Good evening De Soto Band Family,
Currently the forecast for the mid afternoon Homecoming Parade is not favorable for the Marching Band. If the forecast holds, the HS Marching Band will not be marching in the DHS Homecoming Parade due to the potential damage to equipment. Students and families will be notified tomorrow morning after we check the weather. If the band is not marching in the parade students should go home after school. The band room will reopen at 5pm for band members to prepare for the Homecoming game. -Mr. Boyer
0 Comments
A solid start to the season.
It had been 700 days since the Dragon Pride Marching Band had last competed. We have endured an incredible few years. Despite the setbacks and obstacles, the DPMB put on an incredible performance yesterday at Farmington scoring a 59.3 and earning 6th place. Yesterday was an incredible learning experience for all of our band members. For over 70% of our marchers, this was their very first time at a competition. So many little firsts, nerves, and glitches were worked out. I'm incredibly proud of the massive growth that our band has demonstrated already this year and I'm excited for the potential our students have. We have lots to work on this week including adding Mars and the closing chorale. We can do this! Let's GO BAND! Calendar Dates for the Fall Semester
No Contact Week (Dead Week)
Full Band Camp August 2-6 (2pm-9pm) August 9-13 (2pm-9pm)
August 24th 3pm- Weekly Percussion Rehearsals begin 6pm-9pm Weekly Full Ensemble Rehearsals begin August 25th Weekly Color Guard practice begin Required Performances for the Fall Semester August 27th -Friday Night Football Home Opener September 17th- Varsity Home Football September 18th- Farmington Marching Invitational September 25th- Sullivan Marching Competition October 1st- Homecoming Parade and Football Game October 9th- Bi-State Marching Competition (Potosi, MO) October 15th- Varsity Home Football October 16th- Park Hills Central Marching Competition November 2nd- All District Band Auditions * November 6th-All District Band Rehearsal and Concert * November 6th- Veteran's Day Parade * December 4th- All State Band Auditions ** December 4th- De Soto Christmas Parade ** January 6th- Girls Basketball Pep Band January 9th- HS Dessert Auction and Concert *** January 14th- Boys Basketball Pep Band *Students auditioning and making All District will be earning credit for the Veteran's Day parade by performing with the All District Band. **Students auditioning for the All State Band will be earning credit for the De Soto Christmas Parade. *** The HS Dessert Auction begins at 3pm and will last approximately 3 hours. This is the only concert performance that students are allowed to leave after they are finished with their performing with their ensemble. Incoming 7th Grade Students,
I know it is about time to start thinking about registering for classes for next year. I hope that you will consider registering for the De Soto Bands for your freshman year. Being in the De Soto Band program provides you with a large, but close knit group of friends that will help you navigate through your junior high and high school years. It has been my goal to create an experience for our students that they are excited for, our parents can take part in, and our community can be proud of. I want you all to be as excited for band as I am when I get to work with you all! That’s why things in the DHS Bands are so different. Students at the HS are able to experience things from a new perspective that is simply not possible at the JH level. Our HS students are working with professional composers learning how to write and arrange music, getting clinics from internationally recognized musicians, and learning to be leaders not just in music, but in life. From leading ensembles in marching band to performing a solo for a crowd, students at DHS are developing musicality as well as skills that will take them far in whatever their future careers may be. In Band at DJHS, you will learn the fundamentals required to be able to perform well, learn to write music, and most importantly yo will have FUN doing it! This is truly an exciting time for the De Soto Bands as our band program continues to evolve and students are afforded more opportunities. I look forward to working with you all in the De Soto Bands. If you, or your parents, have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. If you have not yet registered for Band, please take the survey below to register. Have a great day! Sincerely, Darrell Boyer Director of Bands De Soto School District #73 DEADLINE: January 25, 2021
The Fountain City Music Composition Festival is open to all students grades 3-12 in the De Soto School District #73. How to Enter: A pdf score and an audio file must be submitted in Google Classroom under the composition assignment. GENERAL GUIDELINES:
Dear parents, students, and community members:
It has been said a million times this year, but this year has been like no other and the challenges we have faced and overcame will have a lasting impact on our program for years to come. This year, we have spent time reflecting on our program. Many questions were considered, but most importantly what do we need to adapt to not only survive, but thrive in the current conditions. Students identified areas of improvement and addressed adaptations that would have to take place, but the overwhelming response was that of gratitude. While it is easy to focus on the negative, the Thanksgiving season serves as a strong reminder that we have much to be thankful for in our music program. As our program continues to develop and additional opportunities are provided to our students, we thank those that make it possible! Our DHS Band Leadership Shout out to our De Soto Bands Leadership team who have provided input, guidance, and support throughout this crazy Fall. I am constantly impressed by your own advocacy of the Fine Arts, yourselves, and your counterparts. Our student leaders serve as the backbone of our program and have been incredibly helpful in providing a consistent band experience to all incoming band members. From aiding instruction of our unwritten rules and customs, to helping tutor other members in music theory, our De Soto Bands Leadership team members have been a constant reminder of why I