We had a number of students participate in the KSHSAA Virtual Solo and Ensemble Festival this past week. This event marks the culmination of many weeks of individual practice and tremendous effort on the part of these musicians. Students received feedback from adjudicators and earned an overall rating. For reference, in Kansas, a III Rating is considered Average. A rating of II is Excellent and students earn a Certificate of Accomplishment. A rating of 1 is Outstanding and students receive a medal.

Congratulations to these performers on a terrific achievement in our challenging year of playing! BVW results can be viewed below.

BVW Band Solo & Ensemble Results

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Dear BVW Band Families,

Please note our upcoming events below. Have a great week!
  
This Week:

​No special events
​
Next Week:
Monday, April 26
Senior info and photo due for concert program. https://forms.gle/P1TkNZX7RxqocJ166

Tuesday, April 27
Solo Recital Night - schedule of performances will be released later this week
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Long Term Reminders

May 11 - Spring Band Concert, 6:30 PM - Oestreicher Forum

May 14 - Jazz Band Concert, 6:30 PM - Oestreicher Forum

May 23 - Band performance at BVW Graduation
 

Dear BVW Band Families,

Some reminders for the week ahead. As we prepare for our Spring Concert and Student Recognition, there will be deadlines for submitting several forms. Please check your weekly email as well as Canvas notifications for information!

Placements - A reminder these were due on Friday. Please submit if you have not done so. Placements will be sent to Counselors at the end of the week. Students will be able to view 2021-2022 Concert Ensemble Placements at the end of the week as well.

Schedule at a Glance
  
This Week:

Thursday: 2021 BVWMB Leadership Team Meeting during Academic Support Time (12:25 PM) in the Band Room.
​
Next Week:

​No special events
​
Have a great week!
 
Mr. Love

ATTENTION BAND SENIORS:  We want to celebrate YOU! 

Please take a minute and complete the following Google Form.  We will be highlighting you in both the May Concert Program as well as Senior Spotlights on Social Media throughout May. 

Deadline to submit information is Monday, April 26!

​ Senior Info Form: https://forms.gle/P1TkNZX7RxqocJ166

BVW Band Families,

Thank you so much for those of you who were able to attend the BVW Band Booster Meeting on Wednesday evening.  We had a great turnout and even a few of you attended through Zoom!  For those of you who missed the meeting, here is the recording of the meeting if you would like to watch.

Click this link to view the Zoom meeting recording: ZOOM VIDEO

As we discussed in the meeting, the real priority in getting things off to a strong start next year is asking YOU to be a part of the new leadership team for 2021-22.  Band is one of the few activities in high school that parents are truly a part of making things happen and are, in fact, a necessity!  Because of the unusual year this year, we need volunteers (incoming freshmen parents and soon-to-be sophomore parents this definitely includes you :) to step into leadership for next year as the band directors need your help more than ever.

Please take a look at the job descriptions and get involved!  The structure of the boosters has specifically been designed to spread the responsibilities out to many so that no one is carrying a heavy load by themselves.  We understand that everyone is busy with jobs and families and life but if we are going to have a strong band season next year we truly need you!! Click the links below to learn more!

Job Descriptions: bvwbb_job_descriptions_2021-22.pdf
BVWBB Organization: bvw_band_board_structure_2021-22.pdf

If you have any questions or just want to talk through some of the specifics of a particular role, please do not hesitate to reach out to:

Marty Sinclair          President               martysinclair11@gmail.com
Derald Herinckx Operations      deraldherinckx@gmail.com

Thank you so much for your consideration and it is going to be a fantastic year ahead with your help!

Dear BVW Band Families,

Happy Easter and Happy Passover to those who are celebrating this weekend! Congratulations those who submitted videos for the KSHSAA Solo and Ensemble Festival! Critiques and results should be available later this week. Please see below for some additional information about this week.

Placements - A reminder to all band members in Grades 9 - 11 that your 4th Quarter Assessment / Placement Hearing Videos are due in Canvas by Friday of this week. Percussionists needing to use the band room to record mallet or timpani can arrange times with a director. The band room is available during Academic Check and after school.

Parent / Booster Meeting - As we plan band activities for next year, our fantastic Blue Valley West Band Boosters (BVWBBB) are also preparing for a return to many of our normal events and traditions. ALL Band Parents are automatically members of the BVWBB, and you have a unique opportunity to be involved with and experience your student's journey through high school band from a front row seat! On Wednesday, April 7 from 7-8 PM, the BVWBB are hosting an informational meeting where you can learn about plans for the marching and concert seasons, fundraising, and opportunities to support our great band program! The meeting will be held in the Blue Valley West Band Room. For parents not comfortable with attending in person, Mr. Love will have a live Zoom running of the meeting as well. Please take a few minutes to attend and learn more about the 2021-2022 Band Program and our BVW Band Boosters!

