Lamar Band News

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Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 5/21/2023

On May 21, 2023 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Band & Orchestra Awards Banquet – The banquet was a wonderful time. Thank you to all the boosters and volunteers who put in so much time to make the night very special for so many students.

Marching Band Mini Camp – On Tuesday, we will have a mini marching band practice in the MAC from 5:00pm-7:00pm. This is the final semester grade for all 9-11 grade students. Percussion and seniors are exempt from this grade. We will work on basic marching fundamentals, pass out music, and get to know our incoming freshmen!

Parent Meeting – On Tuesday May 23rd, at 6:30 in the band room, the LBBC will have its final meeting of the current school year. They will be voting in the new executive board and giving an update on summer activities. At 7:00pm, there will be a meeting for all parents of new Lamar Band students. The boosters and Mr. Lang will discuss the summer and fall marching band schedules. The LBBC will have spirit wear for sale!

Band Auditions and Final Exam – Results have been posted. Students who missed their final playing exam must see a director first thing Monday morning. Grades will not be finalized until after the final exam class period has ended.

End Of Year – All band fees are due. All instruments must be checked in to a director. We will check instruments back out immediately to those continuing in the Lamar Band program. Students will be turning in formal uniforms this week. The following message was posted on the band app last week.

From Ms Sherrod (the uniform organizer) You may begin turning in your uniforms next week starting on Monday.

1. Washed and wrinkle free (new tuxes can be machine washed)

2. Hung on the hangers it was checked out to you on.

3. Name attached somewhere on it

4. Hand directly to an adult – so we can make sure it is documented accordingly.

5. Do NOT just leave on a rack or somewhere randomly in the band hall

6. There is a fine for uniforms not turned in

7. If you still have an old concert uniform – bring that back too.

Band Activity Fees – Pay your fees online here. https://tinyurl.com/BandFeesVFND

Please fill out this form for schedule conflicts. Lamar Band Absence Request Form

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 5/14/2023

On May 14, 2023 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Band & Orchestra Awards Banquet – May 20th is the annual band and orchestra awards banquet. There will be food, awards, and fun! Ticket sales end at noon on Monday! Tickets WILL NOT be sold at the door!

Marching Band Mini Camp – On Tuesday, we will have a mini marching band practice in the MAC from 5:00pm-7:00pm. We will work on basic marching fundamentals, pass out music, and get to know our incoming freshmen!

Band Auditions and Final Exam – On Tuesday, all brass and woodwind students will perform their audition material for the directors. The performance will serve as a final exam. The rankings will be the chair and band placements for the fall semester.

From Ms Sherrod (the uniform organizer) You may begin turning in your uniforms next week starting on Monday.

1. Washed and wrinkle free (new tuxes can be machine washed)

2. Hung on the hangers it was checked out to you on.

3. Name attached somewhere on it

4. Hand directly to an adult – so we can make sure it is documented accordingly.

5. Do NOT just leave on a rack or somewhere randomly in the band hall

6. There is a fine for uniforms not turned in

7. If you still have an old concert uniform – bring that back too.

May 15-20

Tuesday – 5:00pm-7:00pm Marching Band Mini Camp in the MAC

Saturday – 6:00pm-9:00pm Band & Orchestra Awards Banquet

Please fill out this form for schedule conflicts. Lamar Band Absence Request Form

Band Activity Fees – Pay your fees online here. https://tinyurl.com/BandFeesVFND

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net

Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Band App – ALL the links can be accessed here

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 5/7/2023

On May 7, 2023 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Band Spring Concert – This Thursday, May 11th at 7:00pm in the LHS auditorium is the Lamar Band Spring Concert! Students, make sure your tuxes and dresses are clean and wrinkle free. Call time for students will be 5:45pm.

Band & Orchestra Awards Banquet – May 20th is the annual band and orchestra awards banquet. There will be food, awards, and fun! This is a formal event and tickets will be available for purchase soon. Students and parents are invited! Tickets are now available for purchase online. Get them soon before we sell out! https://lamarmusic.square.site/

May 8 – 12

Monday – 3:15-5:00 Full Orchestra Rehearsal

Tuesday – 7:00pm Full Orchestra Spring Concert

Wednesday – 3:15pm-5:00pm Wind Symphony Rehearsal

Thursday – 7:00pm Lamar Band Spring Concert

Friday – 6:00pm Nichols Band Spring Concert

Solo Festival – Congratulations to all the Lamar band students who performed their solo on Saturday! We had 27 division 1 ratings! Students will get their judges comment sheets back on Monday.

Rehearsals – Our after/before school rehearsals are critical to our success. Absences are marked as a zero in the grade book. Please make sure any conflicts are addressed at your earliest convenience. Lamar Band Absence Request Form

Band Activity Fees – Activity fee payments are due for those on the semesterly or monthly payment plans. Trip payments are also due for January. When paying online, select either “activity fees” or “trip fees”. Pay your fees online here. https://tinyurl.com/BandFeesVFND

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 4/30/2023

On April 30, 2023 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Leadership and Jazz – Friday was the audition for student leadership for next school year. There are many inspiring students in the band that are ready to lead their peers. The directors are impressed and excited about what the future holds.

The Jazz Band performed at the GPFAA jazz festival this past weekend. The performance was spectacular.

May 1 – 6

Monday – 3:15-3:20 Marching Show Reveal!

Tuesday – 3:15-5:00 Full Orchestra, 3:15-4:30 Clarinet Choir, 5:00-6:00 Drumline Clinic

Wednesday – 7:00pm Percussion and Jazz Spring concert at the CVPA

Thursday – 3:15-5:00 Symphonic Winds Rehearsal

Saturday – 8:00-1:00 LHS Solo Festival

A Backbeat Explosion – The Lamar Percussion and Jazz spring concerts are being held combined on May 3rd at the CVPA at 7:00pm. This will be an incredible concert and we hope ALL Lamar Band students and families can attend. The concert is titled “A backbeat explosion”…the definition of a backbeat – a strong accent on one of the normally unaccented beats of the bar, used especially in jazz and popular music.

Solo Festival and Recital – On May 6th, all students will perform their solos for judges. We will begin at 8:00am and finish by 1:00pm. Students will be assigned a performance time. The solo performance is calculated into the final semester average for all band students.

Band Spring Concert – May 11th is the spring band concert at LHS. All band students will perform. The performance starts at 7:00pm and we hope to see all families for the final performance of the school year!

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Band App – Students and parents all need to set up their Band App accounts. We communicate primarily through this app. ALL the links can be accessed here

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 4/26/2023

On April 26, 2023 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Spring Trip to Orlando – Success! The band and orchestra trip was fun and exhausting. The performance at Disney was an incredible experience! We are proud of these musicians for putting together excellent recordings in only a couple of hours. Parents, you should be proud of the kids’ behavior throughout the trip. Thank you to all the chaperones for the hard work keeping up with these energetic teenagers. The recording of the performance is posted in the trip band app. I will keep it up for a while but due to Disney copyright, I am not permitted to share the video any other way.

The busiest time of the year – There are many things going on from now until the last day of the school year. Check the band app and google calendar often for updates and reminders. I will do my best to keep us all on the same page.

April 26-May 3

Wednesday – 3:15-5:00 Wind Symphony rehearsal

Thursday – 3:15-5:00 Symphonic Winds, 5:00-7:00 color guard try outs

Friday – 3:15-6:45 Leadership Auditions

Saturday – All Day Jazz Band to GPFAA Festival

Tuesday – 3:15-5:00 Full Orchestra, 3:15-4:30 Clarinet Choir, 5:00-6:00 Drumline Clinic

Wednesday – 7:00pm Percussion and Jazz Spring concert at the CVPA

Solo Festival and Recital – CHANGE! Seniors will perform on Saturday with all other students. On May 6th, all students will perform their solos for judges. We will begin at 8:00am and finish by 1:00pm. Students will be assigned a performance time. The solo performance is calculated into the final semester average for all band students.

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 4/17/2023

On April 17, 2023 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

UIL – Last week the Lamar Bands performed at the UIL Concert and Sightreading Evaluation at the CVPA and had one of our most successful Spring semesters in recent history! Both ensembles earned Superior (Division 1) ratings of some kind during their performances.

On Wednesday, the Lamar Non-Varsity band (Symphonic Winds) received a Superior Rating on their stage performance and an excellent rating on their sight-reading performance!

Friday the Lamar Varsity Band (Wind Symphony) received an excellent rating on their stage performance and Superior Ratings on their sight-reading performance.

As directors, we are so very proud of the incredible progress the students have made this semester. Parents, you should be proud of their hard work and dedication. The lessons of grit, learning from failures, and striving for very high expectations is more than a music lesson. The traits will help our Lamar Band students with the challenges after high school. VFND!

Sectionals – With the spring concerts quickly approaching, we will continue our after and before school sectionals. Still so much music to learn and rehearse!

April 17-21

Monday – 3:15-4:15 Leadership Audition Practice

Tuesday – 3:15-5:00 Full Orchestra, 3:15-4:30 Clarinet Choir, 5:00-6:00 Drumline Clinic

Wednesday – 3:15-5:00 Wind Symphony

Thursday – 3:15-5:00 Symphonic Winds

Friday – Orlando Trip, no after school practices

Spring Trip to Orlando – The signed trip handbook form is due now. Medication and Bag Check forms are due by the morning of departure. The itinerary was shared in the band app page. For all updates, join and check the “Spring Trip to Orlando” group on the Band App page often. It’s Disney time!

Solo Festival and Recital – On May 5th, we will host our first senior recital at LHS. We will start at 6:00pm and each senior will play a solo. We encourage families to attend and enjoy a special final performance.

On May 6th, the 9-11 grade students will perform their solos for judges. We will begin at 8:00am and finish by 1:00pm. Students will be assigned a performance time. The solo performance is calculated into the final semester average for all band students.

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Band App – Students and parents all need to set up their Band App accounts. We communicate primarily through this app. ALL the links can be accessed here

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 4/10/2023

On April 10, 2023 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

UIL – The concert bands will perform their concerts at UIL THIS week. Symphonic Winds on Wednesday and Wind Symphony on Friday. We hope you can come out and watch their performances at the CVPA. Itineraries attached. Students need to confirm the concert dresses and tuxedos are clean and ready to go.

UIL Week Sectionals – The important final dress rehearsals are this week.

Tuesday – 7:00am Wind Symphony

Tuesday – 3:15pm-5:00pm Symphonic Winds

Wednesday – 3:15pm-5:00pm Wind Symphony

Thursday – 3:15pm-4:15pm Leadership audition practice

Spring Trip to Orlando – Parents, if you missed the meeting, it is critical you contact a director. There is a signature needed regarding the trip handbook. The itinerary was shared in the band app page. For all updates, join and check the “Spring Trip to Orlando” group on the Band App page often.

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Band App – Students and parents all need to set up their Band App accounts. We communicate primarily through this app. ALL the links can be accessed here

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 4/3/2023

On April 3, 2023 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Percussion – Last weekend some of our percussion students attended the TCU Percussion Festival to perform two of their pieces. They performed very well and we received 2nd place for their performance of The Cry by Nathan Daughtery and 3rd for their performance of Cloud Forest by Blake Tyson.

This is a huge achievement for them as the competition was very tough from a lot of schools throughout Texas. Congratulate these percussionists when you see them.

Nick Astie

Collin Lambertson

Dashel Hornyak

Chosen Green

Matthew Hroch

Miles Finn

Zachary Smith

Emily Graham

Aaron Ramos

Bridget Hardy

Michael Howard

Mia McKean

Our spring concert for the Percussionists and the Jazz band is on May 3rd at the CVPA. We would love for you to join us to hear some beautiful music!

Leadership 2023-2024 – We had approximately 40 students show up for the introductory meeting this past Friday. These fine students will go through a training and selection process over the next few weeks. They should all have joined the leadership audition band app page.

