Hello Spartan Families,

Our Winter Concert is scheduled to take place on December 14th at 6:30pm at Lyman High School. If you missed the email with details for the concert - click here.
One bit of information I missed - students need to bring their own FOLDING WIRE STAND. Please don’t forget!

We are in need of volunteers during the concert (especially after beginning band performs)! You will always be allowed to watch your child perform, even if you are signed up to work for the concert. Generally, two shifts cover each concert, beginning a half hour before the concert starts. 


Here’s the latest we need from beginning band parents:

Door Ushers (during jazz/beginning band, you’ll still be in the hall!) – 6 volunteers (2 per door)

• During our concert, we try to only admit people between songs, during applause. Door ushers stand inside the auditorium and open the locked doors once a song is over.

Beginning Band Photo Chaperones - 4-6 volunteers - 

• Staying with the beginning band members in the band room after their performance. After the beginning band performs, they will be taken to the band room to await their turn for photos. We have parents already signed up to help take photographs during the concert, we just need help keeping an eye on the kids and dismissing them in small groups down the hall to the photo area. After photos, students will be dismissed to sit with their families in the concert hall.
  
  
  

Here’s the latest we need from advanced band parents:

Door Ushers (during Concert/Symphonic band, you’ll still be in the hall!) – 6 volunteers (2 per door)

• During our concert, we try to only admit people between songs, during applause. Door ushers stand inside the auditorium and open the locked doors once a song is over.

Clean Up/Stage Crew – high school helpers will be there, but just in case, we need a few parent hands to direct traffic.

• Big perk! You’re on stage & in the hall – you only need to come up to the stage between band performances. Optionally: you get to see the action way up close! There should be high school help, but we shouldn’t rely on another school coming through with volunteers. You’re signing up to be on hand just in-case we don’t have enough high school helpers. If we do, you can find your spot back in the hall.

If you can help - please take a moment to sign up here by clicking this link. Sign up takes less than 3 minutes.

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​Lastly, here are the minutes and video from November’s band board meeting for your reference:

Band Booster November Meeting Link
Password: “GoBand123"

 Thank you - and see you all tomorrow night!

Joshua Autrey
Director of Bands
Milwee Middle School

This FREE concert is on Tuesday, December 14th at 6:30pm in the LYMAN HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM.
All are invited to attend; All Milwee Bands will be performing.
 
FIRST, GET A FREE PORTRAIT TAKEN OF YOUR STUDENT! 
We will be having one of our amazing band parents and professional photographers, Ms. Anna Jannotti, take a picture of your student with their instrument in their uniform. This is a FREE service that Ms. Jannotti donates her time and energy to help our program! She does AMAZING work and touches up small spots on the photos before she shares them out in the spring semester!
Band Photos will be set up to the right of the auditorium lobby as you enter, down the hall.
Please read below for your report times so you can have your picture taken at the correct time!
Don’t miss this opportunity! 
Also! Please help me in thanking her for her service and donation when you see her at the concert!
 
Students should report to the auditorium,
fully dressed with their instruments and music at:
Jazz Band – 5:30 to 5:45pm. Take Band Portrait, then move quickly to set up in the Auditorium.
 
Beginning Band – Between 5:45 to 6pm, go directly to your seat on stage. You will take your Band Portrait after your performance, during the concert.
 
Concert and Symphonic Band – Between 5:30 to 6:00pm. When you arrive, make your way to the Photo Booth to have your professional Band Portrait taken for this year. All photos should be finished by 6:25, please take your seat for the start of the concert at 6:30pm.
 
Parents, Siblings, Friends, Guest, Neighbors – Doors are open for everyone upon arrival. Come in and have a seat. Make sure your student knows where you are sitting so they can find you after their performance. Jazz Band will start playing music at 6:15pm as a pre-concert treat!

The concert will conclude no later than 8pm, and we will need some great helpers to stay and help clean up. Otherwise, students are dismissed after Symphonic Band performs. 

All students must stay for the entirety of the concert to receive full credit for the concert.
  
What are we wearing for the concert?
All students are to wear the same uniform that was used for the fall concert:
Beginners – Hunter Green T-Shirt, Black Pants, Shoes, Socks, Belt
Concert – Black Polo Shirt (they are in! will be passed out), Black Pants, Shoes, Socks, Belt
Symphonic – Tuxedo Uniform

OPTIONAL FUN THING! Students may also chose to wear some fun holiday headgear such as a Santa Hat, Reindeer Antlers, Yamaka, Grinch Hat, or another holiday festive cap.  Have fun, get creative – school appropriate, of course.  Please refrain from wearing anything that jingles or lights up as it is distracting to other performers!
 
What equipment does my student need to bring?
Lyman High School will provide chair, stands, and many percussion instruments.  Otherwise we will need to bring our own equipment and music, which varies by instrument – here is a quick run-down per instrument group:
Woodwinds:  Instrument (leave case in the car) and Music Folder w/ music. Any students who use a different instrument at school must bring their instrument from home to the concert (Bassoons, Some Saxophones).
Brass: Instrument (leave case in the car) and Music Folder w/ music. All students must have their own mouthpiece and any students who use a different instrument at school must bring their instrument from home to the concert (Tubas, Baritones, French Horns).
Percussion: Music Folder w/ music. Beginners need to bring their mallet bag from home, which has their own snare sticks and bell mallets (some have xylophone mallets, bring those also).  Lyman will have all the percussion equipment there for us to borrow.
 
Do we need help/volunteers?
 
ABSOLUTELY!  
Please sign up for the volunteer job by using the following link. Job descriptions are listed below! Thank you for helping, we can’t have a smooth concert (there will be so many people!) without MUCH help from AMAZING PARENTS!
 
SIGN UP VOLUNTEER LINK CLICK HERE!

Door Ushers/Program Distributers:  Parents who will stand at the door, keeping people from entering during the performance of a song as well as hand out our concert program to guests. We will need two teams of 4-5 parents to assist with this so that every parent can be in the audience for their own student’s performance.
 
Photo Helpers: Parents who can help keep the line moving for our FREE professional photo portrait (BIG SHOUTOUT TO Ms. Jannotti!). Beginners will be taking their pictures after their performance. Advanced students will be taking their pictures BEFORE the concert. We will need help from a few parents before the concert at 5:45 for the advanced bands, and during the concert for beginning bands.

Stage Managers: Parents who can help Move Chairs and stands for each group.  This helps the stage look “clean” for each group – extra chairs often look tacky – nothing but the best for our students!  We will need about 2-3 parents for this – if you’ve worked around a stage before, that would be helpful!!!
 
“Silence Please!” Poster People: Okay Golf fanatics, this is your big moment! We’ve had a lot of success in the past when hold some reminder signs for the audience, as to when to get quiet as  a band about to perform. We have pre-made signs that we ask you to hold up right before the band performs to remind others how to create the professional atmosphere (AGAIN –- Nothing but the BEST for our kids!!!)  3-4 parents for this VIP job!
 
Clean up Crew: We need about 4-6 parents to help tear down the stage and load a few cars/trucks full of our equipment to transport it back to Milwee! 

If you own a truck/mini-van, and can spare a half-hour after the concert, please let us know that you can help move some equipment back to the school – we need about two or three trucks to get everything. LET ME KNOW if you can spare your truck!

Thank you all for your help!!!!

​Please do not hesitate to contact me for further guidance if you have any questions.
 
Regards,
Joshua Autrey
Director of Bands
Milwee Middle School