posted 3/10/10

Band Leadership: Band Student Leadership will meet next on Wednesday, March 17, at 8AM.
 
Advanced Band LGPE: The Advanced Band will perform for LGPE on March 23 at 11:50AM at Benjamin E. Mays HS in Atlanta, Ga. Please see the music website for more details.
 
Guest Clinician for Beginning and Intermediate Band: Gary Gribble, Director of Bands at Pope HS, will be working with the Intermediate and Beginning Band a few times during the month of March. As a band member, it’s always exciting to have a new set of ears and ideas on the podium. We look forward to Mr. Gribble sharing his expertise with our younger band members.

posted 3/8/10

NEW INFORMATION: We have re-scheduled our ONE early morning rehearsal before LGPE (that was cancelled last week due to weather) for THIS THURSDAY, March 11, from 7:45-8:20. We asked the kids and this was the day they felt would be best, since it was a half day.

Please make every effort to have your child at rehearsal. If they absolutely cannot attend due to a previous commitment, we will have to understand due to the short notice.


Just a few reminders:

LGPE Field Trip Forms Due TODAY, Monday, March 8

Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 9th


* 7:30-9AM Uniform check-in
* 3PM Kids report to bandroom, eat, change, warm-up
* 5PM MAKE-UP Pre-LGPE concert (only 3 pieces)
* 5:20'ish Strike CC and return equip to bandroom
* 5:45'ish Should be done


***As of today, we are only 9 rehearsals (including the early morning one) away from LGPE. We have asked each student to practice their instrument AT LEAST 10 MINUTES EVERY DAY between now and LGPE. We do not feel this is too much to ask for such an important event for our band program. Remember, it is like our band's yearly "final exam".

Please encourage your child to practice PRODUCTIVELY for a few minutes each day until March 23rd. Our suggestion was each day they work on a tricky measure, work through accidentals, play through a long phrase, work out some articulations......just choose one or two things each day to focus on a clear up. If each child did that, the band would get 31 times better every day. By LGPE, that will equate to exponential improvement.

Thank you for your support of the band program.

Sincerely,
Paula Williams


posted 3/2/10

Georgia All-State Band

 

Jake Parker will be representing High Meadows School as principal percussionist in the GMEA Middle School All-State Band this Thursday through Saturday in Savannah, Georgia. He will be joining other middle school musicians from around the state of Georgia, all of whom competed in two-rounds of district and state level auditions to earn their position as a member of the All-State Band.

 

Winter Band Concert

 

Congratulations to members of all three HMS Bands for their outstanding performances last week. Special kudos go out to the seven Advanced Band student conductors, Mike Bascle, Taylor Moore, Lillian Shoji, Harold Hernandez, Joseph Mitteldorf, Rachel Sewell, and Sarah Borozan, for their fantastic conducting debut. A special thanks to Ruby Zimmerman and Emily Kennerson for their help in making the Advanced Band performance a completely student-driven event. Last but not least, the program could not run without the help of parent volunteers. Thanks to all parents who chaperoned and assisted with last week’s band concert.

 

Drum Club Session III

 

Forms for the third and final session of this year’s Drum Club went home in backpack mail last week. The first meeting of Session III is NEXT Wednesday, March 10. Sign-up forms can also be downloaded from the music website, which can be accessed from the front page of the HMS portal.

 

Band Leadership

Band Student Leadership will meet next on Wednesday, March 17, at 8AM.

 

Advanced Band LGPE

The Advanced Band will perform for LGPE on March 23 at 11:50AM at Benjamin E. Mays HS in Atlanta, Ga. Please see the music website for more details.

 

Guest Clinician for Beginning and Intermediate Band

Gary Gribble, Director of Bands at Pope HS, will be working with the Intermediate and Beginning Band a few times during the month of March. As a band member, it’s always exciting to have a new set of ears and ideas on the podium. We look forward to Mr. Gribble sharing his expertise with our younger band members.


posted 3/1/10

Just a reminder that tomorrow, Tuesday March 2, at 5PM is our LGPE 
pre-festival performance at 5PM in the Community Center.
 
