Pep Band 2007~08

The CHS Pep Band completed another year of ‘service’ to the CHS athletic teams.
The Pep band began in late August and performed at every home football game last fall. They continued their support for the CHS community by attending almost every basketball game, beginning last November and ending in March.
This year the regular basketball season for the girls and boys teams was extended. Both teams qualified for their state tournaments. The Pep Band traveled to Portland on March 5th for a mid-day game at University of Portland to support the girls. Though the girls did not win that game, they did win the next two games and placed 4th in state!
The next week the Pep Band traveled to all three games at The Pit at U of O to support the boys team, which placed 2nd in the state. The school also won the Sportsmanship Award this year and the band was a factor. The band received many positive comments from the OSAA, the Eugene Active 20-30 Club and U of O officials for their excellent music and decorum. The band received comments like: “I thought they were a college band,” “they were fun to watch,” they play great music,” ‘they were very well behaved, very easy to manage…” Congrats to the CHS pep band! And a big congrats to the Pep Band student directors this year, Brian McFadden and Andrea Kozak. Wow! What a leadership team!

March Concert

On Thursday, March 13th, the Corvallis High School Bands presented a concert. The concert was opened with a proclamation by the City of Corvallis Mayor, Charlie Tomlinson. The proclamation declared an official observation as March is Music in Our School month established by the national MENC. This year’s theme is Music Touches Lives! Following the proclamation by the Mayor, all three CHS bands performed.

The combined Concert and Symphonic bands presented their three pieces they have prepared for the District Band Festival on March 18th. The three pieces demonstrated their musical growth this year with Soar Like an Eagle, Hymn from Vespers and To Challenge the Sky and Heaven Above. The composer for Soar Like an Eagle dedicated the piece to flying a glider with the feeling of air turbulence, the sound of a flock of birds and the soaring updrafts. Rachmaninoff’s Hymn is a beautiful piece from the Russian Orthodox Church with the chant-like melody set in a band arrangement. To Challenge… is dedicated to an area in Huntsville, Alabama and the NASA space center that develops rocket boosters. This set of music was selected to meet the criteria for band festivals. Their concert performance was very good and the music was very exciting, even “uplifting.”                                                                                      

The CHS Blue Tones, fresh off their participation with the Essentially Ellington program out of Lincoln Center in New York, performed four charts with various solos by Dylan Garity, Joseph Kleinhenz, James Ingalls, Claire Froelich, Michael Grant, Aaron Mock, Stephan Smith, Brian McFadden and Alice Anderson. 

The Blue Tones performed Now’s the Time, The Mooche, Steppin’ Around and One Mint Julep. The Blue Tones are looking forward to their next upcoming gigs: Jazz Night, Jazz Band Dance and the final concert on May 21st.

The CHS Wind Ensemble performed three pieces preparing them for the upcoming band festivals at Districts and League. They performed Emperata Overture, Salvation is Created and Rumble on the High Plains. Their performance was stunning, from the great brass fanfare in the beginning of Emperata, to the rich and majestic and full mature sound in Salvation to the closing piece with the exhilarating percussion. Their performance was very rewarding, very fulfilling, and very satisfying.

The OMEA District XI Band Festival

On Tuesday, March 18, 2008, the OMEA District XI Band Festival was held at Crescent Valley this year.
The Friends of CHS Band and the CHS band students were the event management team. What a wonderful job they did all day! The other directors were very impressed with the organization of the event. The festival began sharply at 8:30 am with City of Corvallis Mayor Charlie Tomlinson proclaiming March as Music in our Schools month. There were eleven groups this year in the band festival.
The CHS Wind Ensemble, for the first time in decades, received ‘state qualifying scores’ of 78, 79 and 74. The members of the band were very excited! (And so is the director.) The band will submit their scores and recording to the OSAA for consideration to state which will be held at OSU on May 8th. This is a very exciting achievement for member of the CHS Wind Ensemble. They have worked very hard this year to achieve this level of performance.
Congratulations to them as they prepare for the Mid Valley League Festival hosted by CHS at CHS on Thursday, April 10th.

From the Director: Important facts for this week & next

Tuesday, Band Concert at 7pm.
CHS band members warm up at 6:30pm Tuesday night before the concert.
Concert orders: symphonic/concert bands; blue tones; flute octet; wind ensemble

Wednesday: study hall in band classes; Pep band rendezvous in band room at 11:30…do not go to C Block. Bus leaves at 11:45am. Eat lunch on the bus. Parent Volunteers to drive down with large equipment? Game at 1:30p. Home around 5 pm.

Thursday: study hall in band

Friday: attend 1:30 game if win on Wednesday.

Saturday: attend either 12:30 game or 6:30 (championship) game.

Next Tuesday: Band festival at CVHS, but CHS is the host. We will need students as helpers during the day to help the bands navigate the festival.
Bus to leave at 7:30 from CHS. Symphonic band warm ups at 8 am, perform at 8:30am.
Wind Ensemble performs at 11:00 am, warm ups at 10:30 am. Have a second bus for wind ensemble?

Basketball Schedule For This Week (10th -14th)

All games at U of O:

Wednesday

1:30p (11:30 Bus) against Hermiston

*If we win: Friday, 1:30pm (11:30am bus)

* If we lose: Thursday, 9 am (bus?)

Link to the OSAA Boys Bracket: Click here

Please remember to get your parent permission slip on Monday from Mr. Price.