Huntsville Hornet Military Marching Band
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Director's Update

1-13-23

Good Afternoon Everyone,

I hope everyone had a restful and blessed Christmas break.  I know that I enjoyed time with family and friends and might have had just a little too much to eat.  Ha!  Here are quite a few updates and announcements for everyone for the new semester so please read over these to make sure you know what is going on.

1.            Sectionals for Wind Symphony, Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band started this week.  Please check the attached schedule for when your student’s sectionals are and please help them remember to come to these as they are vital to our success in concert season.

2.            For our next event we will be hosting the MPMS Solo and Ensemble Contest here at the high school on Friday, February 3rd at 6:00pm.  We will need a few student volunteers to help with that.  The students must be eligible to help.  We will post a signup sheet for that when we get closer to it.

3.            Congratulations to the Huntsville Swingin’ Stingers Jazz Ensemble for being invited to play for the State Board of Education meeting in Austin on Friday, February 3rd at 9:00am.  This is a great honor and is a great way for our students to be showcased.  Jazz Ensemble parents will be getting a separate email with more details from Mr. Twiss shortly.

4.            Drum Major Camp is just around the corner!  For any student interested in trying out, the camp is Monday, Feb. 6, Tuesday, Feb. 7 and Monday, Feb. 13 3:50-6:15pm.  The tryouts will be Monday, February 20, time TBD.  I encourage anyone who wants to grow their leadership skills and to learn a lot about themselves to try out.

5.            Friday, February 17th will be our Region Solo and Ensemble Contest at The Woodlands College Park High School.  More details on the schedule for that will come as we get closer to the event.  Here are the two big things to know right now.  To participate, students must be academically eligible.  Also, students who are taking a solo are asked to pay us $15 to help pay for the piano accompanist fee.  It costs us way more than that to register them and pay for the accompanist but the $15 will help us offset the cost a little bit.  If there are financial hardships, please let me know and we will try to work something out.  Checks should be made to HHS Band and parent driver license/phone number included.  Those payments are due Monday, February 13th.

6.            If your student plays a school-owned instrument, it is time to pay for the $50 instrument usage fee to the band.  Again, it costs us way more than $50 to clean and maintain each instrument throughout the year but this will help us offset that cost a little bit.  If there are financial hardships, please let me know and we will see if we can work something out.  Checks should be made to HHS Band and parent driver license/phone number included.  Those payments are due Monday, April 24th.

Sincerely,

John F. Green
HISD Director of Music
HISD Director of Bands
HHS Fine Arts Department Chair
441 FM 2821 East
Huntsville, Texas 77320

11-30-22

Good Afternoon,

1.            This Friday, December 2nd we are hosting the 5A All-Region Band auditions at HHS.  40 of our HMB students will be auditioning and many other students and parents will be helping to run the contest.  This info only pertains to the students doing the audition and the parents and students who have volunteered to work.  The schedule is below:

3:40        School ends/Student volunteers change into jeans and polo tucked in with a belt.
4:00        Student volunteers meet Mr. Twiss and Ms. Willis in the Small Ensemble Room in the Band Hall.
Setup crew begins setting up for the contest immediately. Setup crew fed pizza after setup is done.
4:15        Student/Adult room monitors meeting held in the HHS Library. Monitors fed pizza during meeting.
Student/Adult volunteers open the concession stand in the HHS Commons. These workers fed pizza while working concession stand.
Runners stay in Band Hall until contest begins.  Runners can eat pizza in Band Hall before contest begins.
Adult volunteers (2-3) help setup the serving line for the judges’ meal.
4:45        Adult volunteers begin serving the judges’ meal in the Band Hall.
5:00        Monitors must be at audition rooms to do student check-in. Students doing the audition must go to their audition rooms and sign in. 
5:15        Judges’ meeting in the Band Hall.
5:45        Contest begins

2.            This coming Saturday, December 3rd is our Christmas Parade through downtown Huntsville.  This is required for all eligible students.  We will be wearing our full uniform with all parts and pieces and all grooming rules in effect. The students may put Christmas decorations on their instruments as long as it doesn’t affect their playing.
Our schedule will be:

3:15        Arrive at Band Hall
3:30        Set block/parade practice
4:00        Load truck
4:10        Eat/go to restroom
4:50        Get into uniform
5:10        Meet
5:15        Load buses
5:30        Depart for downtown
5:45        Unload
6:00        Set block/warm up
6:20        Move into place
6:30        Parade begins
7:00        Parade ends/load truck and buses
7:20        Depart for HHS
7:30        Arrive at HHS/Go home

3.            Monday, December 5th the Wind Symphony will be doing elementary recruiting concerts all day in the HHS Auditorium.  This is a big way that we recruit future band members!  The Wind Symphony students need to report to the Band Hall first thing Monday morning in their tennis shoes, nice jeans and their HMB polo tucked in with a belt.  We will setup the auditorium right away, have a short rehearsal with the choir at 8:30am and then the concerts will begin at 9:30am.  We will feed the students pizza for lunch in the Band Hall.  The concerts will be done at 2:45pm and then we will need the students to help do some setup for our HMB Christmas Concert the following night.

4.            Tuesday, December 6th is our HMB Christmas Concert.  ALL STUDENTS regardless of eligibility status attend this concert.  This concert is part of our curriculum, so eligibility does not disqualify students from it.  Each band will arrive at their call time already dressed in their full band uniform.  Ladies may wear their hair down and have single stud earrings.  The schedule for our concert is attached to this email.

Sincerely,

John F. Green
HISD Director of Music
HISD Director of Bands
HHS Fine Arts Department Chair
441 FM 2821 East
Huntsville, Texas 77320
office 936.435.6147
fax 936.435.6637


11-8-22

Good Afternoon Everyone,

I am sorry for the delay in getting this information out, but I have just now been able to secure our transportation situation since it was all very short notice.  Below is the information for our playoff game this Thursday along with a couple of other reminders.

1.            Our playoff football game is this Thursday, November 10th at 7:30pm at Leroy Crump Stadium in Alief ISD. (12321 High Star Drive, Houston TX 77072) Because of how far away this game is, we are once again taking charter buses with the GG’s and Flagmen.  Remember, if you need to pick up your student from the game before we leave the stadium, please shoot me an email by Thursday morning.

Our schedule will be:
1:52        Come to band hall at the end of 6th period
2:00        Get in Uniform
2:15        Senior/Section Leader Uniform Inspection (with flip folders)
2:30        Full Band Uniform Inspection (with flip folders)
2:45        Run through Drill (half uniform)
3:15        Get out of uniform/Stage instruments outside
3:40        Eat dinner (pizza provided by the school)
4:10        Meet
4:20        Load Buses
4:45        Depart HHS
6:30        Arrive at Leroy Crump Stadium (12321 High Star Drive, Houston TX 77072)
6:35        Unload/Unpack
6:55        Form Up/March in
7:00        Seated in stadium
7:30        Kick-off
10:30     Approximate end of game
10:40     Load truck
11:00     Depart for HHS
12:30     Arrive at HHS Band Hall/Unload/Go Home!!!

2.             As our marching season winds down here are a few upcoming dates to keep in mind:
Friday, December 2nd at HHS: All-Region Band Auditions (Wind Symphony students only)
Saturday, December 3rd at downtown Huntsville: Lions Club Christmas Parade (All eligible students)
Monday, December 5th at HHS: Elementary recruiting concerts (Wind Symphony students only)
Tuesday, December 6th at HHS: HMB Christmas Concert (All band students regardless of eligibility)
More details will be forthcoming as these dates approach.

3.            The Band Boosters are going to continue the HMB card fundraiser through the end of November.  These make great stocking stuffers and are still good for another 9 months or so.  Remember, your student can make $10 per card toward band fees, trips, etc.  Seniors, this is a great way for you to raise money for this May’s senior band trip and everyone else can raise money toward our trip next year!  Get out and sell those cards!

