10/11/12 - Band Updates

1. Reminder: New Orleans Trip Info Meeting TOMORROW

Tomorrow night, October 12th - join us in the MHS band room for an informational meeting about this year's spring break trip to New Orleans! Additional info will be sent out afterward if you can't make it.

Ready to register for the trip? Click here.

2. Reminder: MakeMusic Assignments

Students in Cardinal Band (freshmen) and Concert Band: if you are missing any of your MakeMusic assignments, you must turn them in by tomorrow (Thursday) night to be included in the 6-week progress reports. We don't have much in the gradebook yet, so these will have a major impact on your progress report grade. Check Google Classroom for details.

3. WSMA Marching Band State Championships Marching

Come cheer on the marching band at State this Saturday! We perform at 9:15 pm.

• Click here for spectator info. Note: tickets are less expensive in advance.

• Marching band families, make sure you've read Mr. Rothacker's latest email.

4. Reminder: Jazz Auditions Next Week!

Tuesday and Wednesday next week are jazz auditions! Remember that there are three audition options: intermediate, advanced, or the "non-audition audition." Sign-ups are outside the music office; check your Google Classroom for details!

5. Playing opportunity: UW-Madison Mini Music Clinics

Check out these one-day opportunities at UW-Madison! They are billing them as a miniature version of the summer music clinic.

• November 4 -- Band Clinic

• February 4 -- Orchestra Clinic (includes winds/brass/percussion)
  

--

Michael Ver Voort

10/9/23 - Band Updates (includes schedule change)

Hello, Marching Band students and families,

Firstly, a big congratulations to everyone for their hard work and performance this weekend. The band placed first in their division and also won the caption heads of best musical performance, best percussion, and best color guard! We still have more to work on this week, but a great showing from everyone this last weekend! Thank you for your hard work; we are in the final stretch!

Schedule Change for Field Trip Rehearsal

The field trip rehearsal that was planned for Thursday has been moved to tomorrow, 10/10. You will attend the first lunch and head to the field at or before 12 pm! Your attendance has already been input. We apologize for this change, but it is imperative that we have time on the field tomorrow as there is a large chance of rain towards the end of the week. Thursday's rehearsal will not happen. Friday's rehearsal will go on as planned, regardless of weather, and will be adjusted accordingly.

UW-Whitewater Estimated Schedule

3:00 pm - Call Time for Equipment Managers/Percussion 3:45 pm - Call Time for All Students 4:30 pm - Depart for UW-Whitewater 5:30 pm - Arrive at UW-Whitewater and watch other AA bands/grab food for dinner 7:45 pm - Return to Set Up/Warm Ups 9:15 pm - Middleton Performance 10:15 pm - UW-Whitewater Exhibition Performance 10:45 pm - Awards Ceremony ~12:15 am - Return to Middleton

Last Call for additional equipment parent volunteers at UW-Whitewater

If you can help move a prop/front ensemble equipment at State, please sign up HERE.

Student End-of-Season Party

We'll have a brief party to celebrate the end of the season and the hard work through the last few months on October 20th at 5 pm in the North Commons. We'll have pizza provided and hand out some special awards.

Potential Playoff Games

In the likely event that there is a playoff game on October 20th, we will be doing a pep band from the stands after our end of season party and would be in whatever you'd like to wear (no uniforms). We'll have additional information as we learn more about specifics, dates, etc.

-- Eric RothackerMusic Teacher & Band Director

10/2/23 AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS!

Dear families,

Last year in the spring, we submitted recordings of the MHS Chamber Wind Ensemble to a series of selective music festivals and performance opportunities. These tapes are adjudicated by college faculty, professional conductors, and state and national music governing boards.

We recently received results from some of our submissions and are proud to announce that the Chamber Wind Ensemble has been selected for two prestigious performances that will highlight the achievement of the ensemble.

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1. WASB Convention: The Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB) selects a single musical ensemble (band, orchestra, or choir) each year to perform at their annual conference. This convention is attended by principals, superintendents, and school board members from throughout the state.

We have the honor this year of being the performing group for the convention. This performance will be on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. at the Baird Center (formerly the Wisconsin Center) in Milwaukee. As this is during Wrap-Up Week (finals week), we have received special school permission to perform and represent Middleton High School at this event. Students will not miss any exams as we will depart after the last “wrap-up” (during the make-up period). This event is free for students and is open to families who wish to attend.

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1. The Percy Grainger Music Festival selects four bands nationally to perform at Chicago’s famed Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center, home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra(!) From the website:

The annual Percy Grainger Wind Band Festival will feature four outstanding wind ensembles conducting standalone performances of Percy Grainger literature in an afternoon matinée performance in Chicago’s Historic Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center on April 13, 2024. In addition to the performance, each ensemble will have a private clinic with Dr. James Patrick Miller and Douglas Nimmo, Endowed Professor and Conductor of the Gustavus Wind Orchestra at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN.

This festival will take place April 12 – 13, 2024. The opportunity will require students to miss a day of school and overnight in Chicago. We are working to navigate fundraising for this event to help mitigate costs to students. We expect this opportunity will cost approximately $350 to cover the cost of busing, hotel, food, and registration. Scholarships will be available for any families in need.

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We hope that all students in Chamber Winds are available for both of these events, as each student brings a needed and important voice to our ensemble. We also understand that calendars are often planned far in advance, and as we are only a few months away, conflicts are a possibility. We request that each family please fill out this Google Form to inform us of your availability and need. Please keep family events, athletics, ACT/SAT dates, and any other major conflicts in mind. It is imperative that we know of anyone who will miss these events so that we can plan accordingly for the success of the group.