TWIB Notes: 3/31-4/6

Congratulations to the Varsity Winterguard for earning 3rd place in their prelims round and earning 5th place in Scholastic A Finals with a score of 81.21 at the North Texas Colorguard Association Championships. Varsity was 5th out of 35 units in Scholastic A. Congratulations to Varisty and JV for a great winterguard season. You can catch them at their last performance of the year at their Spring Showcase with the Tallenettes (May 1-2).

Congratulations to Jazz I and II for their performance at the Collin College Jazz Festival this weekend. While the format of the festival was for comments and with a clinic after their performance, Jazz I won the outstanding ensemble performance award. Both bands performed beautifully!

The Allen High School Wind Ensemble will be joining Coppell High School, Flower Mound High School, Grapevine High School, Legacy High School, and Wakeland High School for rehearsals and concerts this week. You can watch rehearsals and concerts with clinicians from around the country at AHS. The rehearsals and concerts are free and open to the public. The AHS Wind Ensemble required schedule will be sent separately in their weekly update.

REHEARSALS

• Friday, April 4: 6pm-9pm
• Saturday, April 5: 9am-12pm/1:30-4:30pm

CONCERTS (Saturday, April 5)

• Concert 1

• 3:45 - Coppell High School

• 4:15 - Legacy High School

• 4:45 - Flower Mound High School

• Concert 2

• 5:45 - Allen High School

• 6:15 - Grapevine High School

• 6:45 - Wakeland High School

If you are interested in service hours or 5 Minga points and are not in the AHS Wind Ensemble, please click the link below to sign-up to volunteer to help on stage crew and tear down. The hours for volunteering will be 3:45pm-7:15pm this Saturday, April 5. You will need to be signed in your Allen ISD account to open the form.

BAND LETTER JACKETS

A letter jacket will be presented to senior students who have served the high school band program well. Students must have participated in the band program from the time of their enrollment in high school before their senior year AND must participate through graduation of their senior year. Students will attend all performances and UIL activities. Exceptions will be granted at the discretion of the band director (illness, death, etc.) Students not adhering to written disciplinary policies of the school and band will forfeit their eligibility for the senior award jacket. Any violation of these rules during their senior year may result in the forfeiture of the jacket. The student must uphold the goals and standards of the band. It is understood that withdrawal or dismissal from band prior to graduation of his/her senior year results in forfeiture of the jacket. Forfeiture includes reimbursement to Allen High School for the payment of the jacket. One additional way to earn a letter jacket would be to COMPLETE the TMEA Area round of auditions. These students will be eligible to receive a letter jacket the following year regardless of classification.

• Students must be enrolled and participate in the AHS band program through the entire 2024-2025 school year. Students who drop band, but are still a student at Allen High School, will be billed for full payment of the Senior Jacket - $50.00

• Students who have already received a jacket from another AHS organization may order a band bar to have sewn onto the letter A. They do not receive another jacket.

• Other patches and other additions to the Award Jacket are the financial responsibility of the student. Allen High School only purchases the jacket.

COLORGUARD LETTER JACKETS

Colorguard students will be eligible to receive a letter jacket after completing two full years of guard while attending all performances and UIL activities. A full year shall be defined as fall guard (marching band) and winterguard. Students not adhering to written disciplinary policies of the school and band may forfeit their eligibility for the award jacket. It is understood that withdrawal or dismissal from the band/colorguard prior to graduation of his/her senior year results in assessing the cost of the jacket ($50) to the student

On Wednesday, April 9th, AHS and LFC bands will perform at the UIL Region 25 Concert and Sightreading Contest at the Allen PAC. The concert portion of the event is free and open to the public.

Performance Schedule

The full call time and warm-up schedule will be released next week. Students will be excused from their classes for the during of their band's performance at UIL

8:30AM - LFC Concert Band 3 (will be required to be in full uniform at AHS by 7:40am)

9:00AM - AHS Symphonic Band 3 (will be required to be in full uniform at 8:10am)

9:30AM - AHS Symphonic Band 2

10:30AM - LFC Symphonic Band (will take a shuttle at LFC to/from AHS)

11:00AM - AHS Symphonic Band 1

12:45PM - LFC Wind Ensemble (will take a shuttle at LFC to/from AHS)

2:30PM - AHS Wind Symphony

4:35PM - AHS Wind Ensemble (will be done around 5:50pm)

Students may sign up to earn volunteer hours or Minga points by assisting with stage crew during the block when their ensemble is not in their UIL performance rotation.

