Permission to Travel

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Christmas Parade and Christmas Concert

Parade Information
The Gardendale Christmas Parade will be this Thursday, December 3 at 6:00 p.m. The students should be at the band room at 5:00 p.m. to get uniforms on and get their instruments. We will move to line up outside the band room by 5:15 and then proceed up the street past the middle and elementary schools as instructed by the parade officials to the start of the parade route. We should be finished with the parade between 6:45 and 7:00 p.m. Please plan ahead with your child to have a meeting place to get them after the parade. We will be near the front of the parade so the parade will continue for a while after we finish.

Concert Information
Our Christmas concert will be Monday, December 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium. Bragg's band will play at 6:30 that evening. Call time for the high school students will be 6:45 p.m.

Monday, November 9, 2015

HoneyBaked Ham Fundraiser

Please don't forget that the HoneyBaked Ham fundraiser ends tomorrow. Please send forms and money. Make checks payable to the Gardendale Band Boosters. The profit from this fundraiser goes to your child's account. Click on the link below if you need the fundraiser form. The due date on the form says 11/10/14 but of course that should be 11/10/15.

HoneyBaked Ham Fundraiser Form
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B15UcZMGFUvaQkRyVkZYWHV1cFk/view?usp=sharing

Gardendale at Walker

Call time for Friday's game at Walker High School will be 4:30pm. Students should eat dinner before they come to the band room. Students should plan to wear thin layers of clothing underneath their uniform for warmth. They will not be able to wear coats over their uniforms or be underneath blankets in the stands. We want to maintain a uniform appearance and be able to play during the game. We should be back to Gardendale around 10:30-10:45pm. Please be here to pick your child up at that time or have them call you before we get back to the school so you will know when to get them. We cannot leave a child here unattended. We have had to wait over an hour for students to be picked up after games on a couple of different occasions lately. I always try to be as close as possible when giving arrival times. Please have your phone nearby to answer when your child calls so you can come and get them.

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Gardendale vs. Hartselle

The playoff game this week has been moved to Thursday night at 7:00pm because of the strong possibility of rain and possible storms Friday night. Call time will still be 5:30 as it typically is for home games.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Gardendale vs. Clay-Chalkville

Call time for Friday's game at Clay-Chalkville is 5:00 pm. We will leave by 5:30. Students should eat dinner before they come to the school at 5:00. As the weather gets colder, students should plan to wear layers underneath their uniform to stay warm. They will not be able to wear other coats over their uniform as we want to maintain a uniform look while we are in the stands.

All State Band Podcasts

The All-State Band audition etudes are available for students to listen to as podcasts on the University of South Alabama website. The link below will take you to those podcasts. We will be using the first, or HST (technical), exercise for our chair placement auditions which will take place before students are out for the Thanksgiving holidays. That will also be the same exercise that will be used for auditions for students who were selected to participate in the U.A.B. Honor Band.

http://www.southalabama.edu/colleges/music/allstate/highschool.html


Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Poinsettia Fundraiser

The poinsettia fundraiser ends this Friday, October 23. Please send order forms and money that day in an envelope with the student's name on it. Make checks payable to Gardendale Band Boosters. If you need additional order forms they are here on the blogspot in a previous post.

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

All-County Band Roster 2015

Congratulations to the following students for being selected as members of the 2015 All-County Band!

Click the link below to see the list.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B15UcZMGFUvaQkRWdWRqbGNSUGc/view?usp=sharing

Monday, October 12, 2015

Ft. Payne Game Friday

We will be leaving for the game at 2:30pm on Friday. We will stop in Ft. Payne for dinner. Students will need to bring money for that. Where we stop they will have a choice between Western Sizzlin', Captain D's, Zaxby's, or Dairy Queen. We will stop at exit 218 on I-59. The restaurants will be to the right just as you exit the interstate. We plan to be home between 11:00-11:30pm.

Contest Schedule Revised

Call time for Saturday will be 12:30. Percussion will meet at 11:00am.  Students should eat lunch before they arrive here at school. Our performance time will be at 4:40pm. Students need to bring money for dinner which they can buy at the concession stand at Hayden. They will have typical concession stand food. Awards begin at 7:40pm and should be finished around 8:15pm. We should be home between 9:00-9:30pm.

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Senior Night

Senior night is scheduled for Friday, October 30. We ask that all parents with a senior be lined up down the hill on the track toward the visitor's side by 6:00 pm. We will have an alphabetical listing to help everyone get in the correct order to be recognized. We will start around 6:30.

