Muscle Shoals High School Band

Good morning, from the band room!

Spring Semester is in full swing. Both Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble are sounding great working on their MPS programs, and the Percussion Ensemble and Winter Guard are working toward their first public performances.

Parents, a lot of volunteer opportunities have been added to the newsletter this week. Please help us by filling these spots!

Mrs. Hood, Dr. Frederick, and Mr. Seay will be attended the Alabama Music Educators Conference Thursday-Saturday of this week. Mr. Renshaw (our UNA student intern) will be teaching classes along with a substitute teacher.

All State auditions are quickly approaching. Parents interested in volunteering for All State, either by bringing food or by working in registration, please let myself or Mr. Seay know! Get to practicing students!!!

Monday, January 19th - Martin Luther King Jr. Day, No School

Tuesday, January 20th - 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 21st - 2nd/4th Block Rehearsal, WG (5:15-8:15)

Thursday, January 22nd - Directors at AMEA, 2nd/4th Block Rehearsal

Friday, January 23rd - Directors at AMEA, 2nd/4th Block Rehearsal

Saturday, January 24th - Directors at AMEA

1/22-1/24/26 - Directors @ AMEA

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

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

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.

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.