Ram Band News!
Sunday, January 21st
Wilson Chamber Music Festival - Wednesday, January 31st
Concert Band, Symphonic Band, & Wind Ensemble:
This is the first time we have had an event like the Chamber Music Festival at our school. This concert will include students from our Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Wind Ensemble performing in smaller chamber ensembles. There are 16 different groups that will perform throughout the evening. which begins at 6pm in the Wilson Cafeteria. In addition to getting experience performing in a different way, we will also have two judges in the audience writing feedback for each group. All students will watch each other's performances to show support for one another. At the end of the event, the most outstanding groups chosen by the judges will be announced and recognized on stage.
All students will need to be dressed in the formal uniform attire which is all black. More details on the uniform and other times are linked below.
Cafe Virtuoso - Saturday, February 3rd
Symphonic Band & Wind Ensemble:
Our Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble will be performing at Vines High School for the Cafe Virtuoso on Saturday evening, February 3rd. Please see below for more details. A finalized schedule will be shared later this week:
Estimated time: 5:30-7:30pm
Location: Vines HS Cafetorium
Purpose: Fundraise for the Vines HS Band Boosters and have fun performing!
Students need to plan to arrive 10 minutes before their warm-up time to allow time to set up, find the case storage area and warm-up room.
This is a required event for members of the Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble.
Students must be in the formal concert black uniform.
Students are released after they are finished performing and are not required to stay for the duration of the event.
Haggard MS and Vines HS bands will also be performing at this event. We expect Wilson students to show the highest level of professionalism and correct audience etiquette during other band performances.
Wind Ensemble After School Clinic - Tuesday, February 6th
Our Wind Ensemble will be having an after school rehearsal, Tuesday, February 6th to help prepare them for their upcoming performances. The clinic, a rehearsal led by an outside consultant or clinician, will begin immediately after school and finish by 5:30pm. Pizza will be fed to all students following the rehearsal.
Our clinician is Mr. Ross Patterson. Please see his bio below:
Ross Patterson is the director of bands at Shadow Ridge Middle School in Lewisville ISD and is in his 15th year of teaching. Prior to teaching at Shadow Ridge, Mr. Patterson was the assistant band director at Robinson Middle School in Plano ISD, then was the director of bands at Burnett Junior High and Harrison Intermediate in Wylie ISD. Mr. Patterson's ensembles have received consistent Sweepstakes ratings at UIL Concert & Sightreading Contest, and he is an active clinician and adjudicator in Texas. A native of Weatherford, Texas, Mr. Patterson graduated with bachelor’s degrees in music education and music theory from the University of North Texas in 2007 and a master’s degree in music education from Southern Methodist University in 2013. He is a trombonist with the Lone Star Wind Orchestra, directed by Eugene Corporon, and continued his teaching career during graduate study as a private low brass instructor in the Lewisville, Plano, and Richardson Independent School Districts.
Symphonic Band After School Clinic - Monday, February 12th
Symphonic Band:
The Symphonic Band will be having an after school rehearsal, Monday, February 12th to help prepare them for their upcoming performances. The clinic, a rehearsal led by an outside consultant or clinician, will begin immediately after school and finish by 5:15pm. Pizza will be fed to all students following the rehearsal.
Our clinician is Ms. Katie Lewis. Please see her bio below:
Katie Lewis is in her 14th year as the Director of Bands at Maus Middle School in Frisco, ISD. She taught for the previous 5 years in Plano ISD at Hendrick Middle School. Bands under her direction have consistently received UIL “Sweepstakes” awards and have been named “Best in Class and “Most Outstanding Band” at various North Texas music festivals. The Maus Wind Ensemble placed in the Area level Competition of the Honor Band process in the summer of 2022. Most recently, the Maus Wind Ensemble placed 7th runner up in the Texas Music Educators Association State CC Honor Band Competition in 2018. In 2022, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2014 the Maus Wind Ensemble was named a National Winner in the Mark of Excellence National Wind Band Honors Project. They were also named a Commended winner in the same contest in 2013 and 2015. Mrs. Lewis earned her Bachelor of Music Education degree with Magna Cum Laude and Distinguished Honors from the Honors College at the University of North Texas.