Sincerely,

John F. Green
HISD Director of Music
HISD Director of Bands
HHS Fine Arts Department Chair
441 FM 2821 East
Huntsville, Texas 77320
office 936.435.6147
fax 936.435.6637


11-05-2022

Good afternoon HMB Family,

We have an update on next week's play-off game.  

The Huntsville Hornets will take on Fort Bend Marshall on Thursday, November 10 at 7:30 pm.
The game will be played at Leroy Crump Stadium in Alief ISD located at 12321 High Star Drive, Houston TX 77072.

We will not have practice on Monday, however we will have practice from 4:30pm-5:30pm on Wednesday to prepare a modified halftime performance for Thursday's game. 

We will send out a more detailed schedule for Thursday at the beginning of the week. 

Thanks,

Jennifer Willis
Assistant Director of Bands
Huntsville High School
(936) 435-6147


11-2-22

Good Morning Parents and Students,

As most of you have probably heard, our football game has been moved up to Thursday again because of possible severe weather this Friday.  More details below.

1.             Tomorrow, Thursday, November 3rd is our final home football game.  It is also 8th grade night.  We need to put our best foot forward as we welcome the future of the HMB to our football game.

Our schedule will be:
3:40           Pep rally ends/play 7 Nation for GG’s in gym
3:50           Eat dinner
4:10           Get into Uniform
4:20           Section Leader/Senior Uniform Inspection
4:30           Full Band Uniform Inspection
4:45           Run through Drill
5:00           Load Truck
5:15           Meet
5:20           Load Buses
5:30           Depart HHS
5:40           Arrive at Bowers Stadium
5:45           Unload/Unpack
6:20           March into stadium
6:30           Seated in stadium
7:00           Kick-off
10:00         Approximate end of game
10:10         Load buses/truck
10:30        Depart for HHS Band Hall
10:40         Arrive at HHS Band Hall/Unload/Go Home!!!

2.             If the team wins tomorrow night there will be a playoff game next Thursday, Friday or Saturday.  It will be an away game as we will be a lower seed in the playoff bracket.  As soon as I know a schedule, I will let everyone know.

3.             As our marching season winds down here are a few upcoming dates to keep in mind:
Friday, December 2nd at HHS: All-Region Band Auditions (Wind Symphony students only)
Saturday, December 3rd at downtown Huntsville: Lions Club Christmas Parade (All eligible students)
Monday, December 5th at HHS: Elementary recruiting concerts (Wind Symphony students only)
Tuesday, December 6th at HHS: HMB Christmas Concert (All band students regardless of eligibility)
More details will be forthcoming as these dates approach.

Sincerely,

John F. Green
HISD Director of Music
HISD Director of Bands
HHS Fine Arts Department Chair
441 FM 2821 East
Huntsville, Texas 77320
office 936.435.6147
fax 936.435.6637


10-26-22

Good Evening Parents and Students,

1.             Tomorrow, Thursday, October 27th is our next away football game at Brenham.  Yes, you heard me correctly, tomorrow, not Friday.  The game has been moved up to tomorrow due to the weather forecast for Friday.

Our schedule will be:
2:46           Dismiss from 8th period
3:00           Practice with GG’s/Run drill
3:30           Get into Uniform
3:45           Section Leader/Senior Uniform Inspection (with Flip-Folders)
4:00           Full Band Uniform Inspection (with Flip-Folders)
4:15           Eat dinner
4:50           Load Truck
5:10           Meet
5:20           Load Buses
5:30           Depart HHS
7:00           Arrive at Cub Stadium (1600 E Tom Green St, Brenham, TX 77833)
7:05           Unload/Unpack
7:20           Get into stadium
7:30           Kick-off
10:30         Approximate end of game
10:40         Load buses/truck
11:00        Depart for HHS Band Hall
12:15         Arrive at HHS Band Hall/Unload/Go Home!!!

Sincerely,

John F. Green
HISD Director of Music
HISD Director of Bands
HHS Fine Arts Department Chair
441 FM 2821 East
Huntsville, Texas 77320
office 936.435.6147
fax 936.435.6637


10-23-2022

Hello Parents and Students,


Now that we are done with marching contests, we will be going to a new marching practice schedule starting this week.  Here is that schedule:

Mondays: No rehearsal!
Wednesdays: 4:30-5:30pm
Thursdays: 4-5:30pm (a little longer so we can work with the GG's)

We have two regular season football games left: an away game this Friday at Brenham and our last home game next Friday.  That last home game will be our 8th Grade Band Night, where we invite the MPMS Band 8th graders to perform with the HMB!  During the band classes tomorrow, we will watch the video from our NAMMB performance and go over the judges’ comments.  We will also check out concert season instruments so we can begin looking at Christmas Concert music this week.

Reminder for Wind Symphony and Wind Ensemble: the next All-Region Charms recording assignment is due tonight!


Thank you,


10-21-22

Good Afternoon Parents and Students,

As most of you already know, construction on our new auditorium has begun out in front of the Band Hall!  Woohoo!  While this is amazing it is also going to create some challenges and growth pains.  As such, we are going to need a new plan for everyone to pick up their students after the football games and contest, etc.  Attached is a map showing everyone where to go tonight after the game to pick up your students.  This will also be the place where you will go to pickup your students after contests, practices, concerts, etc.

Students, if you are parking in the west lot by the tennis courts I would recommend that you move your car at the end of the day over to the lot behind the school so it is easier for you to get to your car after the games.
Finally, for dropping your students off tomorrow before the Saturday contest, you may still enter at the normal band hall entrance and drop your students off on the band practice field.  Then, to pick them up tomorrow night use the map attached for pickup.

Sincerely,

John F. Green
HISD Director of Music
HISD Director of Bands
HHS Fine Arts Department Chair
441 FM 2821 East
Huntsville, Texas 77320
office 936.435.6147
fax 936.435.6637


10-17-22

Good Evening Parents and Students,

We are continuing to make improvements on our drill as we look forward to our contests tomorrow and Saturday.  We will continue that at our practice this evening from 5:00-7:00pm.  Please make sure everyone is there and ready to work!  Below I will share with everyone a little bit about how the two contests this week work.

1.             Tomorrow is our Region 9 Marching Evaluation.  There are 3 judges.  Each judge is looking and listening at both our music and our marching.  They then give us written and audio comments so that we can improve.  Finally, they give us a division rating on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being the best and 5 being the worst.  It is our goal to make a 1st division from all 3 judges every year.  At this contest we are being judged against a standard and not against the other bands, if that makes sense.  With the NAMMB Contest on Saturday that judging system is different where we are competing against the other bands for rankings.  There are 5 judges, 3 for music only and 2 for marching only.  Each judge gives us a score on a scale of 0-1000 points and then we are ranked within our 5A division.  Trophies are awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. 

2.             Tomorrow, Tuesday, October 18th is our Region 9 UIL Marching Contest at Woodforest Bank Stadium (19115 David Memorial Dr, Shenandoah, TX 77385) in The Woodlands.  Everyone is welcome to come watch us perform at this contest.  Later in the email is more information about how to get tickets.  Also, the students will eat during A lunch on their own like they normally do.  After we march, they will be provided a Gatorade and a snack.  If they want more to eat, they are encouraged to bring a little bit of money for the concession stand at the stadium.  There will also be a t-shirt and patches table there if they want to bring money for purchasing those types of items.

Tuesday Schedule:
9:28        Check into 3rd period
9:35        Release to Band Hall
9:45        Get into uniform
10:00     Senior/Section Leader Inspection (without flip folders)
10:15     Full band inspection (without flip folders)
10:30     Run full drill/practice entering field
10:50     Load truck
11:10     Go to get lunch in commons (student’s responsibility)
11:15     Eat in band hall
11:40     Load buses
11:45     Depart for Woodforest Bank Stadium (19115 David Memorial Dr, Shenandoah, TX 77385)
12:30     Arrive/use restroom
12:40     Unload
12:55     Set Entrance Formation
1:00        Move to warmup area
1:05        Warmup
2:15        Performance
2:30        Get out of uniform
2:45        Review the results
3:00        Head into stadium to watch some of the 6A bands
5:15        Leave stadium to load buses
5:45        Depart
6:30        Arrive at HHS Band Hall/Go Home!

