Mid-January Marching Band / Winter Percussion / Winter Guard News

Updates to previous information:

We will not be participating in the MLK365 “Marade” on Monday, January 21st. They just sent the logistical information today. Students I spoke to last Saturday at the drum / spin-a-thon said it was more important to spend that day studying for their finals, which begin the next day. The timeframe required for the event would have been 6 am to about 1 pm, including a 5 ½ mile march.

Also, a reminder that the call time for the concert this Wednesday, the 16th, is 6:30 pm. The marching band will start the program with the Star Spangled Banner and close with General Mitchell March and a drum cadence. The concert is required as part of students’ semester final. Extra credit is given for each person attending on your behalf. Booster parents in the lobby will have the sign-in sheets.

Our next basketball game is Tuesday, the 22nd with call time at 6 pm. Please bring study materials for your 3rd and 4th period finals. We will be done by about 8:30 pm. The game on the 30th is cancelled because they flipped the home and away dates for McClatchy and we were not given enough lead time (1 ½ days) to re-schedule our appearance. The game on Tuesday, February 5th is still scheduled.

Please remember to return your uniforms in their garment bag ASAP. There is a rack in the music room, just hang it up. Guard ladies; remember to put your uniform on a hanger. Everything is numbered, so we know what was checked out to whom.

The winter guard schedule during finals week is: Tuesday the 22nd and Thursday the 24th from 1 – 5 pm.

The winter percussion schedule during finals week is: Wednesday, the 23rd from 1 – 5 pm and Friday from 5 – 9 pm.

Everyone needs to get in their drum / spin-a-thon donation money ASAP so we can plan and order needed equipment/supplies.

Thanks for a great season! I’m looking forward to seeing family and friends at the concert this Wednesday.

Early January Music Notes - a new year and upcoming events ….

Our Winter Concert is Wednesday, January 16th at 7PM in the large Theater. The groups performing are the string orchestra, concert, symphonic, and marching bands. Call time is 6:30PM. We anticipate the concert lasting about 90 minutes. Students wear their black RHS Music t-shirt and dark bottoms; concert attire is issued next semester. Please note the Theater Etiquette on the reverse side adopted by the RHS Arts Dept. and approved by administration. Everyone is welcome. Students receive extra concert credit for each adult that attends on their behalf! Sign in at the lobby table before the concert.

It is a required concert, as stated in the syllabus/handbook, including staying for the entire concert. Since the concert is a culmination of the semester’s work, it comprises 30% of each student’s final semester grade. Plus, each student completes a written evaluation of every group, which is a national standard for music and one reason my classes are designated college prep.

In addition to the concert, students will perform in-class an etude or exercise out of their home etude book beginning January 17th as part of their semester final. Students may not use any music given by me. Students should have purchased their etude book as per the syllabus; the cost is under $10.00.

Students are asking about their next Disneyland trip payment. Thank you to those who made or raised money for their first payment. Additional fundraisers are scheduled in March and April. Currently, we have enough students to almost fill 2 buses, so I anticipate the total cost to be slightly higher than the estimate, between $395.00 and $400.00 for the 4-day, 3-night event. This amount will be confirmed in early February after the 2nd payment is in.

To reserve a space on the trip (on the bus and in the hotel), the student’s balance due must be no higher than $290.00 by the end of January. A copy of your child’s account is stapled to the copy of this sent home with your student with the current amount due highlighted in yellow. Otherwise, your student would be placed on a waiting list, which does not guarantee participation.

The RHS boosters or student music club will be sponsoring an electronic waste collection (e-waste) as a fundraiser. It will be on Saturday, January 12th from 8 am to 1 pm in the RHS front parking lot. Please support us by donating old electronics and get them out of your way at the same time! Items with a screen, like televisions, laptops, and computer monitors, are the things that earn money, but all electronics are accepted. We cannot take appliances. The list of approved items is on our website: www.rhsmusic.net

E-Waste Fundraiser

Please get the word out to neighbors and work offices that the E-Waste Fundraiser for the Music Boosters is Saturday, January 12th from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the front parking lot at RHS, located at 9594 Kiefer Blvd.
Click here to see a list of acceptable E-Waste Items:
http://www.rhsmusic.net/E-Waste_Acceptable_Items.pdf

Letter to Winter Percussion and Winter Guard Participants

Welcome! You’ve made the awesome decision to join Winter Percussion and Winter Guard for the 2012-13 season. For musicians, you'll either play in the battery (snare, tenor, bass, cymbals) or the pit (mallet, keyboard, general percussion, guitar/bass).
The instructors are Mr. Matthew Kwong - battery (mjkwong@ucdavis.edu) and Ms. Micaela Rayray - pit (micrayray@gmail.com).

The MD (Music Director, like Athletic Director) is Mrs. Robin Wilmer. (rosemontmusic@gmail.com).

The music and drill are written especially for our group, by Mr. Chris McCoy, our drum instructor last year, with staff collaboration.

