CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK!

Hey Band! (hey, what??) IT’S CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK!

Here’s the basic information you need to know (full show schedule will be finalized and published later this week):

·      ** We have 2 rehearsals left – Monday Oct. 31 and Wednesday Nov. 2. Attendance is essential. No coming late, no leaving early. (BTW, school-appropriate Halloween costumes are welcome on Monday, as long as they don't get in the way of what you need to do for rehearsal!)

·      ** The 2022 NWAPA Championships will take place at Autzen Stadium at the University of Oregon.

·      ** We will be leaving for Eugene/Springfield Friday evening, around 9pm. We’ll pick up our Tualatin friends on the way.

·      ** We will be staying at the Comfort Suites Riverbend in Springfield, traveling to and from Eugene/Springfield by STA, the TTSD contracted bus company.

·     **  Breakfast is included at the hotel. Lunch will be at selected area restaurants and dinner will be available at Autzen Stadium concessions. Snacky food will be available at the band equipment trailer after Prelims award announcements – thanks, Band Boosters! Ensemble members are welcome and encouraged to pack snacks, sandwiches, etc. for eating throughout the day/evening. Any student who needs assistance with meal purchases should talk to McKee - we can totally take care of things.

·      ** TTSD policy requires all students traveling on an overnight trip take a rapid COVID test, with a negative result. Tests will be provided to all students at the Wednesday rehearsal and must be completed before Friday. CLICK HERE to go to the form.

 

A short narrative: Realistically, Tigard will probably not be performing in Finals at Championships. Only 15 bands will qualify – the winner in each class (AAAA, AAA, AA, and A), and then the next 11 scores. We should assume all AAAA and AAA bands will qualify, which total 10 bands. Add in the winner in AA and A and there are 3 slots left. Will we score higher than S. Albany again? Probably. Are there any other AA bands we might outscore? Possibly, but there are 10 AA bands, and the likelihood of us outscoring 8 of them is not realistic. So, to qualify for Finals we would need to take 1^st place in A, and we were a full 7 points behind Aloha on Saturday, and that difference would be very difficult to overcome. Could we do it? Maybe! So, let’s make sure that our performance in Prelims is as full of energy and as excellent as we can make it. Let’s do this!  

 

 

Two Down - Two to Go!

The Liberty Marching Arts Challenge was fun and performing at Hillsboro Stadium is great! AND,

• CLASS A HIGH PERCUSSION! Whoo Hoo!
• Moving up 2.5 points in Finals! Yay!

So now it's time to go to the giant show - the Century Showcase. Why is it giant? Because everything is bigger with Century!

Here's what's up:

•  Our rehearsal schedule has been updated for this week.
• Monday and Wednesday, as usual.
• FRIDAY REHEARSAL! 5-6:30 pm. PLEASE make arrangements to be there! If it's impossible for you, make sure to talk directly with McKee.
  
• Check out the sidebar for the show day schedule. You'll see some changes, including when we eat what. 
• Also check out the "Important Information" page, right under the schedule. And "Smart Band Students", again.
  
• Make sure to pack lots of warm and dry clothes. The forecast is predicting wetter and cooler weather than last week.
• Also, this is a good show to bring extra snax and money for concessions. There will be 20 performance groups (!), so it will be a long day. 

Also, we will have 10 admissions available for half-price. If someone from YOUR family wants some, have them contact McKee as soon as possible.

 

Let's goooooo! 

 

We've Done One - Now Let's Go Again!

Now that we've been to a show (thanks, Sherwood friends!), we know what to expect. Yay! As we get ready for the Liberty competition, there are some very important things to do and to know:

• EVERYONE needs to come to rehearsal. The success of the ensemble depends on it.
• "But McKee - what if I'm behind on my schoolwork? Isn't that more important??"
• Homework is neither more nor less important than rehearsal. If you are behind, there are things Irving and McKee can do to help you get caught up. Let us know, and we'll help you out. Really - it's what we do. 
• As the weather is changing, make sure to bring layers to rehearsal - it's getting cooler in the evening.
• Remember to eat well and to drink plenty of water and other healthy beverages. And get some good sleep
• Read the information on the sidebar that is important for MB students. There is at least one document none of you has read this year. (How do we know? Oh, WE know.)
• And remember that we have that special performance on Sunday Oct. 23 - our Happy Happy Birthday parade for Dr. Helen Benscheidt, a long-time educator and resident of Summerfield.

It's Show Week! Let's do this!