Saturday, January 30, 2010

HSS Band 2009-10.48 HELP NEEDED: All District Band next weekend (see new SignUpGenius web site)

Hi Band Boosters,

Hayfield has the great opportunity to host the All District Band Festival next weekend, February 4, 5, and 6. The students arrive Thursday afternoon, Feb. 4. They rehearse all day Friday, Feb 5., and Saturday morning, Feb 6. They perform a concert at 3pm on Saturday afternoon.

During the festival, we provide food and drink for the band directors and the students. And, this is where we need some extra help. If you can volunteer a few hours either Friday or Saturday to help sell snacks and drinks, please consider helping out. (Note: Students can use this to fulfill service hour obligations.) Please see the schedule below for details --- we have a few empty slots on Friday, and many empty slots on Saturday.

There's a sign-up list and schedule at a new site called "SignUp Genius" . . . just visit the site and follow the instructions to sign up . . .

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/alldistrict

If you have trouble with the electronic sign-up (or if you'd prefer just to contact me directly), please let me know at bandlsm@gmail.com -- you also can just tell me what shift you're able to help out with, and I can put your name down.

Friday, setup 7am-8am Lorraine, Atsuko (Lorraine has to leave from 7:45 to 8:15), ___________
Friday, concessions 8-11 Atsuko, Jessica (after 8:30), Mary Anne
Friday, concessions 11-2 Marie, Amy, Karen
Friday, concessions 2-5 Students Tea and Tosca Lanfranconia, Dottie, __________
Saturday, setup 7:30-8am Lorraine, Atsuko
Saturday, concessions 8-11 Atsuko, ______________, ____________
Saturday, lunch (setup and serve) Atsuko, ____________, _______________, _______________, ______________
Saturday concessions 1-3 Atsuko, ______________, _______________

Many thanks to Sherri Parmley, who has volunteered to make the big Costco run for supplies before the event. Thanks also to Kim Barber and Dottie Andrews for handling hospitality for the band directors, and Atsuko Russell for helping co-ordinate the snack concessions. Also - thanks to: Amy Taylor, Karen Reed, Jessica Tyeryar, Mary Anne Mulligan, Marie Sudik, and students Tea and Tosca Lanfranconia for signing up to help already.


If you check out SignUpGenius, please send me your feedback . . . is it easy to use? would you recommend using it again? etc. I think it's a cool idea, and I hope it could make organizing future events easier (and more fun!).

Finally, two notes:

(1) I invite you to attend the 3pm concert on Saturday, February 6 - and spread the word to friends and family. It's such an impressive accomplishment when - after a day and a half of rehearsals - these talented young musicians perform a top-notch concert.

and (2) congratulations to all the band students who did so well at this year's Science Fair! I don't have a complete list compiled yet, but it was truly an impressive number of band students who received top honors at the Science Fair. Well done!

As always, if you have questions, or suggestions, or concerns, please feel free to get in touch with me -- I'd love to hear from you.

Humbly serving our kids,
Lorraine Monaco
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Tuesday, January 12, 2010

HSS Band 2009-10.47 Happy New Year: All District Band coming up; no tiny tots; trip payment

Hi Band Boosters, and Happy New Year!

I have to admit I've been adjusting to the New Year a little slowly (wasn't that long vacation just great?!?!?)

So - here are some things to catch up on:

Tiny Tots at Fr. Belvoir was snowed out this year. We may try to arrange a visit to Ft. Belvoir in the spring to do a mini-concert. Stay tuned for more info.

Trip Payment: The third payment of $172 was due on January 4. Our busy Treasurer is putting together the adjustments from credits for tag day and fruit sales, and will get those adjustments to us before the final payment is due on February 4.

And, now, for the Big Item . . .
Hayfield has the opportunity/pleasure/honor of hosting the All District Band Festival again this year, on February 4-6.
This is where students who were selected at auditions held in December come together with guest conductors and rehearse for about 13 hours over two and a half days and then put on an amazing concert. The concert is scheduled for 3pm on Saturday, February 6, so mark your calendar now.

As the host school, we provide food and snacks for the students and the directors ~ and this is where we could really use your help. (This message applies to all band boosters: wind ensemble, symphonic, marching band, drumline, etc.)