3.             The following is from the hosts of the contest for next Tuesday if you would like to come watch us perform:
Tickets for our Region Marching Band Contest on October 18, 2022, will be available ONLINE ONLY again this year.
Please forward this information to your parents and anyone that you think might be attending the contest. The price of the ticket remains the same as last year at $5.00.  
 https://apps.conroeisd.net/EventTickets/Purchase.aspx?Event=08P73xGEwT0u8CU1DHAJ_Q
If the link does not work by clicking on it, copy and paste it into your browser.
The process to purchase tickets is really straightforward. After clicking on the link above all they will have to do is sign in as a guest by using their email address. Another link will immediately be sent to their email address which will give them access to the ticket purchase screen.

4.             This Friday, October 21st is our next home football game.  No senior night, not homecoming, no 8th grade night, just a plain vanilla home football game. Ha.  Hey, with two contests this week that is exactly what we need.

Our schedule will be:
3:40           Pep rally ends/come to Band Hall
3:45           Eat dinner
4:15           Get into Uniform
4:30           Section Leader/Senior Uniform Inspection (with Flip-Folders)
4:45           Full Band Uniform Inspection (with Flip-Folders)
5:00           Run through Drill
5:20           Load Truck
5:40           Meet
5:50           Load Buses
6:00           Depart HHS
6:10           Arrive at Bowers Stadium
6:15           Unload/Unpack
6:50           March into stadium
7:00           Seated in stadium
7:30           Kick-off
10:30         Approximate end of game
10:40         Load buses/truck
11:00        Depart for HHS Band Hall
11:15         Arrive atHHS Band Hall/Unload/Go Home!!!
 
5.             This Saturday, October 22nd is the NAMMB Marching Contest.  This is the contest where we go and compete against all the other military bands in our 5A division.  It is up in Longview, TX.  For anyone who would like to come watch, the cost is $5.  If they send out more info about that I will forward it on to everyone.

Saturday schedule:
10:00     Arrive at Band Hall
10:05     Load equipment
10:25     Meet
10:30     Load buses
10:40     Depart for Longview High School (201 E Tomlinson Pkwy, Longview, TX 75605)
1:30        Arrive/use restroom
1:45        Unload equipment
2:00        Form up
2:30        Warmup
3:15        Perform
3:30        Watch remaining bands from stands
5:00        Awards Ceremony
5:45        Load buses
6:00        Depart for HHS
8:45        Arrive/unload/go home!

Sincerely,

 
John F. Green
HISD Director of Music
HISD Director of Bands
HHS Fine Arts Department Chair
441 FM 2821 East
Huntsville, Texas 77320
office 936.435.6147
fax 936.435.6637

10-13-22

Good Afternoon Parents and Students,

I hope everyone is having a good week so far.  We have had some good rehearsals last week and this week and I am looking forward to continuing that today and tomorrow.  I told the students yesterday that we are not there yet with our cleaning of the drill and to keep pushing.

1.             Please make sure that your student brings us their dry-cleaning receipt by the end of the week, so we know they cleaned their uniform.  If you have not taken it yet, please do so TODAY so that they are ready in plenty of time for next week’s contest.  I would not take them any later than tomorrow because you must be able to get them back no later than Monday.  Remember, they only need the pants, jackets and crossbelts.  You keep the bag, belt buckles, breastplate and if you are a senior, the senior cords.  If money is an issue at all, please let me know and we will take it to the cleaners and get it taken care of before next week, but we would have to have the uniform by tomorrow to make that happen. 

2.             Tomorrow, Friday, October 14th we do not have a game as it is the football team’s bye week.  We really need to have a performance of our drill before our UIL Contest next Tuesday so here is our plan to remedy that.  We would like for the students to stay after school to do a run through of the drill down on the stadium turf.  We will have Dr. Gibbs and Ms. McBryde from SHSU come watch us and give a little bit of feedback.  We would also like the performance to have an audience if possible, so parents are invited to come watch the run through at 4:15pm and then you can pick up your student at the band hall shortly thereafter. Below is the full schedule.

3:40        School ends
3:55        Head to stadium
4:10        Warmup
4:15        Perform
4:25        Work with clinicians
4:55        Head back to band hall to go home

3.             Tuesday, October 18th is our Region 9 UIL Marching Contest at Woodforest Bank Stadium (19115 David Memorial Dr, Shenandoah, TX 77385) in The Woodlands.  Everyone is welcome to come watch us perform at this contest.  Later in the email is more information about how to get tickets.  Also, the students will eat during A lunch on their own like they normally do.  After we march, they will be provided a Gatorade and a snack.  If they want more to eat, they are encouraged to bring a little bit of money for the concession stand at the stadium.  There will also be a t-shirt and patches table there if they want to bring money for purchasing those types of items.

Tuesday Schedule:
9:28        Check into 3rd period
9:35        Release to band hall
9:45        Get into uniform
10:00     Senior/Section Leader Inspection (without flip folders)
10:15     Full band inspection (without flip folders)
10:30     Run full drill/practice entering field
10:50     Load truck
11:10     Go to get lunch in commons
11:15     Eat in band hall
11:40     Load buses
11:45     Depart for Woodforest Bank Stadium (19115 David Memorial Dr, Shenandoah, TX 77385)
12:30     Arrive/use restroom
12:40     Unload
12:55     Set Entrance Formation
1:00        Move to warmup area
1:05        Warmup
2:15        Performance
2:30        Get out of uniform
2:45        Review the results
3:00        Head into stadium to watch some of the 6A bands
5:15        Leave stadium to load buses
5:45        Depart
6:30        Arrive at HHS Band Hall/Go Home!

4.             The following is from the hosts of the contest for next Tuesday if you would like to come watch us perform:
Tickets for our Region Marching Band Contest on October 18, 2022, will be available ONLINE ONLY again this year.
Please forward this information to your parents and anyone that you think might be attending the contest. The price of the ticket remains the same as last year at $5.00.  
 https://apps.conroeisd.net/EventTickets/Purchase.aspx?Event=08P73xGEwT0u8CU1DHAJ_Q
If the link does not work by clicking on it, copy and paste it into your browser.
The process to purchase tickets is really straightforward. After clicking on the link above all they will have to do is sign in as a guest by using their email address. Another link will immediately be sent to their email address which will give them access to the ticket purchase screen.

5.             Next Saturday, October 22nd is the NAMMB Marching Contest.  This is the contest where we go and compete against all of the other military bands in our 5A division.  It is up in Longview, TX.  I will send out a more detailed schedule once I receive the contest schedule from NAMMB, but I would imagine we would leave around noon and get back around midnight.  No, this is not a new contest, it has been on our calendar since the beginning of the year.  I will get out more detailed schedules as soon as I can.

Sincerely,

John F. Green
HISD Director of Music
HISD Director of Bands
HHS Fine Arts Department Chair
441 FM 2821 East
Huntsville, Texas 77320
office 936.435.6147
fax 936.435.6637


10-4-22

Good Afternoon Parents and Students,

I hope that everyone’s week is off to a good start.  Last week was a very busy week for us with Homecoming and the Pre-UIL Contest on Saturday.  Speaking of that, I will be honest with all of you like I was with the kids on Saturday.  We did not do very well at the contest.  Not only did we not march up to our standards in the HMB, but we ended up coming in last place out of the 9 5A bands that were there.  I told the band yesterday that this should be unacceptable to them and not accept that from themselves.  We have A LOT of work to do over the next 2 weeks before our actual UIL Region Contest on October 18th.  It basically boils down to a lack of work ethic.  If the students do not follow the rules, procedures, and expectations that we have in place we are not going to get the desired results.  Please help me to help them by making sure that they are doing everything that they are supposed to do so that we can begin to achieve on a higher level.  Practicing self-discipline will also help them to be successful in everything else that they do and help them when they graduate from high school which is the ultimate goal.  Thank you for your support.

