Director s Letter. Visit the website! Important Winter Dates: Dear Yorktown Band Members, Families, and Friends

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1 Yorktown Band e Newsletter Fall 2010 Visit the website! Important Winter Dates: Dec. 2 Barnes & Noble Fundraiser Fri. Dec. 3 Poinsettias Delivery Wed. Dec. 8 Winter Band Concert Dec. 22 Jan. 3 Winter Break Sat. Jan. 8 All District Band Auditions Sat. Jan 22 Drum a thon Feb. 3 Feb. 5 All District Band Festival Wed. Feb. 23 Pyramid Concert In this issue: Pg 2 Band Calendar and upcoming events Pg 4 Band Booster news Pg 5 Barnes & Noble Information Pg 6 GLC SAT prep auction Pg 7 Marching Season Wrap up Pg 8 Contacts Dear Yorktown Band Members, Families, and Friends Every year, I have a hard time believing that November has really arrived. Marching season flies by, with it the rehearsals, marching competitions, football games, and of course Band Day! It always takes a few days to accept that the season is over...and what a season it was! This season featured the best band camp, the toughest show program, the best work ethic, and the best student leaders that this band has ever seen. Kudos and thank you to all involved from students to staff to Boosters this year would not have been so successful or so enjoyable without your constant help and support. Beyond the scores and the judges and the numbers, my happiest moment this year was the sublime moment when I was lucky enough to watch the Yorktown Marching Patriots put on their best performance of the season at the USSBA National Championships in Annapolis. It was thrilling to see 68 student musicians reach their peak at the same exact moment everyone at Navy Marine Corps Stadium, whether in the stands or on the field, could sense the excitement and enthusiasm the Marching Patriots brought to their performance on November 7th. What a moment! The concert season will be among the more exciting that Yorktown has featured in a number of years our talented ensembles will be presenting challenging and dynamic literature across the board. In our first concert of this school year, the Jazz Ensemble, Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Wind Ensemble will perform in the new auditorium on December 8th at 7 pm look ahead to the Concert Preview for more details. Please be sure to check the band website, for information on the program, as well as schedule updates, important links and a quick view of Twitter feed. Yes, the Yorktown Band Program is on Twitter. You can choose to follow via text message or your own Twitter client. Visit twitter.com/yorktownbands. And, don't forget to update your Charms profile at Thank you for a great start to the school year see you in the new auditorium! Best, Brian Coffill Director s Letter

2 YORKTOWN HIGH SCHOOL BANDS NOVEMBER 2010 JUNE 2011 SCHEDULE Current as of 11/22/10 Performances in bold. November 29 12/3 Barnes and Noble Fundraiser December 3 Poinsettia Delivery 8 Band Winter YHS, 7 pm January 8 All District Band Auditions Virginia Tech Honor Band George Mason Honors Band February 3 5 All District Band Chantilly HS 23 Band Pyramid Concert, 7 pm 26 All Virginia JMU March District Band W L April 7 9 All Virginia Band Charlottesville HS 12 Pre Trip Combined Concert, 7 pm Music Department Trip Boston Solo & Ensemble Festival May 25 Jazz on the Lawn, 7 pm 26 Spring Band Concert, 7 pm June 23 DAR Hall 25 Drum Corps Wakefield HS? Next Up Winter Concert December 8, 7:00 pm, Yorktown Auditorium Director s Preview With the Winter Band Concert quickly approaching, the ensembles are hard at work to prepare their respective selections in time for the first band concert in the new auditorium. Each ensemble is presenting an ambitious program this concert is a must see! The Jazz Band will open the evening with a few familiar favorites, including Christmas Time is Here from the Charlie Brown Christmas Special. Beginning the stage portion of the evening, the Concert Band will present North Kent Festival by David Wells (no, not the former pitcher). You may recognize one or more of the Irish folk melodies in the Concert Band's second selection, Eliot Del Borgo's Celtic Suite. After the Concert Band, the Symphonic Band will present a piece never before performed at Yorktown, Frank Erickson's stirring Air for Band. The Symphonic Band's final piece will be a transcription of Sergei Prokofiev's famous "Troika," Midnight Sleighride from his Lieutenant Kije Suite. Closing the evening, the Wind Ensemble will be bringing an absolute flurry of notes to the stage. Beginning with a transcription of Johann Strauss' famous Vienna New Year's classic Radetzky March, the Wind Ensemble will then move to a soft, but complex interlude, Chorale Prelude: So Pure The Star, Opus 90 by the American composer Vincent Persichetti. The first band concert in the new auditorium will conclude with a transcription of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's frantic Dance of the Jesters. I look forward to seeing you at the concert! Page2

