Festival is coming soon!

Hello band and orchestra students and parents,

I hope you are staying healthy or recovering well. Wash your hands and get plenty of rest.

Here are few reminders and updates.

1. Tomorrow is a symphonic orchestra rehearsal for everyone who is in orchestra, be sure to be there at 7:00 a.m.

2. Take your instruments home on Friday for pep band (6:30 p.m. at the Civic), to practice for band/orchestra festival, and also to continue work on State Solo and Ensemble Festival.

3. Symphonic band has had so many absences due to sickness that we are going to squeeze in one extra rehearsal on Monday morning at 7:15 a.m. to help prepare for band festival.

4. Just a reminder that these are the festival dates and times. Symphonic Orchestra is on Wednesday, February 26 and Symphonic Band is on Thursday, February 27. See the detailed itinerary for those days here.

5. Symphonic band and symphonic orchestra will need their concert uniforms at school on both of these performance dates. Please set reminders for yourselves. :)

6. Here are recordings and notes about a few of the pieces for festival. It might help you with your at home practice this weekend.

Thank you!

Mr. VB

--

	Scott Vanden Berg | Director of Instrumental Music Holland Christian Schools 956 Ottawa Ave. Holland, MI 49423  web: hollandchristian.org  blog: http://vandenbergnotes.blogspot.com school: 616.820.2805 | cell: 616.212.8867 Equipping Minds and Nurturing Hearts to Transform the World for Jesus Christ

Get ready for a long weekend!

Dear band and orchestra students and parents,

Great work solo and ensemble festival students! Here are a few announcements and reminders.

1. Band/orchestra festival is right around the corner and we have a ways to go. I highly recommend that everyone take their instruments home this weekend so that they can practice. It is also a great idea to keep plugging away at State S & E stuff.

2. All orchestra students remember our rehearsal on Thursday morning at 7:00 a.m. in preparation for festival.

3. We will have a Disney FastPass sign up time on Wednesday, March 4 at 7:30 a.m. for all students who would like to participate. This is a great chance to sign up for rides with friends and know that you won't have to wait in long lines for some of your favorite rides. This link explains more about what the FastPass is.

4. Don't forget that we have a Florida Trip meeting for students and parents on Monday, March 9 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the HC auditorium. You will get to meet your chaperons, sign consent forms, and learn about what to pack and what not to pack.

5. Only $378 left to go on the Florida meter.

6. Here is the State Solo and Ensemble Festival sign up form, this is due Wednesday evening.

7. Congratulations to the 52 HCHS band and orchestra students participated in the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association (MSBOA) District Solo and Ensemble Festival on February 8, 2020! All of these students received one of the top two ratings. They all did so well!

Because of their outstanding performances, these 44 individuals qualified to perform at the MSBOA State Solo and Ensemble Festival on March 14, 2020. Congratulations to Elise Bol, Maddie Brink, James Bruxvoort, Emma Chase, Nathan Disher, Julius Dykhuis, Daniel Dykstra, Matthew Dykstra, Nicole Fishell, Jacob Haan, Haleigh Honeck, Jackson Horjus, Quinten Huffman, Megan Kamper, Daniel Koning, Parker Lambers, Paige Lampen, Audrey Luce, Jenna Ly, Jaclyn Meyer, Samantha Meyer, Sam Nicely, James Oosterhouse, Paul Quinn, Emily Rogalske, Jack Rutherford, Aliah Smith, Jamin Smith, Isaac Snyder, Braden Stradley, Kristen Sybesma, Stella TenBrink, Noah Tinholt, Loden VanDeWalker, Ella Vanden Berg, Claire VanDuinen, Tucker VanRegenmorter, Shawna Veenstra, Justin Vikstrom, Rachel Vroegop, Karis Walters, Katy Westra, Elizabeth Winn and Joshua Woolsey.

Congratulations to our fine musicians!

Solo and Ensemble Festival, A Special Concert, Early Orchestra rehearsals

Dear band and orchestra students and parents,

Thank you for your wonderful support at the Hoops and Hoopla event! We were able to raise over $2500. 

We were also able to eliminate one bus for our return trip to Michigan which cut our costs by $800 and as a result we only need to raise $693 to meet our goal. Let me know if you are someone you know is willing to help us take us to the top of our chart.

1. I am so excited for the over 50 solo and ensemble students taking part in the MSBOA Festival at Zeeland High School this Saturday. They have grown so much in the last few months as musicians.

2. The Holland American Legion Band is giving a 100th Anniversary Gala Concert on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. at the Jack H. Miller Center for the Musical Arts. The band performs with a trumpet soloist (Scott Thornburg), who has performed around the world, a World Premier of a new composition, the music of Sousa and Holst and much more. 

This is a great pre-Winterfest Dance activity or a great event for parents of students who are dancing. :)

3. Since the orchestra is performing at festival as a full orchestra we will need to rehearse with our full orchestra on Thursday, February 13 at 7:00 a.m. and on Friday, February 21 at 7:00 a.m. These rehearsals will include the normal symphonic orchestra woodwind/brass/perc, but also all string musicians.

Because of this rehearsal there will be no normal jazz orchestra rehearsal on Thursday, February 13.

Thank you!

Mr. VB

--

	Scott Vanden Berg | Director of Instrumental Music Holland Christian Schools 956 Ottawa Ave. Holland, MI 49423  web: hollandchristian.org  blog: http://vandenbergnotes.blogspot.com school: 616.820.2805 | cell: 616.212.8867 Equipping Minds and Nurturing Hearts to Transform the World for Jesus Christ