westernbands.net

Continuing in the tradition of promoting band participation in Bay County, the Bay Concert Band is again offering, to qualified band students,scholarships of up to $500 to be used for attendance at a 2010 summer band camp of the student’s choice. Scholarships are available to students in grades 9 through 11 who are interested in furthering their music education during the summer months. Scholarship awards will not exceed the cost of the camp session.

Key dates concerning applications and awards are as follows...

Click below to see the February 20, 2010 MSBOA District 5 High School Solo & Ensemble Schedule.

Google Map to Owosso High School.

Band Festival takes place at Western on Friday, March 5, 2010 and Saturday, March 6, 2010. Here is the performance schedule for Western's Bands:

• Seventh Grade: Saturday, March 6, 2010 at 9:50 AM
• Eighth Grade: Saturday, March 6, 2010 at 1:50 PM
• HS Concert Band: Friday, March 5, 2010 at 6:20 PM
• HS Symphonic Band: Friday, March 6 5, 2010 at 8:25 PM

Band members are typically expected to arrive approximately one hour before the performance time and typically are released approximately 1:15 hours after the performance time. All students are required to attend. Your director will provide you with complete details as the date approaches.

Bay City Public Schools is closed due to inclement weather for Friday, January 8, 2010 - this includes closing of our Community Education & Alternative Educacation programs and also our Parent Involvement Center (PIE).

Basketball Game:

The Varsity Basketball games are ON for tonight. Therefore, we will perform. Please arraive at the band room no later than 6:00 PM with your instrument and marching music. Wear your yellow band polo and jeans. Tell your ride to pick you up at 8:15. See you tonight!

There will be a meeting for the Band Parents Council this Wednesday, January 6, 2010 at 7:00 pm in the High School Band Room. All parents of Western Band students (6-12 grade) are welcome and encouraged to attend.

A reminder to all high school band students that our first basketball band performance is Friday, January 11 8, 2010. All students are required to perform at 3 of the 5 games in this term. (fall drumline and guard members are only required to attend 2). All students must attend at least one of the first two games (because of the rehearsal before the game).

All games (these are listed on the site calendar as well)

• Friday, January 8, 2010 @6:00 pm  #1 Basketball Band Performance
• Friday, January 22, 2010 @6:00 pm  #2 Basketball Band Performance
• Friday, February 5, 2010 @6:45 pm  #3 Basketball Band Performance
• Friday, February 12, 2010 @6:45 pm #4 Basketball Band Performance
• Friday, February 26, 2010 @6:45 pm #5 Basketball Band Performance

There will also be an optional performance on February 9 January 29, 2010 @6:00pm for the Boys Swim Meet.

The full policy is available here for your review.

The Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra has announced the Citizens Bank Wealth Management Young Musician of the Year Competition. Students submit an application and recording to be considered for a $500 cash award and featured performance at a Saginaw Bay Orchestra concert. Please see the SBO website for more information. Deadline for application is January 8, 2010.

Take a moment to read this information from Doug Newcombe, Bay City Public Schools interim Superintendent. It is posted to help you understand some of the details about school funding and its impact on the Bay City Public Schools.

The Bay City Fire Department is very close - but not quite there - to receiving a grant through this web link online fire safety quiz. They are "on the bubble" and can really use our help to have this grant opportunity from Liberty Mutual in the amount of $10,000.

In order to be successful, it requires completion of a 10-question quiz related to fire safety and then crediting the Bay City Fire Rescue. Entry is limited to one completed per email address - so an email address is required to participate. Please help them by participating in the quiz before December 21, 2009.
 
1) Go to: www.BeFireSmart.com
2) (You can skip the video if you wish.)
3) Select "Help Your Fire Department Earn $10,000 "
4) Select "Get Started"
5) Complete the 10-question quiz
6) After, "Congratulations - you completed the quiz, hit "continue"
7) Enter the requested information (including email address to receive the confirmation email)
8) Upon receipt of the confirmation email, you'll be provided a link to select the Bay City Fire Rescue
9) Connect to the link and credit the Bay City Fire Rescue
 
Any questions, you may contact Ann at the Bay City Fire Department at 892-8601.

On Friday, December 18 I have planned a glow bowling/ chinese gift exhange get together at Monitor Lanes in Bay City at 5:30 p.m. Come out to have a great time with friends and if you would like to participate in the chinese gift exchange just bring a small wrapped gift that could be for a boy or girl. Bring at least $10. For 2 games of bowling and shoes it will be $7.50

If you have any questions feel free to email me at mandie090192@yahoo.com or text or call me at (989) 415-4594

Thanks,
Amanda Fegan
Band President

Bay City Public Schools is closed due to inclement weather for Wednesday, December 9, 2009 - this includes closing of our Community Education & Alternative Education programs and also our Parent Involvement Center (PIE).

