Odem Bands – Schedule Week of 11/26/2018
We hope everyone had a restful Thanksgiving Break! This week is going to be a light week for the Odem Bands, but we do ask that you please pay close attention to the upcoming events. We will also be running our Sponsorship Fundraiser this week and next. More information about that is found below. We will have our All-Region Auditions and Winter Concerts coming up in the next few weeks. Please see each event below. There is information for both the JH and HS students this week.
OJH All-Region Practice Lock-In/Party – December 4th
The Odem JH Bands will have their practice on December 4th for their All-Region Auditions. This is event is for all eligible students in Symphonic Winds and the students who have chosen to go from Concert Band. Mr. Williams will be sending out more information this week about the event. We need 5-6 parents to help out that afternoon/evening from the beginning of the event until it ends. Please contact him for more information! (We still have time to do background checks this week if you haven’t completed one)
All-Region Auditions – December 8th
The students from OJH and OHS who are auditioning for the All-Region Bands will need to be at their locations by 6:30am on Saturday, December 8th. OHS students AND OJH PERCUSSIONISTS will be leaving from the OHS Band Hall. All other OJH Students will be leaving from the OJH Band Hall. We have students meet at those locations to even out the bus loads.
We will depart and have our junior high students begin signing in at the high school by 7:30am. Our directors will have a meeting and begin auditions as soon as we can after that. Traditionally the JH auditions finish up between 1:30-2:30pm. When all JH auditions have concluded we will send the buses back to the JH Band Hall for those students to be picked up. We do need a parent who can travel with the students to ride back/follow the bus with the OJH Students to get them back at that time. Otherwise we will need them to stay with us. Please contact Mr. Williams if you are able to help out with this!
For both JH and HS students once they have completed their auditions they may be picked up from West Oso, just be sure they sign out with our designated sponsor. HS Band students otherwise will return on the last bus between 4:30pm and 6pm. The contest has what I believe to be a record number of entrants, so it is tough to pin down an exact time the contest will finish.
All students who are entered in the contest must attend. We have paid an entry fee for each student and they are expected to be there. At both the JH and HS we will have some extended hours of practice most days this week for students to receive help.
Students who make a spot in the All-Region Bands will then participate in the All-Region Band Clinic/Concert next weekend on Friday, December 14th and Saturday, December 15th. The concert will begin at 3:30pm on that Saturday.
OJH and OHS Winter Concert – December 13th
The OJH Beginning Band, Concert Band, and Symphonic Winds will perform their Winter Concert Beginning at 6:30pm on December 13th. The OHS Band will perform their Winter Concert following theirs at 7:30pm, or a ten minute intermission after the OJH Bands. We will provide full arrival times for the concert next week.
Please note that the OJH Beginning Band also has a rehearsal on December 12th after school until 5pm at the OHS Cafetorium. This will be the only time they are able to rehearse with all of the classes together and is a mandatory graded event. Please make arrangements for rides so that students can attend.
Concert Attire OJH Students:
Gentlemen: White Button Down Shirt, Black Slacks, Black Belt, Black Dress Shoes, Black Socks, and tie (Preferably solid Navy Blue)
Ladies: Black Blouse, Black Slacks, Black shoes.
Concert Attire OHS Students:
Gentlemen: Black Long Sleeve Button Down Shirt (with top button unbuttoned), Black Slacks, Long Black Socks, Black Dress Shoes.
Ladies: Black Blouse, Black Slacks, Black shoes. (All Black, no colors)
Screeching Owl Jazz Band 10th Annual Winter Evening of Jazz – December 18th
The Screeching Owl Jazz Band will conclude the Odem Bands Concert Season on Tuesday, December 18th at 7:30pm in the OHS Cafetorium. As always it’s a fantastic evening of holiday favorites, jazz standards, and desserts! We hope you’ll keep this date on your calendar!
Sponsorship Fundraiser
Tuesday we will pass out our annual Sponsorship Fundraiser to students in grades 6-12. Our goal is to raise funds for several items this year. For high school students participating there will be funds applied towards the 2020 Washington DC Trip.
We have two other main functions for the funds this year, bringing in specialists on students’ instruments to run clinics with students, and providing some other performance opportunities for students. Please reach out to your employers, relatives, and any other connections you may have. This fundraiser has traditionally been one of our stronger fundraisers through the year. Donors have their names listed in the program, or corporate sponsors receive their ad in the program. We are on a short time frame this year so we ask that you please help us with this! If a corporate donor needs more time please let us know and we’ll work with that. Thanks!
This Week’s Odem Band Hall Schedule:
Monday: Band Hall Open Until 4:30pm for Region Practice
Tuesday: Band Hall Open Until 4:45pm for Region Practice
Wednesday: Band Hall Closed at 4:10pm
Thursday: Band Hall Open Until 5:00pm for Region Practice
Friday: Band Hall Closed at 4:00pm
As always please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. We appreciate your support of these amazing students!