BAND UPDATE

SENIOR CONCERTO COMPETITION
The annual Senior Concerto Competition will be held on Tuesday, March 26, beginning at 3:00 p.m. in the High School Band Room. Interested seniors should see Mr. Blackmer ASAP to confirm that their chosen concerto has a wind band accompaniment available. Two concerto “winners” will be selected – one for the spring concert on May 8, and the other at the “Concert on the Grand” on May 24.

WIND SYMPHONY SHARED CONCERT WITH CLARKSTON HIGH SCHOOL
The Wind Symphony will be performing a shared concert with the Clarkston High School Symphonic Wind Ensemble on Wednesday, March 27, at Clarkston High School. The concert begins at 7:00 p.m., and it is free and open to the public. For those parents, friends, or family who will be traveling to Clarkston to hear the performance, the address for Clarkston High School is: 6093 Flemings Lake Road,
Clarkston, Michigan 48346. There will also be a limited number of available seats on the Grand Ledge Wind Symphony buses for those who would like to travel with the band. These will be available on a first-come basis. If you are interested in riding on the Wind Symphony charters to Clarkston, please e-mail Mr. Blackmer at [email protected].

BRASS PRIVATE LESSON PARENT COORDINATOR NEEDED
As you may be aware, we offer private lessons to band students, grades 6 through 12, at GLHS.  Kym Hess has served as coordinator for the brass private lessons for 3 years and is resigning from the position due to work and family obligations.  If you are interested in helping the band program by taking over the brass private lesson coordinator responsibilities, please contact Kym at [email protected] or (517) 290-7608. Kym is planning to transition out this spring and train the next person so that they are ready to go in August when lessons start up for the school year.

UPDATED FLORIDA TOUR INFORMATION
Up-to-date information on the Marching Band’s 2014 trip to Florida will be posted shortly.

MARCHING BAND REGISTRATION NIGHT
This year’s Marching Band Registration night is scheduled for Wednesday, May 1, beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the High School Band Room. There will also be an informational meeting for new high school band parents and students on Monday, April 22, beginning at 7:00 p.m. The registration packet will be available for download (or Band Room pick-up) shortly.

HIGH SCHOOL BAND WEBSITE
Please remember to bookmark the Grand Ledge High School website! The address is www.glhsbands.com, and there is a lot of information available on the site, including an all-inclusive district music calendar.

HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT BAND FESTIVAL
On Thursday, February 28, and Friday, March 1, the Grand Ledge High School Bands performed at the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association (MSBOA) District 8 Band and Orchestra festivals held at Okemos High School and Jackson High School (respectively). Each ensemble was assessed in their concert performance by a panel of three adjudicators, with an additional adjudicator who evaluated each band in sight reading.

The categories assessed included tone, intonation, rhythm, technique, and interpretation, and the bands were each given a rating, ranging from 1 to 5, with a 1 being the highest – a “Division One” rating. All three Grand Ledge High School bands received a “Division One” rating,

The Concert Band repertoire included: Allied Honor, by Karl King; Festivo, by Vaclav Nelhybel; and, Grand Ledge Overture, by John Moss, and they received 18 "A" grades and 2 "A-" grades. Incidentally, Grand Ledge Overture was commissioned by the Grand Ledge Bands in 2000 to recognize the career of retired Hayes Middle School band director, Ms. Eileen Houston.

The Symphony Band performed the march from English Folk Song Suite, by Ralph Vaughan Williams; Flashpoint, by John Moss; and Courtly Airs and Dances, by Ron Nelson. The Symphony Band received 18 "A" grades, 1 "A-" grade, and 1 “B+” grade from the panel. 

Finally, the Wind Symphony program included: Traveler, by David Maslanka; Symphony in B-flat, by Paul Hindemith; and Pas Redouble, by Camille Saint-Saens, and they received 15 "A+" grades, and 5 “A” grades. The Wind Symphony’s performance received high praise from their adjudicators. About the Wind Symphony’s performance, the retired Ann Arbor Pioneer Director of Bands, Mr. Robert Albritton, stated, “I’ve heard one of the best bands in the country. I think I can safely say that.”