This Week in DHS Band and Guard

Monday, May 1st

• Senior Scholarship Application items are due to Mr. Keyes
• Drumline Practice, 4:45-5:15 pm
• Pack Celebrations Pep Rally, 6 pm
• Parent Pick Up, 7:15 pm

Tuesday, May 2nd

• Wind Ensemble Percussion Ensemble, 4:40-7 pm
  
• Color Guard Clinics, 4:45-6:45 pm

Wednesday, May 3rd

• Symphonic Band Percussion Ensemble, 4:40-6 pm
• Color Guard Clinics, 4:45-6:45 pm

Thursday, May 4th

• Jazz Band Performance cancelled

Friday, May 5th

• Wind Ensemble Performs at American Classic Music Festival, itinerary below

Pack Celebrations is a free community pep rally at the stadium. We will be celebrating the achievements of all organizations on campus. The event is Monday evening at 6 pm, and it is open to parents. We will be wearing our state t-shirts with shorts (any color). Students will report to the band hall after school and need to bring their state shirt and shorts with them to school on Monday.

Itinerary

• 5:15 pm Call time in state shirt and shorts (bring a snack to eat after school)
• 6 pm Pack Celebrations @ Wolf Stadium
• ~7:15 pm Parent Pickup

The Wind Ensemble is performing at the American Classic Music Festival at Seguin HS on Friday, May 5th at 3:40 pm. We are using this as an opportunity to get another recording for concert band competitions.

Itinerary

• 12:30 pm - Go to A Lunch
• 1:00 pm - Winds only rehearsal in band hall, percussion load truck
• 1:20 pm - Change into Concert Uniforms
• 1:45 pm - Leave DHS
• 2:45 pm - Arrive at Seguin HS
• 3:10 pm - Warm Up
• 3:40 pm - Perform
• 4:30 pm - Leave for DHS
• 5:45 pm - Parent Pick Up

Students need to bring these items with them to school on Friday.

• Black dress shoes (closed toe), black crew length socks or hosiery, white undershirt for boys.
• We will not be change out of tuxes and dresses after our performance in an effort to get students home as early as possible Friday night.

We are having a rehearsal with our new percussion director on Saturday, May 13th from 10 am-noon at Davenport HS. We do not typically add rehearsals, but we want to give everyone an opportunity to meet our new percussion director before we start next year's season. We will be announcing the new director on Thursday on Instragram, Twitter, and Facebook.

We are happy to announce that Ms. Alexis Dillon will be our Color Guard Director for the 2023-24 school year. Her bio is bellow.

Alexis Dillon has been teaching Color Guard since graduating high school in 2018. She has been part of the staff for successful programs such as Winston Churchill HS (2018-2021) and Ronald Reagan HS (2021-present). The 2023-24 school year is Alexis’ first year as Color Guard Director at Davenport after joining the staff team in 2021 and becoming Assistant Director in 2022. She performed with both Origins Open Winter Guard and the Madison Scouts Drum Corps in 2020 and 2021 and was a Color Guard captain during her time with the Madison Scouts. In the Spring of 2022, Alexis completed her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminology from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas.

Ms. Booher and Mr. Rainey will continue to be members of our color guard staff. We look forward to continuing to build on the success our students have created the past three years.

Students may nominate themsleves or other for officers and superlatives at the link below.

https://tinyurl.com/DHSBandSuperlatives

The deadline is Friday, May 5th. We will be voting on officers and superlatives the week of May 8th.

Students that still owe fees will be emailed an invoice for their fees next week. These students' names have been submitted to the front office and have an obligation on their record. Senior students with a financial obligation will not be able to get their tickets or parking pass for graduation.

Here are the links for making a credit card payment for your convenience. We are still accepting cash or checks written out to Davenport Band Boosters.

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

Instrument usage payments

The Jazz Band performance for the Comal ISD retirement banquet has been cancelled. The next performance for the Jazz Band is at the Percussion and Jazz concert on May 19th.

Our Spring Concert is May 9th at 7 pm in the DHS Auditorium. The Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Wind Ensemble will be performing. We will be wearing dresses and tuxes for the performance.

