Upcoming Concerts

After our Winter Concerts, we've got our annual Ensemble Concerts at the end of second term - the 6th and 7th graders will have one together, and the 8th grade and high school puts on theirs together with the Puget Sound tour meeting. We still need to set dates for these. Mr. Smith will be visiting with the admin about conflicting sporting events to set those up as soon as possible, once we've got an idea what the likely playoff dates might be. Any input you have on those dates are welcome.
Our SPRING CONCERT for all four bands (HS Symphonic, 8th Concert, 7th Intermediate, and 6th Beginning) falls on Tuesday, April 19th, and then all four of those bands perform for judging on the morning of Friday, April 22nd.
The Middle School Festival hits JHS on Wednesday, May 4th, and the Awards Concert lands on Monday, May 16th. Everybody participates in both of these!

WINTER CONCERT DATE

The high school Winter Concert will fall on Martin Luther King day, Monday, January 17th, at 7 p.m. in the HS auditorium. The middle school concert is still Thursday, December 16th.

Puget Sound 2012

Give us your input as we plan our next major tour, the SEATTLE 2012 trip!

Tentatively scheduled for spring break of next school year (March 2012), the Ambush of Tigers and the JHS Choral program are jointly travelling to the Pacific Northwest! Here are some of the things we're looking at in the early stages of preparation...

* "Plan A" goes up to Seattle and then across the border into Canada to perform in Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia. HOWEVER, this would require passports, currently running $90-100 per person. Is the cost worth it?

* "Plan B" would still go to Seattle but would also include the Portland region - downtown Portland and the Oregon Coast (Astoria, Seaside, and/or Fort Clatsop, for example). No passport required.

Motels? Gym floors? Combination?

What's the cost limit per traveller? What would be the ONE thing you'd want to make sure we did on this tour? NOW is the time to let us know! READ the poll questions and VOTE!

Update on competition season...

Here's some items about the contests we're going to this October... No word yet on any start times, and nothing at all from Pocatello yet, but at the Mt. Timpanogos show in Utah on October 23rd, there are currently 34 bands (including 9 in 4A) registered to compete! That's going to be a LONG day! We'll arrive around lunch, most likely, and miss some of the smaller bands - not ideal, but we can't wear ourselves out watching ALL the groups.

We're also performing at and with West Side HS in Dayton, ID the night before (veterans, same place we went last year - you were a hit with them!), so we'll leave around lunch on Friday the 22nd.

Finally, I just saw the listings for the (currently twelve) competing bands at Caldwell, and as of this writing there are just two bands in our category...both from the Magic Valley...and the other band's green. Could be interesting.

Pot Luck on Saturday!

Hey, don't forget the POT LUCK PICNIC this Saturday at Candlelight Park (south end of Davis) - 6 pm - Bring the whole family!
COLOR GUARD - please bring the paper goods (plates, plastic utensils, cups, napkins)
FLUTES, F HORNS, LOW BRASS - Side dish
CLARINETS - dessert
SAXES - salad
DRUM LINE - chips
TRUMPETS, PIT - drinks

We want this to be a bonding experience for not just members but Ambush families as well! Please make an effort to join us for food, games, and cameraderie!

simplicity changes

When you come back to the high school on the 23rd, Ambush, I'll have a few minor changes to the music for you (assuming we get a working printer before then!). Flutes, the high D in measure 44 of the opener has been replaced with eighth notes... low brass, new stuff in m. 49-52 of the opener, too.

The drill has been revised, and I'm more pleased with the finished product. Had to completely reconstruct it after losing the original on a broken flash drive, but with the skill set you developed in marching camp I was able to add some pizzazz to the opener and third song's drill work that I think you'll like.

Thank you, JR and Kim Clark!

All those great car washes the Music Boosters put on all summer were thanks to the Clarks and all the wonderful helpers - parents, students, customers, and the community who supports the efforts of the Jerome HS Ambush of Tigers Marching Unit. Today was our last fundraiser of the summer - all registration fees are due on August 23-24 when you sign up for high school classes!