Spring Trip to Orlando – We have a mandatory trip meeting for all students and parents. Meet in the band room at 6:30pm on Wednesday April 5th. The itinerary was shared in the band app page. For all updates, join and check the “Spring Trip to Orlando” group on the Band App page often.

UIL – The concert bands will perform their concerts at UIL next week. Symphonic Winds on Wednesday and Wind Symphony on Friday. We hope you can come out and watch their performances at the CVPA. Itineraries attached. During the 4 day weekend, it is critical that all students practice their instruments daily.

The following sectionals are 3:15pm-5:00pm

Monday – Jazz

Wednesday – Wind Symphony

Thursday – Symphonic Winds

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Band App – Students and parents all need to set up their Band App accounts. We communicate primarily through this app. ALL the links can be accessed here

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 3/26/2023

On March 26, 2023 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Pre UIL Concert – Monday March 27th is our rescheduled pre-UIL concert. ALL band students are required to perform. This is a formal concert and students will wear tuxedos and dresses. This concert is for all parents, families, and friends. The students would love to have you there to hear all the amazing music they have been working on.

Symphonic Winds

4:30pm Call time in full uniform ready to go

5:00pm Official warm up starts (band room)

5:30pm Concert Performance (auditorium)

6:00pm Sight Reading Performance (orchestra room)

6:30pm Go home

Wind Symphony

5:00pm Call time in full uniform ready to go

5:30pm Official warm up starts (band room)

6:00pm Concert Performance (auditorium)

6:30pm Sight Reading Performance (orchestra room)

7:00pm Go home

Percussion Concert – Tuesday evening is a dress rehearsal for our percussion ensembles. On Saturday, they will perform at the TCU percussion festival. We hope you can come out and hear the incredible music they have been working on. Specific times will be shared on the band app.

Pep Rally – Friday during 10th period, we will have our spring sports pep rally. ALL band students will perform. You must wear your Ascent show shirt to the pep rally! The color guard will be doing a short performance during the pep rally.

Leadership 2023-2024 – On Friday immediately after school, we will have a short meeting to discuss the process for auditioning for the leadership team for next school year. This information meeting is for ALL current Lamar HS Band students. We encourage students to come check out what leadership is all about. The meeting should conclude by 3:45pm.

The following sectionals are 3:15pm-5:00pm

Monday – Jazz

Wednesday – Wind Symphony

Thursday – Symphonic Winds

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Band App – Students and parents all need to set up their Band App accounts. We communicate primarily through this app. ALL the links can be accessed here

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 3/21/2023

On March 21, 2023 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Finding words to communicate the range of emotions we are all feeling can be next to impossible. We will all stumble over our words as we work through this difficult time. What’s important is the sincerity behind what you say. Be sensitive to those around you and be the shoulder for your friends to lean on. Sometimes hugs speak more than words.

Where words fail, music steps in. Listening to music can heal the soul. Playing music can settle your emotions. Playing music together is a kind of group therapy. I look forward to our time making music together.

“Music expresses that which cannot be put into words.” -Victor Hugo

Yesterday and today, I am home with Covid. Not being there for my students was a helpless feeling. I want you all to know that safety and health, mental and physical, is the utmost priority for me as an educator. I want all students to know that I am available to talk about what we are going through as a school. That being said, we are going to continue with rehearsals as scheduled. A normal routine can be helpful as we work through this time.

Pre-UIL – We have moved our pre-UIL concert to next Monday. Details regarding call times will be shared soon. Thank you for your flexibility. Parents, this is a good time to come hear what the students have worked on this semester.

Academic Achievement – Three Lamar Band students earned the National Hispanic Recognition by scoring high on the PSAT. Congratulations to Matthew Hroch, Austin Palacios, and Vanessa Salazar! Only the top 5000 out of 400,000 receive the award. This is a huge achievement that often results in significant college scholarships, even full rides to some colleges!

Spring Trip to Orlando – The February payment is past due and the final payment is just around the corner. For all updates, join and check the “Spring Trip to Orlando” group on the Band App page often.

The following sectionals are 3:15pm-5:00pm

Monday – Jazz

Wednesday – Wind Symphony

Thursday – Symphonic Winds

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 3/6/2023

On March 6, 2023 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Jazz Band – The Lamar Viking Jazz Band has a big week. This Thursday, March 9th at 7:00pm in the LHS auditorium, the jazz band will have their preview concert. They have their first jazz festival this Saturday at UTA. Come support them at both the Thursday concert and the UTA jazz festival, Saturday at 11:30am.

New Tuxedo Checkout – Most of the tuxedos have been fit and checked out. Students who still do not have the NEW tuxedo, please let Mr. Riley know and we will get it taken care of this week.

SPRING BREAK – Our much deserved spring break is next week! With our pre-UIL concert the Tuesday when we return from break, it is critical that students practice during spring break. Just 30 mins a day will make a big difference. We have made great progress on our UIL programs, but it is imperative that students keep the music “under their fingers” while we have a week break.

The following sectionals are 3:15pm-5:00pm

Monday – Jazz

Wednesday – Wind Symphony

Thursday – Symphonic Winds

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Band App – Students and parents all need to set up their Band App accounts. We communicate primarily through this app. ALL the links can be accessed here

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 2/26/2023

On February 26, 2023 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Full Orchestra UIL – This past Friday, the Lamar HS Symphony Orchestra performed at the Region 5 UIL Evaluation. They had a terrific performance and earned straight division 1 ratings from the three concert judges! In sight reading we just barely missed a division 1 rating (1,2,2). We are extremely proud of these incredible musicians and their efforts during our full orchestra UIL season.

Game Night – Our annual game night will be Tuesday Feb. 28th. This is an event to get to know our 8th grade band members from Nichols and Shackelford. There will be lots of fun, games, and snacks. It will be 6:00pm-8:00pm at Lamar. We will need students to bring game systems, controllers, and if possible a TV or projector. Fill out this form if you can help with the game equipment. Mr. Riley and Mr. Kelly will coordinate these parts of the event. The band council will organize the snacks and drinks.

New Tuxedo Checkout – We will be assigning our new tuxedos to students this week. Students should have returned their old tuxedos by the end of this week. Starting Tuesday after school, we will begin checking out the new tuxedos. Students must take these home and hang them up in their closets. It is the student’s responsibility to take care of the tux. We will continue tuxedo check out on Wednesday and Thursday during the WS and SW rehearsals after school. Special thanks to Jennifer Stein, Liz Bankhead, and Vonda Sherrod for working on sorting out the new tuxedos and boxing up the old ones!

Volunteers for UIL – This week on Monday and Thursday, we will need 5 students to volunteer to help us host the JH orchestra UIL at the CVPA. If you are interested, fill out this form. Each AISD HS band sends students to help with the orchestra UIL, then the HS orchestras send students to help with the Band UIL. So, parents, if your students mention this, it is a valid volunteer experience and students will be fed lunch and receive service hours.

March 4th – This week, the Lamar Band Booster Club is starting a new fundraiser. The March Forth (get it), National Marching Band Giving Day, will help raise money to kick off the marching band season fundraising efforts. Please share the attached image file on your social media and/or share this link. It is just a donation, very simple. Students, send this link to family and friends with a picture of you in your marching uniform, grandparents love that.

The following sectionals are 3:15pm-5:00pm

Monday – Jazz

Tuesday – Full Orchestra

Wednesday – Wind Symphony

Thursday – Symphonic Winds

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Band App – Students and parents all need to set up their Band App accounts. We communicate primarily through this app. ALL the links can be accessed here

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 2/20/2023

On February 20, 2023 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Solos – Congratulations Adam Patterson, Matthew Howard, and Matthew Hroch, on earning division 1 ratings on their solos this past weekend!

Full Orchestra UIL – This Friday at 1:25pm, the Lamar HS Symphony Orchestra will perform at the Region 5 UIL Evaluation. It is at the CVPA. We encourage all parents and supporters to come enjoy the performance. VFND!

Clinicians – Tuesday, we will have a guest clinician work with the WS and SW during class. We will be having guests come out to help us prepare our music over the next few weeks. When we have a guest, we expect exemplary rehearsals. Arrive early, warm up before we start, have a pencil and a tuner. These are precious opportunities to get better!

Game Night – Our annual game night will be Tuesday Feb. 28th. This is an event to get to know our 8th grade band members from Nichols and Shackelford. There will be lots of fun, games, and snacks. It will be 6:30pm-8:00pm at Lamar. We will need students to bring game systems, controllers, and if possible a TV or projector. Mr. Riley and Mr. Kelly will coordinate these parts of the event. The band council will organize the snacks and drinks.

Spring Trip to Orlando – For all updates, join and check the “Spring Trip to Orlando” group on the Band App page often.

The following sectionals are 3:15pm-5:00pm

Monday – Jazz

Tuesday – Full Orchestra

Wednesday – Wind Symphony

Thursday – Symphonic Winds

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Band App – Students and parents all need to set up their Band App accounts. We communicate primarily through this app. ALL the links can be accessed here

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 2/12/2023

On February 12, 2023 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

TMEA – The band directors attended the Texas Music Educators Association annual convention in San Antonio last week. We had a productive trip with meetings regarding our fall marching band show design, the new marching uniforms design for fall of 2024, and much much more. We are excited to get back to teaching this week, our first full week in a while!

Students – I want to thank you all for your behavior and work ethic while we were gone last week. Mr. Riley and I received emails with very positive feedback from the sub. She was impressed with how respectful the students were and how they worked on music even in the absence of directors. Thank you very much and I am very proud of you.

Solos – This weekend, a few Lamar students, Adam, Matthew, and Matthew, will compete in solo competitions. Wish them well! All other band students will perform their solos in late April. We are still working on a date. There are many events to work around at the end of the semester.

Spring Trip to Orlando – For all updates, join and check the “Spring Trip to Orlando” group on the Band App page often.

The following sectionals are 3:15pm-5:00pm

Monday – Jazz

Tuesday – Full Orchestra

Wednesday – Wind Symphony

Thursday – Symphonic Winds

For Percussion, Jazz, or Color Guard calendars, email

Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net

Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Attendance Policy – ALL before and after school practices are required. A Lamar Band Absence Request Form must be filled out and on file. For emergencies, a text or email to a director is fine.

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Band App – Students and parents all need to set up their Band App accounts. We communicate primarily through this app. ALL the links can be accessed here

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 2/5/2023

On February 5, 2023 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

NTCA Contest – THANK YOU! I want to thank every student and adult who volunteered their time yesterday. It is a long and tiring day. From 6:30am to 11:30pm, everyone worked hard and did it with a smile. We had multiple compliments from other schools in attendance for how well this event was run. Huge thanks to Theresa Jorgensen for organizing this massive event! It takes many hours of planning. Also a huge thanks to the other LBBC members who did a lot of the heavy lifting on different committees. Fundraising usually isn’t “fun”, but I for one enjoy the team work we have every year to pull off this major FUNdraiser!

Game Night – We have postponed our game night that was scheduled for Monday Feb. 6th. We want more time to advertise with the JH band kids. The ice days made that impossible last week.

Lamar Cadets – I want to give a shoutout to our Lamar Cadets winterguard. This year, we finally have our first ever JH winterguard. 5 students from Shackelford signed up to begin something they had never really heard of. They practice 6:30am – 8:45am every B day through their zero hour at Shack. They placed 3rd in their class. We are excited for our future Lamar Color Guard members!

Full Orchestra Pre UIL – Monday, the LHS Symphony Orchestra will perform their UIL concert program in the Lamar Auditorium at 5:30pm. All are welcome to attend!

Spring Trip to Orlando – For all updates, join and check the “Spring Trip to Orlando” group on the Band App page often.

The following sectionals are 3:15pm-5:00pm

Monday – Jazz

Tuesday – Full Orchestra

Wednesday – Wind Symphony

Thursday – Symphonic Winds

For Percussion, Jazz, or Color Guard calendars, email

Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net

Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Attendance Policy – ALL before and after school practices are required. A Lamar Band Absence Request Form must be filled out and on file. For emergencies, a text or email to a director is fine.

