Hillwood Band Newsletter
Charger Band
Next Week in Band:
Band Hall Hours next week:
Monday: NO SCHOOL
Tuesday: 7am-5pm
Wednesday: 8am-5:30pm
Thursday: 7am-5pm
Friday: 8am-4pm
Tuesday, April 22: Practice Log 4 Due
Monday: No School
Tuesday AM: Concert Band Woodwinds, Symphonic Brass
Tuesday PM: Symphonic Woodwinds
Wednesday PM: STAAR, Jazz Band
Thursday: Wind Ensemble Full Band Rehearsal, Jazz Band Performs at Cafe Hillwood 7pm
Friday: Festival Performance, see info below
View upcoming sectionals and dates at: https://parkwoodhillwood.band/hillwood-calendar
Would you like to order Band Swag?
Upcoming Band Events:
North Texas Festival of Distinction: April 25
Friday, April 25, 2025
North Texas Festival of Distinction
@ Haltom High School Auditorium: 5501 Haltom Rd, Haltom City, TX 76137
*Parents encouraged to attend performance
*Parents can take child home after performance or they can ride bus to HMS
*Chaperones needed!
Itinerary:
4:00pm Students go home, eat, change into tux
5:00pm Load bus and depart
6:15pm Concert Band Performance
7:15pm Symphonic Band Performance
7:45pm Wind Ensemble Performance
8:20pm Load buses; for dismissal with parents: we'll have ALL kids load buses and parents will make a line and we'll call your kid to join you from the bus. It will be dark and hard for parents to connect with their kids, we hope this process will make it faster and easier for parents! We'll send you students bus numbers when we get closer, so you can line up outside your child's specific bus.
9pm Arrive back to Hillwood MS
Spring Jazz Band Dates
Remaining Rehearsals @ HMS Band hall, 4-5:30pm
April 23
April 30
Performances:
April 24- Cafe Hillwood
May 2- Spring Concert @ HMS Gym
Cafe Hillwood
Location: HMS Cafeteria
Date: Thursday, April 24, 2025
Time: Arrive at HMS 6:30pm, performance starts at 7:00pm
Uniform: Band t-shirt, jeans or shorts
Mrs. Galdamez will be at the main front doors of HMS at 6:25pm to start letting students in. Students should report directly to the Band Hall to warm up/run through their music. Jazz Band is typically the first or second group to perform at Cafe Hillwood. Parents can expect to pick up their child from HMS by 7:15pm. If Jazz Band students would like to stay and watch the other performances, they will need a parent to be present with them at HMS. If a parent cannot be there with their child, but the child wants to stay, we will need parent’s approval via email or by a parent’s signature on the paper copy sent home with students on 4/16/25.
Tickets can be purchased Here: https://tx-keller.intouchreceipting.com/signin
May Events:
Friday, May 2: Spring Concert @Hillwood Middle. Performance begins at 7pm.
Saturday, May 10: Solo Contest @ Central High School (see info below)
Tuesday, May 13: Hillwood Awards Ceremony (Wind Ensemble performs) 5:30-8pm
Wednesday, May 14: Wind Ensemble recording performance @ Argyle MS - during school day
Wednesday, May 14: School Owned- Instruments Due for Check-In (see more info below)
Solo Contest, Saturday, May 10
Solo Contest Information
All students in the Hillwood and Parkwood Hill band program will be required to learn and perform a solo at the Keller ISD Solo Contest. Solos are a great way to develop individual skills and build confidence by providing students with a piece of music tailored to their specific strengths and areas for growth!
Students will receive a summative grade for their performance.
Date: Saturday, May 10
Time: 9 AM - Noon (see your child's assigned time on Solo Contest Schedule below)
Location: Central High School (9450 Ray White Rd, Fort Worth, TX 76244)
Uniform: Formal Attire (no tennis shoes or jeans)
Important Info
When you arrive, check in with your monitor at your assigned room, then go to the cafeteria to warm up.
Arrive at your assigned room 5 minutes before your scheduled time.
You will be performing for just one judge in a classroom. Parents, you are welcome and encouraged to attend your child’s performance.
If you are a Hillwood student using SmartMusic, your monitor will help you connect the ipad to the speaker and begin your recording. Parkwood students will have a CD player and the judge will start and stop the recording for students.
When you finish, be sure to thank your judge and collect all your belongings.
We will give you results the week after the solo contest, so you are free to go when you finish.
If you have a conflict or need some sort of accommodation, please reach out to your director by April 4, so we can help find a solution.
Performance times listed on schedule below.
Summer Band Camps
Summer Music Camps Information
Summer Music Camps are a GREAT way to continue your band experience and learn and grow even more over the summer! We HIGHLY encourage all students to attend one camp (or more!) over the summer to keep their abilities fresh. Additionally, camps are a great way to meet new friends and establish friendships across the state! I am still friends with many people that I first met at camp when I was a young student! There are band camps, where the experience focuses mainly on the ensemble experience of playing in a band (all instruments), and there are also some instrument specific camps for students where they can dive deeper into specific knowledge regarding playing your particular instrument!
The best summer music camps are places to meet new friends, perform new music, and provide new inspiration to encourage continued study. This list is by no means an exhaustive list of summer camps to consider. It is organized chronologically and includes both day and overnight camps. 8th graders rising to high school have the option to attend either middle school or high school camps.
Highly recommended band camps where students will receive exceptional music instruction as well as a well organized and fun camp experience are marked with an * and in BOLD. All these camps are fantastic and we recommend them all - so find one that fits your schedule and budget and go for it!
Band Camps:
*Sounds of Summer KISD Band Camp
Dates: June 2-5
Sam Houston State University Band Camp
Dates: June 1-5
Tarleton State University Band Camp
Dates: June 8-12
*University of Texas Arlington Band Camp
Dates: June 9-13
Texas A&M Corpus Christi Band Camp
Dates: June 9-13
Texas Christian University Middle School Experience
Dates: June 13-14
*Baylor University Band Camp (Mrs. Bosch will be teaching at this camp! You should go!)
Dates: June 15-21
Stephen F. Austin University Band Camp
Dates: June 15-20
UT San Antonio Band Camp
Dates: June 16-21
Texas Lutheran University
Dates: June 23-28
University of Houston Band Camp
Dates: June 22-27
*Texas Tech University Band Camp
Dates: June 29-July 5
*West Texas A&M University Band Camp
Dates: July 6-12
Instrument Specific Camps:
TCU Summer Flute Workshop
Dates: June 24-25
Floot Fire (Flutes)
Dates: June 23-27 (Dallas)
Bocal Majority Double Reed Camp (Oboe/Bassoon)
Dates: Multiple in DFW
TCU Summer Clarinet Workshop
Dates: July 24-25
Young Saxophonist’s Institute
Dates: Multiple in DFW
TCU Summer Saxophone Workshop
Dates: June 26-27
Blast of Brass
Date: June 22-27
CorDallas (Horn Camp)
Dates: Multiple in DFW (Keller Camp June 16-20)
Texas Trombone Academy
Dates: Not yet posted - check back soon!)
Texas Low Brass Academy (Trombone/Euphonium/Tuba)
Dates: July 10-13 (University of Houston)
TCU Percussion Camp
Dates: June 17-18
Parent Volunteers
Parent Volunteers needed for upcoming trips/ events. Please let a band director know if you'd like to help!
District Volunteer Background check link: https://kellerisd.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx?jcat=Volunteer
Hillwood Band Event Calendar 2024-25
In May, at Band Registration families were given a tentative event calendar for the year. This calendar is updated as of 8/22/24. Please use this calendar to update your personal calendar!