chose this profession. Special recognition of our DHS Drum Majors, James Innes and Olivia Hartwell, for their incredible leadership this year. James and Olivia serve as President and Vice President respectively of our Tri-M Music Honor Society and editors of the De Soto Bands Directory. The De Soto Bands Directory is our weekly newsletter sent out to all DHS band members and interested community members. The De Soto Dragon Pride has had some of the finest student leaders and drum majors in the area, and this year's drum majors are no exception. Composition Contest Supporters and Performers This year with the COVID spring closure, our Spring Band Concert had to be canceled. I am thankful for each of the musicians from across the country who volunteered their time to make our winning composition performance a reality. Being able to offer our students the opportunity to learn to write music is an incredible experience in itself, but allowing them to get feedback from professional composers and then HEAR their piece takes it to a whole new level. A sincere thank you to all of the composers from across the country that volunteer some time to give our student composers feedback. It has always been my goal to provide students opportunities that were not afforded to me, and thanks in part to these professionals I am able to augment my music theory lessons to better serve our high achieving students! Our Board of Education A sincere thanks are extended to our De Soto Board of Education. We continue to enjoy an ongoing open dialogue focusing on the role of music as part of a complete curriculum offering. As we continue to develop the instrumental music program at De Soto, I am thankful to our Board of Education members for their continued dialogue and support of the De Soto Bands. Community support of the arts remains strong! From a community vantage point, we must be thankful for local leaders who are solid supporters of music in our schools; they realize music education offers heightened performance in all aspects of life and they are outspoken advocates of music education. Evidenced by the many local businesses that donate to fund scholarships, equipment, and music purchases and the passage of the previous bond issue to build a wonderful performing arts center. Thanks to the consistent support of our fundraising efforts, we have been able to continue to offer our students collaborative music-making experiences, whether they are on campus or distance learning. This month the DHS Bands and Choirs were able to purchase Soundtrap for our DHS music students thanks to our fundraising efforts! Soundtrap is the first cloud-based audio recording platform to work across all operating systems, enabling users to co-create music anywhere in the world on any device. This digital audio workstation (DAW) affords us the opportunity to provide our students with instruction on a variety of topics from audio production and mastering to live looping and mastering. Community members, organizations, and businesses are sponsoring our efforts to provide incredible opportunities for our students! Thank you to ALL that provide services, aid, and financial support so that we can continue to provide for our program. Music as a Core Subject From a national perspective, we must be thankful that the arts are written into federal law as part of the CORE curriculum for every school in the Every Student Succeeds Act. Students have a right to a well-rounded education that now includes MUSIC as a core class. Personally, I want to give a heartfelt THANK YOU, to all of the parents and families that have shown support this year! Your keen interest, loyal support, and active participation are the essential elements of our successful past, our exciting present, and our promising future. Each year, dozens of parents reach out asking how they can best support our efforts with the De Soto Bands, and each year dozens of families provide much-needed support. From physical labor to working behind the scenes to help provide for a kid in need, our parents are consistently one of a kind! Collectively, we must extend thanks to the young men and women who spend countless hours in the learning, rehearsing, and performing of music. It is a privilege and an honor to work with the finest students here at De Soto. These music makers of today are preparing to be the leaders of tomorrow. The great thing about teaching band is that in any of my band classes, I have such an incredible mix of students from varied backgrounds and experiences. I have students that are top of their class sitting next to students that struggle in every class. Students from different backgrounds all come together for an hour to make music. We want students to continue to find their spot, take a seat, and enjoy music at De Soto. More importantly, we want our students who have benefited from our program to go out into the world with a music background. These students will be our greatest advocates as they enter their adult lives with an appreciation of the arts. Yes, music does make a difference, and we are thankful for each and every student that has chosen to join their fellow musicians as part of our musical family. The disciplines learned in music classes reinforce a standard of excellence that is required for success in all of life. As we approach the halfway point of our academic year, I extend a sincere vote of thanks to everyone who has made it possible for our music program to thrive and prosper. Your investment of time, effort, and energy is the key to our success. With gratitude, Darrell Boyer, Ed. S. Director of Bands De Soto Schools #73 Tri-M Chapter 8124 Advisor East Central District #7 Webmaster Soundtrap Certified Expert Facebook: /desotobands Twitter: @DeSotoBands www.desotobands.org Masks for Band CampLooking for a way to support the bands? We are looking for some crafty supporters to sew some specialized masks for band. For the safety of our students, staff, and community we are requiring that all band members wear masks during band camp when not playing their instruments. These masks would allow students to wear their masks while playing, limiting the amount of times they need to adjust their mask. If you are able and willing to help please comment below or contact Mr. Boyer. The full plans are below.
