January 20-26

MONDAY: No School

TUESDAY: Snow Day!

WEDNESDAY: Snow Day!

THURSDAY: 1/2 Day Exams | Winter Drumline Rehearsal 6:30-9:30

FRIDAY: 1/2 Day Exams | Winter Guard and Drumline Ice Cream Social 7:30PM

SATURDAY: All State Performances! | Winter Guard Practice 10 am - JV and 3 pm - Varsity

SUNDAY: Winter Drumline Practice 10-5 pm

Saturday, January 25 - All State Band and Orchestra Performances at MMC

Thursday, January 30 - First Performance of the musical Newsies

Saturday, February 1 - Solo and Ensemble at Rochester High School

Saturday, February 8 - Host Competition for Winter Guard at Chippewa Valley High School

Wednesday, February 12 - Pre-Festival Concert

The district has decided to take on the responsibility of paying for our uniform rental and cleaning fees! This means the concert uniforms are free to students throughout the year! Thank you Dakota!

The Saxophone Ensemble, conducted by Garret Klauss participated in the MSBOA Chamber Festival this past weekend and received a 1st division rating with all A's from their judge. Congratulations! We hope to see you at State Festival in March.

Once again, congratulations to our 3 students on being selected for the All State Band and Orchestra! Aidan Rathnaw - Tuba, Aubrey Sauer - French Horn, and Alex Petras - Bass Clarinet will perform this weekend at the Michigan Music Conference as members of the highest achieving musicians in the state of Michigan. Congrats and Good Luck!

In addition to our Winter Activities (Drumline and Guard), we have a student that made it into the LSM Performing Arts Winter Winds group! If you're interested in learning more about the possibilities there are in the winter for wind instruments, Anja is our first student to accomplish this and would be a great resource for you! Congratulations, Anja!

DeMarre McGill, the principal flute player for the Seattle Symphony, is giving a free master class on Sunday January 26th from 10:00 am - 11:30 am in Varner Recital Hall at Oakland University. A master class is part performance by the artist and some teaching as well...they're usually pretty interactive. I'm sure that he is an amazing player and this would be a great event for our young flute players to see. If you do attend, have your child bring their flute just in case he has the audience play. I've attached the posting where I saw this information.

Purchase your tickets HERE for the incredible Broadway version of the Newsies presented by the Dakota High School Performing Arts Department!

Show Dates are January 30, 31 and February 1, 6, 7, 8

See you there!

Solo and Ensemble will take place Saturday, February 1st @ Rochester High School. Students were given their times and sections. However, they have been attached below for your convenience. Please read some reminders below -

• All students on the list are expected to attend. However, some have indicated that they no longer want to participate. Those students and those students only have been approved to miss the event. All others (at this point) are expected to attend.
• All events must be at least 2 minutes to qualify.
• All solos must be accompanied if there is an accompaniment part written.
• Students must have the original score with the measures numbered. All parts must be performed from the original music.
• If the music was purchased from the internet, the music and a receipt must be presented to MSBOA headquarters (at Rochester) for approval.
• If music is public domain, it is necessary to have documentation on where it was obtained and it must be approved at headquarters.
• Rochester is unable to make any photocopies of music at the event.
• Please arrive 30-40 minutes prior to your performance.
• All students must be dressed professionally as they will be representing Dakota High School.

Good luck to all!

All those that earn a division 1 at District Solo and Ensemble are eligible for participation at the State Solo and Ensemble Festival which is set for March 15th @ Stoney Creek High School. I must know if students wish to participate the Monday following Solo and Ensemble. Please consider this before Monday the 3rd so I can sign up participating students.

Auditions for next school year ensembles will take place after MSBOA Festival in March! Please see attached information to mentally prepare yourself. All rubrics, music, and scale sheets will be passed out on February 3rd.

The Winter Guard is hosting a competition at Chippewa Valley High School on February 8th and needs your help! Please consider volunteering for a position listed in the sign up below!

SIGN UP HERE

Given that our concert band is split between 2 classes, we need to meet after school in preparation for our pre-festival concert. These rehearsals will be February 10 and 11 after school until 4 pm each day. We will also plan to rehearse prior to festival in March. Those rehearsals will be March 3 and 4 after school until 4 pm each day.

Click HERE to register for the 2025 season! To your right is the December clue to the show! Leadership applications are being reviewed and will take some time to finalize. Our first leadership meeting will take place on March 10th after school.

Please consider sharing our link for donations! This link will remain up all year and help our programs function and thrive. Your willingness to share and promote this to your friends and family is most appreciated! Click HERE

Email: dhsbandassistants@gmail.com

Dear Students and Parents,

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a restful and enjoyable holiday break. As we embark on the second semester, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on our achievements and share our exciting plans for the months ahead.

We've had an incredible first semester filled with growth, performances, and memorable moments. From our successful concerts to the progress each student has made, I am proud of the dedication and hard work everyone has shown.

This semester promises to be just as exciting. We have several performances lined up, including our spring concert and participation in regional competitions. These events provide invaluable opportunities for students to showcase their talents and gain further performance experience.

As we move forward, I encourage students to set personal goals for their musical development. Whether it's mastering a challenging piece or improving technical skills, I am here to support each student's journey. Consistent practice and active participation in rehearsals will be key to our continued success.

I am committed to maintaining open communication with both students and parents. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns. Your support is crucial to our program's success, and I appreciate your involvement and encouragement.

Thank you for your dedication to our band program. Together, we can make this semester a rewarding and enriching experience for all.

Take Care,

Mr. Makarewicz

jmakarewicz@cvs.k12.mi.us