• 4:45 pm - Combined Symphonic Band and Concert Band Rehearsal

• 5:30 pm - Feed the Band

• 6:15 pm - Change into tuxes/dresses

• 6:30 pm - Doors open

• 6:45 pm - Call time for students in concert attire with instruments

• Symphonic Band/Concert Band on stage

• Wind Ensemble in auditorium seating

• 7:00 pm - Spring Concert

• Announce scholarship winners

• ~8:30 Parent Pickup

Info and requirements for the Davenport Band Booster Senior Scholarships can be found here.

Five $500 scholarships will be awarded at the Spring Concert on May 9th.

Please note that the deadline to turn the application items in to Mr. Keyes is Monday, May 1st. Transcripts can be downloaded and printed from skyward by clicking on the portfolio tile.

The following items are due to Mr. Keyes by Monday, May 1, 2023:

• Most current transcript

• Acceptance letter to two or four-year college OR trade school

• Essay

Here is the calendar for next year.

Please mark your calendars with these dates for marching contest next year.

• September 23- USBands Davenport (hosting), Davenport HS
• October 7 - Comal Classic Marching Festival and Rocket Review Marching Festival, Canyon HS, Judson HS
• October 14 - UIL Region Marching Competition, Heroes Stadium, San Antonio
• October 21 - UIL Area Marching Competition, Calallen HS
• November 1 - UIL State Marching Contest, Alamodone
• November 4 - Brandeis Drumline Competition (drumline, drum majors, and soloist only)

The performance schedule can be found here. We will be taking a charter bus to get to Austin on Monday, May 29th. We will not be providing transportation to Austin for events on Saturday, May 27th. More detail to follow.

The wind ensemble is performing at the Youth Orchestra of San Antonio Invitational at the Tobin Center on May 23rd at 3 pm. Seniors will join the band after the elephant walk that morning. This performance is open to the public and is free.

The Comal ISD School Board called for a bond at their workshop on Wednesday, February 15, 2023. I encourage you to educate yourself and others regarding the bond, and I encourage everyone to vote. Information about the bond can be found by following the link below.

https://www.comalisd.org/apps/pages/BOND2023

Proposition B will benefit the band and color guard by giving us additional seating in our stadium. Comal ISD residents will have the opportunity to vote in the bond election on Saturday, May 6, 2023. The deadline to register to vote is Thursday, April 6. Early voting begins April 24 and runs through May 2.

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

• May 9th, Spring Concert, 7 pm, DHS Auditorium
  
• May 13th, Drumline rehearsal with new director, 10 am - noon
• May 13th, Color Guard Solo and Ensemble, Davenport HS
• May 13th, Band Banquet
• May 16th, Marching Band Solo Try-Outs after school
• May 18th, School Board Recognition for Varsity Winter Guard
• May 19th, Percussion/Jazz Concert, 7 pm, DHS Auditorium
• May 23rd, YOSA Invitational, Wind Ensemble Only, Tobin Center
• May 26th, Graduation, Wolf Stadium (Wind Ensemble Performs)
• May 29th, UIL TSSEC, AM, Austin, TX
• May 30-June 1, June Marching Band Camp, 9 am - 4 pm, DHS

• June 1st, Parent Preview Performance and Meeting, 6:30 pm, DHS Auditorium

• June 3rd, Band Registration, 9 am - 3 pm, DHS
• July 17-19, Student Leadership Team Camp, 9 am - 4 pm

• July 24-26, Percussion and Color Guard Camp, 9 am - 4 pm

• July 27-28, Summer Band for ALL, 9 am - 4 pm
  

• July 31st until 1st day of school, 8 am - 4 pm
  

Jeffrey Keyes

Director of Bands

Davenport HS

jeffrey.keyes@comalisd.org

Dean Ponseti

Associate Band Director

Davenport HS

dean.ponseti@comalisd.org

Alexis Dillon

Color Guard Director

Davenport HS

davenportguard@gmail.com

Kelsey Lien

Director of Bands

Danville MS

kelsey.lien@comalisd.org

Nichele Gonzales

Assistant Director of Bands

Danville MS

nichele.gonzales@comalisd.org

Email: jeffrey.keyes@comalisd.org
Website: http://www.davenportband.com/
Location: 23255 FM3009, San Antonio, TX, USA
Phone: (830) 837-7521
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davenporthsband/
Twitter: @davenporthsband