Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! Lots to share, so here goes:

Congratulations to all of our band students who received Human Relations Awards last week. These students are:

Sydney Andersen
Clayton Davis
Claire Davis
Ashley Domeracki
Griffin Graves
Jessica Kathe
Katie Kull
Duncan Losacco
Annie Martines
Kevin McGough
Amanda Mueller
Grover Neville
Kelly Schaffer
Cate Strahl
Meghan Zbinden

Congratulations also to our Jazz Workshop Combo students who represented us so well at the Greater St. Charles Education Fundraiser last Saturday. This group will also be playing at the College of DuPage on Thursday night as part of their winter jazz festival. These students are:

Zach Nunnery, guitar
Elliot Welter, bass
Jake Samuels, drums
Griffin Graves, baritone saxophone
Nick Novotny, tenor saxophone
Mary Snyder, alto saxophone
Clayton Davis, trumpet
Tom Currell, trumpet
Jared Engler, trombone

Upcoming Events:

Thursday, February 23, Concert Bands at the NCAC, 7:30 PM start. Call time will be 6 PM, as we have a combined piece to practice.
Monday, February 27, Symphonic Bands at the NCAC, 7:30 PM start
Tuesday, February 28, Wind Symphony and Wind Ensemble at the NCAC, 7:30 PM start

At each of these concerts our band boosters will be selling raffle tickets for baskets to support the Wind Ensemble’s trip to New York to perform at Carnegie Hall on March 15th. Please bring some extra money for a chance to win some great items!

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade is on Saturday, March 10th. Call time is 9:15 AM, with the step-off of the parade at 11 AM. We should be finished back at school by 12:15 at the latest.

Happy Second Semester everyone!

Here we go:

Congratulations to the Chorale, Chamber Orchestra and Vocal Jazz Workshop for their clinic concerts at the IMEA state convention last week. I was very proud of everyone, and especially the band members that contributed so greatly to those concerts. Junior percussionist Jessica Palmisano sang a beautiful solo, and Elliot Welter and Jake Samuels did a great job with the vocal jazz group. The wind and percussion sections played wonderfully with the orchestra. Bravo!

At the same convention, senior trombonist Jared Engler was the lead trombone in the All-State Jazz Band, where he got a featured solo, and senior baritone saxophonist Griffin Graves played in the Honors Jazz Band, where he had a solo and played under the direction of jazz trombone legend Wycliffe Gordon. It was great to see and hear all of our students in Peoria!

Our last two pep band assignments are coming up. The Wasabi Band plays Friday, with a 6:35 call time. It is an “Orange Out” night, so wear your orange. The Tamarind band plays next Wednesday, February 8th, with a 6:20 call time. Game time Friday is 7:30, and Wednesday 7:15.

Audition results for the 2012/2013 Wind Symphony, Wind Ensemble and Jazz Workshop will be posted on Friday. Mr. Wukitsch and I have had the pleasure of hearing many great auditions over the last few days, and before the results are posted, I want to take this opportunity to give some thoughts on this matter. Decisions are very difficult to make with the amount of talented students we have, especially due to instrumentation limitations and making sure that every ensemble (wind ensemble, wind symphony and symphonic bands) is set up for success. Please also realize that while we would love to take every student that auditioned, we cannot.

As a parent of kids involved in club sports and school athletic teams, I know that sometimes we get caught up in our own kid being on the “best” team or in the “best” group. I can tell you, honestly and sincerely, that every student we heard audition deserves admiration and respect. The material is difficult to prepare, and we are so grateful that we have the interest we do in being part of these outstanding groups. No matter what happens, I am proud of each and every one that auditioned. As parents, you should also be very proud of your kids.

Lastly, the Wind Ensemble is preparing for a concert at Carnegie Hall on March 15th. As part of our fundraising efforts, we will be raffling off gift baskets at our concerts at the end of February. Please bring a few extra dollars to buy some chances on these!

Thank you for reading, and thank you for all your help and support!

Happy snowy day everyone:

I want to congratulate the concert band members for their fine performances on our final exams, both playing and written. It is very exciting to hear the improvement in playing, and I am really looking forward to getting back to playing on Monday. Bravo!

The Jazz Workshop had an excellent recording session in their final exam period. I am looking forward to hearing the results!