An update for the Dragon Pride Marching Band.
Dragon Pride 2020
First, thank you to all of the Band family for their patience during this time. In a typical year the band calendar would have went out, CHARMS groups would have been reorganized, the summer mailer and student equipment purchases would be well under way. With school closing down before auditions were complete, setting the bands this year became more difficult. I hope the information below will provide you with answers to many of the questions that you have. Feel free to email any additional questions as they come up. This year the Dragon Pride Marching Band will be changing course. This year, instead of working on one show for the Fall season, the DPMB will be learning and performing multiple shows for Fall semester home shows. At this time, multiple band competitions are cancelling and a competitive season is uncertain. ALL students in the DPMB will need to attend both weeks of band camp this year as we will be passing out 10-20 pieces of music for the Fall and learning choreography for our first shows. The first week of camp (July 27-31) will run from 8-noon and the second week (August 3-7) will run from 2-9pm. What will students need? A signed D73 waiver (must be signed prior to participating in summer activities) A personal water jug A flip folder and lyre (additional pages available in band office) A PPE for indoor visual work (To be worn while indoors, when not playing instruments) If your child is NOT in CHARMS or the De Soto Bands 2020 Google Classroom, please email Mr. Boyer ASAP (boyer.darrell@desoto.k12.mo.us) for access.
FOUNTAIN CITY MUSIC COMPETITION
The 3rd Annual Fountain City Music Competition wrapped up April 22nd with a world premiere virtual performance of De Soto High School Senior Caleb Smith's piece entitled Inspirations. This is a music composition contest organized by Director of Bands, Darrell Boyer, that allows De Soto music students to practice their compositional skills and receive feedback from a national panel of professional composers. The panel of judges listen to student submissions and then rank each submission after providing feedback. The winner of this competition works with Mr. Boyer, to edit, refine, and arrange their composition to fit the De Soto High School Symphonic Band. Throughout the Spring semester the Symphonic Band will read through the piece and assist making recommendations to the student composer. The revision process continues and the piece is finally printed and distributed to the band for the "World Premiere" performance at the DHS Spring Band Concert. "This year, due to the current situation, things have not gone as they have in the past. Caleb had learned that his piece was selected as the winning composition in the middle of February and we had just got ready for the first round of reading. Unfortunately, Caleb was unable to hear his piece performed before school let out." Due to the Covid 19 Pandemic, all spring band events were cancelled. "Our students, like many around the country have missed out on so many special moments that come with the spring semester in high school. From performing with guest artists to taking our spring band trip, I felt like our students had missed too much." That's when Mr. Boyer decided to take action. He reached out on social media to solicit help and organized over 50 musicians from around the country to record parts of the winning composition. After receiving audio and video recordings from the musicians he then mixed the audio and created a "Virtual Band" so that Caleb would be able to hear his piece. "Inspirations" by C. Smith, which has been uploaded to YouTube, had its world premiere April 22nd at 7pm. "While nothing compares with making music together in person, this provided a shared experience for our community to gather and listen to Caleb's piece. We had a watch party on YouTube and invited friends, family, and our community take part." Caleb will be attending Southwest Baptist University to study music. Past winners of the Fountain City Composition Contest include Gavin Luther (2018) and Kylie Mitchell (2019). |
Archives
January 2024
|