1.             Friday, October 7th will be our next away game against Bryan Rudder.  If you need to pick your student up after the game at the stadium, please email us by Friday morning.  The students do not have school on Friday so our schedule will be a little different.  Also, to help us be successful in marching our full contest drill this Friday night for the first time, we will be meeting a little earlier this Friday to get in a little bit of practice time.  I know that the drop off time is during work hours but there really isn’t a way to avoid it.  If you will not be able to bring your student to the band hall, please make arrangements with another family member, friend or another band parent to drop them off.  There are parents in the band who are willing to help with this if we know about it.

Our schedule will be:

2:15        Arrive at Band Hall
2:30        Marching rehearsal
3:15        Use restroom/cool down (everyone will get a bottle of water)
3:30        Get into Uniform
3:45        Section Leader/Senior Uniform Inspection (with Flip-Folders)
4:00        Full Band Uniform Inspection (with Flip-Folders)
4:20        Load Truck
4:40        Meet
4:50        Load Buses
5:00        Depart HHS
6:15        Arrive at Merrill Green Stadium (3450 Campus Dr, Bryan, TX 77802)
6:20        Unload/Unpack
6:50        March in
7:00        Seated in stadium
7:30        Kick-off
10:30      Approximate end of game
10:40      Load buses/truck
11:00     Depart for HHS Band Hall
12:00      Arrive at HHS Band Hall/Unload/Go Home!!!

2.             This Thursday, October 6th we will be ending practice between 5-5:15 because of the NTHS induction ceremony that affects many of our kids.

3.             Monday, October 10th is a school holiday.  We still will have regular practice that evening from 5:00-7:00pm just like we did a few weeks ago on Labor Day.  We need to take advantage of every single practice so we need everyone there please.

4.             Next Friday, October 14th we do not have a game as it is the football team’s bye week.  We really need to have a performance of our drill before our UIL Contest the next Tuesday so here is our plan to remedy that.  We would like for the students to stay after school that day to do a run through of the drill down on the stadium turf.  We are going to have a couple of people come watch us and give a little bit of feedback to them.  We would also like the performance to have an audience if possible, so parents are invited to come watch the run through at 4:15pm and then you can pick up your student at the band hall shortly thereafter. Below is the full schedule.
3:40        School ends
4:00        Head to stadium
4:10        Warmup
4:15        Perform
4:25        Work with clinicians
4:55        Head back to band hall to go home

5.             Tuesday, October 18th is our Region 9 UIL Marching Contest at Woodforest Bank Stadium (19115 David Memorial Dr, Shenandoah, TX 77385) in The Woodlands.  I will give more details on this next week but for right now here are approximate times for you.  We will depart the school around noon and perform at 2:15pm.  The return home time will depend on the transportation department.  We may not be back in Huntsville until around 5:00pm.  Everyone is welcome to come watch us perform at this contest.  Tickets are $5 and kids 5 and under are admitted for free.  Again, more details on this will be sent out next week.

Sincerely,

John F. Green
HISD Director of Music
HISD Director of Bands
HHS Fine Arts Department Chair
441 FM 2821 East
Huntsville, Texas 77320
office 936.435.6147
fax 936.435.6637


Good morning Jazz Parents and Students,


I hope this email finds you all doing well. The high school Jazz Ensemble has a performance coming up this Saturday, October 8th at the Walker County Master Gardener's "Plant Fest."

Here is the schedule for the day:

8:30am - Arrive at Band Hall/load equipment onto bus
8:45am - Depart for Walker County Ag Extension Office (102 Tam Rd, Huntsville, TX 77320)
9:00am - Arrive and setup/warmup
9:30-11:00am - Perform!
11:00am - Lunch provided by Walker County Master Gardeners Association (homemade soups, sandwiches, and salads)
11:30am - load back onto bus/depart for HS Band Hall
11:45am - Arrive back at HS Band Hall... have a great weekend! :)

This performance is free and open to the public if you would like to come watch and listen! Attire for the students will be their "pep rally uniform": green HMB polos tucked into a nice pair of jeans and a belt. Our black jazz polo shirts are still on order, so we will wear those for the next jazz performance!
If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know. Thank you for continuing to support your students and their interest in jazz!


Sincerely,

Mr. Twiss

9-26-22

Good Evening Parents and Students,

I hope that everyone had a good weekend.  Last Friday’s debut of the contest drill was solid considering it was the first time we performed it.  It is a good starting point for us to build from going forward.  With Homecoming being this week and our Pre-UIL Contest coming this weekend I have a lot of information to give you.

1.             Our homecoming parade is this Thursday, September 29th in downtown Huntsville.  The band will be in full uniform for this performance.  This is a required performance for all band members who are currently eligible.

Here is the schedule:
3:40        Dismiss from classes
3:45        Eat Pizza
4:05        Marching Practice
4:30        Load Truck/Get into uniform
4:45        Meet
4:50        Load Buses
5:00        Depart HHS
5:15        Arrive at Parade/Unload
5:45        Form up
6:00        Parade Begins
6:50        Parade Ends/Load Truck
7:15        Depart for HHS
7:30        Arrive at HHS Band Hall/Unload/Go Home!!!

2.             Friday, September 30th we have our next home game against Lamar Consolidated.  This is also Homecoming.  Because of this the band will be performing the drill before the game begins.  We will march at 7:00 pm.  If you want to see us perform you will have to arrive early to the game.  Everyone will need to ride the bus home after this game since it is a home game.

Our schedule will be:
3:40           Run through Holiday with the GG’s on the marching field
4:00           Eat dinner
4:25           Get into Uniform
4:35           Section Leader/Senior Uniform Inspection (with Flip-Folders)
4:50           Full Band Uniform Inspection (with Flip-Folders)
5:05           Run through Drill
5:20           Load Truck
5:40           Meet
5:50           Load Buses
6:00           Depart HHS
6:10           Arrive at Bowers Stadium
6:15           Unload/Unpack
6:40           Setup behind end zone for warm up
7:00           Perform the drill
7:30           Kick-off
10:30         Approximate end of game
10:40         Load buses/truck
11:00        Depart for HHS Band Hall
11:15         Arrive at HHS Band Hall/Unload/Go Home!!!

3.             Our Pre-UIL marching contest will be at Galena Park ISD Stadium on Saturday, October 1st.  Below is the link to their website for more information about tickets, concessions, etc.
https://www.galenaparkisd.com/Page/6231

Our schedule will be:
7:45        Band Hall opens
8:00        Arrive at Band Hall
8:05        Get into uniform
8:15        Senior/Section Leader Uniform Inspection (No flip folders)
8:30        Full Band Uniform Inspection (No flip folders)
8:45        Run through Drill
9:00        Load the truck
9:15        Meet
9:30        Load buses
9:45        Depart Huntsville for Galena Park ISD Stadium (15025 Wallisville Rd, Houston, TX 77049)
11:15     Arrive/Unload/Use Restroom
11:45     Go to warmup area
11:55     Warmup
12:45     Perform
1:00        Get out of uniform/Load the truck
1:15        Discuss the performance
1:30        Depart for Huntsville
3:00        Arrive at HHS/Unload/Go home!

4.             This week is homecoming so that makes our game a little bit different than usual.  Instead of marching at halftime, the band will be marching before the football game begins to accommodate all of the homecoming court festivities at halftime.  If you want to see us march you will have to get to the stadium a little before 7:00pm.  Also, mums/garters will not be worn into the stadium by the band students.  They must be given to them by their parent after the game begins early in the 1st quarter.  The boosters will not be able to carry them into the stadium either because they will be carrying their own student’s mum/garter along with all of the band equipment that they have to carry.  Once we are a few minutes into the 1st quarter I will let everyone know when it is ok to pin the mums/garters onto the students.  Like last year we are going to do this on the track in front of where the band sits.  I will release the students by groups/sections to go to the track and then we will release the parents.  Thank you for your understanding on this.

