Doc’s Blog

I’m reposting my study guide here: Midterm Study Presentation

All excursion forms for those of you who are riding with me to Graduation should be in by now. If any of you students are riding home with a parent, I need an email or a note 24 hours in advance. (just like football season).

Thanks

Dear Band Students,

I’m trying to work with some new technology and I need your help. I have uploaded PDF files of one of our “stands” tunes for next fall. (What I Like About You). I have tried to get it to you in two methods. Please let me know which works or doesn’t work for you. First, you can find your part on this link to my school’s skydrive account: https://skydrive.live.com/#cid=80F1CB9F7059F95B&id=80F1CB9F7059F95B%21105

The second method is to click on the music downloads page on my blog. I’m really hoping the first method works because it took only a fraction of the time to upload as it did on this blog.

Thanks,

Doc

Dear Band Parents and Students,

Here is the information about Loyola’s Summer Jazz Camp from Mr. Mahoney:

Dear People interested in the 2013 Loyola Summer Jazz Camp:
Everything has finally fallen into place for scheduling the Loyola Jazz Camp.  it will be Sunday June 16 – Thursday June 20.
Sorry it has taken so long to organize. I hope you can make your plans to attend, and send in your application and deposits as soon as possible, prior to the deadline May 17, 2013.
If you have received a scholarship to our camp, please send in an application, and any applicable deposits.
I will hold all deposits until May 17 before depositing them. I’m hoping for a good turnout this year!
Thanks for your support.
2013 Jazz Camp
–

Dear Warrior Band Parents and Students,

Thanks again for a great year! All our performances were spectacular! There is only one performance left and that’s graduation. Graduation will be Friday, May 17 at 3 PM at the River Center. I will be driving a small bus for those who may have transportation issues. For those riding the bus, I will have an excursion form for you in a week or so. Also, we will feed those students staying after school (students are dismissed at noon) who will ride with me.

It’s time to get those formal marching uniforms dry cleaned. It is IMPORTANT that you do not leave your good coat hanger with the uniform when you drop it off. The dry cleaners will usually not return it to you! You do need to put your cleaned uniform neatly back on the good, industrial-strength hanger before you return it to school! Everyone should get their uniform dry cleaned before exams begin. Seniors, you have one week!

Also, parents please keep the weeks of July 22 (drum camp) and July 29, free for band camp. Drum camp hours are yet to be determined but they typically begin around 9 AM and go until 2 PM.  Band camp, on the other hand begins at 2 PM and continues until 8 PM. I will get more details about band camp to you in June.

Thanks again to all my band parents for their constant support and help throughout the year. My officers did a bang-up job!  I’m already looking forward to next year. Remember, students, it’s a Disney year, so you may want to begin saving up baby-sitting money and grass-cuttin money now!

Musically,

Doc

Dear Parents and Students,

This year’s Moonlight and Jazz was our biggest and best to date! The concert and the meal were both first class! Thanks to everyone who helped make this year’s event such a huge success!

• Our final concert of the year is this Thursday at 6:30! Students will need to report to school for 6 PM. Our Percussion Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, Combos, and Concert Band will all be performing!
• It’s time to begin thinking about next year. I will be putting together a packet of forms that you will need to fill out in the fall. Let’s try to get these filled out before we leave for the Summer break. Also, there will be doctors on campus, Saturday, May 4, from 8 – 12 to give physicals. There is no fee for the physical! The Sports Medicine Department will accept donations in leu of a fee. Please make your check payable to St. Michael. You may want to take advantage of this as returning students will need to get a physical by August.
• Seniors, Here is an invitation to the Senior BBQ bbq2-1 Please RSVP to Coach Tammy by Thursday of this week!

Whew! That’s a lot of information. I hope it’s clear. If not, just email me or have your child ask me at school

Doc

We are all set for Moonlight and Jazz! The weather will be PERFECT!  The stage has been assembled and we are ready to roll. Just a reminder of today’s timeline. Students and a parent from my 4th hour classes are to meet me at school for 1:30 to load the trailer with items that need to be delivered to White Oak. These will include a very large carpet roll, 9 sheets of plywood, filled ice chests, keyboard, amps, music stands, music, and more. Please bring a pair of work gloves so you don’t get splinters when moving the plywood!

