THE Houston Band

Hello, Houston Band family.

It is crunch time as we prepare for our holiday season performances! Please read the following announcements very carefully to know what's happening this holiday season.

With excitement and gratitude,

Mr. C

We are incredibly excited to continue supporting our Mustang football team on Friday in the third round of TSSAA playoffs versus Collierville. Show up and cheer them on, while listening to our award winning Houston Band! Call time is 5:30pm on 11/22.

Should we be fortunate enough to progress further in the playoffs, we will be playing at home on Friday Nov. 29. This is the day after Thanksgiving. If you are not out of town, you are expected to be there. Let me know if you have a conflict ASAP after the game on Friday (again, should we win!) This would be a great opportunity for out of town family to see what your student does in band!

Go mustangs!!

Our HHS/GMSD holiday performance dates are as follows:

12/5/24 - HHS Band Winter Concert 6pm (WE call time 5pm, CB call time 5:20pm, SNC call time 5:40pm)

12/6/24 - Riverdale Band Concert

12/7/24 - HMS Band Salvation Army Ringing (info below!)

12/9/24 - GMSD HHS Wind Ensemble Holiday Tour - Day 1 (during school day)

12/10/24 - GMSD HHS Wind Ensemble Holiday Tour - Day 2 (during school day)

12/11/24 - GMSD HHS Wind Ensemble Holiday Tour - Day 3 (during school day)

12/10/24 - HMS Band Concert

12/14/24 - Germantown Holiday Parade

12/15/24 - Germantown Holiday Parade Rain Date (treat it like any other performance date! KEEP OPEN!)

The cookie dough pickup date is 11/21/24 after school. This will take place during/after Wind Ensemble rehearsal. ALL cookie dough must be picked up, as we do not have freezer space for any leftovers. Please make a plan and a backup plan to pick yours up. Thank you!

We are beginning our holiday performance cycle. We will play a balanced array of non-holiday, secular holiday, and traditional nonsecular holiday music across our ensembles. If you have any objections with your student performing and/or learning secular or nonsecular holiday music in our program, please reach out to me ASAP to discuss alternative assignments.

Wind Ensemble

Heaven at Night by Katahj Copley (secular, non-holiday)

Toboggan by JaRod Hall (secular, winter music)

Herald the Holidays by Robert W. Smith (medley of secular and non-secular holiday music including Jingle Bells, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing)

Sleigh Ride by Leroy Anderson (secular, winter music)

Concert Band

Deck the Halls arr. Chip Davis & Johnnie Vinson (traditional Christmas carol)

Silverbrook by Michael Sweeney (non-holiday)

Appalachian Morning by Robert Sheldon (non-holiday)

As Winds Dance by Samuel Hazo (non-holiday)

Parade Band

Selections from Christmas Parade Sequence by Paul Lavender (medley of secular and non-secular holiday music: JUST Sleigh Ride drumline cadence & Joy to the World full band)

Silver Note Collective

Selections from:

Jazz Waltz of the Sugar Plum Fairy arr. Pink Zebra (secular holiday)

Blues in Hos Flat by Count Basie (non-holiday)

Wave by Antonio Carlos Jobim arr. Michael Philip Mossman (non-holiday)

A String of Pearls by Jerry Gray (non-holiday)

Hobo Flats by Oliver Nelson (non-holiday)

Tuxedo Junction by Erskine Hawkins tr. Myles Collins (non-holiday)

Join us on Saturday, December 7th, at the Farmington Kroger in Germantown, as we team up with the Salvation Army for a festive day of bell-ringing and music-making!

We’re inviting friends, family, and musicians of all levels to bring their instruments and join us for a holiday sight-reading session filled with fun and classic tunes. Whether you’re a pro or just love making music, there’s a spot for you!

📅 When: Saturday, December 7th

📍 Where: Farmington Kroger, Germantown

🎼 What: Ringing the bell for charity + holiday music sight-reading

Click here to sign up!

Come for the fun, stay for the cause. Let’s make music and spread holiday joy together! 🎄🎺🛎️

-Mr. Nesvick

Please volunteer to help with concertwear fittings: https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10C0849ACAC23A3FF2-52822113-concert

These fittings will take place during after school rehearsals on 11/19.

If you have a friend, neighbor, family member, or ANYONE else in your life in 4th or 5th grade within GMSD, let them know about the transformative experience band has been in your students' lives. If you know an 8th grader that wants to be in a great band but doesn't live in Germantown, let them know about our academies. We are so excited to continue building our program's numbers back to sustainable levels, but that takes work from everyone. Thank you for helping with that work!

If you are interested in private lessons, please reach out! We are happy to recommend teachers for students of all levels at any budget.

We will be hosting open practice time after school Monday-Thursday AND every day before school starts. The road to All West participation starts now, with a little bit of growth every day! We hope to see as many students as possible fill the band room each morning and evening to improve their craft.

As we wrap up our highly-involved competitive marching band season, please encourage your young musicians to pick a day each week to come practice with myself, Mr. Sims, and others on our incredibly talented band staff. Thank you!

Students can request lesson time with Mr. Sims or Mr. Carpenter after school, as well! We are here to help you get better at your instrument!

The end of our competitive marching season means it's time to begin preparations for concert band auditions. Our concert season will be divided into three distinct cycles this year, with a different makeup of students for each cycle.