5.             We have a pep rally this Friday so make sure that your student arrives to school already dressed in their pep rally attire. (Tennis shoes, nice blue jeans, green polo tucked in with a belt)

6.             The Band Booster Club needs some help with the concession stand this Friday.  Please email HMB.concessions@gmail.com asap if you are interested in helping!

Sincerely,

John F. Green
HISD Director of Music
HISD Director of Bands
HHS Fine Arts Department Chair
441 FM 2821 East
Huntsville, Texas 77320
office 936.435.6147
fax 936.435.6637


9-21-22

Good Afternoon Everyone,

After making two long treks in a row, we will be back to having a normal away game this week.  It will be like the first game of the year in College Station.  Our plan is to debut some of this year’s contest drill so be sure to check that out at halftime.
Announcements and reminders:

1.            Our next away football game is this Friday, September 23rd at 7:30pm at Montgomery ISD Stadium.  If you need to pick up your student from the game before we leave, please shoot me an email by Friday morning.

Our schedule will be:
3:30        Release to come to the Band Hall
3:40        Get in Uniform
4:00        Senior/Section Leader Uniform Inspection (with flip folders)
4:15        Full Band Uniform Inspection (with flip folders)
4:30        Run through Drill (half uniform)
4:45        Load the band truck
5:00        Meet
5:15        Load Buses (Get Band Booster purchased meals going onto bus)
5:30        Depart HHS
6:15        Arrive at Montgomery ISD Stadium (22628 TX-105, Montgomery, TX 77356)
6:20        Unload/Unpack
6:45        Form Up/March in
7:30        Kick-off
10:30     Approximate end of game
10:40     Load truck
11:00     Depart for HHS
11:45     Arrive at HHS Band Hall/Unload/Go Home!!!

2.            This is a final reminder about grades for the 1st 6 weeks.  Any students who are currently failing a class have until Friday at 3:40pm to get everything turned in, corrected, etc. to fix their grades.  If they are failing on their report card, they will become ineligible for at least the following 3 weeks.  Again, I have let the band know that if we have too many people failing after this week, we will not be able to do the current contest drill that we have been working on over the past few weeks.  We would have to ditch it and replace it with a much more watered down and less interesting drill that I know they will be disappointed by.  I hope it does not come down to that but again, their grades are up to them.

3.            I hope everyone has been selling those HMB cards!  The boosters have begun taking the money for those.  There are two options for turning in that money to get your cards to hand out.  The money can be turned in to the band booster drop box inside Mrs. Stifflemire’s office or it can be done in person before or after practice on Mondays.  If it is turned in in person, the cards will be given to the students directly.  If it is turned in to the drop box, the cards will be given to the student as soon as they have time to check the box and issue the cards.  If you have any questions, please email Mrs. Vaughan at hmb.vicepres@gmail.com and she can help you out.

4.            Our Pre-UIL marching contest will be at Galena Park ISD Stadium on Saturday, October 1st.  Below is the link to their website for more information about tickets, concessions, etc.
https://www.galenaparkisd.com/Page/6231

Our schedule will be:
7:45        Band Hall opens
8:00        Arrive at Band Hall
8:05        Get into uniform
8:15        Senior/Section Leader Uniform Inspection (No flip folders)
8:30        Full Band Uniform Inspection (No flip folders)
8:45        Run through Drill
9:00        Load the truck
9:15        Meet
9:30        Load buses
9:45        Depart Huntsville for Galena Park ISD Stadium (15025 Wallisville Rd, Houston, TX 77049)
11:15     Arrive/Unload/Use Restroom
11:45     Go to warmup area
11:55     Warmup
12:45     Perform
1:00        Get out of uniform/Load the truck
1:15        Discuss the performance
1:30        Depart for Huntsville
3:00        Arrive at HHS/Unload/Go home!

5.            Senior band parents, I plan on taking our seniors on a band trip at the end of this school year like we did two years ago when we didn’t have a large full band trip.  I will get more details out to you all soon, but here are some of the highlights.  Most likely we will go to Branson, MO again and stay 4 days, 3 nights.  It will cost between $600-$800 per person.  This trip is not required but I wanted everyone to know about it so that anyone who wants to go can begin planning and fundraising.  Also, if there are any senior band parents that would like to chaperone the trip, please understand that I will not ask someone to chaperone if they have not gotten enough experience chaperoning throughout the school year with our regular band trips.  If you are interested in chaperoning the senior trip, please make sure that you talk with Mr. Vaughan at HMB.chaperones@gmail.com about getting into the chaperone rotation for games, contests, etc. so you can get some experience.

Sincerely,

John F. Green
HISD Director of Music
HISD Director of Bands
HHS Fine Arts Department Chair
441 FM 2821 East
Huntsville, Texas 77320
office 936.435.6147
fax 936.435.6637


9-18-22

Good afternoon Parents and Students, 


Just a reminder that after-school marching practice will go from 4:30-5:30pm tomorrow afternoon.  This is to help all the NHS officers and inductees have time to go home and change before their Induction Ceremony that evening.  Since practice will only be an hour, please be on time so we can make the most of that time!  Any makeup tests and tutorials should be wrapped up by 4:15 so you can make it over to the band hall in time.

Jazz Band reminder: we are performing for the NHS induction.  If you are staying at the band hall after marching practice remember to bring your Concert Black attire with you to school.  Pizza dinner will be provided by Ms. Gaston and NHS.  


Thank you and have a good rest of your weekend!


9-14-22

Good Afternoon Everyone,

I hope everyone is having a good week so far.  Last week’s away game went well.  We made it there and back safely, we had a nice performance at halftime and their home crowd gave us a nice response when we finished as well so that was nice.  Also, I would like to thank everyone for being on time to pick up your students Friday night.  I know it was a late one!  We have another late one this Friday but hopefully we won’t get back any later than we did this past week.  Pray for no traffic on 45 coming home!

Announcements and reminders:

1.            Our next away football game is this Friday, September 16th at 7:00pm at Clear Creek ISD Challenger Columbia Stadium. (1955 W Nasa Blvd, Webster, TX 77598) Because of how far away this game is, we are once again taking charter buses with the GG’s and Flagmen.  Remember, if you need to pick up your student from the game before we leave, please shoot me an email by Friday morning.

Our schedule will be:
12:58     Come to band hall at the end of 5th period
1:00        Get in Uniform
1:15        Senior/Section Leader Uniform Inspection (with flip folders)
1:30        Full Band Uniform Inspection (with flip folders)
1:45        Run through Drill (half uniform)
2:15        Meet
2:30        Load Buses (Get Band Booster purchased meals going onto bus)
3:00        Depart HHS
6:00        Arrive at Challenger Columbia Stadium (1955 W Nasa Blvd, Webster, TX 77598)
6:05        Unload/Unpack
6:20        Form Up/March in
7:00        Kick-off
10:00     Approximate end of game
10:10     Load truck
10:30     Depart for HHS
12:15     Arrive at HHS Band Hall/Unload/Go Home!!!

2.            This next announcement is about GRADES, GRADES, GRADES!!!  Progress reports came out last week.  We normally get a report who shows us who is failing but there have been some technical challenges, so it has taken us some time to finally figure that out.  After looking at the grades for the band at the progress report I hate to announce that we had at total of 75 students failing one or more classes with the majority of them failing more than one class!  These students have until next Friday, September 23rd at 3:40pm to be passing ALL their classes otherwise they become ineligible to participate in football games, pep rallies, parades, contests, etc.  Pretty much, they would not be able to do anything that we do during marching season except come to practice…  PLEASE help us get the students’ grades where they need to be.  We will be talking to each student over the next few days so that they know exactly what they must fix by next Friday.  At that point it will be on them to fix it.  Finally, I have let the band know that if we have too many people failing after next week we will not be able to do the current contest drill that we have been working on over the past couple of weeks.  We would have to ditch it and replace it with a much more watered down and less interesting drill that I know they will be disappointed by.  I hope it does not come down to that but again, their grades are up to them.