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Band App – Students and parents all need to set up their Band App accounts. We communicate primarily through this app. ALL the links can be accessed here

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 1/29/2023

On January 29, 2023 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

All-City – The AISD All-City Honor Band concert was incredible. So proud of our musicians who performed Friday evening.

NTCA Contest – THIS IS THE BIG WEEK! On February 4, the Lamar Band Booster Club is hosting an NTCA Winterguard competition at Lamar High School. 75 different Winterguards (think Colorguard, but they perform their show to recorded music, in a gym, with a tarp covering the floor) will be competing from 8am to 10pm. Over 3,000 people will be at Lamar for the event.

The band gets to keep all money from spectator ticket sales, concessions, and vendor fees. We can net anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000 for the band at this one event. WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Here is a link for adults to sign up to volunteer. Share this with your adult family and friends. We need lots and lots and lots of help on February 4.

Here is the link for students to sign up to volunteer. We encourage you to sign up for multiple shifts (but just one job per shift).

Game NIght – On Monday Feb. 6th, we will hold the annual game night at LHS! This is a social event for the band students from Nichols, Shackelford, and Lamar. We need students to bring game systems, and TV’s or projectors. We will also have many board and card games and GIANT twister! Snacks provided. 6:30pm-8:00pm.

Spring Trip to Orlando – For all updates, join and check the “Spring Trip to Orlando” group on the Band App page often.

The following sectionals are 3:15pm-5:00pm

Monday – Jazz

Tuesday – Full Orchestra

Wednesday – Wind Symphony

Thursday – Symphonic Winds

For Percussion, Jazz, or Color Guard calendars, email

Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net

Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Attendance Policy – ALL before and after school practices are required. A Lamar Band Absence Request Form must be filled out and on file. For emergencies, a text or email to a director is fine.

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Band App – Students and parents all need to set up their Band App accounts. We communicate primarily through this app. ALL the links can be accessed here

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 1/22/2023

On January 22, 2023 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

All-City – The all-city honor band clinics and concerts will be Thursday and Friday this week. Students who earned a position in the bands will rehearse this Thursday evening and then all day on Friday. The 9th grade all-city band will have sectionals at Nichols and the 10-12 all-city band will have sectionals at Lamar. On Friday, those students will be excused from class to practice at the CVPA all day. The concerts start at 6:00pm. We would love to have a big turn out of friends and family to support our fellow band members and enjoy a wonderful concert!

The all-city members should already be a part of the band app for all-city.

NTCA Contest – On February 4, the Lamar Band Booster Club is hosting an NTCA Winterguard competition at Lamar High School. 75 different Winterguards (think Colorguard, but they perform their show to recorded music, in a gym, with a tarp covering the floor) will be competing from 8am to 10pm. Over 3,000 people will be at Lamar for the event.

The band gets to keep all money from spectator ticket sales, concessions, and vendor fees. We can net anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000 for the band at this one event. WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Here is a link for adults to sign up to volunteer. Share this with your adult family and friends. We need lots and lots and lots of help on February 4.

Here is the link for students to sign up to volunteer. We encourage you to sign up for multiple shifts (but just one job per shift).

Spring Trip to Orlando – For all updates, join and check the “Spring Trip to Orlando” group on the Band App page often.

The following sectionals are 3:15pm-5:00pm

Monday – Jazz

Tuesday – Full Orchestra

Wednesday – Wind Symphony

Thursday – Symphonic Winds

For Percussion, Jazz, or Color Guard calendars, email

Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net

Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Attendance Policy – ALL before and after school practices are required. A Lamar Band Absence Request Form must be filled out and on file. For emergencies, a text or email to a director is fine.

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Band App – Students and parents all need to set up their Band App accounts. We communicate primarily through this app. ALL the links can be accessed here

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 1/15/2023

On January 15, 2023 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Tuxedos – Next week, return all tuxedos to the band room. No need to clean them. We are preparing to check out our new tuxedos and need to remove all old tuxes.

The band gets to keep all money from spectator ticket sales, concessions, and vendor fees. We can net anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000 for the band at this one event. WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Here is a link for adults to sign up to volunteer. Share this with your adult family and friends. We need lots and lots and lots of help on February 4.

Here is the link for students to sign up to volunteer. We encourage you to sign up for multiple shifts (but just one job per shift).

Spring Trip to Orlando – An email was sent Friday to all students/parents going on the trip to Orlando. If you did not get it, please let me know and fill out this form.

Additionally, please sign up for the “Spring Trip to Orlando” group on the Band App

Lastly, we will be doing in-person student room sign ups immediately after school Tuesday, Jan 17th at 3:00 in the Orchestra Room (108). You will need to get in line with your preferred room mates (5 per room) to sign up as a group. If you cannot be in attendance, please notify your directors who your proxy will be to sign up on your behalf. We will do our absolute best to accommodate room mate preferences.

Band Activity Fees – Activity fee payments are due for those on the semesterly or monthly payment plans. Trip payments are also due for Janurary. When paying online, select either “activity fees” or “trip fees”. Pay your fees online here. https://tinyurl.com/BandFeesVFND

Sectionals – Starting this week, before and after school rehearsals / sectionals will begin. Attendance will be taken and part of the band class grade. Any absences should be communicated with the absence form. Other school activities that conflict with a student’s sectional will be handled on an individual basis. Some smaller group sectionals will be communicated separately. Percussion ensemble rehearsals rotate with the A/B schedule. Mr. Kelly will explain directly to those students and parents.

The following sectionals are 3:15pm-5:00pm

Monday – Jazz

Tuesday – Full Orchestra

Wednesday – Wind Symphony

Thursday – Symphonic Winds

For Percussion, Jazz, or Color Guard calendars, email

Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net

Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Attendance Policy – ALL before and after school practices are required. A Lamar Band Absence Request Form must be filled out and on file. For emergencies, a text or email to a director is fine.

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Band App – Students and parents all need to set up their Band App accounts. We communicate primarily through this app. ALL the links can be accessed here

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 1/8/2023

On January 8, 2023 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Volunteer Planning Meeting – The booster club will meet this Thursday at 7:30pm to discuss the plans for the upcoming NTCA Winter Guard contest that we will host at Lamar on Feb. 4th. All are welcome to attend. We will need most of the Lamar Band parents and students volunteering at this event. This is a major fundraiser for the band which brings in a major percentage of our annual booster club budget. Please sign up to volunteer when the sign up genius is shared.

All-Region Concert – This weekend, 5 Lamar Band students will rehearse and perform in the All-Region Honor Band. We would like to invite all students and parents to attend the concert at the CVPA Saturday afternoon.

The following sectionals are 3:15pm-5:00pm

Monday – Jazz

Tuesday – Full Orchestra

Wednesday – Wind Symphony

Thursday – Symphonic Winds

For Percussion, Jazz, or Color Guard calendars, email

Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net

Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Attendance Policy – ALL before and after school practices are required. A Lamar Band Absence Request Form must be filled out and on file. For emergencies, a text or email to a director is fine.

Band Activity Fees – Pay your fees online here. https://tinyurl.com/BandFeesVFND

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Band App – Students and parents all need to set up their Band App accounts. We communicate primarily through this app. ALL the links can be accessed here

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 1/1/2023

On January 1, 2023December 30, 2022 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Happy New Year! – It’s that time of year where we make resolutions, diets, and plans to better ourselves in some way. For the Lamar Band, I want us to continue the many great things we have been doing, and to set goals to challenge ourselves in this new year. I’m excited to get back to it next week and dig into all the new music we have planned for this spring.

Schedules – Many students will continue with the same band class schedule in the spring as the fall. However, some students have adjustments. Some of those had already been planned last summer by the counselors. I recommend logging into student self serve and checking your semester 2 schedule. The following is the band class schedule.

1st – Wind Symphony

2nd – no HS class, directors at JH’s

3rd – Symphonic Winds (Symphonic Band & Freshman Band)

4th – Jazz Band

7th – Brass Ensemble and Color Guard

8th – no HS class, directors at JH’s

9th – Woodwind Ensemble

10th – Percussion Ensemble

Solos – All musicians in the Lamar Band will perform a solo this spring. It is part of our curriculum. We have selected solos for some students already. Private lesson teachers have already selected solos for their students and started working on them before the break. We will be sure that every student has their solo over the next couple of weeks. Students should work on it through the spring. The Lamar solo festival will be in May. Encourage your student to work on it regularly. If they say, “I have nothing to practice”, you can remind them to work on their solo or to perform it for you!

Jan 1-7

No after school or practices

Saturday – All Area/State Auditions. Good luck Matthew Howard!!!

For Percussion, Jazz, or Color Guard calendars, email

Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net

Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Attendance Policy – ALL before and after school practices are required. A Lamar Band Absence Request Form must be filled out and on file. For emergencies, a text or email to a director is fine.

Band Activity Fees – Pay your fees online here. https://tinyurl.com/BandFeesVFND

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Band App – Students and parents all need to set up their Band App accounts. We communicate primarily through this app. ALL the links can be accessed here

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 12/11/2022

On December 11, 2022 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

All-Region Auditions – Congratulations to the following students on making the All-Region Honor Band! Carson Plamondan, Brandon Cole, Jack Bedell, and Judah Bass! Matthew Howard advanced to the Area contest and will audition for All-State in January! This is a huge accomplishment for these students. The band directors are very proud of every student who auditioned for the All-Region bands. It takes a lot of guts to go play in front of other great students.

Concerts – Thank you to everyone for coming out to our fall band concert last Wednesday. Our final concert is this Tuesday at Lamar Baptist Church. The full orchestra will be performing along with the Lamar Choirs. This is a long standing LHS tradition and we know you will enjoy this beautiful holiday concert.

Band Holiday Party – This Wednesday after school, early release at 11:35, we will have our annual holiday party! There is a flyer that the band council posted in the band app. All are welcome, no obligation to participate in the white elephant gift exchange. $5 for pizza, freshmen bring desserts, sophomores bring chips or salty snacks, juniors bring drinks (canned sodas, not bottles), seniors bring extra goodies. Best Christmas outfit wins a prize! The white elephant gift exchange has a $10 limit and gifts must be school appropriate and no live animals. Yes, one year a student brought a goldfish.

The Break – The winter break is a much needed halftime for the school year. A chance to rest and relax. It is also a great time to recalibrate and prepare for an even better spring semester. I look forward to relaxing and spending time with my family. I will however also be looking forward to and planning for next semester. I would like all students to take home their instruments AND practice over the break. We will have solos and concert music to work on. Scales and other fundamentals are also very important. We have a lot going on in the spring and we want to get off to a running start on January 4th.

Dec 12-15

Monday – B day

Tuesday – Full Orchestra & Choir Holiday Concert 7:00pm @ Lamar Baptist Church

Wednesday – 11:35am-1:00pm Band Holiday Party in the Band Room

Thursday – Last Day of the semester! TAKE HOME INSTRUMENTS

Friday – No school or practices

For Percussion, Jazz, or Color Guard calendars, email

Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net

Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Amazon Wish List – The Lamar Band has an Amazon wishlist. Check it out when you get a chance. Also, make sure you have signed up for the Lamar Band Boosters Amazon Smile account before you do holiday shopping!

Attendance Policy – ALL before and after school practices are required. There will be a participation grade in the gradebook. A Lamar Band Absence Request Form must be filled out and on file. For emergencies, a text or email to a director is fine.

Band Activity Fees – Pay your fees online here. https://tinyurl.com/BandFeesVFND

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Band App – Students and parents all need to set up their Band App accounts. We communicate primarily through this app. ALL the links can be accessed here

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 12/11/2022

Dec 12-15

Monday – B day

Tuesday – Full Orchestra & Choir Holiday Concert 7:00pm @ Lamar Baptist Church

Wednesday – 11:35am-1:00pm Band Holiday Party in the Band Room

Thursday – Last Day of the semester! TAKE HOME INSTRUMENTS

Friday – No school or practices

For Percussion, Jazz, or Color Guard calendars, email

Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net

Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Band Activity Fees – Pay your fees online here. https://tinyurl.com/BandFeesVFND

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Band App – Students and parents all need to set up their Band App accounts. We communicate primarily through this app. ALL the links can be accessed here

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 12/4/2022

On December 4, 2022 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Concert Week – This week, on Wednesday evening, the band’s fall semester concert will take place in the LHS auditorium (they finally fixed the lights!). The concert will start at 6:30pm. Following the Lamar Band concert, the Shackelford Band will have their concert at 7:30pm. We encourage Lamar students and families to support the JH students.