One camp down, one to go!

Great work last week, Ambush! Leave a comment and tell us your impressions of Marching Camp! I'll start... This was the most dedicated group of students I've ever had the privilege to work with at camp. I've had bands work hard and stay focused during the parade - YOU were still focused AFTER the parade!

MARCHING CAMP July 26-30 and Aug 2! PARADE August 3!

ATTENTION ALL AMBUSH of TIGERS MEMBERS! It's time to put the 2010 season together!

Marching Camp meets for six days - July 26-27-28-29-30 and August 2 - at the MIDDLE SCHOOL from 7:30 to noon each day. We will spend the time emphasizing the basics to the point of instinct, but we'll also work on memorization of flagwork and music, show design and creation, and some advance work on the rest of the season as well.

Because of the way the new school year calendar now sits, we WILL NOT BE ADDING PEOPLE TO THE SHOW AFTER FIELD SHOW CAMP except in extraordinary or unavoidable circumstances (exchange students, etc.). We just won't have the time! If you're going to miss a day or two, that's one thing - let us know in advance, please! - but if you're going to skip camps, you'll have a very boring first period when the fall term begins because you'll be standing on the sideline.

The 2010 show, "simplicity", is not that simple, but it's based on three songs with the word "simple" in their titles: "Simple Gifts", "A Simple Song" (from Bernstein's Mass) and "What Do The Simple Folk Do?" (from Camelot). There is a thematic tie through the show as well - drill sets that re-occur at multiple spots in the show, for example.

Flags and drums start Monday!

Time to start putting the 2010 Ambush of Tigers together! All color guard and percussion meet each day next week (July 19-23) at the MIDDLE SCHOOL band room.

FLAGS - we meet from 8 to 10 a.m. to solidify the basics (manual, guard mix) and start to develop the material for the field show. All the roles will be solidified - front part, solos, and so forth.

DRUMS - we meet from 10 to 11 a.m. to work up our basics and start the field show music as well. Again, all parts will be set this week.

See you then!

Magic Valley Marching Band

Contact your friends in other regional bands - it's time to bring them to Jerome for a shared experience on the marching band front! Our first rehearsal is Saturday morning, starting at 8 a.m. at the JHS band room, and we want to see members from as many different schools as possible this year!

awards voting

Hey, don't forget to get your ballot in by Thursday the 8th - let your voice be heard! Also, make sure we get your own awards right! The awards concert is six weeks away...

simplicity rehearsals

Good practice this morning - many positives in rehearsal. Wish we had EVERYONE there, though! The more we can get done NOW, the more we'll be able to accomplish LATER! Zero hour practices for "simplicity" resume April 22 after two weeks on the HS festival music. Look at the runs in the opener and be ready for the next rehearsal!

Magic Valley Marching Band

...will have its first meeting of 2010 on Saturday, April 24th, in the JHS band room from 8-10 a.m. - We will rehearse every Saturday morning in May (1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd) leading up to performances on May 29th in the Hagerman parade, June 1st for the Shrine football game, and June 5th in the Western Days parade in Twin Falls. STUDENTS FROM ALL MAGIC VALLEY HIGH SCHOOLS ARE WELCOME! Contact your friends in other bands and get them on board!

simplicity 2010

Our fall show, "simplicity", will be in rehearsal during zero hour THIS Thursday (April 1) and every Thursday morning starting April 22 (29th, May 6 and 13) before we perform it at the Awards Concert on May 17th. We'll be starting color guard instruction on April 7th after school, 3:20 to 4:30 pm, and meeting every Wednesday until that same Awards Concert. Tentatively, we'll start color guard and drum line rehearsals the week of July 19-23, with Marching Camp the week of the 26th leading up to the Fair Parade August 3rd. THE TIME TO BRING PEOPLE INTO THE FOLD IS NOW!