Fundraiser Forms

We are in the process of starting several fundraisers. The links below will take you to the order forms for each. The due dates are listed on each form. The Tervis Tumbler fundraiser is continuous until all tumblers are sold. You can turn in the money for this fundraiser as you sell and we will get the tumblers to you to deliver. We have the tumblers already. A portion of the profit from each tumbler sold will go to the student's account. The profit from the Poinsettia fundraiser goes to the band banquet cost. Each student is asked to sell five poinsettias. Since we did not host the band jamboree this year, we lost a huge fundraiser for the band program. That money helped to pay for the band banquet each spring. We are trying to avoid charging the students to go to the banquet which is why we are doing the poinsettia fundraiser. If students do not sell, they're is a very good possibility that they will have to pay or use money from their student accounts to pay for the banquet. All profit from the HoneyBaked Ham fundraiser will go to the student's account to help them pay for their spring trip and/or fees.

HoneyBaked Ham
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B15UcZMGFUvaQkRyVkZYWHV1cFk/view?usp=sharing


Poinsettias
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B15UcZMGFUvaSktfWU9NMlZFcjg/view?usp=sharing


Tervis Tumblers
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B15UcZMGFUvaREN2N2JMSF9LZ28/view?usp=sharing


In addition to these fundraisers, we will have a Chick-fil-a Spirit night on Tuesday, November 3. If you go by for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, be sure to mention that you want to help the Gardendale High School Band when you order and a portion of the profit goes to the band. If you forget to mention when you order, you can ask that your receipt be put in the bucket so that the band will get their portion of the profit.

Schedule for next week October 12-17

After-school practices next week will be on Monday and Thursday. Next week will be our last week of after-school marching band rehearsals. We will still go out during class as needed. All-County band auditions will be Tuesday, October 13 after school at Minor High School. Students are responsible for their own transportation if they plan to audition.

Next week's game is at Fort Payne High School. We are planning for that trip now. More details will be here on the blog as soon as they are finalized.

Our band contest will be on Saturday, October 17 at Hayden High School. It is very important that we have every student here and on time that day. I will post the schedule for that day as soon as I get the contest schedule which should be later today or tomorrow.


Gardendale vs. Woodlawn

This week's game vs. Woodlawn is a home game. Call time is 5:30 pm.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Band Jamboree and Contest

The band jamboree will be held this Saturday, September 26 at Hueytown High School. Our call time to be at Gardendale HS is 2:30 pm. We will meet at the football stadium to warm up and have a short practice/run through before we leave. The boosters will provide dinner before we leave to go to Hueytown. We plan to leave between 4:30-4:45. We are supposed to be in the stadium at Hueytown between 5:00-5:30. The program begins at 6:30. Our performance time is 8:36. The last group performs at 9:12. We should be back to Gardendale between 10:00-10:30 pm. If you would like to sign your child out after the event Saturday night, it must be done before we leave Gardendale at 4:30. We will not be signing students out at Hueytown. We will be watching the other county band performances and will not be able to sign out because of the bus parking situation that evening.

There were three different dates for possible contests listed on our schedule for this fall. We will have on contest on Saturday, October 17. We will not be doing contests on October 3 or October 10.

Our call time for the away game at Minor this Friday is 5:00 pm.

Spring Trip Payment Information

Click the link below for the spring trip letter and information on payments and due dates.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B15UcZMGFUvaeS1VNnBaU3dCM0k/view?usp=sharing

Monday, September 14, 2015

Homecoming Week Events and Times

Monday-   Percussion Practice 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Tuesday-   Full band practice until 4:30 p.mBonfire- Meet at Moncrief Park at 6:00 p.m. We will finish by 7:00 p.m. We will wear our maroon jerseys if we have them by Tuesday. They are $10.00 each for those who ordered them.

Thursday- Full band practice until 4:45 p.m.

Friday- Pep Rally at 9:00 a.m. Students will be able to check out after the pep rally if they bring a note from a parent. The note should include the student's name, grade, and a phone number where a parent can be reached if calls are made to verify notes. Parade- Students who check out should be back at the band room by 12:30 to get instruments and prepare for the parade. Students who don't check out should let their teacher know that they need to be at the band room at 12:30 for the parade. We will be lined up at the senior parking lot by the courtyard at 12:45. The parade begins at 1:00 p.m. and should finish by 1:30-1:45. Students do not have to check back into school to participate in the parade. If they are checked out, they can leave as soon as the parade is finished and equipment is put away. We will wear our maroon band jerseys (we will get this week $10.00 each), khaki shorts, and tennis shoes for the parade. Football Game- Call time for the game is 5:30 p.m. We will do our normal halftime show before the game at approximately 6:35 or 6:40 p.m. During halftime we will be playing for the homecoming court on the field. It is just like a regular game and we will be playing in the stands during all four quarters. We will wear uniforms for the game.

