Important Dates:
- February 24-26th, Eastern Region Orchestra
- Monday, Feb. 27th – Intermediate Band Field Trip
- Tuesday, Feb. 28th – Small Ensemble Concert, 7pm in the auditorium
- Friday, March 3rd – Capital Campaign deadline for donations to be included in the MPA Festival Concert Program (see details in the Previous announcements section below)
- Saturday, March 4th – All State Auditions 2023 – see instructions below.
- Friday, March 10th – MPA Concert (all three bands) 7pm
- March 13th and 14th – LRHS hosts Middle School MPA
- March 22-26th – Disney Trip for Concert and Symphonic Bands
- March 28th and 29th – HS Music Performance Adjudication
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS:
1. Hot off the Press regarding the upcoming CB and SB Disney Trip:
Please read the following important announcement from the Disney Trip Planning Committee:
Hello parents, we have some Festival Disney trip updates:
1. We have elected to buy a 3-day ticket (one park per day) rather than 3-day park hopper passes. This is because all students must be at the same park at the same time and transitions among parks would take valuable time out of our fun day. We were able to reallocate that cost savings to cover another increase in the Genie Plus service fees and to add some extra money (approximately $5 per day) to their daily meal gift cards for a beverage, sweet treat or snack. Students are still welcome to bring additional personal money to put towards extra snacks and souvenirs.
2. During our parent information session, a parent asked about bags at Disney. Here is a video that explains all about what bags are allowed at Disney and how they are checked at the entrance:
Also, a list of suggestions for items to pack in your student’s bag can be found here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pJ8A46xtNtV4fSYCErS2rPgaK-d5qDGG/edit
3. Please ask your student to download the “My Disney Experience” app. More information about this valuable tool is available in this document:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XNVdIbAxBW6jLA4FkFIQmoZKmb-zHzfa/edit
4. For trip itinerary details, please click on the link below. Please note that some of the times are still TBD so this is subject to change. We’ll notify you once the itinerary is complete.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1T-CqstyVL9uO2SKTdCisC5mPP7UZa5gI/edit
5. You can find a copy of the hotel’s breakfast menu in the link below. Since some of your students have food allergies, this menu is for your information.
Be sure to check out our Festival Disney performance times on Friday, March 24th at Disney’s Contemporary Resort – Ballroom of the Americas. In case anyone wishes to travel to Florida to support the bands that morning, our Disney rep confirmed that guests can attend the event for free!!
Thank you for reading and reviewing all of these details. We’ll provide more information as needed leading up to our date of departure. It’s hard to believe it’s only a month away!!! Until then, if you have any trip related questions, please email Kristi Phillips (kphillips136@gmail.com) or Melanie Shoffner (mbshoffner620@gmail.com).
Current Events and Information:
1. Intermediate Band Field Trip
We are putting together a field trip on Monday the 27th of February for Intermediate Band. It is FREE field trip to go see the Imani Winds perform at the Cary Arts Center. Students were given THIS form. Please make sure it is signed and returned by MONDAY February 13th.
We would love to have FIVE chaperones join us on this trip. Please email Mrs. Colburn (acolburn@wcpss.net) if you are available to join us! You will need to follow the bus in your own car because there is not enough room in the bus.
2. 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.
a) All State NC Honors Band Try-Outs: The try-outs will be held on Saturday, March 4th, 2023 at Atkins High School in Winston-Salem. 7 students are auditioning from Leesville. Please follow ALL the directions on the instruction sheet included with this announcement. Students are responsible for their own transportation. Mr. C. will register the students attending and will provide you with your audition time and number so you will meet him there. Here is the instruction sheet with all the information you will need:
b) Small Ensemble Concert: The Small Ensemble Concert will be moved from Monday, Feb. 27 to Tuesday, February 28th. The concert will begin at 7pm in the LRHS auditorium and will feature small ensembles from both band and orchestra. These ensembles work together outside of regular band class activities and this is the night we get to enjoy all their work as they share their music with us. There is no charge for this concert. Please come and enjoy a night of wonderful music.
c) 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
d) All-District Recordings: All-district band weekend recordings are now available and can be found at the following link:
All-District Recordings January 2023
e) 2023 Furman University/Greenville Jazz Collective Summer Jazz Camp: Our directors received the following information about this summer camp opportunity for middle and high school students interested in Jazz performance:
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!
3. Reminder when placing orders the RaiseRightGift Cards:
Please remember to order the digital version of these gift cards when placing your orders. We have to pay extra money when physical cards are ordered. Please see the information about this fundraising gift card program in the Previous Announcements section of this newsletter. If you have further questions regarding this program the contact person for this program is:
Angela Hamilton
(984) 204-9360
Download a full copy of the LRHS Band News & Notes here