Band Class Notes: Fall Edition

Remember when we said it was Bandtober? We weren’t kidding. With 5th grade band getting started, competition season in full swing, and concerts to prepare for, to say it’s a busy month is an understatement! And yet, Mr. Lenzer made time to share with us what his classes have been up to. Thank you, Mr. Lenzer!

High School:

It’s an exciting time of year for our high schoolers. Right now, students are pouring their energy into their competition show, titled Artworks. After qualifying for state this past weekend, energy levels are high. With each class, practice, and performance, the show gets better and better.

The new bari sax has been an impressive addition and enhances the sound of the band. Speaking of sound, this year is the first time they’re bringing out the big speakers. It’s one more thing to load into the trailer, but it’s worth it!

This week ends the regular football season. But there are still playoffs, a double-header, and the marching band state competition. Then it’s a quick jump into Christmas concert music! The first concert will be December 19 at the high school.

Middle School:

Just like in choir, the 6th graders are bringing the energy to band class! As the school year settles, the students are hard at work on Christmas music. It may seem odd in October, but concert time will be here soon! Plus, the middle schoolers are always on alert for surprise pep rallies, so they’re also brushing up on their stand tunes.

Mr. Lenzer pointed out how much fun this group of kids is. They not only work hard, but they make every day in class fun, and he’s excited to work with them. Mark your calendars for December 4th so you can catch their first concert of the school year.

5th Grade Band:

And finally, the 5th graders are experiencing the brand-newness of joining band. Every class feels like Christmas morning with the excitement over new instruments, even if they’re still mastering which way is up on the mouthpieces.

Thanks to Mr. Davis’ help in recruiting, we have a larger group than usual this year. In addition to Mr. Lenzer’s efforts, he visited elementary schools with current high school students to encourage participation. What a difference that made!

Right now, the youngest band members are mastering the first five notes. It may not sound thrilling yet, but those notes will unlock many songs to come. Their debut concert is on December 19th, and it really will be like Christmas when they play “Jingle Bells” for us!

It’s exciting to hear how well each class is doing. You can support these students by coming out to the concerts. They’re free to the community and it’s an amazing way to support music education. For more ways to support IV music, check out this fun social media challenge we put together for October.