Although it did not end the way we wanted it to for our football team, we have many wonderful memories and experiences that we share because of a great season! Saturday morning when I got home from the Jingle Bell Jog a friend of mine, who used to be the middle school band director in Buford, called to let me know that our band was the buzz of the event that he attended Saturday morning. Then Mr. Jones sent me some screen shots of a sports blog where some Buford fans said: “Your band was on fire…” and “the best band that Buford has seen” when referring to our presence at the game on Friday. Thank you for supporting your classmates with spirit, pride, and enthusiasm. Your energy is infectious and electrifies the atmosphere of your presence.

Speaking of enthusiasm – your performance at the Carrollton Christmas Parade was AWESOME! When we started the parade, I thought we might just play Hark the Herald Angels Sing and a drum cadence because honestly we were a little unfocused when we arrived at the band room, but right before we stepped off I realized it was just because you were tired. As soon as we stepped foot into the street, your focus sharpened and I could tell that you were ready to not only perform but to entertain our community and entertain you did! Thank you performing joyously and providing your best effort every time! Hearing the crowd roar as we marched through Adamson Square was exhilarating because they were reacting to the energy that you were providing them. Mr. Nelson, Mr. Trumble, and I could not stop talking about how much fun you all made the parade and that we appreciate your enthusiasm. Although the guard is included in all of my previous sentiments, I also want to specifically recognize the wonderful job they did. The addition of festive clothing and the snowflakes was a terrific idea! In addition to our beautiful gold flags, the snowflakes added another layer that was simple but very effective! Thank you Mr. Brown for that wonderful idea.

After the parade we returned to the band room for a Christmas party that our booster club planned an organized for our students. There was hot chocolate, pizza, many sweet treats, ornament stations, karaoke, Just Dance, Jenga, Connect 4, football, a modified version of whiffle ball, and pictures with Santa! Also, we had a table collecting the many gifts that were donated for the families that we sponsored. We are so blessed to have community of band parents with generous hearts. There will be some very excited children on Christmas day who may be overwhelmed by your love when they receive these unconditional gifts. They may not ever know who you are, but they will definitely feel loved by your generosity. That generosity was also felt by our band students on Saturday night: the chaperones at the party assisted the students all night by keeping the refreshments stocked, but also by playing with the students. It was a GREAT night of fellowship full of laughter and cheers. Thank you for loving on all of our band students and spoiling them like your own child. It takes a village, thank you for making our village the best!

Just when you though it was over, some of our percussionists joined the orchestra at Tabernacle Baptist Church today for a special performance of Little Drummer Boy! They received glowing praise and many thanks from those in attendance. Thank you Dr. Kimmel for the invitation and to Mr. Nelson for organizing and facilitating this special opportunity! The students attended a rehearsal session on Saturday morning before the parade in preparation of this terrific performance. Parents, thank you for instilling a spirit of service in your children. The lessons that they learn by giving joyously to others will continue to serve them well! Below are some pictures:

Week at a Glance:

• Monday
  • Varsity WG 4:00pm – 8:30pm in the Band Room • Dinner Provided
• Tuesday • American Pie Spirit Night • 5:00pm – 8:00pm
  • 3:30pm – 4:30pm – Harmony Winds (Symphonic/Concert Band) Rehearsal
  • 4:30pm – 5:30pm – Wind Ensemble Rehearsal
  • Junior WG – No Rehearsal
• Thursday
  • Varsity and Junior WG 5:30pm – 8:30pm in the Band Room
• Saturday • District Honor Band at East Paulding High School • 1:00PM

District Honor Band

This Saturday, students who signed up to audition for District Honor Band will attend auditions at East Paulding High School. Times were scheduled in school blocks and we were assigned 1:00PM. Students should arrive with enough time to check in and warm-up before auditioning. At check in, students should receive a blank score sheet that they will take to the audition room with them. I recommend only warming up long enough to make sure that your instrument is working properly, your reed is good, and you are mentally ready. Sometimes the warm-up room can be very loud and overwhelming, so limit your time in the warm-up room. A 10-15 min warm-up to help double check everything is working is all that you should need. If you find out that something is acting up with your instrument, a repair person will be onsite and should be able to assist you. Once you are ready, go get in line at the appropriate audition room and do your best. You’ve got this!

We will not be providing transportation because Mr. Nelson and Mr. Carr have to be at EPHS by 8:00AM to assist with the auditions.

Chick-fil-a Peach Bowl

Mr. Carr received an email regarding the Chick-fil-a PeachBowl and out of an abundance of caution the high school bands portion of the pre-game ceremony has been cancelled due to the new variants of the coronavirus by the event directors. We will still march in the parade and will receive tickets to Fanfest for our parade participation. Instead of wearing shakos at the parade we will wear black beanies with our uniform.

Fanfest is a huge pep-rally for the 2 college teams. More information about fanfest can be found here: https://chick-fil-apeachbowl.com/sports/2021/11/22/fanfest.aspx. It is a very fun and interactive event that will be fun for our students to experience.

Tentative Itinerary for Chick-fil-a Peach Bowl Parade • December 30, 2021

• 10:00 AM Depart for Parade Staging
• 11:00 AM Staging for the Parade/Unload and Warm-Up
• 1:00 PM Parade Starts
• 2:00 PM Enter Fan-fest (Lunch and snack options are available in Fanfest)
• 6:00 PM Depart for Carrollton HS

Concert Attire

Students have recently been fitted for our concert attire. This is attire that we will begin wearing with our first concert next semester on March 1. If you ordered a Tuxedo the cost is $230.00, and if you ordered a Dress the cost is $115.00. Please pay Ms. Dothard at your earliest convenience.

Our next concert is on December 13, which is a holiday concert. It is a tradition for us to wear holiday sweaters at this concert, and the students have already been inquiring if we will continue our tradition. Students are welcome to dress festively for this concert as we present a light-hearted concert for our community that is fun for the entire family.

Upcoming Dates

Below is a list of some upcoming events, please refer to our calendar on chstrojanband.com for a more complete overview of our upcoming rehearsals and events.

• 12.7 After School Rehearsals for the concert
• 12.7 American Pie Spirit Night
• 12.11 District Honor Band @ East Paulding HS
• 12.13 Christmas Concert
• 12.16 Moe’s Spirit Night
• 12.16-17 Exam Days • Early Release
• 12.20 Start of Christmas Break
• 12.30 Chick-fil-a Peach Bowl
• 1.5 1st Day of 2nd Semester