The Wind Ensemble read our newest commission, Riff Raff on Wednesday. It is a fantastic piece, and you can look forward to hearing it on February 28th at the world premiere. We will also perform it at Carnegie Hall on March 15th!

Now for the important information:

The Tamarind band brings their brand of heat to the basketball game on Saturday night. Call time is 5:05, and students should be finished at 7:30 PM.

Class registration will be starting soon. Please follow these instructions when signing up for classes for the 2012/2013 school year.
• All freshmen should sign up for Symphonic Band.
• All current Wind Ensemble, Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band students should sign up for their current class.
• All Jazz Workshop and Jazz Band students should sign up for their current class as well.
• Any interested current band member can add Jazz Band to their schedule for next year if they would like to without an audition.

Auditions will be held on January 30, 31 and February 1 for the 2012/2013 Wind Symphony, Wind Ensemble and Jazz Workshop. Jazz Workshop auditions will be held during the Jazz Band and Jazz Workshop class periods. There will be a sign-up sheet posted by Tuesday for the Wind Symphony and Wind Ensemble auditions.
When auditions are completed, Mr. Wukitsch and I will give the lists for Wind Symphony, Wind Ensemble and Jazz Workshop to the administration and students will be scheduled into these groups. YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO CONTACT YOUR COUNSELOR-we will take care of that for you.

Enjoy your day and weekend!

Happy snowy day everyone!

Great job last night by the Jazz Band and Jazz Workshop at their concert. I think it was one of the most exciting jazz concerts we have had in quite some time, and both bands played very, very well. We are really proud of you! It was also great to see so mnay alumni at the concert, including Jeff Johnson and Ian Scales, who graduated 6 years ago. It was really wonderful to see the big crowd and have the support of so many friends, alumni, and families at the concert. It was a tremendous end to the 2nd quarter performances!

There will be no make-up pep band tomorrow night. We will make arrangements for students who may need to make up one game. These grades will be posted third quarter.

I am also happy to announce that our commissioned piece, Riff Raff, by Texas based composer Ryan George is finished! The Wind Ensemble will read the piece during final exams, and premiere it on February 28th and at Carnegie Hall on March 15th.

Enjoy your weekend!

Happy Monday!

This week we have a Jazz Band Concert on Thursday at 7:30 PM in the Norris Cultural Arts Center. Both bands have worked on a very entertaining program, including music by Thad Jones, Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Radiohead. The concert is $3 for adults and $2 for students and senior citizens.

The Wasabi Band heats up the basketball game on Friday. Call time is 6:35 PM.

We are hoping to have volunteers and students who need a make-up game for a game on Saturday. Please sign up in the band room TOMORROW if you can play. Call time is 5:10 PM.

Have a great week and hope to see you on Thursday night!

Welcome to the first “Feel Good Friday” of 2012!

Here’s what’s worth celebrating this weekend:

Griffin Graves, Jared Engler and Maria Paterno were honored by me at Breakfast of Champions Thursday for being selected to participate in the Illinois Music Educators All-State Conference in Peoria. Griffin and Jared will be playing in jazz band, while Maria will be taking part in the Future Music Educators Seminar.Other band members honored at Breakfast of Champions were freshmen tuba player Drew Sanders, honored for his work in Latin, and jazz band member AJ Schmid, honored for his work in the READY program.

Many of our students will also be performing at the All-State convention as members of the Chamber Orchestra, Chorale or Vocal Jazz Workshop. Good luck to all of these students in their preparation.

Look for good news every Friday, and have a great weekend!

Hi everyone:

I hope everyone had a nice, restful holiday break. It has been great to see all of the students and get back to work this week. They look a little sleep deprived, as many of them told me they slept in until the crack of noon each day during their break. A little coffee may help….

The Tamarind band will rock the gymnasium on Friday night. Call time is 6:35 PM, and we will be finished by 9 PM. Please be prompt in picking up your band member. The next performance for the Wasabi band is on January 13th, with a 6:35 PM call time.

There will be a ONE TIME only make-up opportunity for pep band on Saturday, January 14th. Sign up sheets will be posted tomorrow, and we will only be able to do this if we have enough interest. This would take the place of one of the assigned games for the students. Call time would be 5:05, and we would be finished by 7:45 PM.

Audition dates for the 2012/2013 groups are being finalized now, but they will be NO EARLIER than January 23rd. Jazz Workshop material will be ready on Friday of this week.