Weekly rehearsals: Mondays 3:00 – 6 pm, Wednesdays 3 – 5 pm and Fridays 5 – 9pm in respect for the time of all students including athletes. It is expected that non-athletes go home on Fridays and do homework. Extra lunch sectional rehearsals can be called by the section leaders, or instructors. As we approach each competition, extra rehearsals are called in advance and posted.

Each Friday rehearsal is vital. To fully learn their parts and how they fit into the whole, everyone must be present. Students needing to miss a rehearsal or portion thereof need to submit a signed note from their parent a minimum of one week prior to rehearsal.

Our competition schedule is:

• Friday – Saturday, Jan. 11-12: Drum-a-thon (our camp). Information on separate sheet.
• Saturday, February 16th -- Enochs in Modesto (all day). Saturday, March 9th – Woodcreek, the second day of the Science fair in the evening.
• Friday, March 15th – Del Oro – evening competition.
• Saturday, March 23rd – Elk Grove (all day). This is the first day of Spring break.
• Friday, April 5th - NCBA or locally sponsored show, probably hosted by US!!

Absences for rehearsals during competition week will only be excused for serious and compelling reasons (i. e. extreme illness, death in the family). Absences will not be excused for competitions. If you know you cannot make one or more of the above competitions, do everyone, including yourself, a favor and withdraw now from the winter percussion squad.

Fees: Unlike other schools, there are no fees for entrance into winter percussion. ASB paid our entry fees. Students will be dressing in a costume appropriate to the theme determined by the music. All students must have the black marching band shoes to wear. If you need to buy a pair, please see Mrs. Wilmer for details. Students are asked to pay $25.00 to cover food for the five competitions served by the boosters.
Students are also asked to participate in the drum-a-thon fund raiser to help offset the cost of writing and producing the drill for the show. The drum-a-thon takes place Jan. 11 - 12 and will be our “winter percussion camp. ”

Drum / Spin-A-Thon is set for January 11th – 12th 2013

Rosemont HS Drum / Spin-A-Thon is set for January 11th – 12th 2013. All proceeds will help fund Rosemont HS Winter Activities, such as competition expenses or equipment purchases. Pledges can be made per hour or through a flat amount. Ex. $1.00 X 10 hour Drum / Spin-A-thon total due: $10.00 or any flat amount. Rosemont High School will be filled with music as the Rosemont High School Winter Percussion drums and mallets strike while the Winter Guard spins at the Rosemont Drum/Spin-A-Thon. The goal is to raise at least $2500. Please plan to donate and participate! Thank you!

Friday Hours -- 3:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Saturday Hours -- 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Late November Marching Band News: Life After Marching Season

Fall marching season came to a close with the TOC at Fairfield. We improved our score each competition and placed at TOC, something we had not done before. We did a great job with those dedicated students interested in marching. All groups, the block, guard and percussion took more risks this competition and, as a result, can take pride in our accomplishments. The guard kept SMILING through the rain! I am SO proud!

We have “banked” extra class minutes for 7th period due to the additional rehearsals and performances. Each student needs a minimum of 90 “seat hours” for class credit per semester. To finish the semester, our 7th period schedule is Mondays from 3 – 4:30pm only for those not in winter activities. Roll for students in winter activities will be taken every Monday too. Winter percussion meets Mondays from 3 – 6pm, Wednesdays from 3 - 5pm and Fridays from 5:00 – 9pm with their first meeting November 26th at 3pm. Winter guard will meet Mondays & Thursdays from 5 – 9pm with their first meeting November 26th from 5 - 8pm.

We have a minimum of 6 more performances for everyone this semester. They are:

• Tues. Jan. 8th – basketball game v. Valley
• Wed. Jan. 16th – Winter Concert. Call time 6:30pm.
• Mon. Jan. 21st -- MLK 365 Marade (march & parade) – this is currently tentative
• Tues. Jan. 22nd –basketball game v. Johnson
• Wed. Jan. 30th -- basketball game v. McClatchy
• Tues. Feb. 5th – basketball game v. Burbank
• A women’s game to be determined (TBD) -- this is currently tentative

Call time for the games is 6pm wearing black RHS music shirt and jeans. On the 8th, we will turn in marching uniforms, and then go to the game.

We need all students to double-check with me to insure all their fees are paid. Unlike other marching programs, we do not charge a separate fee just to march. The school fronted our bills for the shoes and gloves. The boosters cooked and served all our meals. Please check your equipment fee forms given out in October. Pay Mrs. Burt for any equipment and pay the food fees to Mrs. Wilmer. Both will give you a receipt.

We are very grateful to our parents who supported us with their presence and help on competition days. We need MORE PARENTS to get involved so our program can continue to grow! Thanks again for all your support of the RHS Wolverine Marching Band & Color Guard.

Mrs. Wilmer, staff and the entire student leadership team.

Music Boosters can now take PayPal contributions!

Now when you visit this site, you'll see a donate button like the one below. Anyone with a credit card or a PayPal account will now be able to donate to the Music Boosters just by clicking on the button. If you know someone who would like to help us make our music program the best it can be, please ask them to consider making a donation!

RHS Music Boosters, a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization