Haines Music Department

There are two events coming up for the Jazz Lab band. Thursday January 22 we will play at the 8th grade vs Faculty basketball game. Details to follow soon. Also we will perform at St. Charles North High School on Thursday, February 12 at 7 pm. The concert will include our Jazz Lab band, our Jazz Ensemble, Thompson’s Jazz Band and the St. Charles North Jazz Workshop with special guest artist trumpet player Tito Carillo. It will be an outstanding night of Jazz at North that evening.

Click here for the letter and permission slip about our trip to Bloomington, IL for the IWU Jazz Festival.

We have entered our busy time of the year. Click here for a pdf of the Tricities Jazz Coffeehouse concert reminders.

I want to first say that I am sorry the 7th and 8th grade students did not get a chance to perform for the school today because of our snow day. If you didn’t get a chance to get your instrument, the school will be open Monday, Tuesday and Friday each week during the break. That is on December 22,23,26 and December 29,30 and January 2.

For all Band students please remember that just after break the quarter tests will be due. For 6th and 8th graders this includes the scales we have been playing as well as song from the method book. The 7th graders have scales as well as a line or two from one of your recent rhythm sheets. 6th graders have the notespellers (lessons 7-13)coming due on Friday, January 16th.

PLease remember that if you would like to play a solo or in an ensemble, the solo and ensemble festival permission slip and money is due on Friday January 9th. The festival itself will be Friday March 20th at St. Charles North High School.

Jazz Ensemble members please take time to practice on all of the music we have been working on as we have a number of performances when we return - Tuesday January 13 at the Tri-cities Jazz Coffeehouse, Thursday January 22 Faculty vs 8th grade basketball game, Saturday January 24- IWU Jazz Festival in Bloomington, IL.

Even with all of these things coming up in January, I wish you all a safe, fun and restful break.
Sincerely
Mr. Swenson

Students recieved the information packet regarding the District’s Solo and Ensemble Festival for Band and Orchestra today. The Festival is Friday, March 20, 2009 at St. Charles North High School. Please click here for the letter and here for the permission slip.

Quinlan and Fabish and PM music companies will be having a sale of instruments, bows, cases and supplies on Nov 24, the Monday of conference week, from 3-7 pm. The sale will be held at Thompson middle school, with the companies in different rooms. Enter the main door and follow signs for your rental company. This is a WONDERFUL opportunity to take the rental credit you have been building up and appy it towards the purchase of a MUCH better instrument that will be your child’s for the rest of his/her life. Both companies have either interest-free or very low interest financing so you don’t have to pay for the entire purchase that night. Within 2 years you could be not paying a monthly rental fee anymore! Also keep in mind that past 6th or 7th grade, rental credit does not accrue anymore, so your best bet financially is to make the purchase now. The other benefits are that the stores come to you, so you don’t have to drive as far, and all the string teachers in the district will be on site to help your student pick out the instrument that is right for him/her. Instruments, cases and bows come in a wide variety of prices. If you have previously purchased an instrument from one of these two companies and want to upgrade, that is an available option as well. And some 6th grade students STILL do not have their green books; these will be on sale too. Hope to see many of you there!

All 6th grade Orchestra students need to be at school this Thursday, Nov 20, at 7:20 AM with their string instruments to perform for the honors breakfast. Students need to come even if they weren’t invited to the breakfast for academic honors. Parents are welcome.

The fall band concerts are coming on Thursday November 20th at Haines. The 6th grade bands will play at 6:30 ( call at 6 pm) and the 7th and 8th grade bands will perform at 8 ( call at 7:30 pm). The concerts will be in the gym at Haines. Dress for the concerts is black pants, shoes and socks and white shirts. Guys shirts should be shirts with collars. Ties are optional.

Also for trumpet players who play in the 6th grade 4B band should purchase a straight mute for the song “Court Festival”. 8th grade should make sure they have a straight mute for the song “Ancient Voices”. All trumpet players should own a straight mute as you will need it sooner or later. The Quinlan and Fabish website said a Humes and Berg straight mute is $12.95. Please call your music store and purchase a mute as soon as you can if you don’t already own one. Please contact us soon if this is not a possibility for your family.

The 8th grade only concert at North HS is on Nov 18 at 7:30 PM. The students need to arrive no later than 6:00 pm, come through door 11, and wear black on the bottom and white on top. The concert will feature Haines, Thompson, and the HS orchestras as well as a combined piece with everyone. The tickets to this event are free, but the directors would like you to print out tickets from this website.

Reminder that the orchestra concert is next Tuesday, Nov 4 at 8:00 pm at Haines in the gym. Please have students arrive at 7:30 and wear their Halloween costumes. If you do not have your child dress up for Halloween please have them pick whatever they would like out of their closet. The concert should not be more than 45 min in length. I look forward to seeing everyone there!