This Week in Band

Week 23: February 3 - 8, 2025

MONDAY	No Scheduled Events
TUESDAY	MS Jazz Band (3:30pm-5:00pm) 7th Grade Festival Band students rehearsal (3:30pm-5:30pm)
WEDNESDAY	Winterguard Rehearsal (4:00pm-6:00pm)
THURSDAY	MS Festival Band Percussion Sectional until 5:30pm HS District Honor Band Event (East Jackson HS) *Selected HS Students Only (Schedule)
FRIDAY	HS District Honor Band Event (East Jackson HS) Selected HS Students Only (Schedule) HS Basketball Pep Band (5:00pm-9:00pm)*
SATURDAY	HS District Honor Band Event (East Jackson HS) *Selected HS Students Only (Schedule)

As always, please check the band's calendar at:

BAND CALENDAR (ALL EVENTS)

Facebook: Cherokee Bluff Band "Like Us" on Facebook

FROM THE DIRECTORS:

“Music can change the world because it can change people.” — Bono

We hope this message finds you well and inspired by the power of music in our community. This past weekend was filled with incredible achievements and memorable performances by our talented students.

All-State Band Results
This past week brought exciting news and proud moments for our program. We are thrilled to share the results of the GMEA All-State Band auditions. Please join us in congratulating the following students who have earned this prestigious honor after months of dedicated preparation:

Bella Nwigwe on Tuba
Aiden Edwards on Baritone
Paige McGill, an alternate on French Horn

These students will represent Cherokee Bluff at the GMEA Georgia All-State Band in Athens this coming February. This accomplishment is comparable to winning a state championship in athletics, but instead of competing against schools in our classification, they faced students from public and private schools across the entire state. We are incredibly proud of their hard work and dedication!

Congratulations to the 7th/8th Grade Chorus!
We also want to extend a huge shout-out to Mrs. Allison and the 7th and 8th Grade Chorus for their incredible performance at the GMEA In-Service Conference this past weekend. The selection process for this event is highly competitive, with audition recordings evaluated by distinguished music educators. Ensembles are chosen based on musical excellence, repertoire selection, and performance quality.This year, only four middle school choruses were selected to perform, and Cherokee Bluff Middle School made history as the first choral program from the Northeast Georgia area—encompassing more than 65 schools—to receive this prestigious honor. It’s also the first time in over thirty years that a group from Hall County or Gainesville City Schools has earned this recognition. We are immensely proud to share students with the chorus program and celebrate this milestone achievement with them.

This Week's Events:Looking ahead, we have another busy week with several key events:

Tuesday: Middle School Jazz Band rehearsal after school
Thursday: High School Jazz Band rehearsal after school
Thursday-Saturday: High School District Honor Band event
Friday: Final High School Basketball Game of the season for the Purple Rage Basketball Pep Band

Please refer to the detailed schedule above for additional information regarding these events.

Thank You!
Finally, we want to express our heartfelt thanks to all parents and stakeholders for your unwavering support of our students and music education at Cherokee Bluff. Your encouragement and dedication fuel the success and growth of our program, allowing our students to thrive and reach new heights.

GO BEARS!!

We love you guys!
Mr. Cantrell (CBHS); Mr. Lonberger (CBMS)

CBBA GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:

CBBA GENERAL MEETING
All parents are welcome to attend (Grades 6-12) as we work together to build an awesome experience for our kids.

Our next CBBA General Meeting (All Parents) is Tuesday, March 11th (7pm).

It's true that band is a wonderful experience for the students. It's also true that there's a lot of work required to support it! That's why we need you as a volunteer. And, yes, you really will have fun when you volunteer and get to know other parents and band students. Check out our SIGNUPGENIUS link to see how you can help us!

If you haven't joined our Cherokee Bluff Band Parents Association - CBBA Facebook Page, please click the image below! This is a private page for general communications and posting links for photos, videos, directions, changes in schedules, etc. Please invite any band parents, grandparents, or other band family members to join!

Middle School Announcements:

6th Grade Band

Pass-offs: Students are being given opportunities to pass off their lines in class weekly. We have already had many students pass off ALL 10 lines! Please check in with your child to find out how many lines they have passed off. They should have completed 5 lines by now in order to stay on schedule to finish by the end of the 9 weeks. Students who have not passed off at least 5 lines are falling behind and need to increase their practice time outside of class. As a reminder, students should be bringing home their instruments several times throughout the week to practice.

7th Grade Band

Middle School Jazz Band: Jazz Band will meet this Tuesday until 5:00pm. Parents should pick their child up at the bus ramp entrance at 5:00pm.

CBMS Festival Band: 7th Grade Festival Band students will have rehearsal this Tuesday, February 4th until 5:30pm. Additionally, Festival Band Percussionists have a sectional this Thursday, February 6th until 5:30pm. Students should be picked up at 5:30 at the bus ramp entrance.

