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 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

Each year band students in grades 9-11 and all incoming 8th grade band members complete a Spring Playing Assessment. This process also aides the directors in placing students into one of the concert bands for next school year. Music and instructions were distributed  to students this past week. Instructions can be read HERE.

Music is available in Canvas, and hard copies can be obtained from your current director. Placement videos are uploaded through Canvas and are due no later than 3:30 PM on April 9.

Jazz band Auditions will be held at a later date.