WINTER PARK BAND Weekly Newsletter

Dear Winter Park Band families,

It's here - Concert MPA week! This assessment is foundational to our concert bands and our classroom curriculum, and provides our students with crucial feedback and data points on their current performance trajectory and how they can continue to take it to the next level. The itinerary was sent out via email recently, and can also be found on the Band website here.

• Thursday, March 5: Wind Symphony performs at 4:50 PM
• Friday, March 6: Concert Band performs at 10:00 AM & Symphonic Band performs at 4:20 PM
• All performances, followed by sight-reading, will take place at Lake Buena Vista HS.
• All performances are free and open to the public, and parents can follow the band from the stage into sight-reading. It's amazing to watch!
• Parents: If you would like to pick up your student from LBVHS after we are done sight-reading, please email both Mr. Clemente and Ms. O'Rourke no later than Tuesday, March 3.

A few quotes to ponder and wrestle with as we look forward to a great week:

• "Consistency wins - because it's not what you do once in a while that matters, it's what you do every day."
• Talent might make you good, but it's your attitude and work-ethic that will make you great."
• "Talk is cheap, you are your actions."
• "To be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late, to be late is unacceptable."

Orchestra Winds & Percussion will perform with Park Philharmonic twice over the next two weeks as they complete their Orchestra MPA concert cycle. Please see the calendar and all paperwork from Mrs. Bitters and Mrs. Lubaroff for complete details.

• Tuesday, March 3: Orchestra Pre-MPA Concert, 6:00 PM call time, 7:00 PM concert begins
• Wednesday, March 11: Orchestra MPA, 8:45 AM - 2:00 PM, 12:00 PM performance at Dr. Phillips HS

The final Fair Share Payment along with any past due Band payments for the 2025-2026 school year came due this past Wednesday, February 25. Past Due Balance reminders were sent out through Cut Time on March 1 with updated past due balances, and fundraising credit shares from Door-2-Door have been added to accounts. Payments may be made either on School Cash Online or by check/cash turned in to the Band office. To view your current financial information with the Band, please log into your Cut Time account. If you have questions or concerns, please email both Mrs. Kim Somers (wphsbandtreasurer@gmail.com) and Mr. Clemente (michael.clemente@ocps.net).

Concerning this week's school day SAT for Juniors, all three band classes will still have rehearsal on Tuesday, March 3. Symphonic Band will be missing Juniors as they will be testing during 2nd period. Both Wind Symphony and Concert Band class meet after the test concludes, so all students are expected to be in attendance as it is one of our final rehearsal opportunities before this week's performances. It takes all of us to finish preparations for a successful performance!

Auditions for this year's Senior Concerto Competition will take place after school on Tuesday, March 10. Seniors: please sign up on the sheet outside the Band office before the end of this week. The panel for this year will be:

• Mrs. Bitters
• Mrs. Lubaroff
• Ms. O'Rourke
• Mr. Clemente

Together, let's make it a great week!

Mr. Clemente

Band Families,

This week we have the District MPAs on Thursday and Friday. Please see other sections of the newsletter in order to make sure you are prepared on the day that you perform!

Parents, next week we have an exciting opportunity for socializing and supporting the band banquet! Please take a look at your instrument section GroupMe or send me an email for more information. If you would like to donate to the Banquet fund, you can send it to Kim Somers by Venmo (@KimberlyRoseSomers) or Zelle, (407.451.2191).

Laura Cambridge

wphsbandboosterpresident@gmail.com

🧡🖤 VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT 🖤🧡

A huge shout-out and heartfelt thank you to our amazing volunteers who helped wash all our marching uniforms:

Vanessa Fleming, Emily Spotts, Laura Cambridge, Margaret Shultz, Marianne Baez, Michele Vincent, Yessenia Ortiz, Jenniffer Randolph, Damaris Lima Olmeda, Angela Kerst, Juliemar Vargas, Scott Banda, Curry Browne, Nikki Covington, Mary Lippert, and Yedimes Corps.

Because of you, this important end-of-season task was completed smoothly and with care. Your time and willingness to jump in truly make a difference for our students and our program.

While there are no sign-ups at the moment, please be on the lookout for upcoming volunteer opportunities. 🖤🧡

Jennifer Mullins

WPHS Band Volunteer Coordinator

This time of year, many families consider purchasing a higher quality instrument for their student. While the rental instruments or student instruments many students had during middle school served them well during that time, high school music and musicians need instruments with higher quality make and materials to continue to improve. Please especially do not buy an instrument for your student from discount websites like Amazon. We music teachers refer to instruments sold on those websites as ISOs - Instrument Shaped Objects.

If you are able and considering a "step-up" instrument for your student (sometimes referred to as "intermediate" or "professional" instruments by manufacturers), please feel free to reach out for guidance. We will be happy to point you in the right direction and give options for quality instruments at fair prices.