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Spring Trip Information

The students were given a letter with information about the spring trip on Monday of this week. The bottom portion of the letter should be returned by Friday. I need to get an idea of how many students will be participating so that I can have an exact price and break the amount up into monthly payments. This will also let me know how many buses we will need. Students can use money earned through fundraisers to help pay for the trip.  The link below will take you to the letter that was sent home. Please print and return the bottom portion by Friday, September 4.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B15UcZMGFUvaRmk5ekNZRHo4VmM/view?usp=sharing

Gardendale vs. Huffman

Call time for the game this week is 5:30 p.m. Students should wear their gray band t-shirts. They also need to have their black socks, black gloves, and black band shoes. They should eat dinner before getting to the band room at 5:30. The boosters will provide water during the first quarter and a drink and snack after halftime.

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Practice Schedule Change

Starting next week we will only practice after school on Tuesday and Thursday. Practice will end at 4:45 on those days. We will go out during the last block band class on Monday and Wednesday and finish by 3:00. Students who ride the bus will be able to ride the bus on those days. The color guard and dance team will go out as needed during their class time. Some groups may have called rehearsals on Mondays after school. For example, the dance team, color guard, or percussion may have a called rehearsal on Monday after school. Students will be notified by me or the group sponsor in advance when this happens so that they can arrange for a ride on those days.

Football Jamboree Change of Date

The football jamboree this week vs. Mortimer Jordan has been rescheduled to Friday night (8/21/15) because of the weather. All game times and call times are the same. Students will need to be in the band room at 5:30 p.m. We will still be wearing our gray band t-shirts and khaki shorts with tennis shoes. Students need to eat dinner before they meet at 5:30. We will not be going to the concession stand during the game. The boosters will provide the students with water at the beginning of the game and a drink and snack after halftime. The game should be finished around 9:00-9:30 or so.

Friday, August 7, 2015

Meet the Rockets

The band will be performing at Meet the Rockets on Friday, August 14 at 6:00 p.m. at the stadium. Admission is $5.00 for parents and guests. Call time is 5:15. Students will meet in the band room. They should wear khaki shorts, the gray band t-shirt, and tennis shoes. The performance will last 10-15 minutes. You can pre-purchase a meal and admission for $10.00 if you would like or pay admission at the gate that evening.

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

No Practice Thursday July 30

Wednesday, July 29 will be our last day of band camp. We will not practice on Thursday, July 30 as was originally scheduled because freshmen orientation is scheduled from 9:00-11:00 a.m. that morning. We will practice our normal time for camp on Wednesday- 8:00-1:00 with lunch from 11:00-11:30.

Our only practice next week will be on Thursday, August 6 after school from 3:30-4:45. We will be on our normal weekly practice schedule starting the week of August 10- Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 3:30-4:45 each day.

We will have our mandatory parent meeting on Monday August 3 in the auditorium at 6:30 p.m. We will have band student handbooks to pass out and discuss that evening. Also, the health department will be there to discuss food handling guidelines for the concession stand. Everyone who works in the concession stand is required to go through the training. If you choose to work in the concession stand, you will earn credits for your students' account thus reducing the amount owed. Please make plans to attend.


Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Schedule for Thursday 7/23/16

Practice will be from 8:00-11:00 a.m. on Thursday.  Students will be able to leave at 11:00 to go home to eat and shower before pictures. Freshmen orientation begins at 1:00. Students should be in the band room at 2:30 to get uniforms on for pictures. The pictures will be from 3:00-5:00 p.m. We had to move our time because of registration. We will take our large group picture first. We will then do section pictures and individuals as they finish their section picture. When they finish the individual, they can hang their uniform in the uniform room and leave. Some students may be finished by 3:45 or 4:00. It depends on when their section has their picture made. Dance team and color guard will be last because the photographers have to do different individual and group pictures for them for the yearbook and programs. Belmont will send proofs of the pictures later for you to purchase if you would like. They will also be available on their website to purchase. Students do not need to bring money for pictures tomorrow.

Friday, May 22, 2015

Show Recordings With Cuts

The links below will take you to recordings of this fall's show music with the cuts. If you get a message that says that you have to download after you tap the play button, it is safe to download the file. You should be able to play it after it downloads. Bohemian Rhapsody exceeded the 25mb limit so Google can't scan for viruses (it's 25.3mb) so that's why the message may pop up.

