Winter Park Band Notes
August 6, 2017
From Mr. Blackmer
Dear Band Families:
Congratulations to everyone on a terrific first week of marching band camp! Despite not having our traditional rehearsal spaces (aka D-Lot), everyone rose to the occasion and made the best of it. Everyone's attitudes were outstanding!
Thank you to all of our parent volunteers who helped out during our first week of band camp! I'd like to especially thank Lee McBurney for setting-up and coordinating our meals, and Mary Bernard, along with Michelle Clemons, for coordinating our uniforms and uniform parent volunteers.
Also a huge thanks to Willson McBurney for assisting with the construction of our new marching band scaffolding! We also had several students assisting: Patrick DeLoach, Sam Dufresne, Eli Maulfair, Reese McBurney, Mitchell Reid, Colin Urbina, and Dylan Wagg! We now own our own scaffolding - saving us $3,000 a year in rental fees!
A HUGE thank you to Dr. Paul Wilhite. With the second wave of parking lot paving taking place this summer, Dr. Wilhite was on it from the very beginning, keeping the marching band in mind when it came to understanding our rehearsal location needs. He approached me back at the end of last school year alerting me to the fact that both D-Lot and the Bus Loop would be undergoing repaving during the summer, and he remained in contact me throughout the summer, updating along the way. He was also a huge advocate for the marching band getting our Bus Loop rehearsal space back (something that had been in doubt until one week ago). When you see Dr. Wilhite during "Welcome Back Cats" or during the first week of school, please go out of your way to thank him for his efforts and support!
Looking forward to band camp week two! Please plan on attending the parent meeting this coming Thursday, followed by our Marching Band Preview Show!
All the Best,
Mr. Blackmer
All-State FREE Audition Clinics
The University of Central Florida will be offering their annual FREE All-State audition clinic on Saturday, August 26, between 9 AM and 4 PM on the UCF campus.
Information on the clinic can be found HERE. Sessions on materials for the 9/10 Concert Band, 11/12 Symphonic Band and Jazz Ensemble will be presented.
Please take advantage of this FREE workshop! Even if you are not auditioning for the Florida All-State (which you should be), the same etudes and scales are used for the All-County Band auditions in November.
Band Fees Due Last Week
Our second round of Band Fees were due this past Wednesday, August 2. If you haven't yet done this yet, please take care of these fees before Monday morning. Band Fee payments should be made through SchoolPay.
There will be new information regarding the method for ordering concert uniform and marching shoes coming soon. Please do not pay for these items until further notice.
Brass & Woodwinds
- $100 Band Fair Share
Percussion
- $100 Band Fair Share
- $50 Percussion Sectionals
Color Guard
- $80 Band Color Guard Fall Accessories Package (Required)
- $60 Color Guard Warm Ups (optional)
Band Parent Meeting & Preview Show
The first Band parent meeting of the school year will take place on Thursday, August 10 at 5:45 PM in the Band Room. At this meeting, we will have chaperone sign-up for the fall, chaperone polos for sale, show shirt order distribution, and a wealth of information about the marching band season and other volunteer opportunities. We will be finished in time to view the Preview Show at 7 PM in D-lot, and the best areas to sit will be reserved for those parents attending the meeting. Please mark your calendar and plan to attend!
As stated above, weather permitting, our Marching Band Preview Show will be at 7 PM this Thursday out in (the new) D-Lot. There is no seating out at D-Lot, so you may want to bring a lawn chair to sit in. If weather prevents us from performing outside, the Preview Show will take place in the Auditorium.
Chaperones and Volunteers
All parents who wish to chaperone or volunteer with the Band Program, or any WPHS activities this year, must update their existing ADDitions account (or create one) now. We cannot choose you to chaperone for any Band event unless this has been done. Please take a few minutes to log in and complete this now. You may use the following link to do so https://ocps.samaritan.com/custom/503/index.php.
The Band's first chaperone opportunity is less than 2 weeks away, and we need you! More information is coming at Thursday's parent meeting on how to sign up for specific Band opportunities.
Program Ads & Sponsors Deadline Approaching!
The deadline to submit business ads, student dedication ads and sponsorships for the Band Program is Friday, September 1. 50 - 60% of the dollars earned from your ads submitted will be credited to your student’s Band account. This fundraiser is the best way to significantly reduce your Band fees! We have students who pay for their entire four years by selling ads.
Instructions can be found on our website at http://www.winterparkhsband.com/program-adssponsors.html. Contact Jay McPherson at wpbandprogram@gmail.com if you have questions.