All Advanced Band members should check-in their band uniform tomorrow 
morning in the music room between 7:30 and 9AM.
 
Students will report to the bandroom immediately after school for a 
catered snack/meal. If your child feels they need more food than is 
provided, please send them in tomorrow with extra food.
 
The performance will begin promptly at 5PM, and will only consist of 
the 3 LGPE performance pieces. It will be evaluated by 2 "judges" 
making a tape and writing comments to simulate the LGPE experience.
 
An audience is welcome. Doors will open to the audience at 4:45.
 
We will not be striking the set after the performance, as our early 
morning rehearsal is Wednesday morning from 7:45-8:20.
 
Students should be ready to completed with the performance and ready 
to leave around 5:30PM.
 
Thank you for your continued support as we prepare for LGPE on 
March 23.
 
Sincerely,
Paula Williams

posted 2/21/10


Dear Band Parents,

Hopefully it comes as no surprise to anyone that the HMS Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced Bands have their Winter Concert THIS WEDNESDAY, February 24, at 5PM in the Community Center at High Meadows School.

The students are very excited about this week's performance, as it has a few special surprises in store.

• ALL BAND STUDENTS: UNIFORM CHECK-IN, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23

Band uniform check-in is Tuesday morning, February 23, from 7:30-8:45AM. Please send your student to school on TUESDAY with their complete band uniform for WEDNESDAY'S concert. Uniform details can be found on the music website or in your band handbook. Uniforms are the same as they were for the December concert.

***BEGINNING BAND MEMBERS

Many Beginning Band members had uniform "issues" at the last concert, at the last minute. Please make sure all uniform issues are resolved before uniform check-in on Tuesday morning to avoid the last minute uniform scramble we had before the December concert.

• Concert Wednesday, February 24

All Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced Band Members are to report to the bandroom IMMEDIATELY after school. Students will be fed pizza and water, change into their band uniforms, warm-up for the concert, then begin performances at 5PM.

STUDENTS ARE IN PERFORMANCE PREPARATION MODE FROM 3-5PM. THEY ARE "IN-CLASS"; PARENTS NOT INVOLVED AS OFFICIAL BAND CHAPERONES PLEASE ALLOW YOUR CHILD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PREPARE FOR THEIR PERFORMANCE FROM 3-5PM WITHOUT INTERRUPTION, EXCEPT IN CASE OF EMERGENCY.

All students are well-taken care of and supervised from the moment they are dismissed from class at 3PM until they are dismissed after the concert. Please consider them as students in class during this timeframe.


The concert will begin PROMPTLY at 5PM with the Beginning Band, then Intermediate Band, and concluding with the Advanced Band. The entire program should end around 5:45PM. At that time, the audience will be asked to remain in the Community Center while the students and chaperones strike the band set, and the students return to the bandroom and music room to gather their bookbags and clothes.


ALL STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO STAY FOR THE DURATION OF THE CONCERT.

We look forward to seeing everyone at this Wednesday's Winter Band Concert.

As always, please check the music website for detailed information.

Sincerely,
Paula Williams
Music Director, High Meadows School

posted 2/16/10

Music Department News

District V Honor Band
This Friday and Saturday, February 19 and 20, Jake Parker and Andrew Michael will represent High Meadows School and band as members of the District V Honor Band. They auditioned last December to earn a position in this ensemble made up of middle school musicians from public and private schools throughout District V. The band will meet for the first time Friday afternoon, and rehearse through the afternoon on Saturday. They will perform Saturday evening at Milton HS.


HMS Band Concert
Next Wednesday, February 24, all three HMS Bands will perform a Winter Concert at 5PM in the Community Center. Everyone is invited to attend. The concert will last approximately 45 minutes, and will feature the Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced Bands. Please refer to the Music Department website for further details.

