Spirit of Herndon News
Winter Concert - 12/10
The Annual Winter Concert is on Wednesday, December 10, 2008, 7:00 PM, in the Herndon Middle School Auditorium. See the extended article for schedule and concert attire details.
Spring After-School Rehearsal Schedule - Symphonic and Concert Bands
Starting in January, Symphonic and Concert Bands will have additional after school rehearsals in order to prepare for District Band Festivals. These events are comparable to the SOL tests in academic classes. Please note the rehearsal schedules for your specific section — attendance is mandatory.
HMS Band Parent Shirts
Official HMS Band Parent Shirts are great for showing your Spirit of Herndon support! You can wear them if you chaperone an official band event, or you can wear them at concerts, band activities and on your favorite errands. Parent shirts are red polo shirts with the Spirit of Herndon logo (see the attached image ) and sell for $15 each. Sizes range from men's Small to XXL. Please contact Lynn Gabriel at hmsbandpres@herndonband.org if you would like to order a parent shirt. As soon as we have 12 shirts paid for, we will put in our next order. Don't miss out!
Raffle Donations Wanted
HMS Band students will be performing at the Winter Concert on December 10, 2008 at the Herndon Middle School Auditorium at 7:00 p.m. We will be holding a raffle at the concert to raise money for our band program. If you have a business or a connection to a business and would like to donate a product or service to our raffle, we would love to hear from you! We plan to mention businesses that donate to our raffle at the concert, and we plan to post donating businesses on our web site. We hope you will consider making a donation to our raffle, and of course, we hope you will buy raffle tickets at the concert on the 10th of December.
Please contact Lynn Gabriel at hmsbandpres@herndonband.org if you have any questions or donations for our raffle. We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you all at the concert on December 10th!
Ms. Bonneau in the News - Fairfax Wind Symphony
Ms. Bonneau and the HMS band were recently featured in a short news segment produced by Channel 21 on the Fairfax Wind Symphony. The FWS is a "band director's band" of local music directors and teachers. The band works on music of all grade levels to explore rehearsal techniques and procedures, learn from other band members — and get a chance to play their own instruments!
You can watch the video on the FCPS web site by following this link. Note that you must have the correct video player installed on your computer; see the FCPS video player support page for details.
Jazz Band Schedule
Congratulations to those students selected to be members of the 2008-2009 HMS Jazz Band. See the extended page for rehearsal and performance schedules.
Recycle Your Ink Cartridges and Cell Phones
The HMS Band is recycling ink cartridges and cell phones. Each item earns money that can be used for instruments, music, and specialized instruction. Mailing envelopes are located in the band room, or just send them in with your child and we’ll take care of the rest. Thanks for contributing to our outstanding band program!
Individualized Instructors
Individualized instruction provides an excellent opportunity for student musicians to improve their skills and make the most possible musical progress. Interaction between a young musician and a skilled teacher provides a wealth of motivation and knowledge that can only be achieved through private instruction. Students at all levels can benefit from private lessons:
- Advanced musicians – advanced techniques and extra challenges are possible
- Average level – focus on the musical needs and progressive skills of the student
- Basic level – extra help or “catch up” with progress of band class or grade level
There are many private instructors in our area, and cost and length of lessons vary. The following is a list of local instructors who have worked well with students in the past.
HMS Band Email Lists
The HMS Bands program uses Yahoo! Groups to communicate important information about events, schedules, policies, and other band-related communications. These are an important way to stay informed about band-specific events and announcements. There are a number of groups, including the HerndonMSBand group for general band information, as well as dedicated groups for each individual ensemble. All families of band students who have electronic mail access should register at least one parent's address with both the main group and the group for the student's current ensemble.