For the students:
We provide a concession stand for students to buy snacks during their breaks on Friday and Saturday. Additionally, on Saturday, we sell pizza so students who don't leave the school at lunchtime can purchase lunch. (We will get an approximate count of students who want to purchase pizza on Friday to know how much pizza to order.) The concessions include water, soda, candy, chips, etc. If someone has a Costco membership, we could definitely use your help in purchasing the needed concessions (you'll be reimbursed). We need to fill these positions:
Costco Chief - someone to purchase items from Costco
Snack Czar - someone to be in charge of set-up, signs, etc.
Worker Bees to help staff the concession table and pizza lunch during the day Friday and Saturday (we'll set up 2 or 3-hour shifts through the morning and afternoon)
Pizza King - to organize the pizza lunch

For the directors:
We do a hospitality suite for all of the directors/staff. This involves breakfast and lunch both Friday and Saturday. Breakfast and lunch
volunteers help bring in bagels/doughnuts and coffee/juice on Friday and Saturday mornings, as well as a lunch for about 35 directors/staff members. Kim Barber and Dottie Andrews have offered to help with this, but they will need volunteers to help with set-up, serving, etc.

Anyone can volunteer: parents, students, relatives, kind strangers! (If any students are looking for service hours for any reason, there are shifts after school Friday and on Saturday too.

FYI - Schedule of Events
Thursday: 5p-7p percussionists; 7-9pm reading session for all bands
Friday: 8:30am - 5pm Rehearsal (with lunch from 12:30-1:30 and breaks at discretion of directors)
Saturday: 8:30a - 11:30 Rehearsal , 11:30-1 lunch, warm-ups 2-3; concert 3pm

If you can help out, please let me know. This is a great opportunity for the Hayfield band community to shine!

Finally, here's some scheduling notes from the band web site:
Tuesday, Jan. 12: jazz band 2:30 - 3:30
drumline 3:30 - 6:00
Thursday, Jan. 14: jazz band 2:30 - 3:30
drumline 3:30 - 6:00
NOTE: Next week, Wednesday evening rehearsals begin for Wind Ensemble: Jan. 20: 6-8pm

If you have questions, suggestions, ideas -- or you just want to say "hi" -- please feel free to get in touch with me!

Humbly serving our kids,
Lorraine Monaco
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Monday, January 11, 2010

Message from FACE: Reminder of meeting tomorrow; January 12

Lots of good info about the meeting tomorrow: directions, philosophy, and more!
- Lorraine
 
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Denny Stokes <denny.stokes@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Jan 10, 2010 at 5:33 PM
Subject: An earnest request
Greetings Friends.

As you know, the FACE rally takes place this Tuesday, 7:00 pm, at the Center for the Arts, George Mason University.  I am sending this last email, asking each of you to personally consider the thoughts below, and to share this communication with everyone who would join us in helping to preserve the elementary instrumental music program in Fairfax County.

Ours is a remarkable county, made so by remarkable people who are "doers," in the community, the nation and beyond.  It is also a community of very busy people.   I write this reminder tonight, knowing that many want to help in our efforts, while still tending to the myriad responsibilities of careers, families...and booster groups!  In this setting, a most understandable sentiment could well be: "I'd be happy to help in any concrete way possible, I understand the needs, and I don't really need to be 'rallied'."

Nothing could be further from the truth.

The reality of our dilemma is that there really are no "bad guys" in this process.  I am sure, that under different circumstances, our superintendent, our school board, and our county board of supervisors would have no interest in taking on the thorny, difficult, heart-wrenching decisions such as (but not limited to) cutting elementary instrumental music.  And yet, here we are.

If I, like they, had to answer to the electorate every few years, I would be paying close attention to these issues, hoping to sort out that which is a "want" from that which is truly visceral in the hearts of the community.  I would be impressed by a cogent, thoughtful articulation of the value of music education.  But I would be compelled to action by the presence of throngs of people, each one of whom represent the wishes of many more voters.  As I see it, it is our job to help make it easier for our leaders to do their job, to find the ways and the means to continue the current music instruction, even in these difficult times. 

Do you matter in this process?  I have performed many times at the GMU Center for the Arts.  It is a lovely facility.  It is also BIG.  A thousand people will not fill it.  Two thousand will make GREAT video!   Yes, you matter.  The car-load of people you bring with you matters.  A room full FACE tee shirts, uniforms and school colors matter.  There will be decision-makers at the rally, specifically to gauge the "level of energy," as I was told today.  What will they find?

The rally itself will be most informative, and will help equip everyone with the rationale and facts needed as we move into the upcoming decision-making process.  Everyone who attends will hear words of hope, while also making the powerful statement of a determined electorate.  

I hope you will find a way, to find the time, to find yourselves in Lot K, George Mason University next Tuesday, in time for our 7:00 pm rally.  Need directions?  Here you go: http://faceadvocacy.org/GMU_Map.pdf.  Need more information?  Please visit www.faceadvocacy.org

Remember, we can have whatever we want, if we're willing to work for it, and sometimes, fight for it.  As we work to save elementary (and in reality, ALL) music in Fairfax County, the time for planning has ended.  The time for action is upon us.

See you Tuesday!
D

--
Denny Stokes