Fifth grade band members combine for year-end concerts

As we begin to wrap up a successful year, it’s time to make arrangements for our year-end fifth grade concerts. As we have done in the past, the five elementary school bands will combine into two larger groups. The two combined bands will perform in the Ames Middle School Auditorium. Each band will have two combined rehearsals before their performance.

The combined rehearsals are vital to the success of our concert performance. Attendance at our combined rehearsals is mandatory if students want to perform in the combined concert. Please view rehearsal and concert information below, including drop-off, start, and end times. Please drop off your students at the main entrance of the middle school before the combined rehearsals and concert. Drop-off times have been set to allow band students plenty of time to assemble instruments and find their seats in the combined setup. If students are getting a ride from their elementary school, they need to be at their elementary building by 7:15am. At the first combined rehearsal a designated parent will be present in the hallway at Ames Middle School, directing students to the auditorium. After rehearsal, students will be bussed back to their respective elementary school buildings.

Students should wear nice clothes for the concert. Clothes that are appropriate for a wedding or religious service would be good for the concert. Please avoid jeans, shorts, and tennis shoes. Since we’ll be up on a stage, we suggest dress pants, long skirts or long dresses for ladies.

Fifth grade: Combined Rehearsals and Concert Schedule - Edwards, Mitchell, Sawyer

Fifth grade: Combined Rehearsals and Concert Schedule - Fellows & Meeker

Fifth grade: Final Rehearsals, matinee performances and final lesson dates for each school

We will have a matinee performance at each school in the gym as listed below. On the day of the matinee, our rehearsal will be in the gym. Students can wear normal school clothes for the matinee. The matinee is free and open to all to attend.

Students will continue to have weekly lessons until the date listed for the final lesson. We appreciate your support this year with getting students to rehearsals on time and encouraging them to practice!

Middle school students collaborate for Ensemble Festival

Nearly 330 student musicians performed in the Ames Middle School Band Ensemble Festival on March 12, 2019. Students performed with their lesson groups. Each lesson group had been preparing their music since January.

Small ensembles require individual preparation as well as a high level of collaboration within the group. Each ensemble was challenged with not only performing the music accurately, but expressively. Performances were judged based on categories such as tone quality, phrasing, dynamics, and presentation.

Judges for the event were all veteran band instructors: John Gosnell and Arkay Brown of Ankeny, and Steve McCombs of Pella. In addition to verbal and written comments, judges also rated each group with a I+ (Superior), I, (Excellent), I- (Good), and II (Fair). Of the fifty-six performing ensembles, thirty-two earned I+ ratings, twenty earned I ratings, and four groups earned a I- rating. No II ratings were earned.

Special thanks to all parent volunteers and audience members; and congratulations to all our student performers!

Middle School jazz recap

AMS Jazz Bands have wrapped up another successful year. Jazz band is an opportunity to not only learn a different style of music, but to play with instruments not in concert band, and to learn to play improvised music!

Their performance season kicked off with a jazz clinic in January. Both bands performed informally in the auditorium, then worked with AMS alum Louis Dupuis (pictured above left). Mr. Dupuis is now serving as an assistant band director at Urbandale High School. In addition to the full group session, each section of the band also worked separately with ISU jazz students.

The bands next performed on a February concert, then concluded their year with a concert on April 8.

Really? A mattress fundraiser?

The Ames High Band hosted a one-day mattress sale on Saturday, February 9. With a showroom set up in the cafeteria, anyone could buy one of over twenty-five name brand models in all sizes, made to order, with factory warranties. Students will use referral money towards the spring 2021 band trip, with the remainder of the money being used for capital outlay (new instruments). Band director Chris Ewan said, “Going into the sale, we did not have any idea of what this fundraiser would yield, so we did not have a specific goal.” But he was pleasantly surprised. At the fundraiser's conclusion, Custom Fundraising Solutions cut a check for over $11,000 that was placed in the band’s activity account.

AHS musicians earn selection to SCIBA Honor Bands

Eighteen AHS band students successfully auditioned for positions in the 2018-19 South Central Iowa Bandmasters Association Honor Band. Auditions were held Thursday, November 29 at Des Moines Roosevelt High School. The selected students rehearsed at Ankeny High School on Saturday, January 5, with a festival concert that evening. The guest directors for the honor band were Dr. Danny Galyen of UNI and Dr. Mark Whitlock of University of Minnesota Duluth. The following Ames High students were selected:

Pep Band Cheers on AHS and ISU teams

The 2018-2019 AHS Pep Band had a full schedule with appearances at several home basketball games, an ISU women’s basketball game and the Boys State Tournament. A wide variety of up-tempo, spirited music makes this a popular organization at Ames High. Thanks to the students for their efforts!

2018-2019 Pep Band personnel:

Dallas Brass performs at AHS

The AHS band hosted the Dallas Brass for a concert on Tuesday, February 12. As a part of the program, The Dallas Brass performed with the Freshman Band and the Wind Symphony. In addition, the group presented a clinic to all the high school band students during the school day. Since its founding in 1983 by Michael Levine, the Dallas Brass has become one of America’s foremost musical ensembles. The group has a unique blend of traditional brass instruments with a full complement of drums and percussion, which creates a performing entity of extraordinary range and musical challenges. The Dallas Brass repertoire includes classical masterpieces, Dixieland, swing, Broadway, Hollywood and patriotic music. According to Mr. Levine, "a Dallas Brass concert is intended for the entire family. Our ideal audience has a range in ages from 5 to 95. Our goal is to entertain and enrich by playing great music, while showing our audience how much we enjoy what we do."

AHS Band Calendar

For the full calendar, click here.

Ames Band Staff

Andrew Buttermore, Ames High School

Chris Ewan, Ames High School

Ron Ferneau, Ames Middle School, 8th grade

Deb Fritcher, Ames Middle School, 7th grade

Tascha Hauber, Ames Elementary

Paul Tallman, Ames Elementary

Peter Thompson, 6th grade and Ames High School