Queen Opener

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B15UcZMGFUvaVWNhWVI5cU1SMHc/view?usp=sharing

Crazy Little Thing Called Love

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B15UcZMGFUvaTzVFZ2diWmRYT2c/view?usp=sharing

Bohemian Rhapsody

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B15UcZMGFUvaOVJOUDF2dFI1V00/view?usp=sharing


The link below will show you the counts for each song and the measures that are cut.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B15UcZMGFUvaZ01jWGp5cUNvTkk/view?usp=sharing

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Band Picture Date Change

The date for band pictures has been changed! The new date is Thursday, July 23 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. I have updated the summer schedule to show that change.

Summer Rehearsal Schedule 2015

Follow the link below to see the summer schedule for this year. Please plan vacations around these rehearsals. It is very important that students are here.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B15UcZMGFUvaaV9ULUdhcWdRQXM/view?usp=sharing

Friday, May 1, 2015

Cookie Dough

The cookie dough from our last fundraiser will be delivered today. The students know that it's coming in so they should be bringing it home this afternoon. I've asked them to deliver it or keep it in the freezer until it is delivered. It will be frozen solid when it is delivered here today.

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Spring Concert

The band will present their Spring Concert on Tuesday, May 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium. Call time is 6:30.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Spring Trip Info

Students should be at the school at 5:30 this evening. Please make sure they have their carry-on bag to take on the bus with them with a change of clothes and toothbrush, etc. to freshen up tomorrow morning. Be sure that they have plastic bottles if they bring drinks in a small cooler on the bus. Also make sure the use re-freezable blue ice instead of real ice.

***Please make sure they pack their black band shoes, black socks, and gray band t-shirt that they wear underneath their uniform for the performance Friday.***

Follow the link below to see our itinerary. There have been a couple of small changes since our trip meeting.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B15UcZMGFUvacVdUOGh3c2dENlU/view?usp=sharing

Follow the link below to see our trip reminders and hotel information.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B15UcZMGFUvaRFAzWVNqa1BKUVE/view?usp=sharing

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Trip Payment Deadline!!!!

Trip payments may be made at any time. The meeting on Monday, April 6 will be a good time to get all payments up to date.  If you would like to pay by credit card, that option will be available Monday night. At this point, everything should be paid except for the last payment of $82.50 for students and $72.50 for chaperones. That last payment is due Friday, April 10. Wednesday, April 8 is the absolute last day to have all payments up to date. Anyone who is not up to date by Wednesday, April 8 will have their name removed from the room list and will not be going on the trip. We are charged the full price for everyone on the room list after April 8 whether they finish paying and go or if they have only paid $200.00 and decide not to go after that date. The band cannot afford to take a loss for someone who does this. No refunds will be given as stated on the trip information that was sent home and made available online.

Monday, March 23, 2015

Fundraiser

We are starting our cookie dough fundraiser today! Forms and money will be due on Tuesday, April 7. Make checks payable to Gardendale Band Boosters. Profit from this can be applied toward the spring trip.

Spring Trip Meeting

We will have our spring trip meeting on Monday, April 6 at 7:00 pm in the auditorium. Each student going on the trip needs to be at the meeting with a parent or legal guardian. There will be several forms to fill out and sign. Please bring a copy of your child's medical insurance card (front and back) with you to the meeting. If you are behind on payments, please have those up to date as soon as possible.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to the band for receiving superior ratings with distinction at MPA! This means that they received the grade of "A" in every category from every judge.


Wednesday, February 18, 2015

MPA

The band will be performing at the Alabama Music Performance Assessment on Wednesday, March 4 at 12:15 at Homewood High School. Parents are invited to stop by and listen. Admission is free. The students will leave school at 9:30 that morning and go to the Brookwood Mall for an early lunch. We plan to leave the mall at 11:00. Our warm-up time is at 11:30. After our stage performance we will move to the sight reading room.  Sight reading will take approximately 20 minutes. We plan to be finished there around 1:00.  We will leave Homewood around 1:15 and be back to Gardendale around 1:45.

Pre-MPA Concert

The band will present their Pre-MPA Concert on Thursday, February 19 at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium. The Bragg 7th and 8th grade bands will play at 6:30 and the high school will play as soon as they finish. Call time for the high school group is 6:15. We will be wearing uniforms for this concert. Please remember black socks and black band shoes.