• November 11-December 5: Holiday Concert Cycle. Two roughly-equally sized concert bands.
• January 7-March 7: Concert Performance Assessment Cycle. Top "Wind Symphony" group with about three quarters of students and a "Developmental Ensemble" for others.
• March 10-May 6: Symphonic Cycle. Select students leave the "Wind Symphony" to prepare for a full orchestra collaboration with HHS Orchestras. All other students perform in the "Wind Symphony".

The spring trip will be April 2-5. We are going to Dallas to listen to some phenomenal band and orchestra music, and we can't wait for as many students as possible to join us! Find attached the flier with details about this trip!

https://tourbot.etadventures.com/customerweb/signin

Trip Code: houstonband25

Password: dfwtrip25

NOTE: There is an option for a 1, 2, or 3 person room on the website. DO NOT select that option, as ALL students will be put into rooms of as many students as possible. Select the 4-person room.

This is a lot of info, and things have changed since last season. Please make sure you carefully read this section.

We have begun collecting band dues. Dues are MANDATORY and will be collected via SchoolCashOnline OR check. Checks will ONLY be collected Friday mornings before school. You can pay through SchoolCashOnline at any time. No cash will be accepted by Mr. Sims or myself. Dues checks should be made out to "Houston High School" with the memo being "Band Dues - <student legal name>".

• The first payment is due on September 1st ($250), final check collection August 30th.
• The second payment is due on October 1st ($250), final check collection September 27th.
• Our boosters also highly encourage a $225 donation that enables them to pay our world-class adjunct staff and take care of equipment emergencies that naturally come up when we regularly bring a half million dollars of equipment into the elements. While it would be great to send that money ASAP, it would be helpful to make that $225 donation no later than November 1st. This can be sent via the linked website OR via check made out to "HHS Band Boosters" placed in the dropbox in Mr. C's office W-F.
• We encourage those who are able to just pay everything ASAP, as this is the most expensive portion of our year. If you need extensions, please reach out sooner rather than later.

If you are experiencing financial hardship, please reach out to me ASAP. If you or a relative are in the privileged position of paying for another student's full or partial dues, please reach out to me about how to "Give the Gift of Band."

We have a new way of tracking band conflicts internally. Please note, students that miss rehearsals and performances without prior approval will be penalized with grade deductions.

All you have to do is give us as MUCH heads up as possible, emailing me the reason for missing and (when relevant) a doctor's note. Please note that the closer we get to a date, the less likely exemption will be granted. Give us time to plan for other students' success when sending us your reasonable conflicts due to health, religion, family emergencies, etc.

Thank you for your understanding and commitment to our band's success!

There are several changes this year that I want to make you aware of right now, rather than surprising you once school gets rolling!

- Holiday concert is at HHS this year. We have to be able to ticket and collect donations at that concert, and GPAC is not allowing us to do that in their space.

- Holiday parade is happening this year. The holiday parade rain date is on the calendar, so make plans to attend both possible dates (Dec 14 & Dec 15). If you have a conflict with the Sunday rain date, tell me ASAP (just like you would for any other conflict). Do not email me the moment there is a weather event and the rain date is activated; it will be unexempt just like any other missed performance.

- Festival Mini Camp on Feb 22 is a Saturday event for students in the top concert ensemble.

- All State is changing from being a Wed-Sat event to a Thurs-Sun event. This is beyond our control; please plan accordingly if you generally make All State or get close. This year's All State is April 10-13.

Find upcoming dates for performances, events, and one-off rehearsals below. Note that regular rehearsals are Tuesdays and Thursdays, with sectionals on Mondays.

You can always find our full calendar (including Google and iCal integration links) here: https://www.thehoustonband.com/calendar

• 11/14/24 - Concertwear Fittings #1
• 11/19/24 - Concertwear Fittings #2
• 11/23/24 - WTSBOA Orchestra Auditions
• 12/5/24 - Winter Concert
• 12/12/24 - Holiday Parade practice
• 12/13/24 - Holiday Parade practice
• 12/14/24 - Germantown Holiday Parade
• 12/15/24 - Germantown Holiday Parade Rain Date (treat it like any other performance date! KEEP OPEN!)
• 1/11/25 - All West Band Auditions (required for all students unless they've made an orchestra)
• 2/13/25 - All West TN Band and Orchestra Clinic Begins
• 2/15/25 - All West TN Band and Orchestra Clinic Concerts Conclude
• 2/22/25 - Festival Mini Camp - Required for all students in the top concert ensemble
• 3/5/25 - Wednesday after school rehearsal for Festival
• 3/6/25 & 3/7/25 - Possible Concert Festival dates (TBA)
• 4/2-5/25 - Dallas Trip
• 4/5/25 - Solo & Ensemble
• 4/10/25 - TN All State Conference Begins
• 4/13/25 - TN All State Concert Concludes
• 4/22/25 - HHS Symphony Orchestra rehearsals begin (Tuesdays/Thursdays)
• 4/28/25 - Boston Brass Residency Begins
• 5/6/25 - HHS Instrumental Concert
• 5/7/25 - Graduation Orchestra Rehearsal
• 5/8/25 - Graduation Orchestra Rehearsal
  
• 5/9/25 - Graduation!
• 5/12-13/25 - 25-26 Leadership Camp (after school)

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