Spring Trip 2017

Dear Parents,

This update is a chance for you to all get a glimpse into what we do during our annual spring trip. Of course, to truly experience it, your student has to be there. Keep striving for the best in music and your student will experience an opportunity like this in middle or high school.

Wednesday
After a full day of school, we departed at 3:30 PM and enjoyed a scenic drive through the eastern Sierra, arriving in Anaheim around 1:00 AM.

Thursday
We slept in and woke up to a perfect day for a beach party. Kids roasted hot dogs, s'mores, and swam in the ocean. For some, this was their first ever time seeing the ocean!

The Band

The band, plus all chaperones and siblings

After the beach time, we went to Cerritos College to rehearse and have a clinic compliments of Dr. Betancourt, director of bands. 

Dr. Betancourt working with the band

Our day concluded with a pizza dinner and swim time at the hotel.

Friday

We woke up bring and early, heading to Dale Jr. High for a performance with Mrs. Urquidez, my first band director who taught me how to play alto saxophone when I was 9. We played for her band, she played for my band, we played a few songs together, and then we sight read each other's music! 

The combined band

Me and my first band director, Mrs. Urquidez!

After that, it was off to the park for even more fun! Students and parents spent the day together and rode rides, ate delicious food, drank lots of water, and used gallons of sunscreen! We then went backstage and performed our soundtrack clinic. Unfortunately, I was not allowed to take photos. Students sight read through 3 songs and then listened to their masterpieces behind actual film clips!  

Saturday

This day was perhaps the most amazing of them all. The day began warm when we checked out of the hotel, and it only got hotter as it went on. As I was having lunch, I opened up this good omen: 

As I told the nervous students: if they did their best, they'd make me proud. Well, they did just that! The performance on stage was incredible, despite the high temperatures and windy conditions. I absolutely mean it when I say that THEY COULD NOT HAVE PERFORMED BETTER!

Check out the temperature immediately after our performance! 

The performance is on our facebook page, so feel free to like our site and enjoy the concert for yourself! They handed us a plaque backstage and the guide told the band that they were one of the best behaved groups she has ever had. She also said that their performance made her day, and they are  amazing musicians. We will be invited back next year! All we have to do is submit their phenomenal performance to Disney Performing Arts. They presented us with a plaque and we were free to enjoy the rest of the day at the park. 

Even with warm temperatures and the parks at capacity, the students and parents still had a blast. We left at 11 PM for the overnight return trip and got home just this morning. 

Thank you so much to all the parents for supporting this trip. From paying for your student, to chaperoning, to donating items, it wouldn't have been possible without you. We were able to give the students a top-notch experience that they will never forget. 

Look for another update tomorrow with reminders about this week's concerts. We will end the year on a very positive "note." 

-Mr. Jacques

The Final Push...

Dear Parents and Students,

It's strange to think that in less than 3 weeks, the school year will be over.  What a year it has been! Our spring concerts are next week, and we will take some time to share all of this year's celebrations, play some fun music, and hand out a few awards.  Read below, find the ensemble that is important to you and your student, and take a look at their progress, as well as final events. Please note: all concerts are located at CMS.

Jazz Band
This year's jazz band has been a force to be reckoned with. After receiving the highest festival ratings in the history of the band's existence, they have truly become unstoppable! We have a high-energy set of songs to perform for you at their final concert.  Call time on May 24 is 5:45 PM and the concert begins at 6:00 PM.    View additional details here

Intermediate Band
Intermediate Band will be performing one of their festival selections, along with 2 other songs that they have picked up in the last 6 weeks. Their concert is on May 23rd. It begins at 5:30 PM and their call time is 5:30 PM. View additional details here

The 6th and 7th graders in this band will also be performing on June 2 for 8th grade promotion. Call time for that is immediately after school, and they will be done at 2 PM.  Attendance at both functions is mandatory, and I will have a handout with more details shortly.

Beginning Bands
This is the first Beginning Band group to finish the book! They are hard at work preparing the songs that earned them "Superior" ratings at their first ever band festival, plus 1 bonus song that they have prepared over the past 3 weeks. We also include the 5th grade band members, who perform at the beginning of the concert. Their concert is on May 23rd. It begins at 5:30 PM with the 5th grade bands.  Call time is also 5:30 PM.  View additional details here

The 6th and 7th graders in these bands will also be performing on June 2 for 8th grade promotion.  Call time for that is immediately after school, and they will be done at 2 PM. Attendance at both functions is mandatory, and I will have a handout with more details shortly.

