Willoughby South High School Marching Band
Update 24 Week of November 4, 2024
South Band Calendar: tinyurl.com/calendar-willoughbybands |
Attention Parents: There will always be a parent directed message at the end of these updates
CONGRATULATIONS ON EARNING A SUPERIOR I RATING AT OMEA STATE FINALS!!! |
Hello Everyone,
Wow, a great performance on an absolutely perfect November day at a beautiful location…
Like I wrote on the board, if the focused band showed up, you had a very good chance of meeting our goal of a I at State. If the scattered-brained band showed up, you had no chance of meeting our goal. We are just going to forget that Friday even existed. In the morning yesterday, you were showing signs of a Friday “hangover”, but you fixed it during the rehearsal and had your best run of the season. I was still not sure how you would do as our actual performance was hours away, but I felt better than I did on Friday.
At Medina, you had your best warm up of the season. Attacks, sustains and releases were all solid, it seemed that “focused band” was in da hizzie… (I get it, the 90’s called and want their phrase back, I am okay with my decision). During our hike around bucolic Medina, the focus seemed to continue. I was still not sure. In the back of my mind, I was thinking would they revert to scatter-brained during the hike around the school? Was the relative youth of the band this year going to be able to handle the pressure when we walked on the field?
During the performance, you looked confident and glided around the field. Your sound was strong and sustained. Precision, sound and dynamics were all sounding great. Many of the issues that we have worked so hard on over the past two weeks in particular seemed to be fixed. So, you put your best out there… Now, was it good enough for a State I? I have done this long enough to know that those State judges can be (and should be) very, very particular about every aspect of the performance. Well, we know the answer to that question!!!
Think about this, us and our good friends over at Mentor were the only 2 bands to earn a I at State in all of Lake, Geauga, Ashtabula, Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana counties (northeast Ohio east of Cuyahoga County). You should feel very proud of your accomplishment, and for continuing on the legacy of the Willoughby South High School Marching Band!
Ratings progression throughout the season…
Competition | Music Judge I Score / Rating | Music Judge II Score / Rating | Gen Eff Judge I Score / Rating | Gen Eff Judge II Score /
Rating | Visual Score / Rating | Percussion Score / Rating | Color Guard Score / Rating | Total Average Score / Overall Rating |
Avon Lake | 78.9 II | 80 I | 87 I | 82 I | 84 I | 84.5 I | 75 II | 82.380 I |
Norton
| 78 II | 83.4 I | 83 I | 80.4 I | 81 I | 89 I | 78 II | 81.160 I |
Brunswick
| 82.1 I | 83.1 I | 84 I | 80.5 I | 88 I | 89.5 I | 78 II | 83.580 I |
Min. Score For a I | 80 / 100 | 80 / 100 | 80 / 100 | 80 / 100 | 80 / 100 | 80 / 100 | 80 / 100 | 80 / 100 |
Min. Score For a State I rating |
90 /100 |
90 /100
|
90 /100
|
90 /100
|
90 /100
|
90 /100
|
90 /100
|
90 /100
|
*OMEA STATE FINALS |
I |
I |
I |
II |
I |
I |
II |
I |
UPCOMING BAND EVENTS, PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!!
We need 15 volunteers to help with bingo clean up this Saturday. We have been able to negotiate more Bingos with the Rebel Boosters to help with the purchase of the new uniforms, but we CAN NOT do it without your help. PLEASE sign up in the band room. I have spoken with the uniform manufacturer and if we can get the order placed this month, we may be able to get the uniforms in April, which will mean we may very well be able to debut the uniforms ON MEMORIAL DAY this year. If you want to stay for the game or get a campus tour, you MUST LET ME KNOW BY WEDNESDAY OF THIS WEEK (November 6).
WEAR YOUR GRAY POLO SHIRTS FOR THIS PERFORMANCE 3:15-3:45 Load the trailers 4:15 Meet at Lakeland (YOU WILL NEED TO BE TRANSPORTED TO/FROM LCC) 4:45 Performance of National Anthem 5:00 Done, return to South to unload trailers. Done by 5:45
Wednesday, November 13, South Marching Band Banquet, Regovich Party Center, 6:30
A wonderful ending to a wonderful season. Please see the announcement that has been emailed to you to place your reservation. |
UNIFORM AND BAND CAMP FEES
Final account information is posted in the band room. Please, can we get this wrapped up this week, by Friday? The green CREDIT column means that is the money you have left in your account. Seniors, you may either pass the money on to a returning member for next year or donate your remaining balance to the band boosters.
Marching Band Banquet
On November 13, we will be holding our annual band banquet at the Regovich Party Center (formerly the Patirician) in Eastlake. This is always a wonderful evening celebrating the season. I would encourage everyone to try to make it to this event and you should have received a formal invitation to attend. If you dd not receive the invite, please send me an email.
Bingo Workers Needed!!!
We have been able to secure more Bingo Nights with the Rebel Boosters. Once the uniforms have been paid for, the money earned can then go into our general fund. This can become an incredibly profitable fundraiser for the Band Boosters using A MUCH SMALLER LABOR FOOTPRINT and possibly replacing some of our less profitable fundraisers. Our Band Boosters have always been able to provide what we need to get by, but it would be wonderful if we could possibly have a bit more funding to do more with our increasing expenses, especially regarding the purchase of badly needed replacement instruments.
The ONLY WAY this can happen, though, is for us to be able to provide the adult volunteers. Please go onto the Band Boosters website to sign up for future dates. Our dates will be the second Saturday of each month. If you can’t work an entire shift but would like to SPLIT a shift with someone else, we can absolutely do that!!! This is the potential put us in a situation where we are not always where our financial nose is not just hovering above our funding water line. Please consider signing up. Thank you.
Thank You…
Back in May at the parent meeting, I said Thanksgiving would be here before you know it and here we are, crisp fall days, autumn leaves, and about a month for a tryptophan coma!!! I just wanted to thank everyone for “enduring” the marching season, whether it was working in the uniform room, on the pit crew, in the band stand, riding the “loser cruisers” with our bandos or any of the other myriad of things that need to be done to feed, care for and maintain this marching band. The staff and members of the Willoughby South Marching Band greatly appreciate all of your tireless efforts to make this thing happen! YOU ARE EVERY BIT A PART OF THIS ORGANIZATION’S SUCCESS.
THANK YOU!!!
Any questions about anything marching band, please email me at [email protected]. Have a great week everyone!
FP