TWB INCOMING FRESHMEN NEWSLETTER #5

This past month has been busier than normal with TWB. Normally we have ONE Spring Trip; however, we had 3 trips this Spring due to the Wind Symphony being invited to Washington DC, the Winter Guard advancing to compete in the Winter Guard International World Championships and our normal Band Spring Trip (to Houston this year).

We normally alternate with IN STATE trip and OUT OF STATE trips. However, the Wind Symphony normally gets invited to perform or compete at national events when we have IN STATE trips. Therefore, they travel more than the rest of the band.

AND...Every band at the High School received STRAIGHT first division ratings at the UIL Concert & Sightreading evaluation.

THAT MEANS WE ALL GET CAKE. Yes, it is time for CAKE DAY! This will be on different days, so as your director. The Wylie Band Boosters will provide a cake for all junior high and high school bands to celebrate EVERYONE receiving 1st division ratings at UIL Contest this year.

Congrats everyone...and have some CAKE!

Next Friday we have our 3rd Marching/Movement Workshop of the year. All workshops build on the skills and information learned from the previous. You will meet our choreographer and start learning the basics of dance and choreography.

• Time: 4:45PM-6:30PM
  
• Location: Wylie HS IMPAC BUILDING.
  
• What to bring: Just you!
  
• What to wear: Comfortable clothes and athletic shoes

Workshop Format

• Social - Get to know your section
• Body movement & marching rotation

Every year on the LAST THURSDAY of school we have our MANDATORY End Of Year Marching Camp. Well, typically it is on the last day. This year it will be on the second to last day and go a little shorter than normal. Details are below.

• 4:00pm Incoming freshmen arrive at the band hall to receive marching instruments. Concert instruments could be ready as well.
• 5:00pm Full Band begins with music in the band hall or Montgomery Center (MC)
• 6:15pm Outside for a short Marching rehearsal in WISD Stadium
• 7:30pm Parent meeting & Hot Dog TWB Family Picnic in the Montgomery Center (MC)

Don't ask me if you can miss a mandatory event. It will make my head hurt and possibly explode. We have one of the top music programs in the state and nation. We didn't get that way by missing rehearsals or mandatory fun time.

We will be taking 2 band trips next year.

• TWB takes a full marching band trip every year to San Antonio in anticipation to qualify for the UIL State Marching Championships. This trip will be around $300-$400. If we qualify for State, it will be $300. If we do not, it will be $400. This will be explained at the end of year marching band meeting.
• The Wind Symphony was accepted to play in New York and give a concert at Carnegie Hall. I proposed a concert for all bands and not just the Wind Symphony and it was APPROVED! If you don't know the history and significance of Carnegie Hall, just click below.

The age old question...How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice.

What is the Band App?

• It has our Calendar
• Closed social network (only our band can see, send and receive)
• One stop shop for all information
• Text messaging
• and much more

This is a mandatory app where we send ALL information out for the ENTIRE BAND and sub groups like Percussion, Guard, Concert Bands, etc.

Click on the icon to be directed to next year's TWB group.

For obvious reasons to oboes and bassoons, schools do not march with double reed instruments. For double reed players there are a couple of options for marching band.

• We typically rent alto saxophones for double reeds and teach them saxophone during summer band camp. Double reeds have a dedicated saxophone teacher during band camp. We don’t just say “here is a saxophone, good luck”.
• Those who have piano experience and want to play keyboard percussion. That is an option, it is just an additional week of summer band camp for drumline camp.
• Some do Color Guard. My daughter did 3 years of guard and 1 year of saxophone (she then wished she did 4 years of guard). We currently have 2 bassoonists in color guard, one of which is the color guard captain and in the Wind Symphony.
• Double reeds who already play another instrument should let us know if they would like to play that instrument for marching band.

Double Reeds can declare what they would like to do at their high school audition; however, if you would like to be in the Drumline or Color Guard we would need to know as soon as possible. There are audition workshops for those groups in April.

Here is a list of Incoming Freshmen Workshops as we prepare our future TWB members for high school.

• ALL will attend Marching & Movement Workshops.
• Those auditioning for Color Guard will attend ALL Color Guard Audition Workshops
• Percussionists will attend ALL Drumline Audition Workshops.

MARCHING & MOVEMENT WORKSHOPS- 4:45PM-6:30PM

• 2/25 (Friday) - Marching Movement Workshop #1 (Incoming Freshmen & TWB Leadership)
  
• 4/14 (Friday) - Marching Movement Workshop #2 (Full TWB)
  
• 4/29 (Friday) - Marching & Movement Workshop #3 (Full TWB)
• 5/25 (Thursday) - END OF YEAR MARCHING WORKSHOP / COOKOUT / PARENT MEETING

COLOR GUARD AUDITION WORKSOPS

• 4/18 (Tuesday)
  
• 4/20 (Thursday)
  
• 4/25 (Tuesday)
  
• 4/27 (Thursday)
  
• 5/22 (Tuesday)
  
• 5/4 (Thursday)

DRUMLINE AUDITION WORKSHOPS

• 3/29(Wednesday)
  
• 4/5 (Wednesday)
  
• 4/12 (Wednesday)
  
• 4/19 (Wednesday)
  
• 4/26 (Wednesday)
  

Wylie ISD has approved the school calendar for 2023-24. This includes a fall break; however, all athletic and fine arts contests, rehearsals and productions will still run during that week. Meaning, even though WISD has a fall break scheduled, there will still be a football game and contests. This means there will be rehearsals too. Below is our plan for that week, so if you are looking to go away some time, here are the dates we will have games, rehearsals and contests.

OCTOBER 6-14 Schedule

• Friday, October 6 - Football Game (4:30PM-11PM)
• Saturday, October 7 - McKinney Marching Invitational
• Sunday, October 8-Wednesday, October 11 (4 days) - NO REHEARSAL
• Thursday, October 12 - Competition Marching Rehearsal 9AM-4PM
• Friday, October 13 - Competition Marching Rehearsal 9AM-Noon
• Friday, October 13 - Football Game vs. Wylie East HS - 5PM-10:30PM
• Saturday, October 14 - UIL Regional Marching Contest (advancement to Area Level)
  

***The 2023-24 TWB calendar located on the Band App and band website.***

Email any questions to the directors below.

Band related questions to Mr. Dixon, Director of Bands

• dixont@wylieisd.net
  

Percussion related questions to Mr. Noyes, Percussion Director

• jeremy.noyes@wylieisd.net

Color Guard related questions to Mr. Jackson, Color Guard Director

• walter.jackson@wylieisd.net

Financial related questions to Mrs. Stone, WHS Fine Arts Administrative Assistant

• verna.stone@wylieisd.net