3 Yorktown Indoor Percussion The 2010/2011 indoor season should prove to be a very exciting one. For the first time in program s history, Yorktown s percussion section will be joined by at least two members from the Wakefield High School drumline. We are really excited that we have the opportunity branch out to our neighboring schools, and are glad to have their interest. 6 students from Washington Lee s percussion section had also planned on joining; however, the W L spring band trip coincides with the Atlantic Indoor Association Circuit Championships. Therefore, unfortunately, they will not be able to participate this year. The staff has a lot of very cool ideas for Yorktown Indoor Percussion s 2011 program, entitled, Industrious. Using the music of Imogen Heap, Bjork, Depeche Mode, and many more, the program will show the audience different aspects of the word, Industrious. The program will build upon itself visually and musically from factory labor, through the assembly line, to a nuclear powered, electronic, industrious explosion of sights and sounds. After earning the gold medal at the 2010 AIA Circuit Championships, the 2011 version of Yorktown Indoor Percussion is planning on making the jump from the familiar confines of Scholastic A class into Scholastic Open; a more competitive, more demanding environment. This will require a slightly longer, and more conceptually driven program. We, as a staff, know that Yorktown Indoor Percussion is up for the challenge and look forward to continued success this season. If you wish to help support Yorktown Indoor Percussion, our 2011 competition schedule is as follows (all times TBD): Saturday, January 22 Saturday, January 29 Saturday, February 12 Saturday, February 19 Saturday, March 5 Saturday, March 19 Saturday and Sunday, April 2 3 Drum a thon (Yorktown HS)*** Potomac High School Broad Run High School Potomac Falls High School WGI Powhatan High School (Richmond, VA) Thomas Jefferson HSST AIA Championships (Chesapeake, VA) ***This is our main fundraiser. If you are interested in pledging or making a donation, please Mr. director@yorktowband.org or indoor@yorktownband.org JD Page3

