Hudson Hawk Band Updates

Week of 5/1/23

ALL FEES NOW PAST DUE

We currently have over $4500 in outstanding band, trip, and instrument usage fees. Band fees can be paid online on the band website or through Charms. Please see below for details on how to pay online. All band fee statements have been emailed this afternoon and a physical copy will be sent home with students who owe a balance on Monday.

As a reminder, ALL fees must be paid in full by this Friday for students to attend the spring trip on May 12th.

Band Fees

Band Fees

Because our school band budget is so small, we have to charge a band fee so that we can provide the best music education experience for all our band students. This band fee covers all instructional materials (band binder and all its contents), band shirt, contest entry fees, solo accompanist fees, performance music, music theory subscription, transportation, meals before performances, incentive days, and so much more. We set up our band fees to be collected up front (or split into payments), so that we are not constantly asking for $5 here, $7 there, etc.


This year, you can pay band fees through cash or check (made out to Hudson Band Boosters), Paypal through Charms (watch this video to walk you through the Charms system), and for the first time - credit card through the band website. Visit the band website and enter the password HawkBD2223 to enter the secure page and pay online. Please consider adding the optional donation to your cart to cover the credit card fees we incur using this convenient service.


If you have a financial hardship, please communicate with us so we can help you. We never want a student to be unable to participate due to finances and will do everything we can to work with your family and ensure your student is included.

Band Fees
School-Owned Instrument Usage Fees

School-Owned Instrument Usage Fees

If your student is using a school owned instrument (or is a percussionist), the school-owned instrument usage fee has been added to your student's Charms account. Woodwind and Brass players will now see a fall and spring fee for $25 each, or $50 for the whole year. Percussionists will see a fall fee for $25.

Oboes, bassoons, bass clarinets, tenor saxes, bari saxes, French horns, euphoniums, tubas, and the few students who play a different instrument that is owned by the school will see that fee now and can pay it by cash, check (made out to Hudson Band Boosters), or through Charms (using Paypal).

This fee was originally supposed to be paid in Skyward, but we are adjusting the process for ease of charge and payment.

If you have any questions or have any issues logging in to Charms to check on fees, please let me know and I am happy to help!

School-Owned Instrument Usage Fees

Pictures Wanted

This year at end our Oodles of Noodles ensemble concert on May 22, we are putting together a slideshow presentation to celebrate all that our band students have done this year. We would love to add pictures that our families have taken throughout the year. We would especially LOVE to have all of our 8th grade students represented to celebrate your time in our program.

Please use this link to add pictures for the slideshow.

Beginner Solo Contest

Our Beginner Band students will be performing their solo at Coyle Middle School on Saturday, May 6th. They will have their second rehearsal with the piano accompanist this week. Most rehearsals will take place during their band class, but a few will need to come before school. Use this link to see when your student has their piano rehearsal for their solo.

**If your Beginner Band student is not on this list, they will not be performing their solo on May 6th. Instead, they will be performing their solo after school on May 10th. Percussionists already completed their solo requirement, so they will not be involved in this contest at all.**


Click here for performance information for Saturday, May 6th. (Room numbers will be added as soon as we receive that info.)


Click here for the information sheet we will be sharing with the students on Monday.

Jazz and Percussion Rehearsal and Concert Info

The HMS and SHS Jazz Bands and Percussion Ensembles will put on a joint concert on Monday, May 8 at 6:30pm in the SHS auditorium. There will be a rehearsal for all students involved on Wednesday, May 3.


Click here for an itinerary for the percussion dress rehearsal on May 3 and concert on May 8. Attire information is included in the link.


Jazz Band students will rehearse together on May 3 from 6-7pm in the SHS band hall. Jazz band students will wear all black attire for the concert on May 8.

ALL HMS Bands Spring Concert

Wednesday, May 17th, 6pm

3901 Miles Road

Sachse, TX

ALL HMS Band students will perform their spring concert on Wednesday, May 17.


