We have another big chunk of things to share this week. Thank you for staying informed!
We had a great clinic with Dr. William Hochkeppel from UL Lafayette on Thursday afternoon. Our students played well, and Dr. Hochkeppel was thoroughly impressed. He shared several ways that our musicians can continue to improve, and he also made sure to encourage ALL of our students to continue playing music, no matter their future plans.
It's official -- the Haynes Jazz Band will be performing next month at Lakeside Mall! We invite everyone to come out and cheer us on at the Vets Skylight in Lakeside Mall.
Saturday, April 15
9:30 am - setup
10:30 am - perform
12:30 pm - tear down
We have several schedule adjustments to our regular practice routine, as follows. Thank you in advance for ensuring that your student is present at every rehearsal as we prepare for our upcoming performances!
Tuesday March 14 - practice in the Gym
5:30 - students arrive and set up
6:00 - practice (special guest Dr. Kelvin Jones, LSU)
7:45 - return equipment to Band Room
Thursday March 16 - practice until 5:00
Thursday March 23 - practice until 5:00
Saturday April 1 -- Set-up and Decorating (times TBA)
Sunday April 2 -- 2:00 Performance
The Taste and Tunes concert and banquet is our largest performance of the year (and our only fundraiser).
WE NEED YOU (Parents, Guardians, Supporters) to be a part of Taste and Tunes! Our students deserve the highest quality instruments and music, and Taste and Tunes is the best way we can provide these items for our students.
We are seeking volunteers to help with each of our four major components: our Raffle, Ticket Sales, Food, and Logistics. We welcome you to join us in whichever role you feel most comfortable. Use the Sign Up Genius link below to secure your place in this year's Taste and Tunes! Several people have already signed up -- add your name soon to make sure that you get the job you want! If you have suggestions for items or ideas not included on this list, please come out to our next planning meeting (details below) and share them with us. We welcome new ideas and input to make this year's event the best yet!
Taste and Tunes Sign Up Genius 2023
We will be enlisting our students to create various forms of Publicity (including posters, videos, etc.) to draw a bigger audience, and we can't wait to share some of their fun (and probably quite original) products!
We will also be issuing tickets online this year, and will be sharing ticket and donation links soon.
We invite all of our parents and supporters to help us plan this year's Taste and Tunes event. Our final planning meeting will be Thursday March 16 at 6:00 in the Haynes Band Room. Again, we welcome new ideas and perspectives to help us continue to grow and improve this event. Thank you in advance for participating!
Members of our Haynes Drumline will be participating in this year's Dance Team Showcase on Saturday March 18! We encourage everyone to come out and cheer on our amazing dance team and our awesome drum line!
Saturday, March 18
1:30 - students arrive and set up
2:00 - showcase begins
4:00 - showcase concludes, put equipment away
We have received our schedule for this year's LMEA Large Ensemble Assessment, to be held at Chalmette High School. Due to festival limitations, we will only be able to bring our High School Band this year (along with select Middle School students)
Tuesday March 21
9:00 -- depart Haynes
9:45 -- arrive Chalmette HS and unload
10:00 -- warmup room
10:30 -- perform
11:00 -- sight reading
11:30 -- depart Chalmette HS
lunch tba
1:45 -- arrive Haynes
We have also received this year's schedule for Parish Festival. We invite all of our parents and supporters to join us at the East Jefferson High School auditorium to cheer for your favorite young musicians!
Please note that Middle School and High School groups will perform on different days. Lunch arrangements for Middle School are tba.
High School Band (Wed. March 29)
8:15 - check in to 1st period, then report to Band Room
8:20 - load bus
8:25 - depart for EJ
8:40 - arrive EJ
9:00 - perform
9:40 - watch Meisler MS
10:00 - depart EJ
10:15 - arrive Haynes, unload report to 2nd period
Middle School Bands (Thu. March 30)
10:30 - students report to Band Room (quick lunch)
11:00 - load bus
11:15 - depart
11:25 - arrive EJ
11:45 - 6th grade warm-up (on stage)
12:15 - 6th grade perform
1:05 - 7th & 8th warm-up
1:35 - 7th & 8th perform
2:05 - load bus
2:15 depart EJ
2:30 - arrive Haynes
Our Jazz Band One will again perform for the Bill Evans Jazz Festival at Southeastern La. University in Hammond, on Thursday March 30. We will again be asking for our parents to provide transportation. Here is our tentative schedule:
2:30 --- depart Haynes
4:30 --- warm-up
5:15 --- perform
6:00 --- dinner (details TBA)
8:00 --- return to Haynes
The Haynes Academy Band has again been invited to perform for the Special Olympics Track and Field Meet at Pontiff Playground on Friday March 31! Watch for permission forms soon.
9:15 called out of class
9:30 depart for Pontiff
9:45 in our seats
10:00 event begins
11:00 return to Haynes
11:30 go to 3rd period
Our Solo and Small Ensemble Festival has been moved to early April. We will post the new dates when they have been finalized. We invite all of our supporters to come out and see us in action! We will post our final schedule when ready.
Students may pick up their ordered shirts and sweatshirts at any time. Thanks to everyone who purchased a shirt, and who wears it proudly to show their support of the Haynes Academy Band!
We encourage everyone to attend one or more of the meetings listed below, and to advocate for Band and Music in our schools. Please share your positive experiences, and advocate for improved facilities for ALL of our Jefferson Parish musicians.
Our High School Band has resumed our weekly practices on Tuesday and Thursday until 5:00 pm. Attendance at these practices is required to participate in future performances. Thank You to all of our students who attend every rehearsal!
We will have Concert Practice on Tuesday and Thursday as we prepare for the LMEA Assessment. Please note that we have only four rehearsals to prepare for our Festival, so attendance at every rehearsal is imperative. We will continue to work on Overture Jubiloso and The Witch and the Saint. Thank you for enabling your student to be present!
No matter your school of choice, Band is one of the most fun and rewarding activities you can join. You will immediately make tons of new friends, find a "home" on campus, and become an active member of your school community from Day One. Most schools also offer some form of Band Scholarship for participating in Band. (Many of these scholarships are not related to being a Music Major -- instead they are focused on students who just want to PLAY FOR FUN!)
We strongly encourage all of our students to explore the musical offerings at your school of choice. Please contact Mr. Phelan if you would like additional information.
Our 7th and 8th graders can now play through both "Serengeti Dreams" and "Incantation and Ritual" as we prepare for our upcoming festivals, and we continue to improve both individually and as a group. Please ensure that your student has their own copy of Essential Elements Book 2, so they do not fall behind.
Over the next few weeks we wil be pulling these students together during their lunch period to assemble our tunes
Remember: Focus on one measure at a time as you learn.
We invite our Middle School musicians to join us for High School Band practices on Tuesday and Thursday.
We are working on "Asturias," and will perform this fun piece for festival in March. We have added a second piece for festival, called "Character." And, ... THE SAXES FINALLY GET THE MELODY!!!!! We also continue to progress forward through our Essential Elements books, and are learning new things every class!
Every student should have their own copy of the Essential Elements for Band Book 1, as well as a supply of reeds, valve oil, etc. Please let Mr. Phelan know of any instrument problems or concerns.
We invite our Middle School musicians to join us for High School Band practices on Tuesday and Thursday.
We look forward to seeing everyone soon!