Muscle Shoals High School Band

Good morning, from the band room!

Happy Snow/Ice Day! We hope you all are staying warm and indoors. I can't believe it's the last week of January, which means All State Auditions are here! Parents, please help us by getting all volunteer slots filled this week. Students, your audition times are included in this newsletter! I will need student help right after school on Friday to set up All State rooms and place signs around the school.

We are looking forward to a great week!

Monday, January 26th - No School

Tuesday, January 27th - 2nd/4th block Rehearsal, Private Lessons, Jazz Lab Band Rehearsal 3:30-4:30, WG (5:15-8:15) & PE (5:30-8)

Wednesday, January 28th - 2nd/4th Block Rehearsal

Thursday, January 29th - 2nd/4th Block Rehearsal, PE (3:30-4:30), WG (5:15-8:15)

Friday, January 30th - 2nd/4th Block Rehearsal

Saturday, January 31st - Alabama District III All State Auditions at MSHS

You MUST take your instrument and music home from MSMS/MSHS on Friday. The bandroom at MSHS will be off limits once auditions start Saturday morning. Mrs. Hood, Mr. Seay, and Dr. Frederick will be unable to leave MSHS to go to MSMS to get any forgotten items. Be responsible!

Friday night make sure to practice, but do not over do it! Make sure to get plenty of sleep! Saturday morning make sure to eat a good breakfast and get in a good warm-up. Dress nice but comfortable. Show up AT LEAST AN HOUR BEFORE your scheduled audition time. When you arrive you will need to sign-in and pick-up your audition materials in the cafeteria.YOU MUST BRING YOUR METHOD BOOK!!! Further instructions will be given from there. Actual audition times may vary slightly, but should be close to accurate.

Reminder: Room 1 will be Scales and Technical, Room 2 will be Lyrical, Sight Reading, Tone. Auditions are blind, so there will be a partition between the student and the judges. It is recommended that parents drop off and pick up their student after their audition has concluded.

Mrs. Hood, Mr. Seay, and Dr. Frederick may or may not be able to assist you with questions or help on Saturday. We will certainly try if we are available; however, we have responsibilities that must be taken care of on Saturday. A repair man will be available in the cafeteria. Please plan to leave the MSHS campus after your audition. No results will be posted at MSHS. All results will be posted on the following website: alaband.org on the District 3 tab. Good luck!

Rico Chen - 12:12

Jillian Snyder - 12:20

Aiden Foster - 12:04

Caroline Seay - 12:12

Livee LaVecchia - 12:20

Canaan Williamson - 9:50

Samuel Butte - 10:05

Ayden McDowell - 10:10

Amber Willis - 10:15

Judson Morris - 10:20

Myles Hollander - 10:10

Jonah Jackson - 10:50

Gian Ramos - 11:05

Emmie Beth Waters - 11:10

Annalise Seay - 11:15

Hunter Weeks - 11:35

Walt Jones - 10:15

Karley Geijer - 10:20

Briley Stone - 10:25

Andrew Hubbert - 10:50

Conner Holden - 10:55

Jackson Vandiver - 11:00

Joshua Tucker - 11:05

Juliana Rangel - 11:10

Daniel Geiger - 10:55

Bryson Hill - 11:00

Braden Sweat - 11:05

Carter Hanson - 11:10

Elijah Ruano - 11:00

Casen Kilpatrick - 11:05

Kylie Biggers - 11:10

Everett Robison - 12:20

Hugh Jones - 12:28

Liam McGuire - 12:36

Parents and Students, we need YOUR help! Please click the buttons and sign up to volunteer for our upcoming Spring events!

We will kick-off our Donate-A-Day fundraiser on February 1st in the hopes of raising funds for more marching band uniforms. Students will be asked to provide 20 phone numbers from friends and family who would like be willing to donate. Patrons will donate a dollar amount equal to the days of the month. For example, February 20th=$20. Students should have their 20 contacts collected this week! Please click the attached flyer for more info!

We will do 2 separate jazz ensembles this year!

Lab Band - Anyone student wanting to participate in Lab band can join. All instruments welcome! This ensemble will meet on Tuesdays from 3:30-4:30.

Jazz Combo - We will have an auditioned Jazz Combo Group this year. The combo will have the following instrumentation: 1 alto, 1 tenor, 1 Bari, 1 trumpet, 1 trombone, 1 piano, 1 drum set, and 1 bass guitar. Jazz Combo members will be required to be in Jazz band in addition to the combo. The combo group will have different performances throughout the semester at elementary schools, ceremonies, dinners, etc. This ensemble will meet on Mondays from 3:30-4:30.

