Encore - October 2018

OCTOBER 2018 - Volume 1 -

Encore The Newsletter of the Mid-Prairie Band Program Director's Corner

Greetings from the band room and welcome to our first Mid-Prairie band newsletter! This newsletter will bring you updates from our program 5th-12th grade including student achievements, performances, upcoming events, and alumni news. Newsletters will be sent out every-other-month via email (October, December, February, April) and will include an issue in May with highlights from the year. We hope you enjoy!

Yours in music, Norman Brooks, Lauren DiGiorgio, and Dave Kunz

Fall Festival Despite the rainy weather, on Friday, September 28th the 7/8th grade and high school bands gave energetic performances at Fall Festival. 7/8 band performed "Shut Up and Dance" and "Sweet Caroline". Next the high school band performed music from their field show Queen with "Don't Stop Me Now", "Bohemian Rhapsody/We Are the Champions", and "Bicycle Race" (including actual bicycle bells!).

Upcoming Events and Performances Oct 6: HS Marching, Wilton Festival of Bands Oct 11: First 5th grade band rehearsal after school Oct 13: HS State Marching @Pella Oct 16: Fine Arts Booster Meeting @MS, 7pm Oct 18: First 5th grade band rehearsal Oct 23: Stadium Echos, @HS 7:15pm Nov 9: Select MS/HS students to River Valley Conference Honor Band, concert @Regina, 7pm Nov 13: UIowa Band Extravaganza (7-12th grade optional evening event) Dec 11: 5/6 Band & Choir Concert @MS, 7:15pm Dec 13: 7/8 Band & Choir Concert @MS, 7:15pm Dec 17: HS Band Concert @HS, 7:15pm

Alumni Spotlight Travis Ford Class of 2012 6-12 Director of Bands at Maquoketa Valley Combined 7/8 band and HS band playing the Star Spangled Banner at the Oct 28 Football Game (courtesy of Collette McClellen)

7/8 Band performing Shut Up and Dance at Fall Festival (courtesy of Virginia Santiago Crespillo)

HS Band from their first football performance (courtesy of Virginia Santiago Crespillo)

7/8 Band performing at Fall Festival (courtesy of Casey Peck)

What do you think is special about the Mid-Prairie band program?

There are so many opportunities that are given to you and you just have to take them all in. Whether it’s playing at Fall Festival in middle school to going to jazz band and marching band competitions in high school, to solo/ensemble and large group contest there is so much you can be involved in, and it all starts from the bottom. From 5th grade onward you’re constantly given opportunities to do more every year, and you can be involved in everything. I was involved in speech, theatre, and choir.

There was always a way to do it all which was very cool. continued on page 2

Alumni Spotlight: Travis Ford continued...

What is one of your best memories from being in the Mid-Prairie band program?

One of my favorite memories was from Update: Band Uniforms my senior year. We were at a marching Thanks to a grant from the Washington County Riverboat Foundation we are closer to band competition, I believe it was the reaching our $35,000 goal to purchase new high school band uniforms!

Wilton Festival of Bands and the previous year we had gotten 9th place out of 9 in We are still $10,000 away from reaching our goal. I would like to ask that you, as the class 2A. Not a great year, but the next parents of current and future students in the Mid-Prairie High School band program, year we ended up getting 1st place over all. consider making a donation to help with the cost of purchasing new uniforms. Any amount Taylor Troyer and I were up accepting the would be appreciated by the MP Fine Arts Boosters, the students in the band program, award since we were drum majors, but and myself. All students in the Mid-Prairie High School band program will wear the supposedly as soon as Mr. Kunz heard the uniforms, not just the marching band students. news that we took the whole competition he jumped up and said, “worst to first!” which If you are willing to make a donation to help defray the cost of purchasing new uniforms, is just awesome. To see the progress that please send a check written out to the Mid-Prairie Fine Arts Boosters with “uniform we made in that year and flipping donation” written on the memo line. Checks can be mailed to the Mid-Prairie Fine Arts everything around was definitely my Boosters at the following mailing address: favorite memory!

Congratulations Mid-Prairie Marching Band for earning 4th place out of 11 bands and Outstanding Drum Major award at the Wilton Festival of Bands!

Mid-Prairie Fine Arts Boosters Brenna Goode, Treasurer 3254 V Ave Wellman IA 53256

What advice would you give to the current musicians in our program?

Stay involved, big time. I know that transition from middle school to high You will be recognized (if you wish) for your donation in band programs at upcoming band school can be tough for a lot of different concerts. reasons, and marching band can sometimes be something students look at Thank you for your consideration and help, and think “Woah, I don’t know if I’m ready David Kunz for it,” but just do it. Just go for it and take that opportunity, because those 4 years are going to go by fast. When you’re in college sometimes you get those opportunities, but often you can’t do as many things. So, take the chance and go out of your comfort zone.

$10,000 left until we reach our goal!

$17,500 from The Riverboat Foundation

$7,500 from Fine Arts Booster Fundraising & Donations

$35,000