To all:  Merry Christmas!  Happy Hanukkah!  and of course Happy New Year!

Time to Lock Things In!

This week presents the challenge of our second competition.  We have made great strides musically and visually, but now we have to add the finishing touches to our show.  Horn flashes, arm movements, etc. will be the visual steps, as well as making sure that our visual design is perfomed to the finest parameters we can achieve.  Then musically even more nuance needs to be attained.  We absolutely must have more emphasis on individual performance especially in the areas of dynamics and articulation.

We will be performing last at both the Damonte Ranch and UNR competitions which is either a blessing or a curse.  A blessing if we are on our game and have every performer bringing their very best or a curse if we let down and do not continue to steadily improve every aspect of our performances. 

This weeks football performance was definitely showing our improvement.  Now we have to press forward to show our pride.

P - perfection in performance

R - respect for our performance medium and those who are our audience

I - integrity both to ourselves, our sections and the entire band

D - the discipline to learn, grow and define our performance

E - excellence in all that we do both in the band and life

The next month will present us with unlimited areas to show what we can do.  Let us press forward and climb to the precipice and forge ahead to fulfill our destiny.

Homecoming Week is here!  Monday the Jazz Band will set up at GBC in the amphitheater at 5 p.m. and perform @ 6 p.m. for the International Broadcasters Idea Bank.  They are opening for David Pack of “Ambrosia” fame.  Mr. Pack is a renowned composer and is being presented by BMI.  Parents and band members are welcome to attend the event and there is no admission charge.

This is a busy, busy week for the marching band.  Wednesday night we rehearse from 6 to 8:30 p.m. and Sam Santistevan will be here to work with Alicia and the percussion section.  We will need to have music for the assembly and parade on Thursday.  These events will be taking place during 6th and 7th periods.  Assembly in the New Gym and the parade is through downtown Elko immediately following the assembly. 

Thursday evening is the pep rally, powder puff football game, and bonfire.  Call time is 6 p.m. at Warrior Field.  We play at 6 and then more when the Powder Puff game is completed in association with the Bonfire and rally preceding the fireworks.

Friday is the homecoming football game vs. South Tahoe High School’s Vikings.

Music for the week will include “Estancia,” “Land of Make Believe,” “Flight of the Condor,” and “Gimme some Lovin’,” for 1/2 time Friday Night.  We will also be doing pre-game and “Warpath 2010″ which will be passed out to the band on Monday.

We were able to finish putting the skeleton of our closing drill on the field during our rehearsal on Saturday.  If you weren’t there you have a lot of catching up to do.  Many thanks to Mr. Belon and his friends from UNR and to Ms. Smith and Miss Connor for helping with the guard and the rehearsal.  I would like to give Mrs. Tanner a huge round of applause for jumping to my aid on Thursday when I was at the dentist.  Good times there :-(.  It still hurts. 

We will be in October by the end of the week which means our entire competitive season will be over in 5 weeks.

Make your payments quickly for the trip and band fees and please, please, please take advantage of all fundraisers!  The fundraisers are there to take the load off of our students families.  Please use them.  And please please please take a look at www.resonationmultimedia.com/elkoto see what is available in regard to the HD DVD and concert presentation CD that is being made about the Elko “Band of Indians.”  This is a fundraiser and 50% of all sales will go directly to the band.  If students sell DVD’s and CD’s that 50% goes to their account.

Let us press forward, costantly with great expectations!

Mr. L

Friday evening was a blast!  Great job band, guard and cheerleaders!!  GO ELKO!!

This week brings us new challenges:  Learning the drill for “Land of Make Believe” and “Flight of the Condor,” as well as learning and perfecting the music, drum breaks and color guard work.

Monday will find us getting into segment 2 of our show and we have 8 sets to learn just to get the basic show design on the field for “Land of Make Believe.”  We are at the practice field. More of the same on Tuesday and then time to clean the drill (make it perfect) on Wed. and Wed. evening.  Sam Santistevan will be in Wednesday to work with the drum-line and pit percussion.

Thursday we will be introducing the first of the 13 sets for “Flight of the Condor” and we will start putting more emphasis on choreography and the stage craft of making the show more audience friendly.  We also have to learn a new tune for the cheerleaders for the homecoming game on Oct. 1.

Saturday Sept. 25th we will be rehearsing and taking pictures rather than traveling to Utah.  The consensus of the band was that we will not be ready,  since we only have 1/3 of our show even on the field roughly. Saturday the schedule for this Mandatory (no exceptions) Rehearsal Day is pictures with Gene Russell in uniform 8 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. / 9 a.m. to 12 noon Full ensemble rehearsal / 12 noon to 2 p.m. Sectional rehearsals.  We will have guest staff for this day of rehearsal and will use the time to make up for field rehearsals we have lost due to inclement weather and not being able to get on a lighted field.