4 Band Booster President s Message Congratulations on an enriching and fun marching band season! Thank you to all who have contributed so much Fitting uniforms, organizing projects, raising money, schlepping stuff, buying snacks, sending s, cheering the band, and so much more. I'm guessing you would agree that band is an important part of the educational experience for those who participate. On top of the music education, band members learn discipline, leadership, and teamwork. These band experiences are pivotal for so many. As I told you in an earlier , we have an opportunity this month to advocate for music and arts funding in our schools. Below you will find a link to the Schools' Budget Survey. If you have not already taken the time to respond to the survey, I hope you will do that now. The survey will close on November 28 th. rowse.asp?a=383&bmdrn=2000&bcob=0&c=66598 Hope to see you at Barnes and Noble on December 2 nd and at the Winter Band Concert on December 8 th. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, Mary Katherine Morn Hear...Sigh...Buy... On the evening of December 2 nd, the YHS Bands will be spotlighted at the Clarendon Barnes and Noble. Band performances will be taking place all over the store. Check the YHS Band site ( for exact performance times. All purchases made in the store December 2 nd OR AT ANY BARNES AND NOBLE, (including on line) using the Yorktown voucher number between November 30 and December 2 will ensure that a portion of the proceeds benefit the YHS music department. See the flyer on the next page of this newsletter. So, please tell your neighbors to come into the store that week, and tell friends and relatives around the globe to make their Barnes and Noble purchases benefit the Yorktown Music programs by using the voucher number. A Note from Your Treasurer I am happy to report that our financial status for the current year continues to be strong. The Band Camp and Fall Fees are on target to cover our expenses, and Band Day raised over $16,000. The Board is in discussions with Brian regarding current and future needs of the band. Poinsettia sales are almost finished, and participating students will receive credits towards the cost of the Spring Trip of over $6,000. Booster Club Membership donations, along with Poinsettia sales and other direct donations have contributed at least an additional $5,000. Thanks to everyone who has contributed their time and money to support the Band! Andy White Report on Poinsettia Fund Raiser The 2010 poinsettia fund raiser was a fabulous success with just under $19,000 in total flower sales! Band members sold over 1,100 poinsettias, depositing over $6,300 into their band accounts. Congratulations to all on a very successful fundraiser. We have one more step, and that is to sort and deliver the flowers that will come to the Yorktown Cafeteria on December 3rd. Delivery time is 1:30 PM and we will begin sorting at 2 PM when Cafeteria becomes available for our use. We will be sorting and delivering the flowers until around 7:30 when we expect all the flowers will be out the door and on to their holiday destination! We are looking for volunteers to help sort the plants and the more the merrier. So come and join us in this festive activity!! To volunteer, please Rhonda Snoeyenbos atrsnoeyenbos@gmail.com or Janet MacLaughlin, at wearemac@att.net. Dear Booster Community, It's been our practice over the years, to list YHS Booster Members who have made financial contributions to the band. If you would prefer NOT to be listed, please contact Sandy Brody at SKBrody@aol.com. Thanks. Page4

5 Yorktown HS Music Department Supporting Yorktown Music Boosters Tuesday, Nov. 30 Thursday, Dec. 2 Barnes & Noble Tuesday, Nov. 30 Thursday, Dec. 2 Barnes & Noble 2800 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington ENJOY PERFORMANCES BY TALENTED YORKTOWN STUDENTS BETWEEN 4 & 8:00 PM * * * * * * ORCHESTRA - NOV. 30 TH CHORAL GROUP DEC. 1 ST BAND DEC. 2 ND * * * * * * Visit any Barnes & Noble store Use the voucher or account number Clarendon Blvd., Arlington Supporting Yorktown Music Boosters Tuesday, Nov. 30 Thursday, Dec. 2 Barnes & Noble Visit BN.COM/bookfairs to support us online from 11/30/10 to 12/07/10 by entering Bookfair ID at checkout Clarendon Blvd.,

6 YHS Band is delighted to offer 2 services to help students achieve their college and academic goals. Thanks to a generous gift from the Georgetown Learning Center (GLC) in McLean, the following services can be yours for the highest bid. To learn more about the schedule, go to SAT Prep Classes valued at $699 GLC s students have increased their scores by 260 points! GLC is proud of their expert materials + student-savvy instructors. SAT program includes: 28 hours of classroom instruction, 14 hours of individual help 3 full-length diagnostics. GLC handbook= strategies, skill-builders, vocab words, practice SAT questions. The class must be redeemed by Sept Private Tutorial (4 sessions) valued at $296 These 1:1 sessions can lead to improved grades. For students who: Want help with one of their weaker subjects. Are pushing to take their academic performance to the next level. Must be used by the end of school year, June 16th Bidding Procedure your bid(s) to: BFrickie@aol.com by 3 PM 12/8/10 Specify which service(s) you wish to bid: SAT Prep or Private Tutorial. Or Place your final bid in GLC Box on 12/8, no later than intermission, at the Winter Band Concert, YHS Auditorium. Winner will be notified at/after 12/8 Band concert, YHS Auditorium.

