BVW JAGUAR BANDS
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History of the Blue VAlley West Bands

Marching Band Awards and Honors
Blue Springs Golden Regiment Marching Invitational​
2007 - Champion
2009 - Champion
2011 - 4th Place
2015 - 8th Place
2017 - 3rd Place
2019 - 6th Place
​​

2008 - 2nd Place
2010 - Champion
2014 - 5th Place
2016 - 7th Place
2018 - 4th Place
​

Owasso Marching Invitational
2009 - 4th Place
​2010 - 2nd Place
2019 - 11th Place
​

Tulsa Union Renegade Review
2005 - 3rd Place
2012 - 3rd Place
​
​2015 - 7th Place
​

2006 - 3rd Place
​2013 - Finalist
Broken Arrow Marching Invitational
2011 - 6th Place
2016 - 9th Place
2018 - 5th Place
Kansas Bandmasters Association Championships
2017 - Champion
​2018 - Champion
​2018 - 3rd Place
​

London New Years Day Parade
2010
​

Marching Show Archive
2010 - Let There Be Light
2011 - Car Men
2012 - The Next Step
2013 - Batter Up!
2014 - Inside Out
2015 - Nature's Edge
2016 - Pageant
2017 - Call of the Wild
2018 - One World
2019 - Spirit of Spain
2020 - Season Cancelled due to COVID-19 Pandemic
2021 - TBA
​

Bands of America Grand Nationals Participant
2007
​2008​
2019
​
Bands of America ​Regional Finalist
2005 - St. Louis Super Regional
2006 - St. Louis Super Regional
​

Bands of America Regional Participant​
​2005 - Atlanta
​2006 - St. Louis
2009 - St. Louis
​2011 - St. Louis
2012 - St. Louis
2014 - St. Louis
2015 - St. Louis
2016 - St. Louis
2018 - St. Louis
2005 - St. Louis
2007 - Indianapolis
2010 - St. Louis
2012 - Denton
2013 - St. Louis
2014 - San Antonio
2016 - Clarksville
2017 - St. Louis

Concert, Jazz, & Percussion Awards and Honors
Music for All National Concert Festival
2016 - WInd Ensemble

Kansas Music Educator's Association In-Service Workshop
Wind Ensemble
2010
​2013
​2015
2018
Symphonic Band
​2020

Jazz Ensemble I
2003      2018
Jaguar Percussion Group
2015
2020
Wind Ensemble Performance at Carnegie Hall - 2006
Wind Ensemble Performance at Kennedy Center - 2017
Jazz Ensemble Performance at JEN Conference - New Orleans - 2020
KU Jazz Festival Winning Band - Jazz Ensemble I
2016
2017
2020

Color Guard Awards and Honors
Student Honors 
Director History
Director of Bands
Dr. Craig Miller: 2001 - 2008
Mark Nichols: 2008 - 2010
Daniel Kirk: 2010 - 2013
Cheryl Lee: 2013 - 2020
​Justin Love: 2020 - present

Assistant Director of Bands
Carolyn Knapp: 2001 - 2011
C.J. Longabaugh: 2011 - 2013
Joe Stuever: 2013 - 2017
Spencer Merryfield: 2017 - 2020
Ryan Ramsey: 2020 - present

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​Blue Valley West High School first opened its doors in the Fall of 2001, and that year the Blue Valley West Bands played their first notes under the direction of Dr. Craig Miller. In the ensuing twenty years, the Blue Valley West Bands have established a reputation for excellence in all aspects of the program which is reflected in the impressive record of accomplishments and awards that adorn the walls of room 648. Year in and year out the band program provides students with high quality performance opportunities and experiences to grow not just as musicians, but as individuals. The Blue Valley West Band Program remains a positive place of connection for countless students, parents, and alumni who are forever linked as members of the Blue Valley West Band Family. The program seeks to instill the values of Family, Pride, Grit, and Excellence in each of its members and strives to exemplify those ideals in each and every rehearsal and performance.
 
The core of the Blue Valley West Band Program are the three Concert Ensembles. While their names have changed some through the years, they maintain a commitment to a high performance standards. The Wind Ensemble has earned 4 invitations to perform at the KMEA In-Service Workshop, and also performed at the 2016 Music for All National Concert Festival, only the third band from the state of Kansas to be invited to this prestigious event. The Wind Ensemble has also performed at both Carnegie Hall in New York City and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The Symphonic Band has also performed at the KMEA In-Service Workshop, one of only a handful of high school “second bands” in Kansas to ever receive such an invitation.
 
The Marching Band has existed in a couple of different iterations. First known as the Red and Silver Brigade, which included all band members, in 2016 the marching band was split into a two-track experience including the Traditional Marching Band (TMB) for all students and a voluntary extra-curricular ensemble known as the Competitive Marching Band (CMB.) Following the COVID cancelled 2020 marching season, the singular format co-curricular Red and Silver Brigade returned for the fall of 2021. Regardless of the format, the marching band program was established with aspirational goals, which have resulted in numerous accolades and earned considerable competitive success. The Blue Valley West Marching Band has been a Bands of America Regional Finalist and has taken the field at the BBOA Grand Nationals three times. The Blue Valley West Marching Band is a two-time Kansas Bandmasters Association Champion, and has also performed in London for the New Years Day Parade.
 
The Jazz Program has also afforded students consistent high level performance experiences and recognition including being named the Winning Band at the University of Kansas Jazz Festival several times and an invite to perform at the KMEA In-Service Workshop.
 
The Percussion Program at West offers students the opportunity to develop their performance skills and musicianship through an ensemble experience. The extra-curricular Jaguar Percussion Group has performed at the Kansas Day of Percussion, PASIC Conference, and the KMEA In-Service Workshop.
 
The Color Guard is the newest group to develop within the Band Program, and it has also achieved a consistent level of performance success. In the fall Color Guard performs with the marching band, and then forms one or two scholastic Winter Guards that compete in the MCCGA (Mid-Continent Color Guard Association) circuit each spring.
 
Individually Blue Valley West students have excelled earning an impressive roster of positions in the KMEA All-District and KMEA All-State Ensembles as well as chairs in the BOA National Honor Bands and NAfME All-National Honor Ensembles.
 
As impressive as these accomplishments are, more importantly they represent the dedication, effort, and passion the students, parents, and instructors of the Blue Valley West Bands have invested in the program throughout its existence. While performance opportunities in the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years have been severely impacted by the COVID pandemic, the program nonetheless enters its third decade with the same high expectations and lofty goals that have always guided the its caretakers and members. We look forward to bright days ahead!

Quick Links

CHARMS
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Contact Us

Phone: 913-239-3814
Email: bvwbandboosters@gmail.com
Visit the staff page for individual email and phone contacts for staff.

Our School

Blue Valley West High School
16200 Antioch Road
Overland Park, KS 66085
(913) 239-3700
School website

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  • Home
  • About
    • History
    • Ensembles >
      • Concert Ensembles
      • Marching Band
      • Jazz Bands
      • Percussion
      • Color Guard
    • Staff
    • BVW Band Boosters
  • Calendar
  • News
  • Resources
    • LNYDP 2023
    • VOLUNTEER SIGN-UP
    • Documents & Forms
  • Programs
    • Side by Side Concert 1/19/23