Band
Non-Varsity Band
- Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:30pm-5:30pm
- Symphonic Band and Concert Band members
- Google Meet Code : lchsnvband
Absences
As with all after school rehearsals, absences are excused for the same reasons that the school would excuse, such as illness or family emergency. All absences must be communicated to Mr. Hudler by a parent through email.
Solo & Ensemble Update
We are starting to get more information about what this year's Solo & Ensemble Contest will look like. While many details are still being worked out, we now know that the contest will be held on Saturday, February 27th. There will be an in-person contest and a virtual option for those who cannot attend in-person activities. We do not yet have a location for the in-person event or details about how the virtual option will work, but we should have that information soon.
All students need to fill out the following Google Form so that we can enter them in either the in-person or virtual contest: Solo & Ensemble 2021
All Band Fees Are Due
The final payment toward band fees was due Tuesday, December 15th
- All students are responsible for these fees, virtual and F2F.
- Students without a school owned instrument, including color guard, will have paid a total of $200.
- Students with a school owned instrument, including percussion, will have paid a total of $300. $200 activity fee + $100 instrument fee.
If you have any specific questions or concerns, please email Mr. Hudler.
The easiest and preferred payment method for safety purposes is to pay through Skyward. If need be, payments can be made by cash or check in the band hall. Checks must be made payable to "LCHS" with "Band Fees" and student ID # in the memo line.
Solo Time!
We are ready to start our next big project. Every wind and percussion student will learn and perform a UIL solo. The solo project will be very similar to the region etude project. Students will be assigned a solo that they will perform and pass off in small portions, building up to their performance at UIL Solo & Ensemble Contest in February. We are still waiting for details about how this year's contest will work, but we do know that it will take place either Saturday, Feb 6th or Saturday Feb 27th.
Solo Selection
All members of the Wind Ensemble and Wind Symphony will play the Level 1 solo for their instrument. All members of the Symphonic Band and Concert Band will play the Level 2 solo for their instrument. (Exceptions would be students who have already earned a d=Division 1 rating on a level 1 or 2 solo. They are required to perform a level 1 solo) *If students are taking private lessons, they may select their own solo with their teacher. Those students will need to provide a photo copy of their part to the band staff for evaluation purposes.*
Purchasing Your Solo
For education purposes, we have provided a photocopy of the assigned solos in our virtual library; however, in order to comply with copyright law, UIL requires that each student purchase an original copy of their solo for their UIL performance. The most reliable source to purchase these originals is http://www.jwpepper.com. Most of the assigned solos can be purchased for $20 or less. It is strongly advised that you order your originals ASAP. They often take 4+ weeks to ship after they are ordered and students will need to plan on having the original in hand before February 6th.
The Project Process
We will break down each solo into 5 cuts for pass offs. Students will perform one cut of their solo each week in class and receive and evaluation and a grade based off of the same performance rubric we used for the region etudes. (Reminder: "blue" range scores = 100%, "white" range scores = 80%, and "yellow" range scores = 60%) As always, if a student is not satisfied with their score, there will be opportunities for them to reattempt any performance for a higher score and grade. Additionally, while students will need to spend time outside of class working on these solos, they will be provided some class time to practice and prepare their performances as well.
Performance Dates
- Cut #1 - Dec 10th
- Cut #2 - Dec 17th/18th
- Cut #3 - Jan 7th
- Cut #4 - Jan 14th
- Cut #5 - Jan 21st
- Full Solo - Feb 1st *test grade*
- UIL Solo & Ensemble Contest - Feb 6th or 27th *test grade*
More Important Information:
Grades and Google Meet
All students are expected to fully participate during their assigned class time. Students should be playing along at home with what students are playing at school during class rehearsals. Students, both F2F and at home, will be called on to perform materials individually throughout the rehearsal. If a student does not respond or perform when called on, that student's participation grade will be reduced.
Class Attendance
We make announcements and take attendance in the first 10 minutes of each Google Meet. If a student logs on late, they will have been marked absent. It will be the responsibility of the student to reach out to correct attendance. To have attendance corrected, students should find the "magic button" on their canvas course home page which will take them to a Google Form they can fill out to request a correction.
Private Lessons
We strongly encourage all members of the band to take advantage of private lesson opportunities this year. Lessons are incredibly beneficial to every student from Concert Band to the Wind Ensemble. They help students grow and improve individually, which is the best and fastest way for our band to grow and improve as an organization. This week the band staff will be reaching out to families who expressed interest in private lessons to help set them up and answer any questions. More information about private lessons can be found on our band website along with student applications and contact information for our amazing private lessons staff.
Jared Hudler
Director of Bands
