Glenn Band News - Week of 1/8
Announcements for the Week of 1/8/24 to 1/13/24
WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Hello Glenn Band Students & Families,
Happy New Year, Grizzly Band! We hope all of you have had a happy holiday season and a bright start to 2024! As we get ready to welcome back our amazing Grizzly Band students, there is already a lot to celebrate and to prepare for in the coming days and weeks.
Heading into this semester, checking the Google Calendar is going to be very important. There are several dates and events throughout this month to be aware of, including:
- Sectionals & Before/After School Rehearsals (more information below)
- Gems 2024-2025 Auditions: Info Meeting (Jan. 9th), Clinic Days (Jan. 10th, 12th, 16th) & Auditions (Jan. 19th)
- MegaBand (ALL Grizzly Band students), Jan. 20th
- Quarterly Band Parent Meeting, Jan. 23rd
- Indoor Percussion's first show @ Dripping Springs HS, Jan. 27th
- Dairy Queen Spirit Night, Jan. 30th
As always the weekly newsletter will contain information about the upcoming week, as well information about upcoming events, concerts, and fundraisers.
We have more to share with you below so please read on; while we've all enjoyed some well-deserved time off, we are so excited to see everyone and to get back to making music again!
Musically Yours,
The Glenn Band Staff
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"GPRs" (Glenn Personal Records)
GPRs are a way to track of progress that the Grizzly Band is making every week. We don't get a chance to tell you about the little "Personal Records" and celebrations that are happening all the time in our band program, and these little (and sometimes big) details go a long way! After all, "excellence is in the details"!
Gems Member Eryn Michlowitz Earns Contract with World-Class Drum Corps
A Glenn Band First: Before the break, Junior Gems member Eryn Michlowitz auditioned for and was offered a contract with "The Crossmen", a Drum Corps International World Class Drum & Bugle Corps!
- Eryn is the first student in Glenn's history to receive a contract with a World Class Drum Corps as a junior/returning student!
- Drum Corps International (DCI) is often considered the "Major League" of marching band. To audition into any drum corps as a high school student is a milestone achievement; World Class corps are the most competitive and difficult to earn a contract with.
- Eryn will spend every day this summer practicing, performing, and perfecting an 11-minute show while touring the country and performing in major stadiums; be sure to check her tour schedule and support her on her journey! Congratulations, Eryn!
Grizzly Band Students Represent at Area Band Auditions
On Saturday we had five of our Grizzly Band Best represent GHS at the 2024 Area E Auditions. These students successfully auditioned through the Region Band process and earned the honor of being called an "Area Musician". Keep in mind that these students are the best in our region and area, and performed at an incredibly high level in one of the most high-achieving areas and regions in Texas!
Congratulations to our 2023-2024 Area Musicians:
- Jenae Conner - Tenor Trombone (6th Overall, 5A Area)
- Nahum Garcia - Bass Trombone (2nd Overall, 5A Area)
- Jarret McDonald - Trumpet (15th Overall, 5A Area)
- Logan Phipps - Percussion (2nd Overall, 5A Area)
- Oliver Remmler - Bassoon (4th Overall, 5A Area)
We are so proud of all of you for representing GHS and the Grizzly Band - CONGRATULATIONS on your auditions and for being named "Area Musicians"!
Percussionist Logan Phipps Earns All-State Honors
On Saturday at the Area Auditions, junior percussionist Logan Phipps earned the HIGHEST HONOR for a student musician in the state of Texas and was named a member of the 2024 5A All-State Band!
- Logan auditioned through two phases of Region Band Auditions and Area Auditions to earn a position in the All-State Band
- As a percussionist, Logan's audition was unique.... His audition consisted of performing FOUR TIMES to demonstrate his skills in four different ways:
- Snare audition
- Two-Mallet audition
- Four-Mallet audition
- Timpani audition
- To earn this position, Logan demonstrated MASTERY of technique and musicianship across four very different performances!
Logan will represent GHS and the Grizzly Band at the Texas Music Educators Association Conference in San Antonio from February 7th-10th, where he will perform as a member of the 5A All-State Band!
CONGRATULATIONS on earning this phenomenal honor, Logan!!!
SECTIONALS & BEFORE/AFTER SCHOOL REHEARSALS - ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY
The Spring semester is a little bit different (and less busy) than the fall semester.
Each week students will typically have one required morning or afternoon sectional and one morning or afternoon rehearsal.
These sectionals & rehearsals are mandatory for the Wind Ensemble (Varsity) and Symphonic Winds (Non-Varsity) band students.
- Sectionals for Symphonic Winds: will begin this week (see the weekly schedule for details).