The high school band students will need to be at Lamar ready for warm up by 5:30pm. We will wear formal concert attire. We have checked out the black dresses and tuxedos. If you do not have one yet, let us know Monday morning. The dresses should be washed and hemmed before Wednesday. Tuxedos can be dry cleaned but do not wash or iron at home. Tuxes will be worn with a white dress shirt. We will check out bow ties at the concert. Black dress shoes and black socks are required. We expect students to look professional and well put together for our concerts. We hope to see all families and friends on Wednesday! You won’t want to miss our interesting holiday music selections.

All-Region Auditions – The attached pdf is a list of all Lamar band students who are entered in the all-region auditions. Students and parents should have joined the band app page for All-Region. I have posted details about the auditions today. There is a $12.50 fee to audition for all-region. Students, if you are not able to audition, let me know. However, you have already been entered so you must still pay the entry fee. I cannot get a refund.

Congratulations – Congrats to the brass and woodwinds who played their chair tests, auditions, and semester exams last week! The directors were pleased with the student’s preparation. The Wind Symphony auditions and chair tests were very competitive. We will have another chair test in January upon our return from break. Be looking at your spring class schedule. Some adjustments may have been made.

Dec 5-9

Monday – All-Region Brass & Percussion

Tuesday – Full Orchestra Concert 7:00pm

Wednesday – Band Concert 7:00pm

Thursday – All-Region Woodwinds

Friday – No practice

Saturday – All-Region Phase 2 and 9th grade

For Percussion, Jazz, or Color Guard calendars, email

Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net

Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Band Activity Fees – Pay your fees online here. https://tinyurl.com/BandFeesVFND

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Band App – Students and parents all need to set up their Band App accounts. We communicate primarily through this app. ALL the links can be accessed here

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 11/13/2022

On November 13, 2022 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

All-City Auditions – Best of luck to the 46 Lamar Band students who will audition Monday at Martin HS for the All-City Honor Band! See the attachments for details. Students will provide their own transportation as the directors will be judging late and each student will finish at different times. The results will be posted online with a QR code.

Winterguard Auditions – Help us recruit for the Winterguard (winter version of color guard). Non-band students are all welcome to audition. Invite your friends! The Lamar Color Guard will have a “try it out” camp. The try out days are Nov 16-18 from 6pm-8pm in the band room. No experience needed…just try it out!

This week in The Pride of Lamar

Monday – All-City Auditions at Martin HS 5:00pm-8:00pm

Tuesday – Full Orchestra 3:15-5:00

Wednesday – Tuxedo and Dress Check Out During Class, Winter guard try it out 6:00pm-8:00pm

Thursday – Symphonic Winds Rehearsal 3:15pm-5:00pm, Winter guard try it out 6:00pm-8:00pm

Friday – Winter guard try it out 6:00pm-8:00pm

Saturday – Thanksgiving Break Begins!

Wind Symphony Auditions – All 10-12 grade students are eligible to audition for the Wind Symphony. The audition material is attached to this email. The auditions will be after school on Nov 30. These cuts will also be a final exam grade for the semester.

Before & After School Practices – Jazz Band, Percussion Ensemble, and Winterguard all have mandatory practices outside of the school day. These calendars are shared with the students via the band app and in person announcements. The band room is busy after school and not a place for students to “hang out”. That being said, I or another director will offer help to any students who want guided practice, to pass off assignments, or get mini lessons.

Band Activity Fees – Pay your fees online here. https://tinyurl.com/BandFeesVFND

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Band App – Students and parents all need to set up their Band App accounts. We communicate primarily through this app. ALL the links can be accessed here

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

https://alysabaj.smugmug.com/Client-Galleries/Lamar-Band-Candids-2022/

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 11/6/2022

On November 6, 2022 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Band Room Cleanup – Monday, we will clean up all the mess from marching season. If you have personal items like water jugs, clothes, marching shoes, etc. take it home. After school we will be donating any items to a good cause. We need help storing equipment and cleaning up various spaces. Any available student is welcome to help. Leadership team is expected to help.

Chick-Fil-A Fundraiser – This Wednesday from 5:00pm-8:00pm, eat at the Chick-Fil-A on north Collins. Proceeds go to the Lamar Band Booster Club!

Jazz Band Concert – This Thursday is the first jazz band concert of the year! It is free! The concert starts at 7:00pm in the LHS auditorium.

Color Guard Performance – The color guard will perform at, Jete, an AISD dance event at the CVPA. We are honored to be invited again to a district wide dance event to feature many different kinds of dance that AISD offers. Jete is 6:00pm-8:00pm.

All-City Auditions – The official entries are due Monday Nov. 6. The audition music is the same as the all-region audition music. The judges will pick a small selection of each etude. The audition is at Martin HS on Monday Nov. 14. We would like all of the students to consider auditioning. The wind symphony and freshman band are expected to audition. Ineligible students will not be allowed to participate. Please fill out this form now.

Photographer – The band is very thankful to have a professional photographer as a band parent / band booster this year! We just want to thank Alyssa Bajenaru once again for all of her hard work this year. This is a message from her…

Hello Band Parents! It has been my joy and honor to take photos of your students this year. They work extremely hard and have the most fun of any group I’ve ever seen at Lamar.

Now that marching band season is over, I have updated our photo gallery to include the option for free digital downloads AND an option for low-cost professional prints. Some of you have been asking about buying prints so I thought this would be the easiest way to get you good quality prints at a low price. Prints start at $2.00 and can be ordered through the green “buy photo” button. There are also other photo products available if you wish to browse around for gifts, etc.

If you only want the digital downloads, they are yours to keep forever by tapping on the down facing arrow on the left side below each photo.

If you have any questions, please let me know. If you are trying to order a very large print and you are getting “low resolution” warnings, please email me. I can add the full size photo to the gallery for you.

Thanks again, and please don’t hesitate to reach out to me anytime!

Alysa Bajenaru

alysabajenaru.com

alysabajphotography@gmail.com

Winterguard Auditions – Help us recruit for the Winterguard (winter version of color guard). Non-band students are all welcome to audition. Invite your friends!

The Lamar Color Guard will have a “try it out” camp Saturday Nov 12th from 9am-11am in the band room. The try out days are Nov 16-18 from 6pm-8pm in the band room. No experience needed…just try it out!

This week in The Pride of Lamar

Monday – Percussion 3:00-4:30 (Shades of Glass), Jazz 3:30-5:00, Band Room Cleaning 3:00-4:30

Tuesday – Percussion 6:30am (The Cry), Symphonic Winds 3:15-4:45, Full Orchestra 3:15-5:00

Wednesday – Percussion 3:00-4:30 (Extremes), 3:15-5:15

Thursday – Jazz Concert 7:00pm at LHS

Friday – no events

Saturday – Winterguard Clinic 9:00am-11:00am, Color Guard “Jete’” at CVPA 6:00pm-8:00pm

Band Activity Fees – Pay your fees online here. Lamar High School Activity Fees.

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Band App – Students and parents all need to set up their Band App accounts. We communicate primarily through this app. ALL the links can be accessed here

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 10/30/2022

On October 30, 2022 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

November is Here – Tuesday is our hot chocolate social and last performance of “The Ascent”. Thursday is our last football game (at Grand Prairie). The majority of student grades will now come from classwork and playing tests. The concerts at the end of the semester will be the performance grades. For classwork, we are preparing winter concert music, digging deep into the all-state etudes and preparing for the all-city auditions on Nov. 14th. We hope every student auditions and makes the AISD All-City Honor Band!

This week in The Pride of Lamar

Monday – no rehearsal

Tuesday – B day, 7:35am rehearsal starts outside

Hot Chocolate Social – Call time 5:30pm, perform 7:00pm

Wednesday – no rehearsal

Thursday – 7:35am study hall, football game

Friday – no rehearsal, no game

Private Lessons – It is never too late to sign up for private lessons. We (finally) have specialists for every instrument. We just need students and parents to fill out the AMEP private lesson forms. Students who need financial aid assistance may fill out the application for scholarship.

You may fill out the pdf form digitally and email it back to me. Forms attached.

Band Activity Fees – Pay your fees online here. Lamar High School Activity Fees.

Band App – Students and parents all need to set up their Band App accounts. We communicate primarily through this app. ALL the links can be accessed here.

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Band room phone: (682) 867-7006

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 10/23/2022

On October 23, 2022 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Cleaning Up The Season – This upcoming Friday is our last home football game of the season. Next Tuesday is our hot chocolate social and last performance of “The Ascent”. That following Thursday is our last football game (at Grand Prairie). After that, depending on the playoffs, we will turn in the marching uniforms, store equipment for the next few months, and deep clean the band room. Students will be asked to clean up their cubbies, take home water jugs, and generally help us make the band room look liveable again. For classwork, we are digging deep into the all-state etudes and preparing for the auditions on Nov. 14th. We hope every student auditions and makes the AISD All-City Honor Band!

This week in The Pride of Lamar

Monday – B day, 7:35am rehearsal starts

Tuesday – senior tux/dress checkout 4:00-5:30, full orchestra 3:15-5:00

Wednesday – 6:30am marching band practice

Thursday – no rehearsals

Friday – pep rally 1:25-3:00, football game

Assignments – As we transition out of marching band season, we will begin to focus on our winter programs. We have many concerts to prepare for and the all-city auditions are less than a month away. Every six weeks, students will receive an objective sheet. This outlines all assignments and their due dates. We will upload the sheets in the band app.

You may fill out the pdf form digitally and email it back to me. Forms attached.

Band Activity Fees – Pay your fees online here. Lamar High School Activity Fees.

Band App – Students and parents all need to set up their Band App accounts. We communicate primarily through this app. ALL the links can be accessed here.

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Band room phone: (682) 867-7006

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 10/16/2022

On October 16, 2022 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Last Week – This past week we finished the busy part of marching band season. The band received a division 2 rating on Tuesday at UIL. The students and staff are disappointed that we did not advance to area contest. That being said, we are very proud of the season. This years show was enjoyable to produce and the students grew exponentially as performers. We will perform the complete show at the “Hot Chocolate Social” event on Nov. 1.

Friday we had a fun time with the 8th grade band students from Nichols and Shackelford. The game was exciting and the future Lamar Band members had a great time.

This week in The Pride of Lamar

Monday – A day, no practice

Tuesday – 7:35am marching band practice, no after school

Wednesday – No practice, Panda Express Fundraiser

Thursday – 6:30am marching band practice, no after school

Friday – Pep band for Walmart event, Football @ Choctaw Stadium

Pep Band Event – This Friday, a small pep band will go to the Walmart Neighborhood Market on Collins for a reopening event. We were ask to perform by the manager who said they would make a donation to the band program. Drumline and Wind Symphony brass will be going during that morning.

Panda Express – Mark your calendars for lunch AND/OR dinner THIS Wednesday Oct 19th! Order online or in the APP by using the code 909848 at checkout for Lamar Band to get 28% of sales. Good all day and anywhere in the US! You must order online, in person orders won’t count towards our fundraising.

You may fill out the pdf form digitally and email it back to me. Forms attached.

Band Activity Fees – Pay your fees online here. Lamar High School Activity Fees.

Band App – Students and parents all need to set up their Band App accounts. We communicate primarily through this app. ALL the links can be accessed here.

