April 2023

Band Families,

Happy Spring! It is finally here and I hope you have had a chance to enjoy the weather. While there are not many performances this month, there are several deadlines as well as some extra opportunities that I want to bring to your attention.

SSC Jazz Festival
Next Week (Thursday, April 20), Jazz 1 will go and participate in the South Suburban Conference Jazz Festival at Farmington High School. We perform at 1pm that day, but there is also a mid-day performance by the UMN Jazz Band that we need to leave earlier to attend. Students will be dismissed at 10:15 and we will leave at 10:30. We will be back around 3pm. I am still working on plans for lunch. Stay tuned. If a member from Jazz 2 would like to attend as an audience member, please let me know by Friday April 14.

Lettering
Students can still letter in band! In the past most points were earned attending pep band games, but many students have been earning points by attending outside concerts.You can find the lettering form on lnhspantherband.com/resources. Lettering forms are due April 30.

Indoor Marching Band Concert Photo
While doing spring cleaning, I found that I never submitted the order for the Indoor Marching Band Concert photo. If you would still like one, please fill out this form by Friday April 14.

Booster Scholarships
The Band Boosters will be awarding 2 x $500 Senior scholarships. Winners will be announced at the year end banquet.
Applications are due May 1st. Please check out the booster website or the attached application.
lnhspantherband.com/resources/

Monthly Practice Tip
Consistency: Practicing is building a habit and habits grow with consistency. Find a time and place that you devote to practice and block out all future conflicts. It is easy to want to schedule over that time, so first find a time in the week that you regularly have open. Start slow and work on showing up each day/time-that is the first goal at establishing a good practice habit.

Optional extra opportunities around the area:

Saxophone Day with Derek Brown
Winona State University would like to cordially invite you to our  Saxophone Day with Derek Brown, held on Saturday, April 22. Check in begins at 11:30am, and the final performance will conclude by 5:30pm. Activities include saxophone ensemble performances, workshops on various saxophone techniques, and time to demo new instruments and gear (thanks to Jake from Schmitt Music’s Saxophone Shop!).

Dr. Lohmeyer will also feature Derek Brown in the WSU Jazz Ensemble concert on Friday, April 21 (7:30pm), and I will feature Derek’s band compositions (did you know he’s currently studying with Frank Ticheli?!) with the WSU Bands on Sunday, April 23 (2:00pm).

All events, including the Saxophone Day, are FREE. Welcome!!

Here’s the registration link, and I’ve also attached a poster image with a QR code to the same registration page.

University of Wisconsin River Falls Tuba Performance and Masterclass
Alan Baer (principal tuba of the New York Philharmonic) will be in residence at UW-River Falls in April. He will be soloing with the Symphony Band at 7:30 PM on Thursday, April 13 and then will do a solo recital at noon on Friday, April 14 as part of our Coffee Concert Series. The links provide additional details – as does the attached postcard. It should be a lot of fun – he’s an amazing player!

UMN Marching Band Clinic Day
My name is Daniel Rydberg, and I am a member of the University of Minnesota Marching Band. I am reaching out to you on behalf of the University of Minnesota Marching Band to invite you and your students to our 2023 Band Clinic Day, hosted by our two on-campus band service organizations Tau Beta Sigma and Kappa Kappa Psi!

Taking place on April 30th from approximately 9 am to 3 pm, volunteers from the Pride of Minnesota will lead your students through a day of exposure to Big Ten-style marching!  High school freshmen through seniors are all welcome to participate in this event and learn about what it is like to be in a college marching band.  No prior marching experience is necessary – we will give you a taste of our unique high-step marching technique!

Your students will be involved in a day of music and marching rehearsals, and there will be opportunities to tour the University of Minnesota Campus and engage with current college students to learn more about balancing academics and band.  Directors are invited to attend a Director Roundtable led by the Director of the University of Minnesota Marching Band, Professor Betsy McCann. This is a fantastic way for students to learn about music opportunities beyond high school and interact with our group of talented musicians and marchers.

More information is detailed in the attached documents. Registration includes the Registration Form, Digital Release Form, and registration fee. If you are planning on bringing a group, please fill out the attached registration for your entire group. Students interested in attending on their own should register at z.umn.edu/BandClinicDay23Register. The digital release form can be found at z.umn.edu/BandClinicDay23Release. We are currently offering an “early-bird” registration special for $10 per student until April 7th. After that, it is $15 per student up until the April 19th registration deadline. Lunch will be provided, and dietary restrictions will be accommodated as needed.

Be Bold, Be Brave, Be Strong,

Dr. Wanken