This Week in Band

Week 31: March 30 - ApriL 3, 2026

MONDAY	HS Marching Percussion Auditions (4pm-6pm) Colorguard Auditions (4pm-6pm)
TUESDAY	HS Marching Percussion Auditions (4pm-6pm) Colorguard Auditions (4pm-6pm) CBBA Executive Board (6pm) Swingphonic Band: Rehearsal (6:30pm - 8:30pm)
WEDNESDAY	HS Marching Percussion Auditions (4pm-6pm) Colorguard Auditions (4pm-6pm)
THURSDAY	HS Marching Percussion Auditions (4pm-6pm) Colorguard Auditions (4pm-6pm) Swingphonic Band: Rehearsal (6:30pm - 8:30pm)
FRIDAY	HS Marching Percussion Auditions (4pm-6pm) Colorguard Auditions (4pm-6pm)
SATURDAY	No Scheduled Events

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

BAND CALENDAR (ALL EVENTS)

Facebook: Cherokee Bluff Band "Like Us" on Facebook

On Monday, April 13, 2026, Cherokee Bluff will transition from Remind and Infinite Campus Messenger to ParentSquare as our primary platform for school communication.

Families receive messages through email, app, voice, and/or text, helping everyone stay informed and involved.
An account is automatically created for each parent or guardian using the contact information in Infinite Campus. We encourage you to activate your account.
Parents/Guardians may download the free mobile app, set their language preferences, and choose how and when they'd like to receive messages.

What you can do with ParentSquare:

Receive updates from Cherokee Bluff via email, app, or text notification.
Choose to get posts as they're shared or bundled in a daily digest.
View posts, photos, calendars, and important announcements.
Communicate in your preferred language with automatic translation.
Comment on posts and stay engaged with the Cherokee Bluff community.
Send direct messages to teachers and staff.

Stay tuned for more details as we make this transition and continue strengthening communication with our families!

FROM THE DIRECTORS:

Guard & Marching Percussion Auditions This Week
Guard and Marching Percussion classes and auditions will take place this week, Monday through Friday, from 4:00–6:00 PM. These sessions are an important part of preparing for the upcoming marching band season and give students the opportunity to learn about the program, develop skills, and demonstrate their readiness for the ensemble. If you are interested in participating, please make plans to attend. Additional details about the classes and audition process can be found on the Color Guard webpage and the Percussion webpage.

High School Band Registration Night – April 27
All current 8th–11th grade students should plan to attend our High School Band Registration Night on Monday, April 27 at 6:00 PM in the CBHS Cafeteria. During this meeting, we will complete registration for next year’s high school band program and share important information about the upcoming season. Links to all required forms and information are available in the Class Announcements section below. To help the meeting run efficiently, we strongly encourage both students and parents to complete the online forms before arriving.

Spring Concert Season Is Almost Here
Our spring performances are right around the corner, and we hope you will join us as our students share the music they have been working on this semester.

Middle School Spring Concert: Monday, May 4 (6th, 7th, and 8th grade bands) – additional details are listed in the Middle School Announcements below.
“Pops at the Bluff” (High School Bands): Thursday, May 7 featuring the Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Percussion Ensemble. Two rehearsals for this performance are listed below.
“A Night of Jazz”: Tuesday, May 12 at 6:00 PM in the CBMS Cafeteria, featuring our “Swing”phonic Band.

All concerts are free, and we warmly invite our families, friends, and community members to attend and celebrate the hard work of our students.

We are incredibly grateful for the support of our band families and community. Your encouragement and involvement make these opportunities possible for our students, and we thank you for being such an important part of the Cherokee Bluff Band.

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. Meetings take place in the CBHS Band Room.

Our next CBBA General Meeting is Monday, April 27 (6:00pm)

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!

Summer Camp Opportunities for Students

Click on each opportunity for more information.

Middle School Announcements:

6th Grade Band

Spring Concert Date:
The Middle School Bands' Spring Concert will be held in the Middle School Gym on Monday, May 4th. Click HERE to see the letter with all details that was sent home with students. We can’t wait to see you at the concert!