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Band room phone: (682) 867-7006

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 10/11/2022

On October 11, 2022 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Exhausted and Excited – I am tired. Physically and mentally. I know all of us in the Lamar Band program are spent. To me, however, it is a positive feeling. Knowing I’ve given great effort to something more important than just me. I think all students feel the same way. Every person wearing the LB, has put in so much for this thing called “The Ascent”. Modern marching band takes a community of people with many responsibilities. Parents prepping food, attending to scratches, bloody noses, and other first aid issues. Students loading and unloading equipment. Staff members dealing with electronic malfunctions. The list goes on. I appreciate everyone’s dedication to the Lamar Band. It’s been tiring, but it has been wonderful. Just a little more to go.

UIL Region Contest – Today is our evaluation to see if we advance to UIL Area. We will perform at 8:00pm at Vernon Newsom Stadium in Mansfield ISD. If we earn a division 1 rating, we will perform at our last contest of the season on Oct. 29th.

Band Spring Trip – The deadline has passed, but we have a small number of spots available for the trip. If you would like to attend, contact Mr. Lang asap. It is first come first served with the trip deposit ($250) due to Lang.

The Lamar Bands and Orchestras will be traveling to Orlando next April to participate in the Disney Soundtrack experience! This is a very unique opportunity. We will spend time at both Disney and Universal Studios. The cost of the trip will be $1700. The trip contract is attached to this email. You must use this link for online payments for the Orlando Trip. Remember, activity fees must be paid in full before making a deposit on the trip.

This week in The Pride of Lamar

Tuesday – 3:30pm-9:00pm UIL Region 5 Marching Contest

Wednesday – No Band Practice, PSAT testing day

Thursday – No Band Practice after school

Friday – 6:30am practice, 1:24 pep rally, 3:45 move equipment / do jobs

8th Grade Night – The JH band students join us for the football game this Friday. Be sure to order your Jason’s Deli meal before Thursday 3pm. We WILL have CiCi’s after the game!

Band Activity Fees – Pay your fees online here. Lamar High School Activity Fees.

Band App – Students and parents all need to set up their Band App accounts. We communicate primarily through this app. ALL the links can be accessed here.

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Band room phone: (682) 867-7006

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 10/2/2022

On October 2, 2022 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

The Busiest Week – Here it is…the busiest week of the school year. It is a very exciting time with many moving parts. Emails and BandApp will be information overload. When you have a question, reach out and ask. You will see multiple itineraries for the upcoming events, make sure you are looking at the correct one. I did my best to make them obviously different.

Band Spring Trip – The Lamar Bands and Orchestras will be traveling to Orlando next April to participate in the Disney Soundtrack experience! This is a very unique opportunity. We will spend time at both Disney and Universal Studios. The cost of the trip will be $1700. The trip contract is attached to this email. Sign up and deposit are due Oct. 3rd. You must use this link for online payments for the Orlando Trip. Remember, activity fees must be paid in full before making a deposit on the trip.

This week in The Pride of Lamar

Monday – No practice

Tuesday – 7:35am-11:00pm USBands AT&T Stadium

Wednesday – No practice

Thursday – 6:30am morning practice, 4:00pm-7:00pm afternoon practice

Friday – 4:30pm-10:00pm Sam Houston Football Game

Saturday – 8:45am-11:00pm USBands Burleson

Monday – 5:00pm-8:00pm Rehearsal for UIL

Tuesday – 3:30pm-9:00pm UIL Region 5 Marching Contest

AT&T Stadium Classic – Next Tuesday is the USBands AT&T Stadium Classic marching contest. Parents, please print and sign the waiver and photo release form. Adults will also need to fill out the adult version of this waiver. Our prelims performance is at 2:30pm. Students will be excused from classes all day. Students will eat lunch in the cafeteria at school before we leave. The LBBC will provide dinner at AT&T stadium. More details on the itinerary

Eligibility – Today teachers finalize their gradebooks. After verification, report cards are official on Friday. All failing students become ineligible on Friday September 30th at 3:00pm.

Band Activity Fees – Pay your fees online here. Lamar High School Activity Fees.Band App – Students and parents all need to set up their Band App accounts. We communicate primarily through this app. ALL the links can be accessed here.

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 9/26/2022

On September 26, 2022 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 9/26/2022

Saginaw Marching Contest – A hot day. A long day. A great day! On behalf of the directors and marching band instructors, we want to congratulate the students and thank the parents for a truly great day. I do not remember a more smooth and pleasant day of marching band contest. Students were exemplary in regards to behavior and esprit de corps. The performances were excellent and a great start to our contest season. The chaperones and many parent volunteers provided encouragement and support in many ways…and of course feeding and hydrating everyone all day long! We had the most parent support of any school I saw at the contest. Thank you very much.

Dean Corey Marching Extravaganza – Tonight, the Lamar Band performs at 8:00pm here on Cravens Field. The show begins at 7:00pm and ends with the UTA Marching Band at 8:30pm. Tickets are $5 for adults, students get in free with their student ID. Itinerary attached.

This week in The Pride of Lamar

Monday – 6:30am morning practice, 3:30pm-9:00pm Dean Corey

Tuesday – 4:00pm-7:00pm Afternoon band practice

Wednesday – 6:30am morning practice

Thursday – No practice

Friday – 6:30am morning practice, 3:30pm-10:00pm Martin Football Game

Bandtober – October is the busiest part of marching season. Well, at least the first couple of weeks. I will be sending itineraries often as final details of schedules become available. Be looking ahead so you can plan transportation accordingly.

Eligibility – Today teachers finalize their gradebooks. After verification, report cards are official on Friday. All failing students become ineligible on Friday September 30th at 3:00pm.

Band Spring Trip – The Lamar Bands and Orchestras will be traveling to Orlando next April to participate in the Disney Soundtrack experience! This is a very unique opportunity. We will spend time at both Disney and Universal Studios. The cost of the trip will be $1700. The trip contract is attached to this email. Sign up and deposit are due Oct. 3rd. All band fees must be paid before making payments on the trip.

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 9/18/2022

On September 18, 2022 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Marching Contest Kicks Off This Week – We are about to kick off our competitive season! Attending marching festivals is about much more than scores and rankings. It is a celebration of the hard work band students everywhere are putting into their shows. Watching other bands and cheering them on is an important part of the day. In regards to performing, the staff simply wants the best the students of The Pride of Lamar can give. Great practice leads to great performances. Scores and ranks are results of that hard work during every minute of practice. We will be scored in our respective class sizes. In the USBands national rules, we are in “Group III”. After prelims, the top ten bands will advance to finals competition and compete regardless of class size.

This week in The Pride of Lamar

Monday – No practice

Tuesday – 6:30am morning practice, 4:00pm-7:00pm afternoon practice

Wednesday – No practice, STUDY HALL 3:00-4:30

Thursday – 6:30am morning practice, 5:00pm-8:00pm evening practice

Friday – No practice, No football game

Saturday – 7:30am – 11:00pm SAGINAW USBANDS REGIONAL CONTEST

Saginaw USBands Regional Contest – The itinerary for Saturday is attached. We hope parents can come support the band at the contest. Our prelims performance is at 1:00pm. Tickets are available for purchase online or at the gate. The contest will be streamed through FloMarching, subscription required. Details on the itinerary.

Dean Corey Marching Extravaganza – Join us on Monday September 26th at Cravens for Dean Corey. This AISD tradition showcases all 6 Arlington ISD marching bands as well as the UTA marching band. Lamar performs at 8:00pm. Itinerary attached.

Eligibility – The last day of the first six weeks is September 23rd. The grades become final on the following Monday and failing students become ineligible on Friday September 30th at 3:00pm.

Band Activity Fees – Pay your fees online here. Lamar High School Activity Fees.

Band App – Students and parents all need to set up their Band App accounts. We communicate primarily through this app. ALL the links can be accessed here.

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Band room phone: (682) 867-7006

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 9/11/2022

On September 11, 2022 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Band Homecoming Nominees on the court Matthew Hroch and Stephanie Sanchez

Eligibility – The No Pass No Play law means any student that fails a class during the first six weeks will become ineligible to perform at any competition and/or UIL event. For a Lamar Band student, that would mean missing out on the majority of the marching band season. We do not want students to miss out on the fruits of their labor and not be able to attend the rest of the marching contests, football games, and pep rallies. Therefore, we are monitoring student grades and setting aside some time for tutoring. The last day of the first six weeks is September 23rd. The grades become final on the following Monday and failing students become ineligible on Friday September 30th at 3:00pm.

This week in The Pride of Lamar

Monday – 6:30am morning practice

Tuesday – 4:00pm-7:00pm afternoon practice

Wednesday – 6:30am morning practice

Thursday – no practice

Friday – 6:30am morning practice, 3:00pm football game (itinerary attached)

Morning practices – When Friday is a B day, we still have our normal 6:30am practice. That being said, we plan on making it a lighter rehearsal with some study time at the end of class.

Torchy’s Night – This Wednesday is the Lamar Band Torchy’s Tacos Night! Tell everyone to eat there and show them the attached flier. We get 15% of your net purchase.

Football Game – This week is the senior night celebration. All parents must purchase a ticket to the football games. They can be purchased online here. Use this link for my weekly game day itinerary.

Senior Parents – I sent an email last week with information regarding senior night. Make sure you have read that email.

Band App – Students and parents all need to set up their Band App accounts. We communicate primarily through this app. The main Lamar Band app page is required of all students. The other pages are specific for certain groups. ALL the links can be accessed here.

Attendance Policy – ALL before and after school practices are required. There will be a participation grade in the gradebook.

A Lamar Band Absence Request Form must be filled out and on file. For emergencies, a text or email to a director is fine.
Band Activity Fees – Pay your fees online here. Lamar High School Activity Fees.

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 9/6/2022

On September 6, 2022 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Parent Meeting – This Thursday, we will have a band parent meeting. This is for all parents/guardians. We will discuss the upcoming busy schedule of football games and marching contests. We will be announcing and kicking off the sign up for our spring trip! The meeting will begin at 7:30pm.

Homecoming Week – This week is our first home football game and our LHS homecoming. This will be an exciting evening. We will see many alumni, family, and friends. Because of the homecoming ceremony at halftime, we will perform our show at 6:30pm before the game starts! Make sure your fans are early so they don’t miss your performance.

This week in The Pride of Lamar

Wednesday – No practice

Thursday – 6:30am practice

Friday – 3:00pm football game (itinerary attached)

Uniforms – The students will wear the full marching band uniform on Friday. We will give students their shoes starting Wednesday. The shoes must be worn with LONG BLACK SOCKS. We will be supplying a pair of long wristed white gloves. The students must have shorts that will be worn under the uniform pants. These should be thin athletic shorts. No baggy pants or shorts, this includes jeans. The summer uniform shirt will be worn under the jacket. Hair will be up and neat so that it fits under the band hat, “shako”. We have videos on how to do your hair and upperclassmen that will show people how to do it. No jewelry or makeup while in uniform. Students will not wear sunglasses or caps. All of this is intended to help us look as uniform as possible.

Football Game Expectations – The directors have high expectations for the behavior and performance of The Pride of Lamar. Students are performing every second they are in a Lamar Band uniform and in public. Appropriate language, actions, and conduct are expected 100% of the time, not just when a director is watching. We will go over details in class this week. Every week I will provide an itinerary for the football game day. Please look it over for important details.

Attendance Policy – ALL before and after school practices are required. There will be a participation grade in the gradebook.

A Lamar Band Absence Request Form must be filled out and on file. For emergencies, a text or email to a director is fine.

Band Activity Fees – Pay your fees online here. Lamar High School Activity Fees.

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Band room phone: (682) 867-7006

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 8/29/2022

On August 29, 2022 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

First Game – The first game went relatively smoothly for the band. The students were focused, responsive to instruction, and excellent representatives of LHS. I am so proud to teach these fine young women and men. This week, we will work out any kinks in our procedures and prepare for another road trip. This will be our longest drive for a football game.