• Rhythm section players need to meet us at White Oak for 2 PM to begin setting up your equipment and working with the sound guy to get things ready for our sound check.
• The rest of the performers meet at White Oak at 3:45 for our 4 O clock sound check.
• We will feed students at 4:30 (ish), depending on how long it takes to do the sound check. The meal has been changed from Canes to a jambalaya dinner, compliments of the Settoons. Hostesses should get there by 4:30 to eat.
• Members of my 6th hour percussion class need to report to White Oak for 7:15 who will assist all performers and anyone else who can help to dismantle the stage and load the trailer for the return trip to school. Again, please bring a pair of work gloves if you have them to prevent splinters. You will also be bringing parts to the scaffold to the trailer, so the gloves will come in handy there too.

We have surpassed our record and will be expecting close to 250 guests! Thanks to everyone who made this possible. Many of you have worked tirelessly to make this year’s Moonlight and Jazz the best ever! I can’t wait!

Doc

Dear Band Parents and Students,

I had to post here just how pleased I was with tonight’s recital. All my students really played well! Many folks commented that it was amazing. I know the Holy Spirit had something to do with it. I hope many of your hearts were touched!

Doc

Dear Band Parents and students.

We have two performances next week. The first is our annual chamber music recital, held April 18 at St. Jean Vianney Church at 6:30 PM. This recital will last approximately 30 – 35 minutes. All band students are required to attend, whether they are actually performing or not. Dress for this will be concert black. We will assemble at the church to setup at 5:15. After setting up (about 20 minutes or so, we will have a quick run-through and will begin our concert at 6:30. This recital is a unique opportunity to hear sacred music composed by some of the masters including Palestrina, Josquin de Prez, and Mozart.

Our second performance next week is our annual Moonlight and Jazz event. While tickets sales are a bit behind last year’s record attendance, we have had a surge in ticket sales this week. Many thanks to those of you who have helped get the word out and have purchased tickets yourselves!  Here is a detailed timeline of what we need to do next Sunday:

1. Students in my 4th hour class, my rhythm section, and a parent will meet me at school for 1:30 PM to help load the trailer with the stage equipment, music stands, keyboards, amps, tables, etc. We will deliver this to White Oak Plantation to set up for our performance. I hope to be completed with setup by 3:30. I need parental help to drive their child from St. Michael to White Oak.

2. Students who will be performing for the event need to report to White Oak Plantation for 3:45 PM. We will put final touches on our setup and be ready for a sound check at 4:00. After our sound check, we will feed the musicians a Raising Canes dinner at 4:30. My four hostesses need to report for 4:30 to eat. They will begin seating guests at 5:00. The concert will begin at 5:30.

3. Members of my 6th hour (and a parent) will report to White Oak for 7:15 to help with packing up and returning our equipment to school. All performers (and a parent) will help with the pack up so we can all be finished by 8:30.

Thanks,

Doc

Dear Band Parents and Students,

First of all I hope you all had a restful, blessed Easter break. This is just a reminder that our big annual fundraiser, Moonlight and Jazz is approaching fast. It’s time for those of us who have been procrastinating (myself included) to get those ticket purchases in. I have attached a copy of the invitation in case you misplaced yours. Remember that we need to get a number to White Oak by April 11, so our cut off date is April 10th.

Moonlight_&_Jazz invite203

Musically,

Doc

We have had a representative from PreSonus visit us at St. Michael a couple of times now to show us some of the uses for new software and interfaces that we will be able to use with the new laptop/tablets next year.  I’ve attached two links of a recording with our Jazz Ensemble. One is the full band recording of Dat Dere, the other is a “rhythm section only” recording. Soloists can practice with a rhythm section accompaniment with the later. Enjoy!

Rhythm Section, Dat Dere

Full Band, Dat Dere