Monday, December 12th

• Holiday Band Concert, 7 pm
• Winter Guard Parent Meeting, ~8:30 pm
• Parent Pickup, ~8:45 pm

Tuesday, December 13th

• Chair test/auditions for band placement for spring semester

Wednesday, December 14th

• Butter Braid Fundraiser Pickup after school
  

Thursday, December 15th

• Varsity Winter Guard Rehearsal, 5-7:30 pm

Friday, December 16th

• Early release - Happy Holidays!

Our Holiday Concert is December 12th at 7 pm in the DHS Auditorium. All Color Guard students are also performing at this concert. All wind and percussion students will need to stay after school for rehearsal from 4:45-5:30 the day of the concert. All band and color guard students will be fed at 5:30 pm. Wind and percussion students will be wearing dress pants and school appropriate tacky holiday sweaters. Students who do not wish to wear a tacky holiday sweater may wear business casual attire – dress pants and a collared shirt or a dress that covers the shoulders and goes past the knee when sitting down. No open toed shoes. Color guard will be wearing Fall marching band costumes.

We are hosting the UIL Solo and Ensemble Contest on February 4th. Students that earn a 1st division rating on a solo or ensemble will earn a letter jacket if they have not already done so. Students that play a Class 1 solo (from memory) or and Class 1 ensemble and earn a 1st division rating will advance to the Texas State Solo and Ensemble Contest at the end of May in Austin, TX. These state qualifiers will earn an overnight trip, and their picture will be added to our wall of fame in the band hall.

All students who go to UIL will be responsible for the entry fee ($10). Students performing an accompanied solo will also be responsible for paying half the cost of the piano accompanist ($60).

Here is our current list of entries. Music will be passed out before the break. Students will need to start learning their parts over the break so we can start putting ensembles together after the winter break.

All wind students (woodwinds and brass) not going to UIL Solo and Ensemble will perform a solo at the Winds Solo Recital on February 1st. All ensembles will also be performing on February 1st to get some final feedback from a judge before going to UIL the following Saturday. All percussion students will perform on the Percussion Solo Recital on February 28th.

All ensembles will also be performing at the Casino Night on February 11th in the evening.

Congratulations to the 21 students that have advanced to Area in ATSSB All-State Audition process! The final round of auditions to make the All-State band is Saturday, January 7th in Alice, TX. We will be leaving DHS at about 2:30 pm on January 6th to travel to Alice, TX. Please read the Area letter below with information on how to prepare for the next audition. Students will play all scales and all of each etude for the next audition.

Letter

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Aq_oTOBvVeIrtBaRQithBKqxFAsil5R4/view?usp=sharing

Master Class sign-up

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eMrdy2KRjJZLXFL0RbQOSDdGjIhfg2B2/view?usp=sharing

We passes our many of the missing state tshirts. We were still missing all the XL shirts that were ordered. We will pass those out when we get them mid week this week.

Thank you to everyone for making this fundrasier a huge siccess. We exceeded our profit goal by about $500. Delivery will be December 14th.

Travel companies are not able to book airfare until 3-4 months before trips. The cost of airfare for our trip to Florida came in over $400 above what was budgeted by the travel compny. Instead of passing on the addition charge of $400 per traveler, we have made the decision to drive to Florida. Updated pricing is below. Accounts should be updated online in the next week. We will get the exact cost out in next weekend's newsletter. Here is an updated itinerary. We are now leaving at 3 pm on March 11th and will be returning on Friday, March 17th.

Here are the links for making a credit card payment for your convenience if you are making monthly payments on your band or color guard fees. We are still accepting cash or check.

Fee payments (Use this link for everything except instrument usage fees.)

Instrument usage payments

• December 29th, Area masterclass, Davenport HS
  
• January 7th, Area Auditions, Alice, TX
• February 1st, Wind Solo Recital, Davenport HS
• February 4th, UIL Solo and Ensemble, Davenport HS
• February 11th, Casino Night, evening off campus
• February 21st, Mid-Winter UIL Preview Concert, Davenport HS, 7 pm
• February 28th, Percussion Solo Recital, Davenport HS, evening