This week in The Pride of Lamar

Tuesday – 6:30am practice, 4:00pm-7:00pm practice (winds and percussion)

Wednesday – No practice, 6:00pm Open House

Thursday – 6:30am practice

Friday – 3:00pm football game (itinerary attached)

Forms – All band forms are due. The medical authorization form must be notarized and on file before a student can travel with the band to football games and contests. Please be sure these forms are turned in. An email will be sent to those that we are missing forms from.

Medical Form (notarized)
Physical Form (completed by a Doctor)
UIL and Publicity Release Form
Handbook Acknowledgment Form (page 4 of the handbook)
AMEP Form (students signing up for private lessons)

BandRaiser – We raised $13,000 in our big fundraiser this year! That is a new record! A HUGE thanks to Liz Bankhead and Jennifer Stein for putting together this fundraiser. Many schools do one like this but use a company to organize it which takes a percentage of the profit. By having the LBBC run it, we keep 100% of the profit! We have a very special booster club here at Lamar!

Band Practice Before and After School – We begin at 6:30am on every B day. We practice until the last 20 mins of 7th period so the students have time to put away equipment and hit the locker rooms if they want to change clothes.

After school on Tuesday’s (Thursday for Color Guard), the band room is open 3:00-4:00 for study hall. Student leaders will set up tables and be available for peer tutoring. ALL students are required to attend after school practices. Attendance is recorded in the gradebook as a grade. Absences result in zeros in the gradebook for marching band class.

Attendance Policy – ALL before and after school practices are required. There will be a participation grade in the gradebook.

A Lamar Band Absence Request Form must be filled out and on file. For emergencies, a text or email to a director is fine.

Band Activity Fees – Pay your fees online here. Lamar High School Activity Fees.

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Band room phone: (682) 867-7006

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 8/21/2022

On August 21, 2022 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

This week in The Pride of Lamar

Monday – 6:30am practice

Tuesday – 4:00pm-7:00pm practice (winds and percussion), TRAILER LOADING TRAINING

Wednesday – 6:30am practice

Thursday – COLOR GUARD ONLY practice

Thursday – No Practice

Friday – 6:30am practice, 3:00pm football game (itinerary attached)

Medical Form (notarized)
Physical Form (completed by a Doctor)
UIL and Publicity Release Form
Handbook Acknowledgment Form (page 4 of the handbook)
AMEP Form (students signing up for private lessons)

Schedules – There are always schedule issues during the first 3 weeks of school. Mr. Riley has been working diligently to make sure the band students have the correct classes. The most efficient way to get it done is to email Mr. Riley zriley1@aisd.net The counselors will be emailing students with updates. Every student should check their school email at least once per day.

BandRaiser – We are almost done with our planned time frame for our fundraiser! Every student must provide 10 or more email addresses and phone numbers. I need every student to dig deep and find more contacts. Call someone and tell them about what we are doing. Write personal texts, emails, social media messages, etc. to politely ask for a donation to The Pride of Lamar! We are asking for donations to help fund the band program for the school year. This is critical to our ability to provide a high quality experience for our students. Share this link to everyone you know on social media to help us achieve our goal!

Attendance Policy – ALL before and after school practices are required. There will be a participation grade in the gradebook.

A Lamar Band Absence Request Form must be filled out and on file. For emergencies, a text or email to a director is fine.

Band Activity Fees – Pay your fees online here. Lamar High School Activity Fees.

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Band room phone: (682) 867-7006

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 8/14/2022

On August 14, 2022 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Summer Band Camp – Our summer practices are in the books. I am exhausted but also have a feeling of accomplishment. I hope every student feels the same way. All that hard work pays off in the end. Despite being tired every day, the band showed up ready to work and maintained a positive attitude. We have already completed 108 hours of rehearsal! Once school starts, there are roughly 80 hours of rehearsal during the semester! We are over halfway through learning our marching band show!

Band Practice 8/15-8/20 – We begin our 6:30am-9:10am practices on every B day this week. Tuesday, 7th period STARTS at 6:30am in the stadium. Doors will be open by 6:15 at the latest for students to get inside to get instruments and equipment. All students will have a job to do for each practice. There is a lot of “stuff” to get outside and set up.

Monday – No practice, band room closes at 3:30

Tuesday – 6:30am practice, and 4:00pm-7:00pm practice (winds and percussion)

Wednesday – No practice, band room closes at 4:00pm

Thursday – 6:30am practice, and 4:00pm-7:00pm COLOR GUARD ONLY practice

Thursday – Uniform fitting and portraits 4:00pm-5:00pm (all that missed it 3 weeks ago)

Friday – No practice, band room closes at 4:00pm

Saturday – 6:30am-10:30am practice, 10:30am-11:30am Semi-Trailer loading practice

BandRaiser – We are over a quarter of the way to our goal. To get there, every student must provide 10 or more email addresses and phone numbers. I need every student to dig deep and find more contacts. Call someone and tell them about what we are doing. Write personal texts, emails, social media messages, etc. to politely ask for a donation to The Pride of Lamar! We are asking for donations to help fund the band program for the school year. This is critical to our ability to provide a high quality experience for our students. Share this link to everyone you know on social media to help us achieve our goal!

Schedules and the First Week – There are always schedule issues during the first week. Mr. Riley has been working diligently to make sure the band students have the correct classes. The most efficient way to get it done is to email Mr. Riley zriley1@aisd.net The counselors will be emailing students with updates. Every student should check their school email at least once per day.

Band Registration Day – If you missed our band registration day, all forms and fees can be turned in this week to Mr. Lang. Contact lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com to find out what you missed from our booster club. To pay band fees with credit/debit card, use this new link.

Attendance Policy – ALL before and after school practices are required. There will be a participation grade in the gradebook. The following excerpt is from the Lamar Band Handbook.

All band students are required to attend all practices and events. All practices outside of school hours are considered classwork, which is 35% of the overall grade in band. Band is a performance based, co-curricular activity that follows the instrumental music TEKS. Therefore, performances at marching band contests, football games, concerts, and other events are 40% of the overall grade in band. Approved absences are the decision of the band directors. Parents will fill out the absence request form.

For ALL absences, the following procedure must be followed by all students and parents:

Director must be notified in advance.
A Lamar Band Absence Request Form must be filled out and on file.
For illness, a parent note or doctor’s excuse must be submitted.
Although cleared by the school office, absences from a band activity the same day must be cleared with the director as well – please call or email directors.
In extreme cases, a phone message may be left on the band office answering machine, WITH a follow-up personal call or email. Follow-up is the sole responsibility of the student/parent.

Marching Band

One unexcused absence from any rehearsal during the week will result in the student being banned from the next football game. Points will be deducted from the daily grade. Any additional unexcused absences in a week will result in being banned from future football games. Directors will decide whether or not the student will be allowed to retain their marching show performer assignment. Being tardy will be a deduction from the daily grade. 2 tardies will result in being banned from the next football game.

Non-Marching Band

The attendance policy applies in the same way for rehearsals in any other band sub-group. Instead of consequences of a football game, the group’s next performance or public event will be considered.

Examples of excused absences:

Students who are home sick must have an email from a parent/guardian.
Religious events are excused with an email from a parent/guardian.

Examples of unexcused absences:

Missing rehearsal for work is an unexcused absence.
Non-school sponsored activities, teams, organizations, or jobs must not conflict in any way with the practice/performance schedule of the band.
Transportation issues of any kind are unexcused.
Any absences due to medical issues must be accompanied with a doctor’s note.
Birthday or birthday parties are unexcused.

Students in other school activities (athletics, fine arts, etc.) must plan ahead to avoid conflicts. However, other group organizations that may change schedules or make demands of students on short notice will not be allowed to interfere with long scheduled rehearsals or performances of the band. Students who find themselves involved in such activities may have to make a choice to drop one or the other if such conflicts arise.

Varsity marching band assignments are at the discretion of the directors. Excessive absences could result in the loss of a varsity marching position. It is highly encouraged that medical and dental appointments be scheduled on afternoons that we do not practice.

Band Activity Fees – Pay your fees online here. Lamar High School Activity Fees.

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Band room phone: (682) 867-7006

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 8/8/2022

On August 8, 2022 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Last Week of Camp – We are in the final stretch of our summer band camp. We have already completed 80 hours of rehearsal! Once school starts, there are only 80 hours of rehearsal during the semester! We are halfway through learning our marching band show! This hard work will pay off soon with many performances at contests and halftime shows. On Wednesday, only percussion and color guard will have rehearsal. Brass & woodwinds will have the day off.

Lunch – During practices this week, the school will no longer provide lunches as the free summer lunch program is over. Students will need to bring their lunch with them to practices in the morning. They will be kept safe in the AC of the band room during morning practice. We encourage a big healthy lunch with lots of protein.

Exhibition Performance and Ice Cream Social – Our very long standing tradition of performing what we learned during camp and then socializing and enjoying frozen treats from Rita’s Italian Ice will be this Friday August 12th at 8:00pm at Cravens Field. We look forward to seeing families and alumni! We will wear our summer uniforms!

BandRaiser – On Friday, we kicked off our annual fundraiser. Every student must provide 10 or more email addresses and phone numbers. We are asking for donations to help fund the band program for the school year. This is critical to our ability to provide a high quality experience for our students. Share this link to everyone you know on social media to help us achieve our goal!

Schedules and the First Week – We are almost to the first day of the school year. I know schedules may have some issues. I will address them as quickly as I can. If you send an email to your counselor and myself, we will coordinate to figure out a solution. This week, the upperclassmen will spend a little time during practice to show the new students around the building and to find their classes. We encourage the new students to ask other band students and the band directors for help. We want to make the band kids feel the most comfortable on the first day of school.

Drumline Performance – On Thursday from 5:30pm-6:30pm, the drumline will entertain the freshman orientation at LHS. Mr. Kelly will have more details.

Attendance Policy – Rehearsals during our summer band camp are required. We will assign performance roles during the first days of camp. The following excerpt is from the Lamar Band Handbook.

For ALL absences, the following procedure must be followed by all students and parents:

Director must be notified in advance.
A Lamar Band Absence Request Form must be filled out and on file.
For illness, a parent note or doctor’s excuse must be submitted.
Although cleared by the school office, absences from a band activity the same day must be cleared with the director as well – please call or email directors.
In extreme cases, a phone message may be left on the band office answering machine, WITH a follow-up personal call or email. Follow-up is the sole responsibility of the student/parent.

Marching Band

Non-Marching Band

Examples of excused absences:

Students who are home sick must have an email from a parent/guardian.
Religious events are excused with an email from a parent/guardian.

Examples of unexcused absences:

Missing rehearsal for work is an unexcused absence.
Non-school sponsored activities, teams, organizations, or jobs must not conflict in any way with the practice/performance schedule of the band.
Transportation issues of any kind are unexcused.
Any absences due to medical issues must be accompanied with a doctor’s note.
Birthday or birthday parties are unexcused.

Band Activity Fees – Pay your fees online here. Lamar High School Activity Fees.

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Band room phone: (682) 867-7006

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 7/31/2022

On July 31, 2022 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Hot Dogs, Uniforms, and Fire Trucks – Week 1 of band camp was very productive. Attendance was the highest it’s been for a summer band camp. The students learned all of part 1 and can perform the music from memory. The booster club was also busy supporting our students. We had parents running the first aid tent, checking out uniforms, serving a hot dog lunch, and much more. They even got Arlington Fire to bring some trucks out to soak the kids on Friday afternoon! I greatly appreciate the incredible parent support and even if they don’t say it, so do the kids!

Band Registration Day – This Saturday, August 6, we will have our band registration day. Students will take care of band fees, forms, and other various items needed to start the fall season. Band fees are $300 and can be paid with check, cash, or with a card online with the schools credit card system. ALL forms are due August 6th at band registration day. Only the medical form requires a notary’s stamp. The booster club will provide a notary. The forms can be downloaded from the bottom of the band website.

BandRaiser – This Friday, we will kick off our annual fundraiser. Last year we used a company, VerticalRaise, to raise funds by using their platform to collect donations. When using a fundraiser company, there are always fees associated. The booster club and I decided we could do the same thing on our own, avoiding the fees. So we will kick off the Lamar HS BandRaiser this Friday during band camp. More details coming soon.