Mrs. Lewis is an active clinician, adjudicator, and performer in the area. She has presented at the Texas Music Educators Association annual conference, Midwest International Band and Orchestra convention, as well as the Texas Bandmasters Association annual conference. Mrs. Lewis is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, Phi Beta Mu, Texas Music Adjudicator’s Association, American School Band Directors Association, Sigma Alpha Iota, Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society, and Texas Flute Society. Mrs. Lewis is the Area B TMEA Mentor Program Coordinator and serves as the Region 24 TBA Representative. She also serves as the Region 24 Secretary and is on the state board of TMEA.
Beginning Band Winter Concert and Rehearsal - February 13-14th
Beginning Band:
Our first full band concert for the Beginning Band is approaching. Before we can have our first performance, we first will have an after school rehearsal where all classes combine together for the first time. We will share more detailed information in a couple weeks, but please save the dates as they are mandatory for all Beginning Band students. Please see details below:
Beginning Band Rehearsal - Tuesday, February 13th: 3:50-5:15pm - Wilson Band Room
Beginning Band Winter Concert - Wednesday, February 14th: 5:15-6:30pm - Wilson Gym
- Rehearsal from 5:15-6:00 and performance from 6-6:30pm.
Plano Percussion Chamber Music Festival - Friday, February 16th
Wind Ensemble & Symphonic Band Percussionists:
Percussionists will perform their ensemble on Friday, February 16. They need to click on the button below to register and pay the entry fee. if they have done so yet.
If your child is also performing a solo (through your private lesson teacher), you need to also register and pay for it in the same form. Also, all soloists are required to bring an original copy of their solo for the judge to reference. Please number all measures. Middle schools may utilize one original collection or book for their solo performances, if applicable. All student-prepared ensembles are required to bring an original copy of their ensemble for the judge to reference. Percussion staff will have school-assigned ensemble originals.
If you prefer to not pay through the online process, please be aware an $8 fee accompanies every event you are a member of and is due as soon as possible. For non-online payments, please mail your entry fees, checks made out to "Plano Band Boosters" to:
Plano Band, Attn. Michael A. Hernandez
2200 Independence Pkwy
Plano, TX 75075
Thank you for your help in making our Plano Percussion Chamber Music Festival successful!
-Mr. Hernandez
Group Dynamix - Friday, February 23rd
7th-8th Grade Band Students:
We will be having a 7th-8th grade only social event at Group Dynamix next month. Group Dynamix is a facility created to host large groups where they focus on team building fun exercises including a large ropes course. In order for your child to attend, please RSVP and pay online. More details in the link below. Payment for the event will be made exclusively through the PISD student pay portal or "student quick pay." You can begin paying starting tomorrow, Monday, January 22. Further instructions on how to use that system are also included below.
Pre UIL Concert - Tuesday, February 27th
Symphonic Band & Wind Ensemble:
Our Symphonic Band & Wind Ensemble will be performing on Tuesday evening, February 27th at Plano Senior High School. The schedule has yet to be finalized, but please estimate a 90 minute chunk of time occurring between 5:30-8:30pm.
Sectional Schedules - Wind Ensemble & Symphonic Band
Symphonic Band & Wind Ensemble:
A reminder that we are still having sectionals for the next few weeks using the same schedules from December. Please make sure your students are in attendance.
Wind Ensemble Sectional Schedule
Symphonic Band Sectional Schedule
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Wilson Middle School Ram Band
Email: jason.duck@pisd.edu
Website: wilsonramband.com
Location: Wilson Middle School, Custer Road, Plano, TX, USA
Phone: 469-752-6835
Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/WMSRamBand/