3.            Last week we sent home presale forms for our HMB discount card fundraiser.  These cards have awesome discounts at local businesses here in Huntsville.  The cards are sold for $15 each.  For every card sold $10 goes to help the students pay off band fees, clothing, save money for band trips, etc. and the other $5 goes to the Booster Club.  Please DO NOT send the money for the cards back with your students until we tell everyone when we are going to start collecting the money.  I will let you know soon when we will start collecting the money and distributing the cards.  Hopefully it will be next Monday.  When the boosters start taking the money, students will turn it into them, and the boosters will give the students the cards to distribute to those they sold to.  If you have any questions, please email Mrs. Vaughan at hmb.vicepres@gmail.com and she can help you out.

4.            This is a heads-up reminder that our Pre-UIL marching contest will be at Galena Park ISD Stadium on Saturday, October 1st.  That will be on us before we know it, so I wanted to give you some basic information about it.  The band would need to be at the band hall around 8:00am and we will leave around 9:30am.  We march at 12:45pm and would be home around 3:00pm.  Below is the link to their website for more information about tickets, concessions, etc.
https://www.galenaparkisd.com/Page/6231

5.            Senior band parents, I plan on taking our seniors on a band trip at the end of this school year like we did two years ago when we didn’t have a large full band trip.  I will get more details out to you all soon but here are some of the highlights.  Most likely we will go to Branson, MO again and stay 4 days, 3 nights.  It will cost between $600-$800 per person.  This trip is not required but I wanted everyone to know about it so that anyone who wants to go can begin planning and fundraising.  Also, if there are any senior band parents that would like to chaperone the trip, please understand that I will not ask someone to chaperone if they have not gotten enough experience chaperoning throughout the school year with our regular band trips.  If you are interested in chaperoning the senior trip, please make sure that you talk with Mr. Vaughan at HMB.chaperones@gmail.com about getting into the chaperone rotation for games, contests, etc. so you can get some experience.

6.            Finally, attached is a flyer for tomorrow night’s HMB spirit night at Chick-fil-a.  Your purchases only count if you physically come inside the store.  Drive through orders DO NOT COUNT.  Come out and support the HMB from 5:30-7:30pm and thanks to Chick-fil-A for their support!

Sincerely,

John F. Green
HISD Director of Music
HISD Director of Bands
HHS Fine Arts Department Chair
441 FM 2821 East
Huntsville, Texas 77320
office 936.435.6147
fax 936.435.6637



9-7-22

Good Evening Everyone,

I hope everyone enjoyed their Labor Day holiday!  Thank you to everyone for getting to practice on Monday evening, it was a great practice, and we were able to learn a lot of new drill.  Last Friday’s game was a very good night for the team and for us.  It was nice to see the seniors be recognized and our drill was better than the week before.  That is the goal: continuous improvement.  The next two weeks are our very long away games.  This week in Belton and next week down at Clear Springs.  Below is the schedule for the Belton game this week.

Announcements and reminders:

1.            Our next away football game is this Friday, September 9th at 7:00pm at Tiger Field in Belton. (600 Lake Rd, Belton, TX 76513)  Because of how far away this game is, we are taking charter buses with the GG’s and Flagmen.  Remember, if you need to pick up your student from the game before we leave please shoot me an email by Friday morning.

Our schedule will be:
12:58     Come to band hall at the end of 5th period
1:00        Get in Uniform
1:15        Senior/Section Leader Uniform Inspection (with flip folders)
1:30        Full Band Uniform Inspection (with flip folders)
1:45        Run through Drill (half uniform)
2:15        Meet
2:30        Load Buses (Get Band Booster purchased meals going onto bus)
3:00        Depart HHS
6:00        Arrive at Tiger Stadium (600 Lake Rd, Belton, TX 76513)
6:05        Unload/Unpack
6:20        Form Up/March in
7:00        Kick-off
10:00     Approximate end of game
10:10     Load truck
10:30     Depart Belton for HHS
1:00        Arrive at HHS Band Hall/Unload/Go Home!!!

2.            Yesterday I sent home presale forms for our HMB discount card fundraiser.  These cards have awesome discounts at local businesses here in Huntsville.  The cards are sold for $15 each.  For every card sold $10 goes to help the students pay off band fees, clothing, save money for band trips, etc. and the other $5 goes to the Booster Club.  Please DO NOT send the money for the cards back with your students until we tell everyone when we are going to start collecting the money.  We would like for them to have time to sell at least 5-10 cards before they start bringing us the money.  We will begin taking the money sometime late next week or sometime early the following week so that should give them some time to sell.  When the boosters start taking the money, students will turn it into them, and the boosters will give the students the cards to distribute to those they sold to.  If you have any questions, please email Mrs. Vaughan at hmb.vicepres@gmail.com and she can help you out.

3.            Next Monday, September 12th will be the first Band Booster meeting of the year.  It will be in the band hall at 7:00pm.  If you want to get more involved in helping the HMB, come check out our meetings!

4.            Progress reports went home with the students today.  Please have them show their report to you so that you can see how their grades are progressing.  We are going to talk to students starting tomorrow who are failing classes.  While the students do not lose their eligibility at this 3-week grade check, it does give us a good idea of who might fail when the 6-weeks report cards come out.  If they fail at the 6-weeks, they will not be able to participate in any band activities until they regain their eligibility.  Let’s work together to help your students have amazing grades!

Sincerely,

John F. Green
HISD Director of Music
HISD Director of Bands
HHS Fine Arts Department Chair
441 FM 2821 East
Huntsville, Texas 77320
office 936.435.6147
fax 936.435.6637


8-30-22

Good Afternoon Everyone,

I hope everyone’s week is off to a good start.  I wanted to tell everyone that I was proud of how the band handled themselves Friday night at our first game.  We were late which can sometimes be chaotic but all things considered I thought they did a good job.  Also, for it being the first football game of the year, they did a solid job on the field at halftime.  They played confidently and there were many positive things to build off of with the marching.  This Friday will be our first home game and I will include a detailed schedule for that later in this email.

Announcements and reminders:

1.            This Friday, September 2nd will be our first home football game of the season.  It will be at Bowers Stadium at 7:30pm on the SHSU campus.  Since we are close to home, we ask that all students return to the high school with us after the game and get picked up there unless there is an emergency.  This game is also senior night.  There are more details on that later in this email.  Below is our detailed schedule for the game:
3:40        Pep rally ends
3:45        Eat dinner/get into uniform
4:20        Senior/Section Leader Uniform Inspection
4:30        Full Band Uniform Inspection
4:45        Run through Drill (half uniform)
4:55        Load truck
5:15        Meet
5:20        Load Buses (Get Band Booster purchased meals going onto bus)
5:30        Depart HHS
5:45        Arrive at Bowers stadium
5:50        Unload/Unpack
6:15        Form Up
7:30        Kick-off
10:30     Approximate end of game
10:40     Load truck
11:00     Depart for HHS
11:10     Arrive at HHS Band Hall/Unload/Go Home!!!

2.            Below is the info for the seniors and senior parents about the senior recognition before the game:
Senior recognitions will start promptly at 6:30pm.  Parents and Seniors will line up together in advance on the field house side.  Then parents and seniors will walk to the end zone where they will be announced and continue down to the 30 yard line closest to the field house.  Once seniors are announced and their picture is made, they will be given Game Day Photo info about purchasing their picture and be released back to their area.   At that point, Seniors and Parents will separate -- seniors will go to their game areas and parents will go into the stands.
Here is the order of organizations for Senior recognition:
     1. Band (Senior band parents be to the south end zone no later than 6:15)
     2. GG’s
     3.  Cheerleaders
     4. Flag group
     5.  Athletic Trainers
     6.  Football

3.            Just a quick reminder that practices for the two school holidays that will occur on Monday, September 5th and Monday, October 10th.  We WILL be having practice on those two days at our normal time of 5:00-7:00pm.  I am hopeful that if anyone decides to go out of town on those two weekends that they will be back in town in time to come to practice.  We simply cannot afford to cancel practice on those two days especially considering how much practice time we have already lost to the weather.  Please be at practice if at all possible on these two days and if you know there is going to be a conflict please talk with us beforehand.