Camp Schedule – Rehearsal begins at 6:30am. To begin promptly at 6:30am, students should arrive between 6:10-6:25. Some students have utilized VIA, on-demand ride service for $5 or less, when transportation is an issue. Please plan accordingly. Lunch is provided on campus. Students will all stay on campus during lunch. Rehearsal ends at 4:00pm. Rides should be waiting at that time. Some students may not be done putting away equipment until a bit after 4:00pm. Leadership team will stay after until 4:15pm.

How to Prepare for Summer Marching Band – Take care of yourself by getting 8 or more hours of sleep. Eat healthy foods only. Do not drink soda for the entire 3 weeks of camp. Drink 100-150 ounces of water every day. Eat fruit, vegetables, soups, and other nutrients and H2O supplying foods. Avoid sugar and caffeine.

Wear loose fitting shirts and shorts. No jeans or thick hoodies. Athletic shoes only. Running shoes are the best. You should wear a hat and sunglasses. Wear sunscreen every day.

When you feel good, you will have FUN and get better every day!!!

Music Expectations – While we don’t take official grades during the three weeks of band camp, we do monitor and evaluate student progress. The first day of school is the first major test grade in the grade book. Daily personal practice is critical to our success. We have a large staff and many section leaders all eager to help those that need assistance.

Attendance Policy – Rehearsals during our summer band camp are required. We will assign performance roles during the first days of camp. The following excerpt is from the Lamar Band Handbook.

For ALL absences, the following procedure must be followed by all students and parents:

Director must be notified in advance.
A Lamar Band Absence Request Form must be filled out and on file.
For illness, a parent note or doctor’s excuse must be submitted.
Although cleared by the school office, absences from a band activity the same day must be cleared with the director as well – please call or email directors.
In extreme cases, a phone message may be left on the band office answering machine, WITH a follow-up personal call or email. Follow-up is the sole responsibility of the student/parent.

Marching Band

Non-Marching Band

Examples of excused absences:

Students who are home sick must have an email from a parent/guardian.
Religious events are excused with an email from a parent/guardian.

Examples of unexcused absences:

Missing rehearsal for work is an unexcused absence.
Non-school sponsored activities, teams, organizations, or jobs must not conflict in any way with the practice/performance schedule of the band.
Transportation issues of any kind are unexcused.
Any absences due to medical issues must be accompanied with a doctor’s note.
Birthday or birthday parties are unexcused.

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Band room phone: (682) 867-7006

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 7/23/2022

On July 23, 2022 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

How to Prepare for Summer Marching Band – Health is paramount. If you are present and healthy, the rest will fall into place. Take care of yourself by getting 8 or more hours of sleep. Eat healthy foods only. Do not drink soda for the entire 3 weeks of camp. Drink 100-150 ounces of water every day. Eat fruit, vegetables, soups, and other nutrients and H2O supplying foods. Avoid sugar and caffeine.

Wear loose fitting shirts and shorts. No jeans or thick hoodies. Athletic shoes only. Running shoes are the best. You should wear a hat and sunglasses. Wear sunscreen every day.

When you feel good, you will have FUN and get better every day!!!

Music Expectations – While we don’t take official grades during the three weeks of band camp, we do monitor and evaluate student progress. The first day of school is the first major test grade in the grade book. On the very first day of band camp, we expect students to have already memorized part 1 of the show music. Part 2 should be learned if not memorized. Daily personal practice is critical to our success. We have a large staff and many section leaders all eager to help those that need assistance.

Attendance Policy – Rehearsals during our summer band camp are required. We will assign performance roles during the first days of camp. The following excerpt is from the Lamar Band Handbook.

For ALL absences, the following procedure must be followed by all students and parents:

Director must be notified in advance.
A Lamar Band Absence Request Form must be filled out and on file.
For illness, a parent note or doctor’s excuse must be submitted.
Although cleared by the school office, absences from a band activity the same day must be cleared with the director as well – please call or email directors.
In extreme cases, a phone message may be left on the band office answering machine, WITH a follow-up personal call or email. Follow-up is the sole responsibility of the student/parent.

Marching Band

Non-Marching Band

Examples of excused absences:

Students who are home sick must have an email from a parent/guardian.
Religious events are excused with an email from a parent/guardian.

Examples of unexcused absences:

Missing rehearsal for work is an unexcused absence.
Non-school sponsored activities, teams, organizations, or jobs must not conflict in any way with the practice/performance schedule of the band.
Transportation issues of any kind are unexcused.
Any absences due to medical issues must be accompanied with a doctor’s note.
Birthday or birthday parties are unexcused.

Physicals – If you missed our day on the 20th, you can attend the athletics day on July 28th at 4:00pm in the MAC. The cost of the physicals on July 28th is $20. They ask that the parent portion of the form is filled out before arrival at Lamar.

This is not the only option to get the physical. Students can get this done at their normal primary physicians office.

Medical and other Forms – ALL forms are due August 6th at band registration day. Only the medical form requires a notary’s stamp. The booster club will provide a notary on August 6th. The forms can be downloaded from the bottom of the band website.

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Band room phone: (682) 867-7006

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 7/11/2022

On July 11, 2022 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Two Weeks – In exactly two weeks from today, we begin our most critical part of marching band season! During those three weeks of practice, we plan to learn the majority of our marching band competition show. The directors have set lofty goals and expectations. The student leadership is well trained and very excited to get started. I encourage students to stay in shape, get outside occasionally, and practice a little bit every day.

Physicals – On July 20th, the physicians from Adolescent Sports Metrics will be in the Lamar Band room from 6:00pm-8:00pm, offering physicals. The cost of the physicals on July 20th is $10. They ask that the parent portion of the form is filled out before arrival at Lamar.

This is not the only option to get the physical. Students can get this done at their normal primary physicians office. UIL requires all marching band students to have a Pre-Participation Physical on file for the school year. This is the same that athletics requires. In fact, we share the documentation with the school trainers for students in both band and athletics.

Medical and other Forms – The medical authorization form is due on July 21st for students going on the Denton DCI trip. All other students can turn it in on August 6th at band registration day. Only the medical form requires a notary’s stamp. The booster club will provide a notary on July 20th and August 6th. The forms can be downloaded from the bottom of the band website.

DCI Trip – On July 21st, 48 Lamar Band students/parents/staff will travel to Denton for the Drum Corps International show. If you are going on this trip, you should have already received an invite to join the Band App page specifically for this trip. If not, use this link to join. The itinerary has been posted there.

Camp Schedule – For the first two weeks of summer band camp, we will follow the same general schedule. Rehearsal begins at 6:30am. We will practice mostly outside during the 6:30-10:30 block. From 10:30-11:15 we will have time to cool off and work in small sections inside. 11:15-12:00 is our lunch break and students will eat in the cafeteria. Free lunch will be provided by the school. 12:00-4:00 is the afternoon block and will be inside. To begin promptly at 6:30am, students should arrive between 6:10-6:25. Some students have utilized VIA, on-demand ride service for $5 or less, when transportation is an issue. Please plan accordingly.

Attendance Policy – Rehearsals during our summer band camp are required. We will assign performance roles during the first days of camp. The following excerpt is from the Lamar Band Handbook.

For ALL absences, the following procedure must be followed by all students and parents:

Director must be notified in advance.
A Lamar Band Absence Request Form must be filled out and on file.
For illness, a parent note or doctor’s excuse must be submitted.
Although cleared by the school office, absences from a band activity the same day must be cleared with the director as well – please call or email directors.
In extreme cases, a phone message may be left on the band office answering machine, WITH a follow-up personal call or email. Follow-up is the sole responsibility of the student/parent.

Marching Band

Non-Marching Band

Examples of excused absences:

Students who are home sick must have an email from a parent/guardian.
Religious events are excused with an email from a parent/guardian.

Examples of unexcused absences:

Missing rehearsal for work is an unexcused absence.
Non-school sponsored activities, teams, organizations, or jobs must not conflict in any way with the practice/performance schedule of the band.
Transportation issues of any kind are unexcused.
Any absences due to medical issues must be accompanied with a doctor’s note.
Birthday or birthday parties are unexcused.

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Band room phone: (682) 867-7006

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 6/24/2022

On June 24, 2022 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Marching Band Practice – Starting Monday, we have a full week of marching and music rehearsals! We start practice at 7:30am at Lamar. Arrive early so you are prepared to start on time. Students should dress for being outside and marching. You must wear athletic shoes (running is best). NO vans, converse, crocs, or sandals. Appropriate footwear is very important. Be sure to eat breakfast! Skipping breakfast often leads to students feeling “woozy” when we are marching. Drink water before practice to avoid dehydration. It will be warm, but the forecast looks MUCH better than this past week. Bring a water jug. Half gallon jugs are recommended. Hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen are also very important. Of course bring your instrument and all music. We will end practice at 10:30am so have a ride waiting for you.

Parade – All 10-12 grade band students are expected to perform. 9th grade students are welcome and encouraged to participate but it is not required. Participating students must fill out the attached waiver form. Students need to be working on the parade music; September, Grand Old Flag, and the Fight Song. Tempos range from 108-120. Specific parade day details will be sent out early next week. There is a parade meeting tomorrow that will give us our entry number and other final details.

Parent Volunteers – The application window for approved volunteer status has opened! To become a volunteer in the AISD, you must complete a volunteer application online. We would love to have your help throughout the marching season, but for the safety of everyone, you must be an approved volunteer. Please follow this link for instructions, approval usually comes within 12 to 24 hours. https://www.aisd.net/community/volunteer/

Forms – There are forms that must be completed for participation in high school band. Some are just easy forms with a signature. The Medical Authorization form must be notarized. The Pre-Participation Physical must be completed by a doctor. These can be completed and turned in at any time. They are due by August 6th at band registration day. The forms can be downloaded from the bottom of the band website.

Summer Uniform – During the summer heat, we have a “summer uniform” for performances. We supply the gray performance shirt. Students/parents must acquire khaki shorts. This link is an example and not the required brand. Students will wear these with white shoes/socks. The shoes just need to be athletic shoes (running is a good style) and generally white. Please fill out this shirt size form. We will use this for ordering other t-shirts throughout the year as well.

Band Room Project – A huge thanks to the band parents who spent time this past week cleaning out some closets, reorganizing, and making the band rooms a better and more efficient space. Thanks to a band alumni for donating a refrigerator for the band booster closet! We can now store food for marching contest days, concessions, and various other important uses.

Schedules – I have sent the band class assignments to the counselors. If you have questions or concerns, let a director know. ALL students must double block band. This is tricky for certain students due to CTC, CVPA, P-Tech, athletics, and other unusual courses. However, Mr. Lang and the counselors will work hard to make every schedule work with the band courses. We encourage 10-12 grade students to consider honors music for a GPA boost.
Activity Fees – The LHS main office has requested our fines and fees lists for this school year. Any unpaid balances need to be taken care of asap. To pay your band activity fees, you can use this link to pay online.

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 6/13/2022

On June 13, 2022 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Mr. VanZandt – It is with a heavy heart that I share the news that Chris VanZandt, long time Lamar Band Booster and Volunteer, has passed away. His daughter Ashleigh was a member of the colorguard. After Ashleigh graduated Chris and his wife Michelle continued to volunteer whenever needed. Mr. VanZandt has fixed, rebuilt, and fixed again much of the equipment we use for marching band. Anything with wheels…he worked on it at some point. He showed up early to football games to help move stuff to the stadium. He worked on the old band golf carts like they were his toy hotrods and did lots of work on the old 24th Lamar Band trailers.

Beyond the things he did selflessly around The Pride of Lamar all these years, he was one of the nicest guys you could meet. He was the epitome of service oriented leadership. He never wanted any recognition for his countless hours of volunteering.