Student Conductors
19 members of the Advanced Band participated in a conducting seminar over the last 6 weeks. Last Thursday, 13 of those members auditioned to be one of 7 student conductors on the upcoming Band Concert. The 7 student conductors (in no particular order) are: Mike Bascle, Taylor Moore, Lillian Shoji, Joseph Mitteldorf, Harold Hernandez, Sarah Borozan, and Rachel Sewell. The Advanced Band will be conducted by ONLY these 7 students at next Wednesday's performance.

Drum CLub III begins March 10; sign-ups go home Wednesday 2/17/10
Session III Drum Club information will go home in backpack mail Wednesday, 2/17. Drum CLub Session III will begin on Wednesday, March 10, immediately after school in the bandroom. It is open to any student in grades K-2. Please consult the music website for more information.

Band Mission Statement
The 13 remaining Founding Members of the HMS Band program worked with Pope HS Band Director Gary Gribble to create a Mission Statement for the HMS Bands. It will be presented to the community as part of next Wednesday's band concert.

LGPE; Advanced Band Only
The Advanced Band will perform their Large Group Performance Evaluation on March 23rd at 11:50AM at Benjamin Mays HS in Atlanta, Ga.


posted 2/11/10

Dear Advanced Band Families,

We were told yesterday that our LGPE performance date and time is Tuesday, March 23, at 11:50AM.

The event will be held at Benjamin Mays HS just south of Atlanta.

Just like last year, we will be traveling as a band by charter bus to and from the event.

While we should have all the specific details in place in the next week or so, I wanted to
 make sure everyone at least had this date and time.

PLEASE DO NOT SCHEDULE ANYTHING ON THIS DATE IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. IT IS OF THE
 UTMOST IMPORTANCE THAT WE HAVE ALL MEMBERS FOR THIS EVALUATED
PERFORMANCE.

More details to come.

Sincerely,
Paula Williams


posted 2/8/10

GISA All-Select Middle School Band
Over the past weekend, 5 members of the Advanced Band volunteered to participate in the GISA Middle School All-Select Band. Daniel Lopez, Andrew Michael, Joseph Mitteldorf, Jaxson Shickler, and Lillian Shoji joined with other Independent School band students and guest conductors, rehearsing Saturday and performing a concert on Sunday.

Advanced Band: Sym Camp this Thursday, February 11
This Thursday, February 11, ALL Advanced Band members will report to the bandroom immediately after school for a snack in preparation for rehearsal from 4-6 with Dr. Scott Stewart of Emory University.

Conducting Seminar
This Wednesday morning (2/10) from 7:45-8:20 all conducting students interested in auditioning for one of 7 student conducting positions on the February 24 concert are invited to a conducting practice session in the music room. The auditions will take place during Advanced Band class on Thursday and Friday. Student conductors will be announced on Friday, February 12.

Leadership Team
The Band Leadership team will meet next Wednesday, February 17, from 8-8:25AM in the music room. All members are expected to attend.

No Intermediate Band Wednesday, February 17

Band Concert Wednesday, February 24
ALL bands will perform on Wednesday, February 24, beginning at 5PM in the Community Center.

Please check the music website and calendar regularly for the most up to date information regarding the music program.


posted 2/3/10

Music Department News for Weekending 2/5/10

 

There is a lot happening in the Music department this month. Information is disbursed in many forms to assure that all members of the community stay informed, it is always discussed and clarified with the students during class and rehearsal times, posted here in the Meadow Messenger, emailed, and of course posted on the music website which can be accessed from the front page menu of the HM portal. 

 

Charter Band Members to Create a Mission Statement: This week the charter members of the band program will work with Mr. Gary Gribble, Music Director for Pope High School to develop a Mission Statement for the band program. Students will meet in the band room from 4:00 to 7:00 pm. Pizza, light snack and water will be provided for the students. Your student can be picked up in front of the CST building at 7:00pm.