Winter Guard - Our Blue Valley West Winter Guard Is finishing up their competitive season. They will record and submit their final video for the MCCGA Championships this coming Tuesday. On Thursday they will perform an encore of their show for parents in the BV West Gym beginning at 7 PM. Good luck Guard!

BVW Musical - This week the BVW Performing Arts Department presents their musical, The Little Mermaid. As with all activities this year, the cast, crew, pit, and directors have had to work around numerous challenges due to COVID, but in spite of any obstacles, they have assembled a fantastic production! We have a number of band students filling roles in the pit, technical crew, and on stage - to them we want to say break a leg! And if you want to watch, we recently learned that tickets are being made available to the public - check out https://bvwestjags.com/event-tickets for more info.

Schedule at a Glance
  
This Week:

Tuesday:
 *Winter Guard: 6:30 – 9:30 PM (BV West Main Gym - Competition Recording)

Wednesday:
*BVWBB Parent / Booster Information Meeting: 7-8 PM, BVW Band Room
 
Thursday:
*Winter Guard Parent Performance and Final rehearsal: 6 – 9 PM (BV West Main Gym)

Friday:
*4th Quarter Assessment / Placement Hearing Videos due in Canvas

Next Week:

​No special events
​
Have a great week!
 
Mr. Love

Dear BVW Band Families,

We are enjoying the opportunity to have students in class on a more consistent basis with the return to a full in-person schedule! A reminder that students should be practicing and recording their 4th quarter playing assessment / placement hearing music over the next 2 weeks as those are due April 9.

For those participating in the KSHSAA Virtual Solo & Ensemble Festival - please look for communication this week on how and where to upload videos you have recorded, and / or our schedule for recording at school.

​Happy practicing and have a great week!

Schedule at a Glance
  
This Week:

Monday:
* Drum Major Auditions: 3:30 PM

Tuesday:
 *Winter Guard: 6 – 9 PM (BV District Office Gym)
 
Thursday:
*Winter Guard: 6 – 9 PM (BV District Office Gym)

Next Week:

Tuesday:
 *Winter Guard Recording: 6 – 9 PM (West Gym)
 
Thursday:
*Winter Guard: 6 – 9 PM (West Gym)
​
Have a great week!
 
Mr. Love

Congratulations to our BVW Winter Guard who have been busily rehearsing and refining their 2021 competition show, Enough of our Machines!

Despite the many obstacles COVID restrictions have thrown at us, the Winter Guard has shown tremendous grit in coming together as a team and sharing their performances!

The Winter Guard has participated in 2 Mid-Continent Color Guard Association (MCCGA) events so far with an improvement in scoring both times. This week the Winter Guard will submit a performance to the national Winter Guard International (WGI) circuit for adjudication. The Winter Guard is then also preparing for Finals competition in MCCGA in early April.

As the show Is completed we will share out videos of their performance, and hope to have a family performance in the coming weeks.

Dear BVW Band Families,

We hope that you all have had an enjoyable Spring Break! This week we welcome back all in-person students full-time in the building. We acknowledge that we may have some apprehension about being in a full building again after over a year of remote / hybrid learning, but we are excited for our band students to begin playing in larger groups again on a more consistent basis! We continue to follow all mitigation strategies (bell covers, masks, distancing, and aerosol breaks) in every rehearsal that have enabled bands to successfully and very safely play together over the past year across the country. Together we will forge ahead on this new step as a return to something more normal in our part of the school!

4th Quarter is often a very busy time of the band "year," and despite the restrictions we have in place this year is no exception. Some reminders of events and deadlines coming up:

Virtual Solo Festival Registration - due Friday, March 26 (see other post and Canvas message)
Drum Major and Leadership Team Auditions - this week and next
4th Quarter Assessment / 21-22 Concert Placement Hearings -  Recordings due April 9
BVW Winter Guard Festivals - March 22 (WGI) and April 8 (MCCGA Championships)
Nacho Jazz - TBD
Spring Concert - May 11 (In-person concert with audience!)
Graduation Performance - May 23
Marching Kickoff - May 24

Schedule at a Glance
  
This Week:

Leadership Interviews / Auditions - By appointment

Tuesday:
 *Winter Guard: 6 – 9 PM (BV District Office Gym)
 
Thursday:
*Winter Guard: 6 – 9 PM (BV District Office Gym)

Next Week:
Monday:
*Drum Major Interviews and Auditions: 3:30 PM

Tuesday:
 *Winter Guard: 6 – 9 PM (BV District Office Gym)
 
Thursday:
*Winter Guard: 6 – 9 PM (BV District Office Gym)
​
Have a great week!
 
Mr. Love