FALL 2008 BAND NEWSLETTER

All the information you need to know for September, October, November!

CHBA CALENDAR AT A GLANCE

 Below are important dates and deadlines to remember in the coming months!

Click here for the complete September, October, November calendars with regular class schedule.

PLEASE WELCOME OUR NEW STAFF

A New Season of CHBA Staff

With retirement comes the inevitable passing of the baton.  The Colorado Honor Band Association is proud to announce alumna Sarah Starbuck, director of Advanced Band in the 2007-2008 season, as the new director of Beginning and Intermediate Bands. 

CHBA also proudly welcomes Steve Martin to our staff as the director of Advanced Band.  Mr. Martin graduated  from the University of Colorado at Boulder and received his Master’s Degree in Conducting from Southern Oregon University.  He is currently the Director of Bands and Orchestra at Falcon Bluffs Middle School in Littleton.

Alumnus Keith Farmer and Orlando Otis will continue directing Symphonic Band and Symphony Winds, respectively.  With such a talented team at the helm, the 2008-2009 Season promises to be a great success!

Kim Bowers joins us as the new French Horn Teacher.  Kim is currently teaching at Horizon Middle School in Cherry Creek Public Schools.

CURRENT EMAIL ADDRESS? 

Please insure that we have a current email address for you at all times, or you will not receive all the Colorado Honor Band information you need.  If you do not have access to email, please also inform us and we will put our communications in the mail.

RESULTS OF THE AUGUST CHAIR AUDITIONS

Results will be posted on the website by Monday, September 1 at 5:00 p.m.  When you report to band on September 8, the individual sectional teachers will have ALL the music and they will also have extra copies.  Please see them first for parts!

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Students in Advanced Band, Symphonic Band and Symphony Winds must notify the CHBA office of their absence.  Do not tell the sectional teacher—call the office.  Several unexcused absences (no phone call) will result in the student losing a chair.  If a student is on leave for an entire semester, and has notified the office, upon return, the student will be seated at the end of the part earned at auditions

PARKING LOT ETIQUETTE

 While parking in the Grant Avenue parking lot can be a hazard at best, it is still appropriate to display good etiquette.  Please do not park in the fire lane, (up against the building), even if you are sitting in the car.  The fire lane needs to stay clear so people can get in and out and more importantly so a fire truck could pull in unimpeded.  We all know it is easier to pull into that space and wait for your student, but please ask your students to walk to you.  Thank you for assuming this responsibility in order to respect your fellow band families and to maintain the safety of our building.

FALL WORKSHOPS

Are you attending the Fall Workshop?  Please be prepared to say Yes or No the week of October 19.

Beginning Band/Intermediate Band/Advanced Band  

Why Attend? Our full staff will be available to help students in sectionals, full band rehearsals and theory sessions.  There will be time to pass lessons, work on concert music, and complete Achievement Requirements.  Don’t miss this opportunity! The fee is payable on or before the day of the Workshop.  (New Beginning and New Intermediate Students have already paid the fee.)  Pick up a map at a rehearsal center.

Symphonic Band & Symphony Winds

Combined Workshop/Concert!     

Our full staff will be teaching sectionals and will be available for lesson and achievement check-off.  We will also feed you lunch! 

JAZZ NEWS

The fall session will start on September 8th.  Any student in the Adv. Band, Sym. Band, or Winds may be in the 4:30 Jazz Ensemble. If you would like to audition for the 5:30 Big Band, please contact Keith Ewer for audition times.  The audition date will be September 8th.  Audition music is located upstairs at Grant Avenue outside our office.  If you were in the 5:30 Jazz Ensemble in the spring, you do not need to audition.  Rhythm section players must audition to be in either group.  Contact Keith Ewer at 720-898-7238 or keith-e@arvadacenter.org. Dr. Lynn Baker will be the Director of the 5:30 Big Band and is the Director of Jazz Studies and Commercial Music Program at the Lamont School of Music, University of Denver.

Summer 2009 BAND TOUR - $3,439.00 – East Coast

The price includes summer camp of 2009.  All students on the tour are REQUIRED to attend camp.  This tour will involve the 4th of July parade in Washington DC, performances at Mount Vernon and Battery Park on Ellis Island, a Master Class at Lincoln Center, and a night at the Theater.  (We reviewed prices for overseas trips, but costs are too expensive at this time.)

Trip Brochures are available in hard copy in the main lobby or office.  A non-refundable deposit of $375.00 will be due Monday, January 21, 2008.  Join us for a lifetime of opportunities & memories!

BAND COMMITTEES

Those of you that have already signed up for a committee, thank you.  If you haven’t done so we would really appreciate the help.  If interested, please give us your name/phone number and email address:  send us your committee choice via email. Committees are:  Monday Night Help, Silent Auction, Percussion Loading, Program Distribution, Sweetheart Ball, and Music Library.  A little bit of your time will be precious to us.  ssmithchba@aol.com.

October 17, 2008 Fund Raising Event

CHBA is having its Inaugural Fundraiser on Friday, October 17^th  from 6:30-8:30pm at Habitat Art Gallery located at 828 Santa Fe Dr. Denver, CO 80204. Tickets are $30 and all funds will go directly to the organization to help pay for instruments, concert locations, band music and teacher salaries.

We are currently seeking corporate sponsors and silent auction items now for the fundraiser. If you work for a company who may want to sponsor, the fundraiser please contact Courtney Walsh at 303-875-9007 or via email at walsh_courtney@yahoo.com. If you have silent auction items such as gift certificates, please contact Kathy Colby at ccolby01@msn.com.

FUND RAISING – King Soopers Neighborhood Reward Program

King Soopers as of September 15 will be asking individuals to reload their own cards and the organization will get the credit once the total re-loads from all participants has amounted to $5,000.00.  We will no longer be able to give credits to your individual band account.  Gift cards may be reloaded at the register or the Customer Service Desk for any amount up to $500.00.  Cards with a zero balance for 90 days will become inactive.  A new card will need to be purchased from our organization.  Your cards are linked to Colorado Honor Band.

SAVE THE DATE

Saturday, February 7 is Grant Avenue Community Center’s Annual Fund Raiser.  We will need volunteers to serve, pour beverages, and wash dishes.  The more the merrier and the quicker it all goes.  We will have a sign-up sheet in the main lobby.  This activity benefits all of us.  The money the center raises helps defray rental costs for us and utility costs, which in turn helps us to keep dues to a minimum.  Thank you for helping with this activity.