April Newsletter/COVID-19 Update

As students are spending more time at home, we hope they are connecting with family and and staying healthy. Music can be a great stress reliever and with upcoming band placements, there is no better time to practice! There will be no additional work for students during this time. Missed lessons (both private and through UHS) will not count against students. Please utilize the following practice resources and let us know if you have any questions!

Upcoming Events:
*Staff will email any changes to the following events due to COVID-19.

Band Placements – April 20 – May 1
Band Placements have been re-scheduled to April 20th – May 1st. Students in grades 8-11 should complete their placement during their regularly scheduled lesson or sign up for a time if they study privately (students in 8th grade will be completing these in their regularly scheduled lessons at UMS).

Jazz Bands Activities
The Earth Day Celebration scheduled for April 24th has been cancelled.

May 5th marks the UHS & UMS Jazz Bands’ final concert of the year at 7:00 p.m. in the UHS PAC.

Awards Concert
The concert bands will perform their last home concert of the year on April 30th.   This will also be the awards concert.  The concert will take place at 7:00 PM in the PAC. Please join us as we celebrate a successful year!

All-State Jazz Band – Results
Congratulations to Reed Andrews for being accepted into the 4A Iowa All-State Jazz Band!  Only two percussionists from across Iowa are selected for the 4A band.

Selection occurs through a competitive recorded audition process.  Percussion students submit a recording of a challenging jazz etude, an improvised solo, and demonstrate their abilities across a variety of styles including swing, funk, latin, and bossa nova.

The All-State Jazz Band will perform on May 14th, 3:30pm, at the Iowa Bandmasters Association Conference at the downtown Marriott.  The performance is free and open to the public.

State Large Group Festival
The State Large Group Festival scheduled for May 9th has been cancelled by the IHSMA due to COVID-19.

Commencement Band
Members of next year’s Wind Symphony will perform for commencement on May 27th.  A complete roster will be posted after band placements are complete.

Drumline – Battery Showcase
Percussionists interested in playing in the battery next fall will have the opportunity to showcase their skills by May 3rd.  Interested students should see a band staff member for details.  Students should prepare the provided snare drum warm up & etude.

Summer Lessons
Summer is a great time for students to get connected with the Metro’s best musicians for lessons.  Students (and their parents) who are interested in connecting with great private teachers this summer should visit with any of the band staff for contact information of the best local pro’s on each instrument.

Dates for Summer 2019-20
The band’s summer schedule leading up to July 4th is posted here. Thanks for adding these to your calendar.
The full calendar of events for the year is in the works.  We will send it out as soon as it’s complete.
Fall Band Camp will start on Aug. 4, 2020.  Please ensure students are back in town from vacations for Camp.  Attendance at camp is vital to students’ feelings of success and the overall success of the ensemble.

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

Fourth of July Parade
The community has long enjoyed the UHS Band students’ participation in the Independence Day Parade.   Please mark your calendars so band students will be available to provide this great service to our community on Saturday, July 4th.  Students will be involved from approximately 8:00 a.m. to Noon.
We hope to see you along the route cheering on the band as they perform for you and the whole community of Urbandale!  

MENU