8th Grade Band

Middle School Jazz Band: The Jazz Band will meet this Tuesday until 5:00pm. Parents should pick their child up at the bus ramp entrance at 5:00 p.m.
CBMS Festival Band: All Festival Band Percussionists have a sectional this Thursday, February 6th until 5:30pm. Students should be picked up at 5:30 at the bus ramp entrance.
Upcoming Assignments/Pass-Offs for LGPE: As we gear up for our upcoming Large Group Performance Evaluation (LGPE), all 8th grade students are required to participate in music pass-offs aligned with our concert preparations. Each week, 8th Grade students will have specific playing assignments due on Sunday evenings; that will be a significant portion of their semester grade. Please note that late submissions will incur a 10-point deduction for each day overdue. I urge parents to engage with their students about these assignments and regularly monitor their grades on Canvas and Infinite Campus. For any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to reach out to me. Let's work together to ensure a successful musical journey for our students.

High School Announcements:

Upcoming Assignments/Pass-Offs for LGPE: As we gear up for the forthcoming Large Group Performance Evaluation (LGPE), it is imperative that all students actively participate in music pass-offs that are integral to our preparations. Each week, students will be assigned specific performance tasks due by Sunday evening, which will constitute a substantial component of their overall semester grade. It is essential to note that late submissions will result in a deduction of 10 points for each day past the deadline.

We strongly encourage parents to engage in discussions with their child regarding these assignments and to consistently monitor their academic progress through Canvas and Infinite Campus. Should any questions or concerns arise, please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Cantrell. Together, let us collaborate to facilitate a successful and enriching musical experience for our students.
Purple Rage Pep Band: Our final Basketball Pep Band is this Friday (Feb. 7) We have asked that each student plan to perform at least one game. Please let Mr. Cantrell know if you have any questions.
High School "Swingphonic" Jazz Band: will meet Thursday until 5:30 p.m. Students should turn in their permission slip and $50 to participate as soon as possible.
District Honor Band: I have received final information from the High School District 14 Honor Band. You can find this information HERE. Additional information will be distributed later. All forms and fees are due by February 1st.
New York Trip: All trip participants are asked to log into their accounts to check the accuracy of their information (name/birthdate/etc.). This is incredibly important for the airlines (parents, be sure that you have put your child's birthdate and information in the account). There are a few trip participants that are behind in trip payments; please make sure you take care of these payments before you are in danger of being dropped from the trip. Finally, we will have a mandatory meeting for all guardians of travelers, travelers, and chaperones on Tuesday, February 25th in the CBHS band room at 7:00 p.m. At this meeting we will go over all the final details of the trip including packing information, expectations and procedures, and the final itinerary. Please plan to be there! Information about the New York trip can be found HERE.
SCROLL DOWN AND LOOK AT ALL OF THE EVENT DATES ON THE CALENDAR! There is a list of events and a calendar. All parents and students need to mark these events on their own individual calendars. There is a list of upcoming events and performances listed below in the "Upcoming Events & Performances" section. There is no excuse for not knowing what's going on—please mark your calendars!
Attendance: Every parent and student should read the ATTENDANCE POLICY. Please be reminded that if you see that you are going to be absent from class or rehearsal, please notify Mr. Cantrell so that we can plan accordingly for our rehearsals. It is recommended that you notify him well in advance (NOT THE DAY OF THE ABSENCE!). This is the link for the ABSENCE REQUEST FORM if you know that you will be missing a rehearsal or event.

Marching Bears Information

Information about the Marching Bears can be found by clicking the button below. After arriving on the Marching Bears page, scroll to the bottom to find: the summer schedule, band camp info., full marching band schedule for the season, and other marching band resources for parents and students. Updates will be made as we get closer to these events. Should you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Mr. Cantrell.

Marching Bears Information 2025

Student attendance at ALL rehearsals is required. Failure to communicate pre-arranged absences will result in a penalty or withdrawal from the group. In order for us to be successful, we need ALL STUDENTS at rehearsal ALL OF THE TIME!

Looking ahead to 2025:

Guard & Percussion Camp: June 23 - June 27 (All Colorguard and Percussion students must attend!)
Parent Meeting: July 13 (CBHS Theater - 5:00pm)
Marching Bears Pre-Camp Rehearsals: July 14-15, July 17-18 (All Marching Bears members must attend)
Marching Bears Band Camp: July 21 - July 25 (All Marching Bears members must attend)

Please note that the above dates are required for full participation in the Marching Bears.
You can NOT miss any of those dates - NO EXCUSES!

UPCOMING EVENTS & PERFORMANCES:

February 21 - 22: LGPE Symphonic Band (CBMS Festival Band, Concert Band, and Symphonic Band) TBA
February 27 - March 1: All-State Band (Athens, GA) (TBA)
Tuesday, March 4: Pre-LGPE Concert (CBMS Festival Band, Concert Band, and Symphonic Band) TBA
Wednesday, March 12: LGPE Performances (Hart Co. HS: TBA)
Friday, March 14: Middle School Rock-a-Thon (TBA)
March 27 - March 30: New York City Trip (see trip info. above)
April 21 - April 25: Guard & Marching Percussion Auditions (CBHS: 4:00pm-6:00pm Daily)
Tuesday, April 29: High School Band Registration Night (CBHS Band Room: 6:00pm)
Tuesday, May 6: Middle School Bands Spring Concert (CBMS Gym: 6:00pm)
Thursday, May 8: Pops at the Bluff Concert (CBHS Gym: 6:00pm)
Friday, May 9: Jazz & Drums Concert (CBMS Cafeteria: 6:00pm)