Important Dates:
- Monday, April 3rd – Friday, April 7th – Spring Break
- Tuesday, April 11th – Jazz Band rehearsals begin again after break
- Wednesday, April 12th – Auditions for CB and SB for the 23/24 school year are due. See announcement in the “Directors” announcements below.
New Bands Club Announcements:
- An important message from the Bands Club Board re: Bands Club Board and Committee Chair positions:
Hello band families,
If you currently hold a Bands Club Board or committee chair position and do not plan to continue in that role for the 2023-24 school year, please email Allison Bullard (abullard2@wcpss.net) as soon as possible and let her know.
If you are interested in supporting our band program next year, watch this space! We will announce available volunteer opportunities via email and the weekly Band News and Notes newsletters. Please consider taking on a volunteer role next year – there are lots of ways to get involved. If you have questions, email or talk to any of the current volunteers. We’re more than happy to help you find something that’s a good fit. Thank you!
Announcements from the Directors:
The Spring Band season is now in full swing and there are many dates coming up between now and Spring Break that our band families should have on their calendars. Please refer to the following LRHS Band Calendar link and sync the dates with your own Google calendar if that would help you remember all the events.
- Auditions for next year’s Band programs: Course registration for the 23/24 school year will be coming up soon. As is stated on our band website:
“Students will only need to audition for Concert or Symphonic Band. There is no audition required for Intermediate Band if you played middle school band in the 8th grade – if you didn’t the directors will need to hear you play to assign you to the correct band.”
Auditions for Concert and Symphonic Band will be due on April 12th, with the “Quick Prepare piece” going live on April 10th.
Students need to prepare a solo and play the designated scales as well. The specific information on what else to play is in GOOGLE CLASSROOM.
Other announcements from our directors:
- Musical Pit Orchestra Schedule of Rehearsals: All students playing in the spring musical pit orchestra should add the following pit orchestra rehearsal dates to their schedules. Please refer to the doc included below in order to know dates, times, and sections planned for each rehearsal.
Musical Pit Orchestra Schedule of Rehearsals
- Message from LRHS Pride Productions regarding the upcoming musical:
Tickets for the Leesville Road High School production of The Sound of Music go on sale to the general public this Wednesday, March 29th at 8:00 am using the link https://leesville.booktix.com/. Show dates and times are listed below and don’t be timid about seeing the show more than once from a different vantage point. Your students are putting forth their best efforts and one show may be slightly different than another. The orchestra pit will be set up on the floor in front of the stage.
The Sound of Music Show Dates:
Wednesday, April 19 at 4:30 PM (Preview)
Thursday, April 20 at 7 PM
Friday, April 21 at 7 PM
Saturday, April 22 at 2 PM and 7 PM
Playbill Ads and Personal Ads
The deadline for ordering and submitting content for any corporate and personal ad for The Sound of Music Playbill is Saturday, April 1st at 11:59 pm. Orders can be placed through our website. Please remember to complete both steps of the order (e.g. purchase + content) before the deadline so that the Playbill can be completed on time.
Finally, we will be offering concessions during each of the shows. This will include soda, water, chips, candy, cookies, magnets, and flowers. Cash is preferred. If you missed out on ordering a T-shirt, we may have some limited quantities and sizes available for purchase.
Thank you for your support!
Darrin Pohlman
- Jazz Band Rehearsal Update: Our directors have taken a look at the band calendar and the next few weeks leading up to spring break are incredibly busy. The directors have decided to pause jazz rehearsals again until after we return from Spring Break. Jazz Band members should continue practicing on their own the music we’ve been reading, and we’ll return to our normal Tues/Thurs schedule on April 11.