While all this is going on the Jazz Band is working to get ready for their Sept. 27th (Monday) performance for the International Broadcasters Idea Bank.  They are the opening act for David Pack the former lead singer of the group “Ambrosia.” 

Here is a tidbit of info about the Idea Bank:  Membership in the Idea Bank is by invitation only and is limited to 100 members worldwide.  The Idea Bank is a Think Tank and information exchange for radio broadcasters around the world.  Current members operate radio stations in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.  This performance will be part of their Annual Convention which will be taking place at the GBC amphitheater.

Things are rockin’ currently for the members of the Elko High “Band of Indians” and the Elko High “Jazz Band.”   So obviously . . . . . “Let’s Keep it Rockin’!“  To borrow from a popular movie “One Band, One Sound!”

Mr. L

This week will be very challenging for the members of the Band of Indians as it includes our first home football performance of the year.  This past Friday’s performance at the TLC Anniversary party was very successful and with each performance growth in our performance skills and confidence is evident.

This week we have guest staff all day on Wednesday in the form of the former director and the current tour director for the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps, Mr. J.W. Koester.  Mr. Koester was the director of the SCV the last time they won the Drum Corps International Championship and is a great motivator, marching technique instructor, and amazing percussion instructor.  In fact, his middle school drum line from his home area performed under his direction in the recent Winter Guard International Championships and competed with the “Big Boys” and did very well.  He will be with us at both our morning and evening rehearsals on Wednesday.

What else is up this week?

For Friday:  Pre-game - “Americana” plus the drill to get on the field, The “Star Spangled Banner”, “Black Top Boogie” to form the tunnel for the team, “Team Introduction,”and the “School Song”.

For 1/2 time: “Estancia” with drill, “Land of Make Believe” and “Boom, Boom!”

Stands music:  “Gimme Some Lovin’,” “Born to be Wild,” “Warpath,” “Cherokee,” “Tomahawk Chop,” “El Zorro,” plus anything else we can get ready.

A really busy upcoming week for us all.  Congrats to Soccer, V-ball, and all of our athletes.  Hopefully our football teams will stay on a winning track as I am writing this before all of the games are completed on Saturday.

Have a most marvelous weekend and a great week!  Don’t forget those grades need to be climbing into the stratosphere!

Mr. L

Well, here we go.  Good reviews for all performances this past weekend, but now on to the show.  Tue. the 7th we are in the band room.  Bring drill sheets, music and a pencil . . . this is IMPORTANT!  Outside at the practice field on Wed. and Wed. night with instruments, drill and pencils.  We need to get the opener in shape this week.  Friday we have a pep band gig at 5 p.m. at the East End Mall.  This includes everyone!  Tuesday we will read a couple of new tunes, as well as doing some business that we need to get out of the way concerning upcoming fundraising and competition trip information.

Be on time, be prepared, and be motivated!   Please!

Band members should bring their drill to class with them on Monday, Aug. 30th.  This is really important!!

This is going to be a busy week for the Band of Indians.  Wed., Sept. 1 is our first night rehearsal and we have a heavy work load.  Later in the week on Thursday, Sept. 2nd, is our annual Dinner In The Park and we will have two performances that evening in addition to the entire band pitching in to serve dinner and clean up the park.  Many thanks to all the parents who have volunteered to help with the dinner.  The dinner is from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the main city park and the band will perform at 5 and 6.

Friday the 3rd of September is a very busy day as the band will be performing in the Elko County Fair Parade in downtown Elko.  Call time is 10 a.m. at the caboose in the central corridor with the parade stepping off at 11 a.m.  The band room will be open at 9 a.m. for students to get uniforms and instruments.

At 2:45 p.m. the band will perform for the opening of the horse races.  We will march from the band room over to Fair Grounds at 2:15 p.m.  They will perform 3 or 4 pieces in addition to the National Anthem and then march back to the band room.

At 6 p.m. the Jazz Band is performing for the Elko High Classes of the 50’s reunion at Cafe X at GBC.  Call time is 5:30 p.m.

Lots of preparation is needed and students are encouraged to get excited about performing for the first time this year!!!

If you haven’t started learning your music IT’S TIME !!!!  Band rehearsals begin soon and everyone needs to make sure that they have learned the parade and show music BEFORE we begin rehearsals.  Memorization is essential so that each and every member of the “PRIDE OF NEVADA” is focused on performing and not on “.  . . oh, my goodness what am I going to do?   We have a performance and I don’t know my music!”

Now is the time.  Check in the music section at the bottom of the home page to find recordings and your part.

Don’t wait, don’t put it off, just DO IT today!!!

Mr. L

 SMALL CHOICES + CONSISTENCY + TIME = RADICAL DIFFERENCE

(Success Magazine Publisher - Darren Hardy)