Alpharetta High School

The GMEA District 5 Honor Band event will be held February 10-11, 2012 at Chattahoochee High School.  The schedule and details can be downloaded HERE. Pleas be sure your $25 registration is paid by Monday, checks payable to AHS Bands.  Dinner is included Friday night; Lunch Saturday is on your own, or you can purchase pizza at CHS - 2 slices and a drink for $5.00.  The concert on Saturday night is FREE and open to the public.  We have 36 AHS Band members in the ensemble, so we are well represented.  Hope to see you there!

Final Disney trip payments are due this week.  Please pay your balance now.  If you are not sure what your balance is, please email Mr. Walsh.   Details are are almost complete but cannot be finalized until all payments have been made.  Spring Break is gonna be GREAT!!!

The 7th annual Alpharetta HS Winter Band Clinic (February 3-4) is the “next” big event - it is THIS WEEK.  This event is required for ALL BAND MEMBERS.  It is an exciting time when we hire a tremendous staff of professional musicians to instruct our program for a weekend, free of distractions.  There is a teacher for every instrument.  Each student will have the opportunity to work in sectionals with a professional on their instrument and work in rehearsals under the baton of a college Band Director. Our primary goal for the weekend is to make a leap forward on the music we have selected for LGPE (large-group-performance-evaluation), which is at the end of February and involves all bands.  Our conductors for the weekend are Dr. David Gregory and Dr. Rodney Dorsey.  I encourage you to click on their names to learn more about each conductor.  We are very fortunate to be able to bring them to Alpharetta High School!  Parents, you are welcome to visit during the weekend and sit in the theater during rehearsals (each band will rotate between the bandroom and stage for full ensemble rehearsal times).

Parents, the schedule begins Friday at 4pm and runs until 9pm, dinner included.  Saturday begins at 8am (breakfast for early risers) and concludes at 12:30 for Symphonic Band 2, concludes at 3pm for Symphonic Band I, and finishes at 5pm for Wind Ensemble. All Bands will get Lunch on Saturday.  Download the schedule for the weekend. Got a question?  Email Mr. Walsh.

NOTE:  LGPE preview concert is next Thursday February 9 at 6:30pm in the AHS Theater.  All 3 concert ensembles will perform for a panel of adjudicators.  This concert will be open to parents and friends.

Parents and Students: Want the AHS Band calendar to sync with your cool new iPhone / iPad calendar?  It can be easily done.  This is an EASY way to stay informed and up to date on band events.  It does not override anything you personally add.  It simply adds Band events from our website calendar to your personal calendar.

Open your computer: go to iCalendar app, clinck on the Calendar button at top, and click on the first item in the dropdown menu (subscribe).  This is under settings, “add account,” “other,” “add subscribed calendar” on our iPhone and iPad.  You will get an open window asking for a URL to subscribe to.  Copy this link and past into that window:  https://www.google.com/calendar/ical/walshmi1%40comcast.net/public/basic.ics

All Band events will now be added to your iPhone or iPad!  Of course you can manage events as you’d like, but you will stay up to date as events are added and modified.

DROID USER (like me)?  You have google calendars on your phone already.  simply go to your settings menu on your DROID, accounts and sync, then at the bottom “Add account”, sign in, then add raiderbandman@gmail.com  This will get you the Band website calendar events to your google calendar!

On Saturday January 7th we had 35 Band members travel to Houston County High School for the State-level and final audition for the 2012 All State Band.  I am proud of each student who auditioned on Saturday.   The Final Results have been posted.  A complete listing of the entire All State Band will be posted in the band building.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING 9 BAND MEMBERS:

Sarah Balch - 5th chair Flute 11-12 Band; Katie Brattain - principal Bass Trombone (11-12 Symphony Orchestra, second Bass Trbn pick overall!), Hannah Butler - 9th chair Flute 11-12 Band; Esther Hwang - 1st chair Flute 9-10 Band; David Hwang - 3rd chair Bass Clarinet 11-12 Band; Morgan Minyard - 2nd chair Bassoon 11-12 Orchestra; Jane Snyder - Clarinet first alternate, 9-10 Band; Danielle Zervakos - 17th chair Clarinet 11-12 Band; Jessie Zhang - 4th chair Flute 11-12 Band.  You guys ROCK!

