SP East Band Updates

The first band concert of the year is at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 20th in the SP East Performing Arts Center. The concert will feature the concert band, percussion ensemble, and wind ensemble.

Students will need:

• uniforms (more info below)
• instrument
• music

We ask students to attend all parts of the performance. Students will wear their band uniform for the concert. Please join us for this celebration of student music!

Concert Band will start their warm-up at 7:30 p.m.

Wind Ensemble will start their warm-up at 8:00 p.m.

All band students have been fitted for a uniform. These uniforms are worn for all of our band performances. Here is the list of school provided items and student provided items.

Tuxedo

School provides: Jacket, pants, cummerbund, & bow tie

Students provide: white collard shirt, black socks (calf length), and black shoes

Dress

School provides: Dress

Students provide: Black shoes

On Monday, October 5th, Dr. Todd Hammes visited the wind ensemble to provide a group Tabla lesson. The Tabla is a traditional pair of hand drums that serves as the principal percussion instrument in North Indian Hindustani classical music.

Played using intricate finger and palm strokes (bols) that correspond to a rich oral and written literature, Tabla can be heard in Hindustani classical solos and accompaniments, Kathak dance, qawwali, and devotional traditions like bhajans and kirtans.

Dr. Hammes will join the wind ensemble on our October 20th concert, performing Tabla in Chamak by composer Reena Ismail.

The BPBF H.E.A.R. Scholarship (Helping support Equitable Access and Representation) promotes equitable access and representation to music education and enrichment activities for groups including but not limited to Black/African American, Latinx, Native North American, Asian/Pacific Islander, and LGBTQIA+ students. Students are eligible to be awarded with the BPBF H.E.A.R Scholarship no more than once per school year.

This $300 scholarship is awarded to one or more band student(s) in grades 7, 8, 9, 10, or

11 who is a current member of the Sun Prairie Band program, and participated in school

and/or community clubs and organizations.

Scholarships are disbursed as a subsidy payment to assist with private lessons in the

lesson academy program, and/or a payment for band camp or activity that is recommended

by your band director.

To learn how to apply please click here

The Marcia Berman Percussion Scholarship is a $300 scholarship awarded to one or more student(s) in grades 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12 who is a current Sun Prairie Bands percussion student and has participated in school and/or community clubs and organizations. Scholarships are disbursed as payment for private percussion lessons during the current school year, and/or payment for percussion summer camps.

To learn how to apply please click here

Many students and families have found value in taking private lessons with amazing professionals on their instrument. SP East & Central Heights Middle School work together to bring teachers to students. Good news - those teachers come right to Central Heights after school on Tuesday! If you have any questions please contact Mr. Mesner.

Please visit our Lesson Academy web page for more information and registration details

About the Sun Prairie Band Boosters Lesson Academy
The Sun Prairie Band Booster Lesson Academy has been created to provide convenient access to quality private instrument instruction for students in the Sun Prairie Band Program. The program is designed to give students access to one-on-one instruction on their instrument with professional musicians/teachers that specialize on specific instruments. Students will focus on fundamental skills that are particular to his or her instrument.

The benefits of private instrument instruction include; accelerated study of instrument technique and repertoire, preparation of audition materials, or study of subjects of particular interested (e.g. solo literature or improvisation). Private study is a powerful tool in supporting musical growth in students. This program is organized by the Sun Prairie Band Boosters as a service to band students in Sun Prairie Schools.

Sun Prairie Band Boosters offer a variety of optional fund-raisers throughout the year to #1 help support great programs like bringing in guest artists and composers and #2 earn credits to students’ individual band ledger that can be used for:

• Field Trips

• Summer Band Camps

• Sound of Sun Prairie

• Private Lessons

Bucky books are $35 each and students receive $11.25 credited to their ledger for every book sold. PLUS if you sell 5 books, the sixth book is FREE!

The Bucky Book sale ends October 29 and books can be picked up from Mr. Mesner.