4.            Attached to this email is a copy of our Band Handbook for this year.  It was also sent home in paper form today with the students.  Please take some time to look it over.  It has info about our band procedures and rules, etc.

5.            We have our first pep rally this Friday for our first home game.  The students need to show up to school in their pep rally uniform. (tennis shoes, nice blue jeans, HMB polo tucked in with a belt)  The exception to this are the seniors who are going to wear their senior shirts and/or overalls for the senior festivities.

Sincerely,

John F. Green
HISD Director of Music
HISD Director of Bands
HHS Fine Arts Department Chair
441 FM 2821 East
Huntsville, Texas 77320
office 936.435.6147
fax 936.435.6637


8-29-22

Good Afternoon Parents and Students,

This is not my full weekly email, rather just a quick note about practices for the two school holidays that will occur on Monday, September 5th and Monday, October 10th.  We WILL be having practice on those two days at our normal time of 5:00-7:00pm.  I am hopeful that if anyone decides to go out of town on those two weekends that they will be back in town in time to come to practice.  We simply cannot afford to cancel practice on those two days especially considering how much practice time we have already lost to the weather.  Please be at practice if at all possible on these two days and if you know there is going to be a conflict please talk with us beforehand.

Sincerely,

John F. Green
HISD Director of Music
HISD Director of Bands
HHS Fine Arts Department Chair
441 FM 2821 East
Huntsville, Texas 77320
office 936.435.6147
fax 936.435.6637


8-23-22

Good Evening Parents and Students,

This week we will have our first away football game of the year!  I will have a detailed schedule along with other important information in this email.
Announcements and reminders for the week and beyond:

1.           Here is another reminder about attendance at after school practices.  These after school rehearsals are REQUIRED as part of being in the band.  If getting a ride is a challenge for your student, please have them talk to their section leader or one of the directors and we will help them find a ride home.  There are 180 people in band so the chances are very good that someone else in the band lives close to where you live and would be able to help with rides.  If students have too many absences they will not be put into the contest drill when we begin that.  After we start practicing the contest drill if students have an unexcused absence they may be removed from the drill and replaced by an alternate.  Also, once a student is tardy 3 times they may be removed from the contest drill.  Below is the after-school rehearsal schedule for marching season just in case you did not keep the front sheet of the info packets that went home during summer band:

Monday: 5:00-7:00pm
***For those that do not have other after school activities before band practice on Mondays, you MUST NOT roam the hallways after school.  Here are your options:
  1. If a student chooses to leave school and come back, they just need to make sure they are on time.
  2. Go to the cafeteria if you want to get food through the after-school meal program.
  3. Go to another teacher in the school for tutoring or to do homework.
  4. Come directly to the band hall to study or do homework.
  5. Come directly to the band hall to work on your music memorization.
The bottom line is that everyone needs to find some way to be productive before practice starts at 5.

Tuesday: No practice (please schedule doctor’s appointments and other appointments here)

Wednesday: 4:00-5:30pm

Thursday: 4:00-6:00pm

2.           Tomorrow night is open house at HHS from 5:00-7:00pm.  It is a come and go event.  As you know we have band practice from 4:00-5:30pm.  If parents want to attend the open house with their student please make plans to do so right after we dismiss from band practice.  We must have everyone at practice because we have lost so much practice time to the weather lately and we have a game on Friday.  Thank you for your understanding.

3.           Private lessons are a great way for your student to get better at their instrument.  If money is a concern, you can apply for a scholarship through our Band Booster Club.  If you would like to sign up for lessons, please visit www.huntsvillemilitaryband.com and apply through our website.  The scholarship applications are available there as well.

4.           This Friday, August 26th will be our first football game of the season.  It will be an away game at A&M Consolidated High School’s Tiger Stadium at 7:00pm.  Originally the start time for the game was 7:30pm, but we just found out today that it has been moved up to a 7:00pm start time.  This means we will get home 30 minutes earlier so that is a good thing!  If for some reason your student will not be riding home with the band after the game, please send a signed note or email telling us who will pick them up from the stadium.  Please get the note or email to us by Friday morning.  They will need to check their student out with a chaperone or band director before they leave the stadium.  Please only take your student if it is absolutely necessary.  It is very difficult to keep up with where everyone is with this many students.  Below is our detailed schedule for the game:

3:40       School Ends
3:45       Get in Uniform
4:00       Senior/Section Leader Uniform Inspection
4:15       Full Band Uniform Inspection
4:30       Run through Drill (half uniform)
4:45       Load truck
5:00       Meet
5:05       Load Buses (Get Band Booster purchased meals going onto bus)
5:15       Depart HHS
6:30       Arrive at Tiger Stadium (1801 Harvey Mitchell Pkw, College Station, TX 77840 )
6:35       Unload/Unpack
6:45       Form Up/Move into stadium
7:00       Kick-off
10:00    Approximate end of game
10:10    Load truck
10:30    Depart College Station
11:45    Arrive at HHS Band Hall/Unload/Go Home!!!

5.           Uniform notes: (all of this has been covered with the students multiple times)
  • Socks must be either crew length or knee length and the part that is visible above the shoe top must be all white.  Please do not get socks with logos that are visible.  If there is some color on the toes/heels we can deal with that as long as it is not visible.  Also, short socks are not allowed.
  • The official black HMB t-shirt is the ONLY shirt worn under the uniform.
  • Shorts to be worn under the uniform should be basketball or running shorts and must be black.  If there is a gray or white stripe on the side and/or there is a logo on them that is just fine.  Make sure that shorts are appropriate length.
  • All long hair must be French braided or worn up in a tight bun on the top of the head. No bows and no colored hair accessories including beads.  If they have an all-black/hair colored hair band that will be allowed.  They should be mostly using bobby pins and hair-colored barrettes or rubber bands.  All hair styles will be worn close to the scalp and not be distracting from the uniform.  All hair must be a natural color as well.  This is for girls AND boys.
  • There will be no jewelry worn except the senior class ring by the seniors.  Otherwise, no earrings, nose rings, eyebrow rings, bracelets, necklaces, watches, etc.  Wearing a Band-Aid to cover jewelry is not acceptable.  Only a clear or flesh colored spacer may be worn in earring holes or nose holes and these are available from the uniform crew at no charge.
  • All gentlemen will be clean shaven for every performance.
  • Fingernails must not have anything on them, have a flesh tone color or may be French manicure.

6.           Students who have unpaid band fees/clothing payments need to get those taken care of as soon as possible.  If there are money concerns, please talk to the Band Booster officers and they can help find solutions for you.

7.           Concessions are a great way to earn money for your child. It can be used to help pay for things like band fees and band trips.  Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, family friends, etc. are able to work for your child.  Students who are 16 and older may also have the opportunity to work at SHSU games to raise money for themselves.  For those interested in working concessions for this year, please reach out to Liz Castilla at hmb.concessions@gmail.com or you can sign up for the concession Remind below. 
Remind: text @hmbconc to 81010

Sincerely,

John F. Green
HISD Director of Music
HISD Director of Bands
HHS Fine Arts Department Chair
441 FM 2821 East
Huntsville, Texas 77320
office 936.435.6147
fax 936.435.6637


8-15-2022 (part 2)

A few friendly reminders from the Booster Officers:

- Band Fees are due and MUST be paid before any orders in the band store will be processed (meal plans, marching shoes, etc.).  This is a required fee for ALL band students and is used to help offset costs for drinks, snacks, meals, first aid supplies, and other items used by the students for the entire school year.  We incur more costs than the $100/student, but work hard to keep this cost as low as possible. 

- Meal plan orders must be made and paid for by this Wednesday, August 17.  If you have NOT paid the band fee but have paid for the meal plan, please know that meal plan orders can not be processed until the band fee is taken care of (if this is an issue, please contact the Booster Club President to work something out as we want the students to have food, his contact info is below).  Ordering a meal plan is incredibly important for the students to ensure they have food to eat before each football game; please get those orders in either through the Band Store on Charms or by sending money with your student to the band hall.  Attached to this email are the meal plan options available this year. 