Fruit Pickup:

Thursday, December 10

2:30 - 5:00 pm

WHS North parking Lot

at the Band Trailer

The November issue of SBO Magazine can be viewed here.

Gabriel Deyarmond (WHS Senior oboe player) has been named as an Honorable Mention winner in the 2009-2010 MSBOA All-State Band. Congratulations to Gabe for this acheivement.

The full list of selected students and honorable mentions is available at the MSBOA homepage. No other students from Western HS or MS are listed.

Just another day at the office; How to get better results in concerts, auditions and other high-pressure performing situations- Part 1 of 4 by Jon Gorrie
"Just another day at the office..." was originally written for classical musicians as an aid in preparing for auditions and other solo performances. However, the information in this article can be applied to anyone in a 'high-pressure' performance situation.

Time for Grant Writing by Marcus L. Neiman
Who in their right mind would even considered thinking about writing grants during an economic downturn? Who indeed!

Conn-Selmer's Donation-From Kenosha to Vermillion: Preserving the Leblanc Legacy by Margaret Downie Banks
After Conn-Selmer agreed to donate the Leblanc Archive and various musical instruments to the National Music Museum (NMM) at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, seven staff members and students made two, 500-mile road trips to Kenosha, Wisconsin, in late June and mid-July 2008, to retrieve priceless historic artifacts and archival materials from the plant, prior to its imminent closure.

YouTube has some very interesting videos and can be very useful in learning how to play your instrument better. Diego Calvo has found a few links on Trombone playing that he would like to share with you. Read the rest of the story to see them. enjoy!

Congratulations to Western High School students Samantha Ward, flute, Gabriel Deyarmond, oboe and Melissa Rutzen, clarinet, for their selection to and participation in the 2009 Central Michigan University High School Honors Band.

Students were required to submit a recording as an audition and were then selected by CMU Faculty. The concert was held Sunday, November 15, 2009 at the Music Building at CMU.

Fruit sale for high school band to begin November 5^th 2009 with money and orders due November 20^th, 2009. Fruit delivered December 10^th, 2009. 40% profit for the band parent council.

Read more to learn about sales incentives...

Following the October 29, 2009 Band rehearsal, The Drum Majors and Student Leadership Team announced the 2009/2010 Marching Band Awards. Congratulations to the students listed below and to the whole band for an outstanding season!

Bandorama 2009 takes place this Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at 6:30 PM in the Western Gym.  This is a concert which features all the bands at Western: 6th, 7th, 8th, HS Concert, HS Symphonic, Jazz and Marching Bands! This should be a great concert for everyone.

Admission is $2 per person at the door.

Each grade-level student has received differing instructions for arrival times. Parents, please communicate with your student to know what time they are expected to arrive.

The Gym doors will not open to the public until 6:00 PM. 6th Grade parents need to sit on the first floor bleachers on the West end. Other parents can sit on the East end or in the upstairs bleachers.

Setup crews will begin at 5:00 pm.  We will need assistance cleaning up after the concert. Please consider helping out!

As of 2:00 PM October 30, 2009, the band has CANCELLED our participation in the game due to concerns about weather.

Bay City Western Football Team will be traveling to Lapeer West High School for their first playoff game this year.

The Game is at 7:00pm on Friday, October 30, 2009 at Lapeer West.

The Band will be going to the game and performing. We will leave western at 5:00 pm. We hope to return approximately 11:00 pm.

The other two teams in the district are Flushing and Midland. They will play at Midland.

Lapeer West is the first seed in the district, then Midland, the Flushing, then Western.

Entire list of football pairings

To view the October 2009 edition of SBO magazine click here.

The MSBOA All-State Band and Orchestra Audition schedule has been posted at msboa.org

As I mentioned in class, there is problem with the original printing of that schedule for the Sunday times. The corrected version is available here.

For parents and students participating in the Disney Trip, a second payment of $250 (per person) is due by October 30, 2009. Please make checks payable to Bay City Western and mail or send in to Mr. Heydenburg with your student.

A Quick Anatomy of the Flute by Valerie Simosko
Here is a quick “dictionary” describing essential parts of a flute and what their purposes are.

An Approach to Student Practice: Hints on Practicing or Close Enough only Counts in Horseshoes and Hand Grenades! by Keith Zimmerman
How do the really good players become so? How do the same people seem to always get high rankings in auditions? There is practice, and then there is quality practice! Which kind do you do? Do you just get close or do you really get the music down?

Educator's Viewpoint by Thomas Dvorak
If we lived in a perfect world and could design our band rehearsals upon the models of out-standing conductors, what would they be like?