1/31/26 - All State Auditions (Muscle Shoals High School)

2/3/26 - Shoals Area Honor Band Auditions (Florence Middle School)

2/?/26 - Black History Program

2/7/25 - WG & PE @ Hoover

2/13-2/14/26 - District III Honor Band

2/21/26 - PE & WG @ Bob Jones

2/27/26-2/28/26 - Trojan Beauty Pageant Weekend

*3/3-3/5/26 - Music Performance Assessment (exact date and time TBA)

3/6-3/7/26 - Shoals Area Honor Band (Muscle Shoals High School)

3/14/26 - WG & PE @ Thompson

3/23-3/27/26 - Spring Break

3/28/26 - WG @ SCGC Championships

3/30-4/3/26 - Majorette Auditions

4/4/26 - PE @ SCGC Championships

*4/9/26 - Dinner with the Band (public)

*4/10/26 - Dinner with the Band (60th Anniversary alumni event)

4/16-4/18/26 - Alabama All State Honor Band

4/21/26 - Shoals Area Night of Jazz

4/20-4/23/26 - Color Guard Clinic

4/27/26 - Color Guard Auditions

5/2/26 - Solo and Ensemble

5/4-5/8/26 - Audition Week (Drum Major (we will have 3 spots for drum majors next year), Marching Band, Band Leadership Team, Concert Ensemble Placements.)

*5/5/26 - MSHS Spring Fusion Concert

5/15/26 - Band Banquet - Honor Day for Seniors in the morning this day (date change)

*5/22/26 - MSHS Graduation

Concert Band students are required to purchase concert attire.

Boys: tuxedos with black pants, black jacket, black shoes, black socks, black cummerbund or vest, black bow tie, white shirt.

Girls: All black floor length dress/pant suit/pants and blouse, and black shoes

If you have any questions, please let me know! Student will dress nicely for the Veteran's Concert, but should plan to wear concert attire to the Christmas Concert. (exception: if a student is not in 2nd semester concert band, they should wear all black formal attire to the Christmas concert, but a tuxedo will not be required for those students).

Our Band Apparel Shop is live. Gear up, and support the band! https://theprintingcoshoals.com/collections/mshsband

Band Fees are PAST DUE (auxiliaries have a payment plan schedule)! If you need longer, please let me know. It is important that we get these fees in at the beginning of the school year, as we are already paying our drill writers, music arrangers, designers, band shoes, etc.

Marching Band Fees: $375
Concert Band Fees: $175 (second semester-due in January)

Band Shoes: $60

School-Owned Instrument Rental Fee: $50

*Auxiliary fees differ from person-to-person depending on apparel items ordered.

Our bookkeeping software is CutTime. You will receive a message on the 1st of every month with your account balance. NO PAYMENTS CAN BE MADE ON CUTTIME. All payments must be made on MySchoolBucks (links below).

Band Fees will not show up in your MySchoolBucks, like the rest of your school fees. The only place you can view your balance is on CutTime. If another parent needs to be added to a student's CutTime account please let me know.

I can't stress how important it is that we go ahead and get our fees in. We do not get any financial assistance and our budget is based around our fees and fundraisers only. Please help us by getting your fees paid as soon as possible.

MySchoolBucks Links:
Band Fees Paid in Full (itemized)

Band Fees Paid in Payments/Miscellaneous/Auxiliary Payments

Joining the MSHS Band on the Band App is the best way to communicate and get info about everything happening in the MSHS Band. All students are required to be a member of the band app. Additionally, please turn on the notifications for the Band App!

If any rehearsal will be missed during the school year, including during the school day. You should always fill out the absence form. Click the icon to complete an absence form.

The Muscle Shoals Band lives by the phrase, "If you're on time, you're late. If you're early, you're on time." Because the nature of what we do involves moving locations and getting equipment ready, it is necessary for all students to arrive or be dropped by no later than 10-15 minutes before rehearsal is set to begin. That means if rehearsal begins at 5, students will have to go to the band room, get out their instruments, dot books, music, music stands, etc. and move to wherever we are rehearsing before we begin. If they arrive at 4:58, they will not be prepared to begin on time. Parents, please keep this in mind when thinking about drop off times.