As part of their recognition as 2024 Medal of Distinction winners, the Allen Saxophone Ensemble will perform at the Dallas Winds concert on Tuesday, April 8th, at the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas. Visit dallaswinds.org to purchase tickets.

The second of our five leadership workshops will take place on Monday, March 31st at 4:30pm in the AHS Band Hall. These workshops are open to all students who want to improve their leadership skills, and students interested in applying for Drum Major or SLT positions are strongly encouraged to attend.

4:30-5:15 - General Leadership/SLT Training

5:15-6:00 - Drum Major Workshop

Upcoming Leadership Workshops

• Mon, March 31: 4:30-6pm
• Mon, April 7 4:30-6pm
• Mon, April 14: 4:30-6pm

We will have a required rehearsal and meeting on Thursday, April 10th in the AHS Band Hall and AHS Ensemble Room. All students are required for rehearsal from 4:30pm-5:30pm. Students and parents are required at the trip meeting immediately following rehearsal at 5:30pm in the AHS Band Hall. A full itinerary with packing recommendations will be released next week.

• Required Rehearsal: Thurs, April 10 (4:30-5:30PM) in the AHS Band Hall or AHS Ensemble Room
• Required Meeting: Thurs, April 10 (5:30-6:00PM) in the AHS Band Hall (enter Door 29)

All students must be academically eligible to participate in the San Antonio trip. Eligibility for the trip will be determined by 3rd Quarter report card grades when they are pulled at 8am on Monday, March 24. Any student who has a grade below 70 in any on-level or non-exempt class will lose eligibility at the end of the school day on March 31 and will not have the opportunity to regain eligibility before the departing for San Antonio on April 11. Students and parents/guardians will be notified via CutTime if they are determined to be ineligible for the San Antonio trip.

There has been a change to the medication policy this school year. ALL over-the-counter medications must have a medication form signed by the doctor to be administered on the trip. Each medication needs to be on a separate form. Prescription meds do not have to have the signed form as the medication prescription label acts as the authorization. If students are cleared by their school to self-carry an inhaler, Epi-Pen or Insulin, they are allowed to carry it on the trip as well. Please let me know if your student falls into this category.

Medications can be dropped off at the LFC and AHS clinics March 31st- April 7th. Both the forms and the medication must be dropped off together to be accepted by the nurses. Medications needs after the 7th will need to be communicated directly to me to see if they can be accommodated. Please send only the amount required for the trip. Medications will not accepted at the parent meeting on the 10th or the morning of departure.

Reminder- each medications must be on its own medication authorization form. All over-the-counter medication forms must be signed by a doctor. Only medications approved by Allen ISD can be carried by students. This list includes rescue inhalers, Epi-Pens, Insulin, and Glucagon only.

Contact Nurse Kellie Koch at kellie.koch@allenisd.org with questions.

The deadline to sign up for a hotel room was Friday, March 7 at 8:00am. Any student who did not sign up prior to the deadline has been placed in a room with available space. Rooms with fewer than 4 students signed up have been consolidated to create rooms of 4. Students who requested and paid for double or triple occupancy rooms have been assigned and have received confirmation from Mrs. Fulk. No room changes are allowed at this time.

We will have our Spring Update meeting on Tuesday, April 15th in the AHS Ensemble Room at 7:00pm. This meeting will be combined with our Allen Band Booster General Meeting with just a few minutes of business prior to beginning the Tournament of Roses Spring Update. We are planning on discussing he following:

• Fundraising Update
• Friends & Family Update
• Itinerary highlights

You can access the latest calendar, announcements, and rehearsal schedules here.

You can access all of the latest colorguard information, events, and communication here! Please see links below.

