Rock Hall of Fame
The DHS Jazz Ensemble put on an incredible performance with an encore on stage inside the hall! The band jammed for 45 minutes receiving roars from the crowd.

Science Center
The Symphonic Band played at the base of the Science Center with Lake Erie in the background. The Symphonic Band performed Aztec by Gary Gackstatter, Memories composed by senior band member Gavin Luther, and closed with SeaGate Overture by James Swearingen.
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The band did a phenomenal job on all three pieces. I have to say it is an incredibly overwhelming to watch your kids excel and achieve in public. I enjoy watching my students become independent musicians and watching a student composer conduct his piece got me choked up a bit.

To our Chaperones and families that traveled with us: You all rock and our wonderful people!

To the HS Band, thank you! Taking 60 + people around the country can be stressful, but you guys rock EVERY SINGLE TRIP! People kept coming up to me and complimenting your performances, behavior, and your actions.

The performance at the science center was awesome for so many reasons. Bystanders were stopping and bringing their small children up to watch and look at our band. Seeing the wonder in the eyes of so many young people was very moving.

To see more updates and pics of the trip head over to the new Student Newsletter section and view a student created update on the trip.

GO BAND!

Take a look at these fine establishments that have shown their support to our program in some way over the years!  

On December 2, 2017, over 1400 students from across Missouri met at Hickman High School in Columbia to audition for the honor of participating in the top honor band in the state.  Only 109 students are accepted into this elite ensemble.  De Soto took five students to State Band auditions.  Senior Morgan Solomon has earned a spot in the Missouri All-State Band and will be representing De Soto High School in the band's performance.  The band will meet, rehearse, and perform at the Missouri Music Educators Association Conference held January 24th through January 27, 2018, at Tan-Tar-A Resort, Lake of the Ozarks. 

The only performance of the Missouri All-State Band will be at 12:30 pm, January 27th, 2018 in the Grand Salon of Lake of the Ozark's Tan-Tar-A Resort.  If you are free that day, we would love to see you there.

Her successful audition means that Morgan is ranked as one of the best in the ENTIRE STATE on her instrument!  I am extremely thankful to the Board of Education and our administration for being supportive of the band.  Your continued support has meant a lot to the program and me.  

Additional information to put this achievement into perspective:
Since the inception of the Missouri All-State Band in 1977, there have been four other De Soto Band students earn a spot playing in the Missouri All-State Band.  Three additional students in this time have been named alternates for the Missouri All-State Band.  Morgan will be the first student in 26 years to perform with the All-State Band, and only the 5th in 41 years!

Kristina Charlton-Piccolo- 1992
Jennifer Sutton- Flute-1991
Sharon Dunlap-Flute-1989,1988,1987
Bob Bruff-Alto Saxophone-1979

Kyle Shewecraft-Trombone Alternate-2016
Matt Allen- Contra Clarinet Alternate-1999
Danielle Shunk-Flute Alternate-1993
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Camp begins Wednesday July 18, 2017 at 8am in the HS Band room.  This initial camp is for all new members, percussion, guard, and section leaders/drum majors.  This weeks camp will focus on music, marching, and basics.  

Full band camp begins Monday July 24, 2017.  Full camp will run from 2pm-9pm.  Students should bring with them their music, a pencil, water jug, and wear tennis shoes.  

Preview Night will be Friday July 28th at 7pm.  Friends, family, community members, and supporters are all invited to attend to see the preview of the 2017 Dragon Pride.

One big change this year that will positively impact all parts of the program is that we are now using Charms Office for the band program.  This program will handle all of our contact, messaging, email, finances, inventory and much more.  The best part of all of this, is that every student has access to Charms now FREE of charge.  To learn more about how to login and utilize Charms follow the Charms tab above.

Click HERE to pre-order your copy of the HS Band DVD.  DVD's will be made available Friday afternoon in the HS Band room.

The DVD has over 30 minutes of pictures and memories and is intended as a keepsake for students that took part in the marching band this year.

Is your mattress older than your band student?
Are you tired of waking up with a sore back?

Would you like to support the DHS Band Program AND get a new mattress?

Come to our mattress sale and get an amazing deal on a new bed.  You will get the satisfaction of ensuring that your money is going to a great cause and the comfort of a great night's sleep! 

We are excited to announce that the band directors of the DeSoto School District have invited us to host an instrument step-up night at DeSoto High School on Tuesday, April 11th, 2017 at 6pm.  

Most students start out playing on a student level instrument. For some students, these instruments are more than adequate to meet their needs for as long as they choose to play. For many other students, they will outgrow their student level instrument and need something more advanced. Most manufacturers offer what they call intermediate and professional level instruments. These instruments are often constructed of materials that are more conducive to providing the optimal tone and response for the player. The more advanced instruments generally have a higher level of precision involved with their construction and often feature components that are either handmade or crafted of materials best suited for obtaining an optimal sound.

The step-up display is a unique opportunity for the middle and high school students to play and compare a variety of intermediate and professional instruments. We will have a large assortment of instruments from many of the premier manufacturers available for your student to try. Our representatives will be on hand to answer any questions that you may have. Your band directors will also be available to offer their advice based on their knowledge of your students abilities. With the ability to try out the various instruments and having both the teachers and our staff on hand, it is an informative evening for both the students and their parents.

For those students who may not be ready to upgrade their instruments, we will also have a variety of woodwind and brass mouthpieces available. An upgraded mouthpiece and/or ligature can greatly improve the tone and response of their student instrument.

We are an authorized dealer for most of the major name brand musical instrument companies and offer competitive low prices on all of our step-up instruments. The following list is a sampling of the brands that we carry in the intermediate and professional range of instruments: Armstrong, Azumi, B&S, Bach, Blessing, Buffet, Cannonball, Conn, Fox-Renard, Gemeinhardt, Getzen, Holton, King, Jupiter, Pearl, Schrieber, Selmer, Sonare, and Yamaha. All of the instruments will carry with them the manufacturers warranty and we stand behind them as well by offering a year’s worth of free service on all normal wear and tear for all new instrument purchases.


We hope you take some time to stop by and take advantage of this opportunity.

Thank you,
The Nottelmann Music Co. staff