- All-District Recordings: All-district band weekend recordings are now available and can be found at the following link:
All-District Recordings January 2023
Summer Music Camp Opportunities:
1. 2023 Furman University/Greenville Jazz Collective Summer Jazz Camp
2023 Furman University/Greenville Jazz Collective Summer Jazz Camp will be held at Furman University from June 25-29, 2023! The camp is designed for middle and high school students of all levels, and it will include instruction by the best jazz musicians in Upstate South Carolina. Find all of the information about camp right here:
Students will perform in small and large jazz ensembles and receive instruction on improvisation, jazz history, jazz theory, and instrument-specific topics. Your students will return to school with a greater understanding of jazz theory, more refined improvisational skills, and a better sense of jazz style. We hope they’ll be inspired to continue their study of this great music!
The camp is a partnership by Furman University and the Greenville Jazz Collective, a non-profit organization that has been raising the level of jazz performance and education since 2012.
Summer Jazz Camp runs from Sunday, June 25 to Thursday, June 29, with special clinicians’ concerts every night at 7:30 PM and a final student concert at 4:30 PM on June 29th. All concerts are free and open to the public, and rehearsals and masterclasses are open to all band directors. The cost is $530 for overnight campers and $410 for commuters per student, but the Greenville Jazz Collective is offering scholarships based on need. To apply for or inquire about scholarships, email JazzCamp@greenvillejazzcollective.com.
Registration for this camp opened on February 15th. We look forward to seeing your students in June!
2. UNCG Summer Music Camp: The University of North Carolina at Greensboro is pleased to again announce plans for Summer Music Camp, the largest university music camp in America! This summer we will offer two one-week camps, serving over 2,040 musicians, with programs in band, mixed chorus, orchestra, and piano.
Students at camp are under the leadership and guidance of the artist-faculty of the UNCG School of Music, long recognized as a national leader in musical excellence. In addition, distinguished music teachers, performers, and conductors from throughout the state and nation will join the staff of Summer Music Camp to ensure that each student receives the highest quality instruction available.
Ensemble performance in band, chorus, or orchestra will be emphasized and each camp will conclude on Friday evening with a concert for parents, relatives, friends, and area residents. Classes in basic musicianship, as well as recital performances and sectional rehearsals by the camp staff members will serve to balance the total program. A private lesson on your instrument, in voice, or on piano is an available option to all campers.
The UNCG Summer Music Camp application process is entirely ONLINE! Parents must make the online application for their child. You must utilize a laptop computer or a desktop computer. Sorry, your tablet or smartphone will not work for the application process! Allow three (3) weeks for the processing of your online application.
UNCG Summer Music Camp Brochure
3. Appalachian State Cannon Music Camp: Join us for the 55th Season of Cannon Music Camp
June 24- July 15, 2023
Cannon Music Camp is the premier comprehensive music camp in the Southeast. The camp is a three-week music-filled retreat in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina with intensive college preparatory work in performance and music theory. Campers participate in daily ensemble rehearsals and music theory classes in an atmosphere that elevates everyone’s musicianship. Equally important is the direct instruction each camper receives in weekly one-hour lessons.
Attending Cannon Music Camp is a great way to learn about the Hayes School of Music, our faculty, staff, the campus, and surrounding area of Boone, North Carolina. Campers learn and perform with the Hayes School of Music Faculty. Finale Performances are held in Rosen Concert Hall.
- Cannon Music Camp is open to dedicated and inspired student musicians who are rising high school freshmen to rising college freshmen.
- Applications close three (3) days before the start of camp.
4. Brevard Music Center Summer Institute and Festival – Jazz Institute: Under the direction of Michael Dease, the Jazz Institute @ Brevard is committed to providing an authentic, immersive experience in the jazz aesthetic while refining the elements of musical and personal discipline, integrity, and passion. If you are seeking to take your musical abilities to the next level, look no further, you are in the right place.
5. UNC Summer Jazz Workshop: The UNC Summer Jazz Workshop is a unique five-day jazz program (Monday, June 26 through Friday, June 30, 2023) catering to students of a variety of ages—from middle school (rising 8th grade) and high school students, to college students and adults who want to study and be immersed in a high-paced jazz program which provides instruction in jazz theory, improvisation, small group playing, and group lessons.
Download a full copy of the LRHS Band News & Notes here