The Lamar Band has lost a great supporter and for many of us that knew him well, a dear friend. The directors and booster club have always called that small corner closet, the VanZandt closet, as it had his tools, spare wheels, and whatever else he needed. The boosters will make a plaque to memorialize this great man.

Rehearsal – This Tuesday & Thursday 6/14 and 6/16, we will have a music rehearsal from 5:30-8:30 for all students. We will work on marching band music, including the fall show music!

Band Room Project – The directors and booster club are working on plans to reorganize, clean, and generally make the band room and storage areas better than ever! If you would like to volunteer for next Monday-Wednesday 2:00pm-?, please email lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 6/7/2022

On June 7, 2022 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Tuesday – The directors will be available in the band room on Tuesday’s this summer. The band room is open for practice from 10:00am-2:00pm. If you ask, a director will teach free private lessons. Mr. Lang will be in the office other days of the week, however, set up an appointment ahead of time. Next Tuesday, June 14th, we will have a music rehearsal from 5:30-8:30 for all students. We will work on marching band music, including the fall show music!

Parade – The parade is less than a month away. All 10-12 grade band students are expected to perform. 9th grade students are welcome and encouraged to participate but it is not required. Participating students must fill out the attached waiver form. Students need to be working on the parade music; September, Grand Old Flag, and the Fight Song. Tempos range from 108-120.

Activity Fees – The LHS main office has requested our fines and fees lists for this school year. Any unpaid balances need to be taken care of asap. To pay your band activity fees, you can use this link to pay online.

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Band room phone: (682) 867-7006

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 5/22/2022

On May 22, 2022 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Finale – The end of the school year is here! It has been a wonderful ride this year. I am so very proud of The Pride of Lamar and the journey we took together in harmony!

Concert and Banquet – I personally had a great time at the band concert Friday and banquet on Saturday. Thank you to everyone who assisted in making these memorable events. Special thanks to Karla Flores for taking photos at both events. She will have the pics available to share very soon. If you have any pics you would like to share, we will create a space for that soon as well.

Inventory – On Monday and Tuesday we will check in all instruments. They must be cleaned before returning them. Any damage must be repaired as well. If you are not sure if some is normal wear and tear or damage you must repair yourself, just ask a director. Once we have done our inventory, we will check out instruments for the summer.

Schedules – We are preparing our list of band class assignments for the counselors. If you have questions or concerns, let a director know. ALL students must double block band. This is tricky for certain students due to CTC, CVPA, P-Tech, athletics, and other unusual courses. However, Mr. Lang and the counselors will work hard to make every schedule work with the band courses. We encourage 10-12 grade students to consider honors music. Info attached.

Seniors – Soon I will be “rolling over” my Charms database and you will no longer be getting emails. If you would like to continue to get emails, I can add you to my alumni email list. Also, there is a band app page for alumni that I will add you to soon.

Leadership Students – We will have a meeting on Tuesday at 3:00pm to further discuss summer plans, most importantly, the summer leadership camps. It will not take long but we should meet as a group to discuss. Please make sure you completed this form. Leadership Camp Registration.

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Band room phone: (682) 867-7006

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 5/16/2022

On May 16, 2022 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Forms Due – I’m sure we are ALL tired of QR codes and google forms! However, it does make our lives quicker and more efficient in so many different ways. The Band Silly Awards are due by Wednesday at 3:00pm. The band letterman award forms are due Thursday at 3:00pm. Leadership camp forms due Friday at 3:00pm. Get them done and over with now!

Band Silly Awards

Letterman Awards

Leadership Camp Registration

This Week

Monday – Audition and Final Performance Exam 3:00pm-6:00pm

Monday – Nichols JH Band Concert 7:00pm (Nichols)

Tuesday – Symphonic Winds 3:15pm-5:00pm

Tuesday – Symphony Orchestra 3:15pm-5:00pm

Wednesday – Wind Symphony 3:15pm-5:00pm

Thursday – Symphony Orchestra Spring Concert 7:00pm at CVPA

Friday – Band Spring Concert 6:15pm-8:30pm at CVPA (call time 5:15pm)

Saturday – Band & Orchestra Banquet at AISD PDC 6:00pm

Spring Concert – Student call time is 5:15pm. Show up fully dressed with instrument and music to the PDC and head to the warm up rooms (same as UIL). The full band will start rehearsing Kyiv on stage at 5:15. The public performances start at 6:15pm with special performances in the lobby. The main band concert starts at 7:00pm. The evening should conclude by 8:15pm.

Band Banquet – On Saturday May 21st, we will host our annual awards banquet. Tickets on sale from Mr. Lang for $20. Band fees must be paid before purchasing a banquet ticket. For more info and online ordering, visit the Lamar Orchestra website.

Eat at Dickey’s BBQ – This Wednesday, the Dickey’s BBQ on Ballpark will be giving back to the band! Just give them your receipt to make sure we get credit!

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Band room phone: (682) 867-7006

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 5/9/2022

On May 10, 2022 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Marching Band Kickoff – On Wednesday and Thursday, we will have kick off practices with our incoming freshmen. Be ready to dust off our marching shoes! There is a parent meeting at 7:15pm on Thursday May 12th.

Events This Week

Tuesday – Symphonic Winds 3:15pm-5:00pm

Tuesday – Symphony Orchestra 3:15pm-5:00pm

Wednesday – Wind Symphony 3:15pm-4:30pm

Wednesday – Marching Band 5:00pm-7:00pm (MAC)

Thursday – Marching Band 5:00pm-7:00pm (Gym B)

Thursday – Parent Meeting 7:15pm-8:00pm (Band Room)

Friday – Shackelford JH Band Concert 6:00pm (LHS Auditorium)

Next Week

Monday – Audition and Finale Performance Exam 3:00pm-6:00pm

Monday – Nichols JH Band Concert 7:00pm (Nichols)

Tuesday – Symphonic Winds 3:15pm-5:00pm

Tuesday – Symphony Orchestra 3:15pm-5:00pm

Wednesday – Wind Symphony 3:15pm-4:30pm

Thursday – Symphony Orchestra Spring Concert 7:00pm at CVPA

Friday – Band Spring Concert 6:15pm-8:30pm at CVPA

Spring Concert – Mark your calendar for our band spring concert on Friday May 20th at the CVPA. The music starts at 6:15pm with special performances in the lobby. The main bands concert starts at 7:00pm.

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Band room phone: (682) 867-7006

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 5/1/2022

On May 1, 2022 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Incredibly Busy Time of Year – The last month of the school year is always very busy. This year seems more jam packed than ever before. With testing and this school year having one less week before finals, everything is back to back. We can do this! VFND! Use the LAMAR BAND GOOGLE CALENDAR to keep yourself up to date.

Events This Week

Thursday – Jazz Concert 7:00pm

Friday – Viking Thunder Concert 7:00pm

Saturday – Solo Festival at LHS (morning)

Saturday – Color guard performance with LHS dance at CVPA 2:00pm

Practices This Week

Monday – Jazz Bands 3:15pm-4:30pm

Monday – Drumline Clinic 5:00pm-7:00pm

Tuesday – Symphonic Winds 3:15pm-5:00pm

Tuesday – Full Orchestra 3:15pm-5:00pm

Tuesday – Color Guard CVPA group 6:00pm-8:00pm

Wednesday – Wind Symphony 3:15pm-5:00pm

Thursday – Color Guard CVPA group 6:00pm-8:00pm

Scholarships – APPLICATIONS MUST BE TURNED IN ON MONDAY! Apply here. All scholarship applications should be placed in a large envelope, addressed to the LBBC scholarship committee, with the name of the scholarship included and turned in to Mr. Lang by MONDAY MAY 2ND!

Jazz Band – The Lamar Jazz Ensemble performed at the Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy Jazz Festival this past Saturday. Come to LHS on Thursday at 7:00pm for the spring jazz concert!

Viking Thunder – This Friday, the Lamar, Shack, and Nichols percussion students will perform the spring percussion concert at LHS.

Color Guard – The captain for the 2022-2023 school year will be Katie J. The assistant captain will be Hannah B. Congratulations!

Drumline – The percussion students 8-11 are starting auditions Monday 5:00pm-7:00pm. Meet in the band room and Mr. Kelly will explain the process.

Marching Band Kickoff – Next week, on Wednesday and Thursday, we will have kick off practices with our incoming freshmen. Be ready to dust off our marching shoes! There is a parent meeting at 7:15pm on Thursday May 12th.

Band Banquet – On Saturday May 21st, we will host our annual awards banquet. More info coming very soon.

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Band room phone: (682) 867-7006

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 4/24/2022

On April 24, 2022 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Club Corps Classic PGA Fundraiser – A huge thank you to all the volunteers this weekend! Running the concession stand is a long day on your feet. We will find out soon what we will make from this effort.

UIL – THIS IS THE BIG WEEK! The Lamar Bands have worked very hard all semester to perfect their UIL concert music. We now have the opportunity to have a great performance. The itineraries for Symphonic Winds and Wind Symphony are attached. It is important for students to be well rested and to eat breakfast the day of their event. Tuxes and dresses should be clean and pressed. PARENTS, we would love to see a big crowd supporting our student musicians. Parents are encouraged to be in the concert hall for the stage performance and then the black box theater for the sight reading performance. See the itinerary for the performance times.

Scholarships – Seniors! It is time to complete the Lamar Band Booster Club scholarship forms. There is money available for a few wonderful band seniors. Apply here. All scholarship applications should be placed in a large envelope, addressed to the LBBC scholarship committee, with the name of the scholarship included and turned in to Mr. Lang by May 1, 2022

Color Guard Recruiting – This is Experience Camp week! ALL band students should get the word out and invite non-instrumental students to try out the guard. We are striving for 40+ members in the guard! Use our images / QR codes to share on social media. Students who play an instrument in the Lamar Band are not eligible to audition. The Experience Camp dates are April 26,28,29 6:00pm-8:00pm. Speak to Mr. Lang or Ms. Attaalla for questions.

Drumline – The percussion students 8-11 are starting auditions Monday 5:00pm-7:00pm. Meet in the band room and Mr. Kelly will explain the process.

Jazz Band – The Lamar Jazz Ensemble will perform at the Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy Jazz Festival this Saturday. See Mr. Riley for more details.

Summer Band – The summer band schedule is on the google calendar and here. Please make plans around the rehearsals the best you can. The late July and August band camp dates are mandatory.

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Band room phone: (682) 867-7006

Lamar Band Weekly Announcements 4/18/2022

On April 18, 2022 By alanlangjrIn weekly newsLeave a comment

Club Corps Classic PGA Fundraiser – A fantastic fundraiser opportunity has become available for the Band Boosters. April 22-24, we will run a concession stand at the Club Corps Classic PGA Golf Tournament. Thank you to all the parents who signed up to volunteer! Hopefully this is the first of more fundraisers like this.

UIL – We are a week away from our UIL Evaluation Concerts! Every minute of rehearsal is critical. The itineraries for Symphonic Winds and Wind Symphony are attached. It is important for students to be well rested and to eat breakfast the day of their event. Tuxes and dresses should be clean and pressed.

Color Guard Recruiting – We are in the middle of recruiting for the Fall 2022 Pride of Lamar Color Guard! We are striving for 40 members in the guard! We need help spreading the word. Use our images / QR codes to share on social media. Students who play an instrument in the Lamar Band are not eligible to audition. The Experience Camp dates are April 26,28,29 6:00pm-8:00pm.

Summer Band – The summer band schedule is attached. Please make plans around the rehearsals the best you can. The late July and August band camp dates are mandatory.

Car Wash Postponed – Because we have the concession stand for the golf tournament, we have postponed the car wash. I felt it was best to focus volunteers on the concession stand as it should make at least triple what a car wash would make. A future date to wash cars is being considered.

Communication

Alan Lang, dlang@aisd.net | Kolby Kelly, kkelly4@aisd.net

Zack Riley, zriley1@aisd.net | Midori Eng, midori.lwe@gmail.com

Booster Club, lamarbandboosterclub@gmail.com

Band room phone: (682) 867-7006