Local music stores:

Underwood Music - 4949 N Pine Ave, Winter Park, FL 32792

Music Shack - 702 S US Hwy 17 92, Longwood, FL 32750

Allegro Music - 851 E State Rd 434, Longwood, FL 32750

Music & Arts - 4676 Millenia Plaza Way, Orlando, FL 32839

A few websites to peruse:

www.allcountymusic.com

www.musicmaninconline.com

www.musicandarts.com

www.steveweissmusic.com

Whether a student is learning a musical instrument to pursue a career in music, or simply for personal musical fulfillment and recreation, private lessons are one of the best investments that a parent can provide for their musical child. When working with a private teacher, students receive one-on-one instruction from a professional musician who specializes on that instrument.

​Unlike a full band rehearsal experience, studying with a private teacher focuses in on the student’s individual needs. Students who study privately once a week from a professional musician are usually those who excel and find Band more enjoyable. These students frequently earn positions in honor groups like All-State and All-County, and make entry into our more advanced bands like Wind Symphony and Jazz Ensemble I. Some even go on to earn college scholarships, even if they are not majoring in music!

Below is a link to a list of local private teachers. This list is not exhaustive, and there may be other individuals who are not on the list. If you are a private teacher who would like to be added to our list (or deleted), or know a private teacher who should be added, please contact Mr. Clemente at michael.clemente@ocps.net.

http://www.winterparkhsband.com/private-teachers.html

March 3: Orchestra Pre-MPA Concert, Orch. Winds & Perc. only

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March 5 - 6: CONCERT MPA

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March 10: Senior Concerto Competition Auditions

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March 10: Orchestra MPA, Orch Winds & Perc. only

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March 13, 16 - 20: Spring Break

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March 26: 26-27 Drum Major Auditions

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April 2: 26-27 Student Leadership Team Interviews

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April 7: All-County Jazz

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April 8: Wind Symphony @ Music for All UCF/Orlando, Steinmetz Hall

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April 10: Jazz 1 @ Maitland Jazz & Blues

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April 14: Incoming Freshman Ice-Breakers/Parent Information Meeting, 6 - 8 PM

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April 16-18: All-County Jazz

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April 23: SPRING JAZZ & PERCUSSION CONCERT

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April 30: SPRING BAND CONCERT

http://www.winterparkhsband.com/calendar.html

Since the Cut Time software has been updated, the synced calendar link has changed. Copy the link below to subscribe to the Band public events calendar in Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Outlook, or other calendar app:

• https://app.gocuttime.com/program/calendar/c308b229-e7ac-4762-93ef-6112f6f8daf3/ics
  

UPCOMING BAND PAYMENTS

• WOODWINDS, BRASS, PERCUSSION
• Wednesday, February 25
• Fair Share Payment 3 - $75.00

• COLOR GUARD
• Wednesday, February 25
• Winter Guard Fair Share Payment 3 - $100.00

PAST DUE BAND PAYMENTS

• WOODWINDS, BRASS, PERCUSSION
• Thursday, July 31, 2025
• Fair Share Payment - $225 OR Fair Share Payment 1 - $100.00
• Marching Band Shoe (new students and if needed) - $45.00
• Extra Show Shirt (optional) - $15.00
• Wednesday, 8/27
• Fair Share Payment 2 - $75.00
• Wednesday, 10/1
• Jazz Fair Share (jazz students only) - $25.00
• Semester 1 Instrument Maintenance (if applies) - $75.00
• Wednesday, 1/14/26
• Jazz Fair Share (jazz students only) - $25.00
• Semester 2 Instrument Maintenance (if applies) - $75.00

• COLOR GUARD
• Thursday, July 31, 2025
• Fall Fair Share Payment - $325 OR Fair Share Payment 1 - $100
• Marching Band Shoe (if needed) - $45.00
• Extra Show Shirt (optional) - $15.00
• Wednesday, 8/27
• Fall Color Guard Fair Share Payment 2 - $125.00
• Wednesday, 10/1
• Fall Color Guard Fair Share Payment 3 - $100.00
• School Equipment Semester 1 Maintenance - $75.00
• Wednesday, 12/3
• Winter Guard Fair Share Payment 1 - $150.00
• Wednesday, 1/14/26
• Winter Guard Fair Share Payment 2 - $125.00
• School Equipment Semester 2 Maintenance - $75.00

For questions concerning general Band inquiries, Band financial obligations, or to request a payment plan, contact Mr. Clemente, at Michael.Clemente@ocps.net. For questions regarding your CutTime account or statement, contact the Band Booster Treasurer, Kim Somers, at wphsbandtreasurer@gmail.com.

We've been posting lots of photos our social media platforms, and we will continue to post updates, photos, video, and other media to those pages throughout the year. Follow the Band!

• Facebook: @winterparkhsband
• Instagram: @winterparkhsband @wphs_flutes @wphsclarinets @wpsaxes @wphs_trumpets @wphs.trombones @wphstubas @winterparkhspercussion @winterparkcolorguard @wphs.drumajors
• YouTube: @winterparkhsband
• Twitter: @wphs_bands
• Tik Tok: @winterparkhsband

Email: michael.clemente@ocps.net
Website: www.winterparkhsband.com
Location: 2100 Summerfield Road, Winter Park, FL, USA
Phone: 4076223200
Facebook: www.facebook.com/winterparkhsband