7 Wrapping up the Marching Season with Sunshine and Blue Skies! Drum Majors Anamarie and Alex The marching season began, for most of the band, back in June when the staff presented us with Today s Forecast. After spending a few days together learning the basics, we gathered at Yorktown, loaded a bus, and headed up to Mercersburg to officially begin the marching season. The staff wasted no time getting us onto the field and practicing. The Marching Patriots survived band camp and everyone was ecstatic about what we had accomplished in only five days. Most impressively of all were the rookies that were all of a sudden thrown into a world of attention, walking with straight legs, and roll stepping. By the first football game it was clear that the band had struck gold this year we had something very special. The band continued to work incredibly hard every rehearsal. No matter what place we received at competition, we continued to grow and get better. By mid October we finally got the hang of what we had to do. We understood how the play the music, how the forms had to work and just how incredible this show could be. The addition of a sunburst at the end of Firebird Suite only added to the growing excitement. Although our placing in competitions may not have been what everyone would have liked, it was evident that we were getting much better. The season ended with our performance at Navy Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland for the National Championship. Incredible was the word to describe it. Three months of long, hard work had finally paid off. There was no doubt that was our best show. There was not need to ask any of the band members what they thought of their performance, it was all in their expression as they walked off the field. For many of us the marching season was a long three months. It was three months of hard work, long rehearsals, early mornings, and frustration. But it was also three months of improvement, excitement, stupid jokes, and ultimate success. It is clear that this year was the beginning of many more successful marching seasons to come. Page7

8 YHS BAND BOOSTER CONTACTS Committee Chair(s) e mail President Mary Katherine Morn mkmorn@earthlink.net Vice President Sandy Brody skbrody@aol.com Secretary Helen Methvin Payne hmethvinp@aol.com Treasurer Andy White andy1white@yahoo.com Band Day Sandy Brody skbrody@aol.com Volunteer Coordinator Patty Petroccione dabpmp@aol.com Public Relations Pam Donahoe pamdonahoe@yahoo.com Newsletter Kathy Manger pkmanger@comcast.net Becky Ellison ellisonrm@msn.com Uniforms Meg House Meg.house@verizon.net Ed Cole thecoles@verizon.net Linda Coddington L_coddington@comcast.net Poinsettias Janet MacLaughlin wearemac@att.net Rhonda Snoeyenbos rsnoeyenbos@gmail.com E mail Communications Kate Linton katherine.linton@usitc.gov Band Camp Coordinator Dawn Logan drmlogan@comcast.net Spring Trip Coordinator Rachel Warner cookhaven@comcast.net Concert Programs Wanda Madrid Diaz diaz.mail@verizon.net Supplies/Purchasing?? Hospitality Lisa Campbell lcampbell@lawbc.com Photography Wayne Stocks stocksva@verizon.net PTA Liaison Patty Petroccione dabpmp@aol.com Equipment Transportation Bob Risney brisney@verizon.net? Senior Night Maria Puletti pulettim@comcast.net Virginie Vaselopulos vvaselopulos@worldbank.org First Aid Phyllis Ovsiew levineovsiew@gmail.com Website Assistance Mike Grieco mgrieco@comcast.net First Morning Breakfast Amy Botticello amy@idshomes.com Nadine Shaw nadineshaw@aol.com Page8

9 Join the Yorktown Band Boosters! Our students greatly appreciate your generosity and commitment. YBB Membership Form Student Name: Parent or Sponsor Name: Street Address: Home Telephone: Parent or Sponsor Please indicate your fully tax-deductible contribution: Trustee s Circle ($500+) 1st Chair s Friends ($75-124) Director s Club ($ ) Booster Member ($35-74) Conductor s Team ($ ) Other Contributors at the Booster Member level and above are acknowledged in Winter & Spring Concert programs. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please make checks payable to: Yorktown Band Boosters, Inc. Forms and contributions may be mailed to: Yorktown Band Boosters c/o Andy White, Treasurer 5510 Yorktown Blvd Arlington, VA You may also send in this form to Mr. Coffill with your student. Page9