The Beginner Band concert will begin at 6:00pm. Those students need to be at SHS at 5:15pm for warm-up/rehearsal before the concert. They will dress up for this concert. Boys - suit and tie, dress slacks with a collared shirt and tie, etc. Girls - dress, skirt and blouse, or dress pants and blouse. If girls choose to wear a dress or skirt, it must reach their mid-calf. If their dress/skirt is shorter than that, LEGGINGS MUST BE WORN UNDERNEATH. The stage sits up higher than the audience! Please no jeans, sweats, or Crocs!


The Advanced Bands concert will begin at 7:30pm. Those students need to be at SHS at 6:45pm for warm-up/rehearsal before the concert. They will also dress up for this concert. Symphonic Band will wear the same types of things they wore to the holiday concert: Boys - suit and tie, dress slacks with a collared shirt and tie, etc. Girls - dress, skirt and blouse, or dress pants and blouse. If girls choose to wear a dress or skirt, it must reach their mid-calf. If their dress/skirt is shorter than that, LEGGINGS MUST BE WORN UNDERNEATH. Honors Band and Wind Symphony will wear their contest uniform.
Get Directions

Select Beginner Band Changes for the Next 2 Weeks

The regular Monday rehearsals for Select Beginner Band have to be changed for the next 2 weeks due to other band events happening on Mondays. Students all received a handout last week with all of the changes and details.

Click here to see the handout with info about the rehearsal changes.

Spring Trip Roster

Use this link to see the Spring Trip Roster. You can see which band the student is performing in and which bus they will be riding. If your student is not on this roster, it is because they either never turned in their trip contract/payment, did not pass the 3rd quarter report card, or have been placed in ISS/OSS since February 6th.

If you believe a mistake has been made and your student should be on this list, please let me know ASAP!


The spring trip takes place on Friday, May 12 from 7:30am-6:00pm.

Band Aide Applications Available

Students who wish to be considered for one of our student band aide positions next year can pick up an application from Mrs. Becker this week. Student aides help in beginner classes, act as student teachers on occasion, model for the beginners, and help with tasks in the band hall as needed. These students must be excellent musicians, great role models to others, and willing to do whatever is asked of them with a happy heart. The band aide positions do take up an elective, so those students must be willing to give up an elective to serve as a band aide. All applications are due Monday, May 8 and must include a parent signature.

Click here to print a copy of the application.

Oodles of Noodles Ensemble Concert & Dinner Fundraiser

Monday, May 22nd, 6-8pm

4405 Hudson Drive

Sachse, TX

Our 2nd Annual Oodles of Noodles concert will take place in the cafetorium on May 22. We will have small ensembles performing throughout the evening, with students from EVERY band participating. Beginner band students will get a chance to form an ensemble this week if they wish to participate.


Order forms for the dinner will be available at the end of this week. We will use all proceeds from this dinner to fund our summer camps and purchase supplies for next year.


This year, we will also be holding a raffle for a beautiful set of pearl earrings, valued over $100! You can purchase raffle tickets beginning next week and we will draw the winner at the Oodles of Noodles Concert.
Get Directions
Percussion Marimba Rentals

Percussion Marimba Rentals

Our percussion lesson teacher, Mr. Seltzer, has a number of practice marimbas that he is able to rent out to families who need a practice marimba at home. If you are looking to rent a marimba for the summer or the rest of this school year, please contact Mr. Seltzer to set that up with him.
Percussion Marimba Rentals

It's May and ALL the things are happening!

There are a LOT of events coming up in May. Please make sure you know what needs to be on your calendars.

