NEWS FOR THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 10, 2018

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ALL BANDS

Last Chance to Audition for Bob Cole

Applications for the Bob Cole Honors Festival at CSULB are due by this Friday, December 14. See more information here.

MARCHING BAND

Photos at the Pier This Wednesday

Call time is 7 am sharp at the Santa Monica Pier this Wednesday morning for the group photo in full uniform. Please bring your Dinkles and socks — and don't forget your bronze medals! You will change into your uniforms when you get there.

>> See picture package descriptions

>> See order form

Winter Concert Rehearsal

In preparation for the Winter Concert on January 15, the marching band will practice their show music during the A-period exam slot on Tuesday, December 18, from 7:12 to 9:12 a.m. Mr. McKeown will also schedule one afternoon rehearsal after winter break. For the Winter Concert, marching band students will play after periods 1, 3, and 5, and they will wear regular concert performance clothes (tuxes/black dresses).

Florida A&M Marching Band Coming on Dec. 29

The Florida A&M University (FAMU) marching band, the "Marching 100," is coming to Los Angeles to participate in the 2019 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade in Pasadena on New Year's Day, and Samohi is welcoming them to use the field for rehearsal on Saturday, December 29.

This would be a great opportunity for any marching band students who are in town to earn volunteer hours and see a great show band at work. Mr. McKeown is also working on arranging a clinic with the band from around 12-2 pm that day. Those interested in attending and/or volunteering should contact Mr. McKeown directly.

>> Read more on the Marching 100 on their website!

>> See their 2018 halftime show on YouTube.

Marching Band Banquet at El Texate

Plans for this year's marching band banquet have been finalized. Students and staff will enjoy an early dinner at El Texate restaurant on Friday, January 18, at 4:30 pm. Afterwards, parents and family members are invited to join the students in the Samohi cafeteria for a potluck dessert and awards party at 6:30 pm. A signup sheet will be circulated in January.

We are grateful that the restaurant's owner, Michelangelo "Michael" Marcial (whose daughter is an alumna of the marching band program), has offered to serve dinner to our entire marching band, color guard, and staff, free of charge! We do recommend a $5 tip per student.

Marching Band Varsity Jacket Fittings

For our varsity marching band students (three or more years), we will have a jacket fitting this Friday morning from 7-8 am. Students who earned their varsity letter last year need to bring it to be sewn onto their jacket. In order to get a price break on a group order, we need at least 12 students who are interested in ordering. The group price for the jacket is $205 (polyester sleeves) or $235 (leather sleeves).

SUPPORT THE BAND'S TOURING PROGRAM

Bands at the Broad • Tuesday, February 5 • The Broad Theater

Silent auction, wine, and cupcake bar at 6 pm • Performance at 7 pm

( Did you know? For every adult ticket you buy, you get a FREE student ticket!)

You are invited to join the Samohi Wind Symphony and Wind Ensemble at the beautiful Eli and Edythe Broad Stage for our 7th annual benefit concert and silent auction, Bands at the Broad! This is our main fundraiser to support the Samohi band touring program, which benefits all students. Tickets go on sale on Monday, January 7, and we have an exciting program in store! 

Bands at the Broad will include a raffle for a one-of-a-kind quilt, which was lovingly handmade especially for this fundraiser by Rebecca DiMundo, mother of Wind Ensemble trombone player Natalie. Raffle tickets for the quilt will be sold at the Winter Concert as well as at Bands at the Broad. You need not be present to win.

As the holidays approach, please keep our Bands at the Broad silent auction in mind. We would love gift certificates to restaurants or hotels, tickets to sporting/cultural events, items donated by local merchants, time at a vacation home, and/or lessons or experiences you can share.

We are asking each Wind Symphony and Wind Ensemble family to bring in two auction items and at least one bottle of wine valued at $30 or more for a wine raffle. Students and families in other bands are also welcome to support our band touring program with donations and volunteering!

WIND ENSEMBLE ROME TOUR

Third Tour Payment Due

Tour payment number three, for $1,000, is due on December 21, 2018. This is the final payment for the Rome Tour. Please try to get it in on time, as we need the funds to make payments to the airlines and to our tour operator!

>> Click here to pay online with a credit/debit card or PayPal.

>> Click here to download and print a payment stub for check payment.

The Spaghetti Challenge

To help fund the Wind Ensemble Rome Tour, brave volunteers raise money to get cold spaghetti and sauce dumped on their heads! You can donate to someone, or nominate someone to get spaghetti'd, by clicking here.

SPRING MUSICAL PIT ORCHESTRA

'Side Show' Rehearsals Underway

"Side Show" had its first rehearsal last week. Participating students are encouraged to join the (students-only) Facebook page, "Samohi Pit Orchestra 2018-19." Note: Starting in the spring semester, Pit Orchestra will be a graded class. There will be a mandatory parent meeting in January with more information; please look for the date in the new year. 

IMPORTANT DATES

Please consider the Samohi Bands in your end-of-year giving!

DONATIONS ARE 100% TAX-DEDUCTIBLE

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