- Sectionals for Wind Ensemble: will begin next week (a separate email will be sent to Wind Ensemble families this week.)
Please check the Google Calendar for these mandatory rehearsal times. Wind Ensemble times will be posted to the Google Calendar this week.
COACH'S CORNER
Welcome back, Gems!
I hope everyone has had a restful and enjoyable break with your families!
We are hitting the ground running upon our return from break with auditions! On Tues. January 9th from 5-6 PM, we will be having our mandatory 2024-2025 Gems Audition Info Meeting at Danielson MS. After that, we will begin our Audition Prep Classes on Wednesday and Friday from 4:30-7 PM at DMS. The following week we will have our final Audition Prep Class and Auditions. Please complete the assignments outlined in the 2024-2025 Glenn Gems Auditions Google Classroom. Finally, if you know any 8th grade DMS/LMS or GHS dancers who would be great additions to the team, please invite them to our Google Classroom!
Besides auditions, we have a few more exciting updates!
- The Gems have been invited to perform at the GHS/DMS/LMS Megaband on January 20th - more info to come!
- We have officially booked our first choreographer for the Gems Gala! Mirezha Guevara (formerly of the LHS Blue Belles, UNT Dancers, and former Captain of the Dallas Cowboys Rhythm & Blues) will be choreographing our hip-hop routine to "Venus Fly (feat. Janelle Monae)" by Grimes on January 27th.
A quick reminder that we will be hitting the weight room on our first day back, so don't forget your protein shakes!
Shine bright, Gems!
Coach Thornton
MARK YOUR CALENDARS: MEGABAND 2024 - JAN. 20TH (MANDATORY EVENT)
MegaBand is nearly here! This is a mandatory event where ALL of our band students join up with our 8th graders to prepare a short concert together. New for 2024, we are thrilled to announce that the Gems will be joining us at MegaBand to make this a true Grizzly Band experience!
FINAL ITINERARY AS OF 1/8/24:
- 12:00 PM - Lunch/Q&A Time (8th Grade Parent Meeting in GHS Band Hall)
- 1:00 PM - Rehearsal
- 4:00 PM - Concert
MegaBand Information & Full Itinerary (CLICK HERE)
MARK YOUR CALENDARS: MATTRESS FUNDRAISER - FEB. 17TH
Are you in the market for a new mattress for either yourself or a family member? Then we have GREAT NEWS!
We are hosting a one-day mattress sale on February 17th. This is a great opportunity to treat yourself and family members to a new mattress while also supporting your very own Grizzly Band!
If you're in the market this holiday season, wait just a bit longer to take advantage of great prices and to support the Glenn Band! Thank you for your support!
SAVE THE DATE - WGI @ GHS; March 1st-3rd
WGI is a MASSIVE event that we host every spring. This event takes ALL of our band community to make a success! Please save this weekend in your calendars; there is a need for everyone to help in some way (both students and parents).
Last year @ WGI, the Glenn Band utilized
- More than 130 Parent Volunteers
- Every band student (more than 120 volunteers shifts covered)
This year's show is EVEN BIGGER than last year, so we need EVERYONE to jump in to help! Don't worry, no experience is required. Mark your calendars now!
GRIZZLIES ON THE BEACH (BAND SPRING TRIP) - APRIL 18TH-21ST; REGISTER NOW!
We haven't had a full-band spring trip in quite some time at GHS (since 2019, in fact). Our band students have earned some beach time!
Parents: this trip is a fun getaway for the kids where they will be staying in villas with a group of roommates. There is a lot of free time where the kids will be able to relax at the villas or on the beach! They will also be doing a lot of cooking at their villas as a group; this may sound scary but former students have had a great time on these kinds of trips. This is a favorite trip for other LISD bands and we're excited to finally offer this trip to our Grizzly Band!
Additional details for registering can be found below. Sign up today!
The Grizzly Band is beach-bound in Port Aransas/Corpus Christi!!!
Students, it's time to relax and enjoy the beach in Port Aransas! This is going to be a fun time to unwind and spend time together after our UIL performances. We'll be spending 4 days and 3 nights at the El Constante beachside condos where you'll be staying in resort-style villas with a group of your band buds! Seniors, you will also be getting a special senior golf cart outing!
Details & registration info can be found below - sign up now!
Online Registration Info - Spring Trip 2024 - Glenn HS Band
COMMUNICATION:
Announcements & Glenn Band News via Smore: These will be sent weekly and will highlight any upcoming dates, weekly reminders, and weekly to-do's, as well as identify any alterations or items that you need to know immediately.
If you have any questions, please send me an email!
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