Concert Band Concert
Friday, March 3, 2023
7:00 PM ($5 admission)
This concert will feature all three UHS concert bands. Call time for students is 6:20 p.m. for a 6:30 p.m. warm-up.
Tickets must be purchased in advance at: https://www.j-hawks.com/tickets
The concert will be live streamed at: www.j-hawks.com/live
Hoover Jazz Festival
Saturday, March 4th, 2023
Students in Jazz I and II will perform at the Hoover Jazz Festival on Saturday, March 4th. Students will be required to provide their own transportation to this event. It’s important that students take all necessary equipment home with them on Friday so they have it in preparation for Saturday’s performance. Students participating in show choir will exit Hoover after their performance and be picked up by a show choir bus. We will have a truck in which students can drop off their instruments if they so choose. A full itinerary can be found below.
A student itinerary can be found HERE.
Band and Choir California Tour
Registered students will depart for California next Wednesday, March 8th. An extra rehearsal will take place on March 5th at 7:00 PM. Please make sure students are communicating with teachers and completing all necessary work PRIOR to our trip. A link to our tour handbook can be found below for additional information.
March 5th – Extra Rehearsal – 7:00 PM in the band room.
2022-23 Drum Major Auditions
Drum Major Auditions: Prep Sessions – March 23, 30, and April 6 at 7:00 a.m. in rm. 511. Auditions will be held April 13th. Students will sign up for a specific time.
Audition Materials:
– Vocal Commands (Attention and Mark Time)
– Four Progressive Conducting Exercises (100 BPM)
– Conduct National Anthem + School Song
– Interview With Directors
*Drum majors are required to audition for All State or SCIBA honor band in the fall.They must attend the All State mock auditions in order to continue improving throughout the marching season.
Drumline Auditions
Students interested in playing in the battery-section of the drumline (snare, tenors, basses), should start preparing their audition for submission by April 24th. Exact audition materials will be released in the near future.
Tentative Dates for Fall 2023
**Mark these with pencil**
We are aiming for band camp activities to take place from Aug. 1 – Aug. 14, 2023. Attendance at camp is vital to students’ feelings of success and the band’s quality of performance. Make plans to be home during the camp dates.
We will also rehearse from June 27th – 30th, and July 3 for our performance at the 4th of July Parade.
We are working on next year’s official calendar of events and hope to have that ready in April. More specifics about summer practices and rehearsal dates will be included in the full calendar at that time.
As a reminder, you can subscribe to the J-Hawk Band Calendar electronically using this link:
https://www.google.com/calendar/ical/i7d3csg6oincr3dnp1gqklh97k%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics
Band Placements
Students should be practicing feverishly for 2023-24 band placements, which will take place in lessons from March 27th – April 7th, 2023. Students will be evaluated on scales, music reading skills, tone quality and technique, and history of attendance, attitude, etc. Exact band requirements can be found under the Lessons tab of the band website.
Perry Band Olympics Results
On February 18, 2023, Urbandale High School Instrumental Music Department entered 99 events into the Perry Band Olympics Solo & Small Ensemble Contest.
Results can be viewed here.
Jazz Band I – *New Performance Date!
Jazz I students should add the following event to their calendars. They will be performing at the CORE Street Party on May 13th. There will be live music and food. An exact timeframe will be announced to students in the near future.
PABC Garage Sale
The Performing Arts Booster Club Garage Sale (benefitting the band, vocal, and drama departments) will be held on Saturday, April 15th. Please begin setting aside donations now as you start thinking about your spring cleaning. More information on how to donate and volunteer needs will be available after spring break. Thanks for your help with making this a great fundraiser for Performing Arts at UHS.
Civic Music Association Scholarships
The Civic Music Association of Des Moines was established in 1925. Their mission is to engage, enrich, and educate the central Iowa community through provocative, world-class musical performances by legends and rising stars. They offer some fantastic scholarship opportunities for students offering funding that can be used for music lessons, instrument rentals/purchase, and summer camps/programs. Applications are accepted through April 1st!