 

3^rd Annual GISA All-Select Band: Participants Daniel Lopez, Andrew Michael, Joseph Mittledorf, Jaxson Shickler and Lillian Shoji will be joining other Georgia independent school students this Saturday and Sunday, February 6^th and 7^th at the Atlanta Academy in Roswell to perform at the 3^rd Annual GISA All-Select Band. A few weeks ago these students received music to practice on an individual basis for the concert on Sunday. On Saturday they will play this music with the other members of the GISA ensembles for the first time as a group at an all day rehearsal. After a brief morning of rehearsal on Sunday they will perform a concert at the Atlanta Academy. Ms Williams will be acting as Percussion Director for both of the GISA bands this weekend. We wish all the participants good luck and our thanks for representing High Meadows at this annual GISA event.

 

Advanced Band Camp: In preparation of the upcoming LGPE performance Dr. Scott Stewart, Music Director of Emory University, will be guest clinician for the Advanced band on Thursday, February 11^th in the band room from 4:00pm to 6:00pm. Students will be served pizza and water. Your student can be picked up in front of the CST building at 6:00pm.

 

Leadership Team Meeting: Wednesday, February 17^th at 8:00 am in the band room. All members of the Leadership team are expected to attend.

 

NO Intermediate Band Rehearsal:  Rehearsal of the Intermediate band will be cancelled on Wednesday, February 17^th. Rehearsal will resume on Thursday morning, February 18^th at 7:45am

 

District V Honor Band: Andrew Michael and Jake Parker will represent High Meadows at the (Fulton County) District V Honor Band Concert to be held at Milton High School on Friday and Saturday, February 19^th and 20^th

 

Upcoming Concerts: Our next band concert will be held in the Community Center on Wednesday, February 24th at 5:00 PM.  ALL three bands will be performing and they will ALL be required to be in “formal” dress.  Please refer to the band handbook that was distributed at the beginning of the year.  Dress attire and concert information is also posted on the website.  The music department website can be accessed from the High Meadows portal opening menu bar

posted 1/25/10

Music Department News for week ending 1/29:

posted 1.19.10

Music Department News for week ending 1/22:
 

This Week:

 

Wednesday 1/20:

- No Intermediate Band Rehearsal today, as emailed and posted on the website and calendar.

-Leadership Team meeting 8:00 AM in the band room. All members of the team are expected to attend.

 

Thursday 1/21:

-Intermediate Band Rehearsal @ 7:45 AM

-Conducting Seminar (AB band members) @ 3:00 -4:00 PM in the band room

 

Friday 1/22:

-Dr. Scott Stewart, Music Director at Emory University, Guest Clinician for Advance Band during AB class.

 

Guest Clinician, Dr. Scott Stewart of Emory University will join the Advanced band on Friday of this week to continue to fine tune each of the three band selections to be played at LGPE in March at Mays High School.

 

Conducting Seminar: We were very happy to see such strong interest from the Advanced band members who chose to participate in the Conducting seminar which began last week. Our second meeting is this Thursday after school in the band room upon dismissal from class. Students were assigned homework, so please bring the class packet that was distributed at our first meeting, your “homework,” and the enthusiasm that we saw last week. 

 

 

All-State Update: Congratulations to Jake Parker for completing two rounds of auditions and winning first chair percussion in the 2010 Georgia Middle School All-State band. Jake will represent High Meadows School at the All-State performance to be held at the Savannah Convention Center the first weekend in March.

 

Upcoming Concerts: Our next band concert will be held in the Community Center on Wednesday, February 24^th at 5:00 PM. ALL three of the bands will be performing and they will ALL be required to be in “formal” dress. Please refer to the band handbook that was distributed at the beginning of the year. Dress attire and concert information is also posted on the website. The music department website can be accessed from the High Meadows portal opening menu bar.

posted 1.13.10


Dear Band Parents,

Just a friendly reminder that the Beginning, Intermediate, and
Advanced Bands have a concert February 24, at 5PM, in the Community
Center at HMS.