Payments can be submitted through the following ways:

• Drop a check or cash in the AHS Band safe. (Checks made payable to Allen ISD, driver's license # in the memo)
• Mail a payment to: Allen High School Band; 300 Rivercrest Blvd, Allen, TX 75002 (attn: Susan Fulk)
• Credit Card or Debit Card payment through SchoolPay - link below (a fee will be included in the final payment)

Please join us Tuesday, April 15, at 7:00 pm for the next ABBA Membership Meeting followed by our Spring Tournament of Roses Update Meeting. The meeting will be held in the AHS Ensemble Room, enter through door 33C. We will conduct our elections for the 2025-26 Board. The proposed slate is below:

• President: Kellie Koch
• 1st Vice President: Membership: Tim Hogan
• 2nd Vice President: Ways and Means: Debbie Newcomer
• 3rd Vice President: Logistics: Joshua Wood
• 4th Vice President: Volunteer Coordinator: Denise Lane
• 5th Vice President: Public Relations: Joe Vanek
• 6th Vice President: Student Specialties: Open
• Treasure: Timothy Bray
• Secretary: Dorci Cotton

Tickets for the 2025 Band and Colorguard are now on sale! Please visit www.allenband.com/banquet to purchase tickets and other information. The 2025 Banquet will be held Saturday, March 17. For questions please email Joe at publicrelations@allenband.com.

We are still looking for sponsors to support the TOR Fundraising efforts. 100% of funds raised will go to offset the cost of the trip. We have currently raised enough funds to deduct $14 per student. For more information please visit www.allenband.com/tor.

The band staff is already preparing for the 2025 marching season. There will be one required movement camp and a required incoming freshman marching camp.

If you are interested in trying out for drum major or SLT, we will begin our training/workshops the week before Spring Break. They will be held on Mondays from 4:30pm-6pm in the AHS Band Hall or AHS Ensemble Room. The first 45 minutes will be general leadership/SLT training and the second 45 minutes will be specific training for drum majors. AHS & LFC Wind Ensembles (including seniors) will be required to attend the first 45 minutes of the SLT workshops as part of their Musicianship Class.

Required Movement Camp for all LFC/AHS Returning Students and Incoming Freshmen

• Wednesday, April 16 (5:00-6:30pm)

Incoming Freshman Marching Camp (Not Required for current LFC/AHS students)

• Thursday, April 24 (5:00-6:30pm)

SLT/Drum Major Workshops

• Mon, March 10: 4:30-6pm
• Mon, March 24: 4:30-6pm
• Mon, March 31: 4:30-6pm
• Mon, April 7 4:30-6pm
• Mon, April 14: 4:30-6pm

Drum Major Tryouts

• Mon, April 21 (Phase 1 - After School)
• Wed, April 23 (Phase 2 - After School)

SLT Tryouts

• Tues, April 29 (Woodwinds - After School)
• Wed, April 30 (Brass - After School)
• Guard & Percussion Leadership Tryouts will be scheduled by Mr. Camp/Mr. Locke

All incoming and returning band students for the 2025-2026 School Year will be required to attend various events this Spring and Summer. These events are designed to help train our students for the next marching band season. Attendance will be used to help us assign marching band spots for our 2025 Contest Show. Please see the dates below to put in your calendars!

Mon, March 31: Leadership Workshop, 4:30-6:00 PM (AHS Ensemble Room)

Fri/Sat, April 4-5: Premiere Pre-UIL Festival

Mon, April 7: Leadership Workshop, 4:30-6:00 PM (AHS Ensemble Room)

Tue, April 8: Saxophone Ensemble @ Dallas Winds, 7:30pm

Wed, April 9: UIL Concert/Sightreading @ Allen PAC (all AHS/LFC bands)

Thurs, Apil 10: Spring Trip Rehearsal (4:30-5:30PM); Spring Trip Meeting (5:30-6:00PM)

Fri-Sun, April 11-13: Spring Trip to Austin/San Antonio

Mon, April 14: Leadership Workshop, 4:30-6:00 PM (AHS Ensemble Room)

Tues, April 15: ABBA Membership Meeting & TOR Update Meeting (AHS Ensemble Room)

Wed, April 16: Required Movement Workshop, 5:00-6:30PM (AHS Competition Gym)

Fri, April 18: No School

• Dr. Philip Obado, Director of Bands, Allen ISD
• Dr. Steven Knight, Associate Director of Bands & Marching Band Director
• Joshua Blankenship, Director of Bands, Lowery Freshman Center
• Alex Baczewski, Assistant Band Director & Jazz Studies Director
• Andrew Camp, Colorguard Director & Assistant Band Director
• Miles Locke, Percussion Director & Assistant Band Director
• Jeremy Rohr, Assistant Band Director, Lowery Freshman Center
• Jesse Vela, Assistant Percussion Director & Assistant Band Director
• Susan Fulk, Performing Arts Administrative Assistant