Concert Band
This band has performed at a record 3 festivals this year! Concert Band is performing the songs that earned them "superior" ratings at their most recent festival, plus a bonus song that they learned over the last 3 weeks. But wait, there's more! We also include the 5th grade band members, who perform at the beginning of the concert.  Their concert is on May 23rd. It begins at 5:30 PM with the 5th grade bands.  Call time is also 5:30 PM.  View additional details here

This band is also performing on June 2 for 8th grade promotion.  Call time for that is immediately after school, and they will be done at 2 PM. Attendance at both functions is mandatory, and I will have a handout with more details shortly.

Advanced Band
Once again, this band can do it all! They have learned 4 new songs since their festival in March. They will perform these, as well as the songs that earned them "Superior" ratings earlier in the spring, at their spring concert. Their concert is on May 24th. It begins at 6:00 PM and their call time is 5:45 PM.  View additional details here

The 7th graders in this band will also be performing on June 2 for 8th grade promotion. Call time for that is immediately after school, and they will be done at 2 PM.  Attendance at both functions is mandatory, and I will have a handout with more details next week.

On Wednesday, I'm off to southern California for some fun in the sun and great performances with Advanced Band members.  Look for detailed information in handouts, and I'll update everyone once I'm back from the trip.  During the trip, I'll be available through email, so as always, let me know, as always, if you have any questions.

-Mr. Jacques-

The Final Countdown...

Dear Parents,

It's definitely time for an update. We had a couple successful jazz events, and once we return from testing, it will be time for the home stretch of band events to close out the 2016-2017 school year.  Read on for information on our final events of the year.

Northern Zone Jazz Festival wrap-up

On April 25, the Jazz Band performed at Pau-Wa-Lu Middle School in Minden. These students performed quite well, and as the only middle school band participating, they hung right in there with the high school groups. We had a great time listening to other local talent, and some students even danced along to the steel drum ensemble!

Reno Jazz Festival wrap-up

First of all, a huge congratulations goes out to the Jazz Band for their best ever performance in the Reno Jazz Festival! They earned 1 "superior" rating and 2 "excellent" ratings! They were also the only jazz band from the northern zone, and performed right alongside the best jazz bands in the country.

Advanced Band Spring Trip

The Spring Trip is approaching fast.  Students are hard at work preparing their music.  Their Code of Conduct form needs to be brought back with a student and parent signature as soon as possible.  They will also need to return a signed grade check form with teacher signatures or they will not be allowed on the trip. This step is to ensure that all teachers support the students missing school and that the students are giving their best efforts in all classes.

We will also have after school rehearsals for all participating students. These rehearsals are mandatory. We will meet at the following times:

Tuesday, May 2: 2:30-4:30 PM
Wednesday, May 3: 2:30-4:30 PM
Thursday, May 4: 2:30-4:30 PM
Tuesday, May 9: 2:30-4:30 PM
Tuesday, May 16: 2:30-4:30 PM

Spring Concerts

These concerts are the final performances of the year for all ensembles.  These performances are mandatory.

May 23: Beginning Band, Concert Band, and Intermediate Band

Concert begins at 5:30 PM in the CMS cafeteria.  Call time will be 5:15 PM.  At 5:30, band members from Fritsch, Mark Twain, and Bordewich Bray Elementary Schools will perform.  Immediately following their performance will be the combined Beginning Band and Concert Band, followed by Intermediate Band.  The concert should be finished by 7:00.  There will also be a bake sale and a special award ceremony for students in all groups that you won't want to miss!

May 24: Jazz Band and Advanced Band

Concert begins at 6:00 PM in the CMS cafeteria.  Call time for both groups is 5:30 PM.  Jazz Band will begin, followed by Advanced Band. This concert will be a tour de force that you will not want to miss!  There will also be a bake sale and a special award ceremony for students in all groups.

Jazz Band Camp

Also this year, I will be hosting a jazz day camp on the mornings of June 7, 8, 9, 12, and 13.  The concert will be on the night of June 13 as they open for the Mile High Jazz Band. I will have more information about this event within the next week.

Advanced Band and Jazz Band auditions

Auditions for Advanced Band and Jazz Band will take place beginning May 25. I will have more information about the audition process within the next week.

Stay tuned!

-Mr. Jacques-