Weekly Band News December 6 – December 11

  • Link to Instrumental Music Google Site: https://sites.google.com/oldham.kyschools.us/ochs-instrumental-music-2020-2/home
  • We will be auditioning for positions in our All County Band in the coming weeks; the plan is to hold the event later in the spring semester, with live, socially-distanced rehearsals culminating in either a virtual or in-person concert performance. Additional information can be found on Google Classroom. Link: https://forms.gle/tphiyc3EBH8SybLd8
  • The next band booster meeting will be Monday, December 14th at 7:00pm via zoom.  The link and meeting information is below.  We hope you will attend!

SEATING AUDITIONS

Seating auditions for our two concert bands and percussion students will take place virtually from December 7-14 (Monday-Monday).  Auditions involve the performance of audition excerpts on your instrument and a chromatic scale, recorded on your device of choice and uploaded through Collabra.

The audition "assignment" appears in each student’s Google Classroom To-Do list; clicking on the assignment will take them directly to their Collabra account where they will find the assignment with an upload link for the file they create.  

As a reminder, I’m attaching the audition requirements for woodwinds, brass, and percussion instruments; these have been accessible for several weeks.  

The primary purpose of auditions is to help me know where individual students are in their musical progress.  Normally, I would have heard them play individually in May (even the incoming 8th graders) and have placed them in the proper concert band class based on that audition.  COVID kept that from happening, so this is actually my first opportunity to really hear each of them play something of significance by themselves.  

Freshmen (and some upperclassmen) will struggle to perform the music at an "all-district" or "all-state" level, and that’s ok; very slow tempo, etc. is not necessarily a bad thing–slow, steady and note-accurate is better than hurrying and not representing the technical aspects as well as you can.  

Not attempting to perform the music at all would be unacceptable, though.  The music has been available for several months; students have had ample opportunity to work through it and get prepared for this.

Below are the required items for OCHS Band auditions.  Auditions will take place during the week of December 7th-14th (Monday-Monday). 

You will record your excerpts and required scales/rudiments in "one take" using the Collabra App; all will have THREE opportunities to record these elements and CHOOSE your best take to submit for final evaluation.  Each attempt will have a maximum length of twelve (12) minutes to get it all in.  Your performance will be evaluated by both myself and Mr. Centers, with each of us having equal weight in your final grade. 

YOUR SUBMISSIONS WILL BE ANONYMOUS until evaluation is complete.  Due to the “online” nature of the submissions you will be making, sightreading and scales will be evaluated as a separate assignment from the excerpts and chromatic.

Your audition is graded as an individual performance evaluation.
 
SEATING Auditions for Symphonic I/II (December 7-14)
 

You will perform and submit using Collabra (alternatively record with a device and upload to Collabra as a video file):

Chromatic Scale (full range WW; brass demonstrate range); up and down

Both audition excerpts for your instrument

(separate assignment, to be announced) Sightreading and major scales (2)


SEATING Auditions for Percussion Techniques (December 7-14)

You will perform and submit using Collabra (alternatively record with a device and upload to Collabra as a video file):

Primary audition excerpt (your choice—snare/mallets/timpani)

Secondary excerpt (snare/mallets)

Chromatic scale (two octaves); up/down

(separate assignment, to be announced):

Sightreading, Snare Drum Rudiments and scales

Long Roll; 5 stroke roll; flam; paradiddle (all played open-close-open)

            Two (2) major scales (two octaves); up/down

NTI / REHEARSAL SCHEDULE

SCHOLARSHIP AUDITIONS

ScholarshipAuditions.com is offering a free 90 -day subscription.  This may help open a door for summer enrichment or continue moving toward students college and career dreams. Given our current situation, students and colleges/camps are turning to virtual solutions to connect with each other.

The Gift: a 90-day free premium subscription to ScholarshipAudition.com which includes…

  • An online performance portfolio to showcase your talent and achievements to college and camp faculty members searching for talented students

  • A secure messaging platform to host the conversations required to connect with college scholarship decision makers and camp enrollment directors

  • A valuable library of resources to assist along your journey

You can learn more and find ScholarshipAuditions.com’s offer HERE.

NTI Daily Schedule (periods 1-3-5 M + Th, periods 2-4-6 T + F)
 
10:00 am – 10:45 am Period 1 (Monday/Thursday) or 2 (Tuesday/Friday)
11:00 am – 11:45 am Period 3 (Monday/Thursday) or 4 (Tuesday/Friday)
12:15 – 1:00 pm Period 5 (Sym. II; Monday/Thursday) or 6 (Sym. I; Tuesday/Friday)
1:15 pm-3:45 pm Office hours, virtual lessons, etc.
 
Wednesdays (remediation day, Advisory with period 4/Jazz ensemble)
10:00 am-10:30 am Google Meet with 4th period; attendance and advisory items
11:00-noon/1:00-3:30 Office Hours, small group virtual collaboration, individual lessons

Rehearsal Schedule:

ALL REHEARSALS ARE CANCELLED THROUGH DECEMBER 13TH. 

PHOTO COORDINATOR

We are in need of a new photo coordinator.  

Responsibilities include: 

  • Coordinating volunteer photographers to help take photos at games and concerts and compiling on Facebook.
  • Compile/organize at least two photos per band member either individually or in a group.
  • Take senior photos at the beginning of band season for buttons given to parents on Senior Night.  Buttons can be made at Oldham County Arts Center.
  • Organize the end of year slide show to be shown at the banquet with music from the band throughout the year. Other volunteers/parents can assist with music they have recorded.

Please email [email protected] if interested.

CORPORATE SPONSORSHIPS

Last year, many outstanding businesses and corporations supported the Oldham County High School Band by donating goods and services for our marching and concert 2019-2020 seasons. The entire band and our many football game and concert attendees had the benefit of their generous support as they enjoyed each of our band’s musical performances. We were–and are–very grateful for their support!   Corporate Sponsorships are $500 annually and the fee may be waived in exchange for services and goods that help to make the band successful each year. Examples of these goods and services include donated catering services, printing services, uniform cleaning services, web hosting services, and sign and banner production services. If you are interested in sponsoring the OCHS band for the 2020-2021 school year, please contact us. Or if you’d rather speak in person, I’m happy to stop by and talk through how your business can support our band this year.  Please use the following link for additional information. https://ochs.band/donation

BAND DIRECTORY

An OCHS Band Directory will be compiled and published among the band members this fall.  Participation in the directory is completely voluntary.  If you wish to be included in the directory, please complete the online form found at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc90cDQcWD-kq8hvgu3xEPjxbhYdNuG0Rz6UqCnMbOX8yjfxA/viewform

BAND BOOSTER LEADERSHIP

Board Members for 2020-2021
President – Chad Adams
Vice President – Brandon Gossett
Secretary – Sandy Walker
Treasurer – Lisa Zahradnicek
Senior Member-at-Large: Sonya Cook
Junior Member-at-Large: Katie Fuller
Sophomore Member-at-Large: Stephanie Skeens
Freshman Members-at-Large: Natalie Dorris and Kristin Goodloe

BAND BOOSTER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

We are need of the following volunteers. Please contact [email protected] if you are interested.

  • Alumni Coordinator
  • Photo Coordinator
  • Volunteer Coordinator
  • Web Back-up Support
  • Other shadowing opportunities are available. These allow you to learn the job this year so that you can do it next year!