I plan to post information on our website every Monday, and I will be inaugurating a special Friday edition that will be designed to give you good news as we head into the weekend, so check back on Friday!

Have a great week, and welcome back!

Happy Friday everyone:

Congratulations to all the bands for their great performances at the Holiday Concerts last week. We were very pleased with how all the bands played, and we look forward to our concerts at the end of February. Also, our two outstanding jazz bands will perform a concert on January 12th at 7:30 in the NCAC.

I would like to encourage all students, especially those planning to audition for the 2012/2013 auditioned groups to use these 2 weeks to get your auditions in good shape. The earliest those auditions will occur is the week of January 23rd, but we are hoping to be able to do them the week of the 30th. I will have a definite answer when we get back from break. Music for the Jazz Workshop auditions will be ready right after break.

In closing, thank you all for a wonderful 2011, and we look forward to some fun and memorable music-making in 2012!

Mr. Kull

PS I know I am biased, but click on the link following to see why volleyball is simply the greatest sport to watch. The video is match point from the Illinois-USC National Semi-Final game last night. Amazing point: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pBxKPzAluc

Good Afternoon:

A few quick things for a busy week:

Concerts are tonight and Thursday. The call time for each band is different, so your child needs to check with their director for specifics. The concerts begin at 7:30 pm. Please adhere to our concert dress code, especially as it pertains to the length of skirts for the ladies.

The Wasabi Band heats up the basketball game on Saturday night. Call time is 5:05 PM, and students should be done by 7:30 PM.

Lastly, congratulations to Griffin Graves and Jared Engler for being selected to perform in one of the All-State jazz ensembles this January in Peoria. We are very proud of you!

Good Morning everyone:

I have a great deal of information to share, so here goes:

PEP BAND

After convening the Pep Band Super-Committee (consisting of Mr. Kull and Mr. Wukitsch), we have come to agreement on the names of the pep bands for this year. We, as always, have picked a food theme. The Super-Committee, both lovers of all kinds of spices, have picked an Asian spice theme for this year’s bands. Band A is now known as the Wasabi Band, and Band B is now the Tamarind Band. Please make note of this.

Pep Bands do start this week, with the Wasabi Band playing tonight. Call time is 6:20, and students will be finished between 8:30 and 8:45. The Tamarind Band makes their debut on Friday, with a 6:35 call time. The Tamarind Band should be finished between 8:45 and 9 PM.

HOLIDAY CONCERTS

Concerts are next Tuesday, December 6th, featuring the 3rd Hour Concert and Symphonic Bands and Wind Symphony, and Thursday, December 8th, featuring the 1st Hour Concert and Symphonic Bands and Wind Ensemble. Both concerts begin at 7:30 pm in the Norris Cultural Arts Center.

Concert dress is black and white. Ladies need to have a skirt that is AT LEAST mid-calf in length or pants. Gentleman need to wear ties with their white shirts. Black shoes (Ladies need to have closed toes) are also required. Parents, please make sure your daughters have the proper length skirt if they choose to wear one.

I also want to take a minute to review proper audience behavior at a formal concert. Band members have taken a great deal of time to prepare their music for you, and deserve an audience that is respectful and attentive. Texting or talking on a cell phone is not appropriate behavior, and nor is carrying on conversations during the performance. These behaviors will be reviewed with our students, and we expect everyone to adhere to proper concert etiquette. Thank you in advance for following these guidelines.

INSTRUMENT RENTAL FORMS

Forms will be given to students this week to bring home if they are using a school owned instrument. Please send payment in before December 15th if at all possible. The fee is $65 for wind and brass players, and $30 for percussionists.

WIND ENSEMBLE CARNEGIE HALL TRIP

All participating students and parents should be signed up for our SaintsPlayCarnegie Google Group. If you haven’t, please do so ASAP. The Wind Ensemble will be performing at Carnegie Hall on March 15, 2012, so stay tuned for more information!

BLACKBOARD

All of the directors are working on Blackboard pages for you to utilize. My Blackboard page, featuring information for the concert bands, wind ensemble and jazz workshop, is under the name Mr. Kull. Students in my groups (and any interested parents) need to self-enroll. I will keep everyone posted about the status of the pages for Mr. Wukitsch and Mr. Oswalt.

I think that is enough for one day. As always, thank you for your help and support, and we look forward to seeing you at our upcoming performances.