We are so very proud of each of you - you make Alpharetta Bands SHINE!!

The All State Band will meet / rehearse in Savannah, GA on March 1-3, 2012. The performances will be on Saturday March 3, 2012 at the Savannah Civic Center.  Hotel arrangements have already been made; mode of transportation has been secured.  Cost will be announced soon.  Specific details forthcoming.

Parents, we are currently in need of someone with experience and expertise in building professional websites.  Our current website is ready for a “facelift!”  There are several aspects of the site that need to be more steamlined and brought up to date with current technology that is available, and some parts that need to be password protected, thus creating public and private areas.  In short, our website is the face of our program, and we want it to be sharp.  If you or someone you know is in the business of web design and is willing to donate their time and efforts for a GREAT cause (our kids), please forward their contact information to Mr. Walsh via email asap.  THANKS!! 

Congratulations to the following students who auditioned for the All State Band and PASSED the required audition for the GMEA District 5 Honor Band.  The Band will rehearse on February 10 and 11, and perform on the evening of Saturday February 11 at Chattahoochee High School.

9-10 Honor Band:  Ryan Baill, Taylor Baker, Ricky Barillas, Bruce Chu, Joey Elenglickal, Adam Fultz, Madeleine Greenfield, Savanna Hewitt, Esther Hwang, Eddie Koh, Jane Lee, Jane Snyder, Ananya Sundararaghavan, Carly Woodring, Diana Ye, Josh Yi

11-12 Honor Band: Sarah Balch, Katie Brattain, Hannah Butler, Abigail Gardner, Hanah Heyerdahl, Jarell Holliman, Ben Horne, David Hwang, Austin Kunis, Ryan LeQuier, Bernice Lin, Michael Longacre, Morgan Minyard, Josh Morales, Pratik Patel, Alyes Pratt, Amanda Richards, Q Richardson, Giovanni Sessoms, Danielle Zervakos, Jessie Zhang, Jackson Zurca

The Concert will be at 7pm and free to the public!

Congratulations to the following AHS Band members who passed round one (district) of the all state audition and will move on to final round two (state) on Saturday January 7th at Houston County High School (just below Macon, GA):

Stephanie Bagley, Ryan Baill, Sarah Balch, Katie Brattain, Hannah Butler, Bruce Chu, Anthouny Doud, Joseph Elengickal, Adam Fultz, Madeleine Greenfield, Savanna Hewitt, Jarell Holliman, Ben Horne, David Hwang, Esther Hwang, Eddie Koh, Austin Kunis, Jane Lee, Ryan LeQuier, Jonathan Lim, Bernice Lin, Michael Longacre, Lauren Lucas, Morgan Minyard, Joshua Morales, Alyse Pratt, Amanda Richards, Q Richardson, Brandon Seal, Giovanni Sessoms, Jane Snyder, Ananya Sundararaghavan, Diana Ye, Josh Yi, Danielle Zervakos, Jessie Zhang, and Jackson Zerca.

Parents, please make plans NOW for transportation to Houston County High School.  It is OK to carpool, just be sure that you allow about 2 hours drive time to get there.  Audition times still are TBA, pending the state organization scheduling everyone. Most likely will get schedule during winter break.  Watch website for updated post.

Students, we are PROUD of each of you!!!

The 2012 Winter Band clinic is right around the corner!  The dates are February 3-4, 2012.  We have a great staff of instructors coming to teach that weekend.  Conductors for the weekend will be Dr. David Gregory and Dr. Rodney Dorsey.  This is A REQUIRED EVENT for ALL Band Members.

A tremendous amount of time and effort goes into planning the weekend, which will give each band member REAL facetime with professional players on their instrument.  Please be sure your schedule is clear.  (this event has been scheduled since last April 2011)

Scale tests are being recorded now.  50% of the Band semester exam grade is the scale test.  Be sure your band member is working on scales!  Semester Exams are the week of December 19-22; the exam schedule is available on the AHS school website.

December 20, 21, and 22 are half-days.  GOOD LUCK!!