THIS IS NOT A CHANGE OR ANY NEW INFORMATION.

Simply a reminder of our next concert date, which is over a month away.

Please continue to check the music website, communicate with your
children, read the Meadow Messenger, and refer to your band handbook
for the most current and up to date information regarding the music
program at High Meadows.

Sincerely,
Paula Williams
Music Director, High Meadows School




posted 1/12/10

                                Music Department News for Week Ending January 15, 2010

Advanced Band Conducting Seminar
The band department is hosting a conducting seminar for any interested members of the Advanced Band. 
It will take place from 3-4PM on Thursday, January 14 and 21, and during band class on January 26.
 
Further details have been given in band class, via email, and posted on the conducting seminar webpage.
  
Emory Music Director, Dr. Scott Stewart
Dr. Scott Stewart will once again join the Advanced Band during their class on January 20th. As our Artist 
in Residence during the Winter term, Dr. Stewart brings a new level of enthusiasm to music making that the 
students have really enjoyed so far.
 
He will be working with the Advanced Band once after school on February 11 from 4-6PM as they prepare 
for LGPE. All advanced band members are expected to attend this very important rehearsal.
 
Band Leadership
The band leadership team will hold their first meeting January 20th at 8AM in the bandroom.
 
Charter Members create Band Mission Statement
Charters members of the HMS Band program will work with Mr. Gary Gribble on February 4 from 4-7PM 
to create a mission statement for the band program they started 4 years ago.
  
GISA All-Select Middle School Band
Five members from the Advanced Band volunteered to participate in this year's GISA All-Select Band. 
They will rehearse and perform with other independent school band members at the Atlanta Academy in 
Roswell the weekend of February 6 and 7.

All-State Band
Last Saturday, Andrew Michael and Jake Parker traveled to Perry, Georgia to compete against middle school 
students from across the state of Georgia to earn a coveted spot in the Georgia All-State Middle School Band.
 
Next HMS Band Concert
The next concert for all three bands will be on February 24th, at 5PM in the HMS Community Center. 
Everyone is invited to attend.

posted 1/4/10

Band Students to Perform with District Honor Band

 

In December, Jake Parker and Andrew Michael auditioned alongside hundreds of other middle school band members from Fulton County/District V for the opportunity to perform as a member of the annual District V Honor Band. Any student enrolled in a band program at their public or private school could choose to audition. Jake and Andrew accepted the challenge of preparing the required scales, rudiments, etudes, and sightreading all auditionees were required to perform as part of the audition process. Jake Parker, a 7^th grade Advanced Band member, won first chair percussion in the District Band. Andrew Michael, a 6^th grade Advanced Band member, placed 4^th chair trumpet in the District. Both students will rehearse and perform with other outstanding young musicians from Fulton county as members of the District V Honor Band February 19^th and 20^th at Milton HS.

 

Andrew Michael and Jake Parker will be entering round two of the audition process this weekend in Perry, Ga. as they compete against middle school band members from around the state of Georgia that also successfully advanced past the first round District auditions. The HMS music department wishes Jake and Andrew best of luck this weekend as they represent the HMS band program and school in the statewide competition to earn a position as a member of the 2010 Georgia All-State Band.

 

GISA All-Select Band

 

The 3^rd Annual Georgia Independent School Association (GISA) All-Select Band will be performing on Sunday, February 7^th at the Atlanta Academy in Roswell. The following five members of the Advanced Band that volunteered to participate will represent High Meadows School.

 Andrew Michael, 6^th grade – trumpet

Lillian Shoji, 6^th grade - percussion

Daniel Lopez, 7^th grade - percussion

Joseph Mittledorf, 7^th grade – flute

Jaxson Shickler, 8^th grade – percussion

 

Please join us in congratulating all of our band members and wish them well as they represent our school at these events.

posted 1/3/10

Music Department

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