- ALL Freshman, and any new students to the program, have required uniform pieces that must be purchased ASAP.  All of these pieces are necessary for the first football game happening in less than two weeks.  Most of these students received the black tshirt during Summer Band to use for the preview event, but that still needs to be paid for along with all of the other items.  See the attached order form, or complete your order in the Band Store on Charms.

- We understand that there are A LOT of costs, especially for new students to the program, right at the beginning of the year.  If paying everything at once is an issue, please do not ignore that and instead let us help.  Anyone that needs assistance with making payments can contact John Hendricks, our Booster Club President, at hmb.president@gmail.com. We can offer payment plans, scholarships, or other confidential arrangements. We want everyone to be able to participate, and have what they need, regardless of their financial situation. 


John F. Green
HISD Director of Music
HISD Director of Bands
HHS Fine Arts Department Chair
441 FM 2821 East
Huntsville, Texas 77320
office 936.435.6147
fax 936.435.6637


8-15-22

Good Afternoon HMB Family,

This will technically be my first “weekly email” of the 2022-2023 school year.  I will be sending one of these emails each week all throughout marching season and periodically during the spring semester.  Some of these emails (like this one) will be lengthy, but it is to make sure that everyone knows what is going on.  We had a good first two days of school last week and we are looking forward to a good first full week.  The biggest issues that we are having right now is attendance at after school rehearsals and everyone turning in the required paperwork.  I will address those later in this email.
Announcements and reminders for the week and beyond:

1.            Attendance is a huge part of our success in our band program.  The last couple of years dealing with covid has hurt us in that area and we need to drastically improve it this year.  Attendance in class is very important but attendance at after school rehearsals is just as important.  It is the only time that the band gets to come together as a whole to put the music and marching together.  These after school rehearsals are REQUIRED as part of being in the band.  If getting a ride is a challenge for your student, please have them talk to their section leader or one of the directors and we will help them find a ride home.  There are 180 people in band so the chances are very good that someone else in the band lives close to where you live and would be able to help with rides.  Below is the after-school rehearsal schedule for marching season just in case you did not keep the front sheet of the info packets that went home during summer band:

Monday: 5:00-7:00pm
***For those that do not have other after school activities before band practice on Mondays, you MUST NOT roam the hallways after school.  Here are your options:
  1. If a student chooses to leave school and come back, they just need to make sure they are on time.
  2. Go to the cafeteria if you want to get food through the after-school meal program.
  3. Go to another teacher in the school for tutoring or to do homework.
  4. Come directly to the band hall to study or do homework.
  5. Come directly to the band hall to work on your music memorization.
The bottom line is that everyone needs to find some way to be productive before practice starts at 5.

Tuesday: No practice (please schedule doctor’s appointments and other appointments here)

Wednesday: 4:00-5:30pm

Thursday: 4:00-6:00pm


2.            For us to let the students participate in band activities we must have ALL of their required paperwork turned in.  Please get those into us asap this week.  This includes the band information packet and physical forms.

3.            Please try to help your student work on memorizing their music at home if they need that extra work.  Some students will pick up on it well enough in class, but many will need extra practice to get it down.  Encourage them to be patient.  It will happen if they keep at it.

4.            Private lessons are a great way for your student to get better at their instrument.  If money is a concern, you can apply for a scholarship through our Band Booster Club.  If you would like to sign up for lessons, please visit www.huntsvillemilitaryband.com and apply through our website.  The scholarship applications are available there as well.

5.            Next Friday, August 26th will be our first football game of the season.  It will be an away game at A&M Consolidated High School (Tiger Stadium 1801 Harvey Mitchell Pkw, College Station TX 77840) at 7:30pm.  The students will come to the band hall after school to get ready for the game.  I will send a more detailed email next Monday but we will arrive back at the HHS Band Hall between 11:30pm and midnight.

6.            I have attached the band yearly calendar to this email just in case anyone lost it from band store night.  Please put this on your fridge at home, enter it into your phone, etc. so that everyone knows these dates well in advance for planning purposes.

7.            I will be sending another email shortly that will contain some very important info from the Band Booster Club.  The biggest two things right now are freshmen parents getting clothing and band fees paid for and everyone getting signed up for the meal plans and getting those paid for by THIS WEDNESDAY.  We need to get all of that done this week since we have our first game next week.

Sincerely,

John F. Green
HISD Director of Music
HISD Director of Bands
HHS Fine Arts Department Chair
441 FM 2821 East
Huntsville, Texas 77320
office 936.435.6147
fax 936.435.6637


6-25-22

Good Morning Again,

Attached you will find our Summer Band Calendar.  Even though we passed them out to the students at the end of last year and we passed them out at the spring concerts, I wanted to make sure that everyone had this calendar just in case they did not make it home.  Please read it carefully to determine when your student needs to report to summer band.  Let me know if there are any questions.

Sincerely,
John F. Green
HISD Director of Music
HISD Director of Bands
HHS Fine Arts Department Chair
441 FM 2821 East
Huntsville, Texas 77320
office 936.435.6147
fax 936.435.6637


6-25-22

Good Morning Everyone,

Students, I hope your summer is going well and you are enjoying some rest and relaxation.  Before we get too far into the summer, I wanted to remind everyone about getting a physical done.  According to UIL rules we cannot let anyone do any marching activities until we have a physical on file.  There are two pages that must be filled out.  The first page is a medical history form that the parent and student fill out.  Take that with you to the physical and then the physician will fill out the other page.  You may go to your family doctor, or you can go to Texpress Urgent Care, and they will take care of you.  I am attaching the physical document.  If you are in athletics and already got your physical done at the end of the school year, then you do not need to get another one.  We will get a copy of your physical from the athletic department.  Again, physicals MUST be done BEFORE the students report for summer band.  Let me know if there are any questions.

Sincerely,
John F. Green
HISD Director of Music
HISD Director of Bands
HHS Fine Arts Department Chair
441 FM 2821 East
Huntsville, Texas 77320
office 936.435.6147
fax 936.435.6637

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  • Huntsville Hornet Military Marching Band
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  • Huntsville Hornet Military Marching Band
  • History
  • About Us
  • Staff
    • John Green, Director of Bands
    • Andrew Twiss, Associate Director of Bands
    • Jennifer Willis, Assisstant Director of Bands
  • Boosters
    • Band Booster Overview
    • Band Booster Officers
    • Band Booster Bylaws
    • Band Booster Meeting Dates
  • Links
    • Really Cool Videos
  • For Freshmen
  • Charms
  • Information
    • Schedules
    • Physicals
    • Private Lessons >
      • Private Lessons Staff
      • Private Lessons Sign-Up
      • Scholarship Application
  • Multimedia
    • 2021-2022
    • 2020-2021 >
      • 2020-2021 Region Contest
    • 2019-2020
    • 2018-2019 >
      • Willis
      • Port Neches-Groves
      • College Station
      • A&M Consolidated
      • Cleveland
      • Montgomery
      • Lamar
      • Paetow
      • Lake Creek
      • Bryan Rudder
      • Nacogdoches
      • Manvel - NRG Stadium
      • Marshall - Ford Center at The Star
      • Fort Bend Marshall - FCU Stadium
    • 2017-2018
    • 2016-2017
    • 2015-2016
    • 2014-2015
    • 2013-2014
    • 2012-2013
    • 2011-2012
    • 2010-2011
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    • 2005-2006
    • 2004-2005
  • HIS Band
    • Staff >
      • Ileana Aguilar-Soberanis
      • Brandi Facemire
    • HIS Instrument Letters
    • HIS Band Class Schedule
    • Photos
    • HIS Booster Contact Information
  • MPMS Band
    • Staff >
      • Aaron Voisard
      • Austin Nelson
      • Mitchell Filipiak
    • Photos
    • Forms and Documents