May 2 - Select beginner band rehearsal until 5:30pm

May 3 - Percussion Ensemble & Jazz Band dress rehearsal @ SHS after school

May 6 - Beginner Band solo contest @ Coyle Middle School

May 8 - Jazz Band and Percussion Ensemble Concert @ Sachse High School - 6pm

May 10 - Solo Contest for beginner students who did not perform on May 6

May 10 - Select beginner band rehearsal until 5:30pm

May 10 - Last booster club meeting of the year @ HMS - 7pm

May 11 - Rehearsal after school for Beginner Band (not select band) - 4:15-5:45pm

May 12 - SoundPost Music Festival and Spring Trip to Splash Kingdom Waterpark

May 13 - All-Star Band Clinic and Concert for those students who earn a spot after auditions on April 22

May 17 - ALL HMS Bands Spring Concert @ SHS - Beginner Band 6:00pm, Advanced Band 7:15pm

May 22 - Oodles of Noodles Ensemble Concert & Dinner Fundraiser

May 23 - Spring Practice Challenge movie night

High School Marching Band Movement Camps

If your student will be participating in marching band at any of the 7 GISD high schools next year, use this link to keep up with when they have movement camps.

More information about colorguard and drumline camps will be sent out when it is given to us.

Summer Band Camp Options

Summer Band Camp Options

If you are looking for something for your student to do this summer, please consider sending them to a band camp around the metroplex or state. There are day camps and overnight camps that offer lessons, electives, and performance opportunities to give your student the chance to keep their skills up over the summer and make some new friends. This link is a list of camps we know to be reputable and we will be adding to it as we learn of more opportunities.
Summer Band Camp Options

Spring 50 Day Practice Challenge

We passed out the last practice challenge of the year just before Spring Break. Students must practice for 50 out of the 63 days available during the challenge to earn the prize. We will be renting out a movie theater to see a movie together with all of the students who complete the challenge!

Click here to find a copy of the challenge paper.

Repeat Information

A Word About Braces

We know that many of our students will need braces during the course of their middle school years. Every band instrument can be played with braces, however, it is a big adjustment that often takes weeks or months for the student to feel "back to normal" once they get them. As you are scheduling this big change for your student, please be mindful of the band performance calendar to help our students be able to perform their best this semester.

May 6 - Beginner Solo Contest

May 12 - Spring Festival for All Band Students

May 13 - All-Star Band Clinic/Concert

May 17 - HMS Bands Spring Concert for All Students

Click here for any needed handout.

Log in to Charms

Log in to Charms

Please take a moment this week to log in to Charms. www.charmsoffice.com

Log in as a parent/student/member

The school code is hudsonsoundmachine

The password for first time users is your student's GISD ID number (should be 6 digits)

For non-first time users, your password should be your student's ID with their capitalized initials in front (i.e. HB123456) unless you've changed it to something else.

Please update contact information (add adults as necessary), check your student's birthday ID, instrument, etc. and make changes as necessary. If you have questions or have difficulty logging in, please contact Mrs. Becker.

Log in to Charms

CLICK HERE TO READ THE BAND HANDBOOK

Advanced Band Supplies

Advanced Band Supplies

Please make sure your student in the Wind Symphony, Honors Band, or Symphonic Band have their required supplies for this year. We are using the Foundations for Superior Performance book in all band classes and many students do not yet have the book. We are also beginning to work on tuning and if your student does not still have their tuner/metronome from beginner band, they will need one ASAP.
Advanced Band Supplies
BAND App Links

BAND App Links

Because our band has grown so big, we can no longer use Remind. We have reached the maximum participants in multiple classes and do not have space for more unless we upgrade our account (which costs more than we wish to spend). We will be switching messaging services to the BAND app (which the Sachse HS band also uses) to align our cluster. Please sign up for the appropriate class(es) for your student. We will NO LONGER be using Remind, so if you were just signed up for band, you will not need that app/number any longer. Thanks for understanding!

22-23 ALL HMS Band Students/Parents

Beginner Band

Symphonic Band

Honors Band

Wind Symphony

22-23 HMS BAND PARENTS ONLY

BAND App Links
Big picture
About Us

About Us

About Us

Heather Becker - Director

Dan Urban - Assistant Director

hdbecker@garlandisd.net 972-675-3070 hudsonband.org