7th Grade Band

year. Spring Concert Date:
The Middle School Bands' Spring Concert will be held in the Middle School Gym on Monday, May 4th. Click HERE to see the letter with all details that was sent home with students. We can’t wait to see you at the concert!
Rising 8th Grade Band/Chorus Fine Arts trip for next school year:
We announced in class last week that the 8th Grade Band and Chorus will travel to Pigeon Forge, TN, on Thursday and Friday, December 10-11, for our Fine Arts Trip. Students will get to go to Dollywood, Pigeon Forge Snow, the Alcatraz Crime Museum, and Buc-ee's! Details were emailed out to parents through Infinite Campus and can also be found HERE. We will send home information on how to sign up for the trip in August when we return to school.
Invitations to participate in Marching Band in 8th Grade:
Some current 7th Grade Band students received an invitation to participate in the High School Marching Band as an 8th grader next year. If your child received this invitation, please check the 8th Grade announcements below for more information about the registration night on April 27th at 6:00pm in the High School cafeteria, as well as percussion auditions to determine instrument placements. Please email me or Mr. Cantrell (HS Band Director) if you have any questions.

8th Grade Band

Spring Concert Date:
The Middle School Bands' Spring Concert will be held in the Middle School Gym on Monday, May 4th. Click HERE to see the letter with all details that was sent home with students. We can’t wait to see you at the concert!
HS Band 2026-2027 Registration Night:
All current 8th Grade Band students should attend the HS Band Registration Night on Monday, April 27th, at 6:00pm in the HS Cafeteria. Forms and information can be found HERE.
HS Marching Band 2026–2027 Percussion and Colorguard Auditions:
The dates for Marching Band Percussion and Colorguard auditions are April 13 – 17. Auditions will occur in the High School Band Room from 4:00 to 6:00pm each day. 8th-grade students auditioning should meet Mr. Lonberger in the Middle School Band room at the end of the school day, and he will arrange a bus to take them to the high school. Colorguard is open to any student who will be in 8th–12th Grade next school year. Students do not have to be members of band to join colorguard.

High School Announcements:

Upcoming Colorguard & Marching Percussion (Drumline) Auditions for Fall 2026!
Football season is coming, and that means that we are in the process of putting our plans together for the Marching Bears for 2026! Both Colorguard & Drumline play critical roles in the Marching Bears, and we will conduct auditions for these sections. Auditions will take place THIS WEEK from 4:00pm to 6:00pm daily. Additional information can be found on both the Colorguard and Percussion pages.
High School Band Registration
Our annual High School Registration Night will take place on Monday, April 27, in the CBHS Bandroom. Registration links can be found HERE. It is highly recommended that students complete these online forms prior to the meeting.
Letter Jacket Ordering:
Scholastic Images, our Official Letter Jacket partner, will be on campus on Wednesday, April 22, during all lunches to walk you through the easy ordering process.
To place your Letter jacket order, you just need:
- A $150 deposit (cash, check, card, or tap to pay)
- Proof that you have lettered or pre-approval that you will letter in the next 6-8 weeks (varsity letter certificate)
Letter jacket information is always available at www.scholasticimages.com and in the front office.
Concert Performance for 2025-2026:
Spring "Pops at the Bluff" Concert (Thursday, May 7: 6:00pm)
We will have an after-school rehearsal for Concert Band on 4/28 and Symphonic Band on 4/30 (4pm-6pm)
SWINGphonic Jazz Concert (Tuesday, May 12: 6:00pm)
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 are responsible for marking these events on their own individual calendars. A list of upcoming events and performances is provided in the "Upcoming Events & Performances" section below. 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 anticipate being absent from class or rehearsal, notify Mr. Cantrell so we can plan accordingly. 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

Marching Bears Registration 2026:
All students (including rising 9th graders) who are interested in participating in the Marching Bears for next school year (2026-2027) are required to attend our High School Band Registration Night on Monday, April 27. More information will be shared later, including registration links and important dates.
Marching Bears Important Dates: (check the Band Calendar for more details.)
Mon., April 27: Marching Band Registration (HS Cafeteria 6:00pm)
Fri., May 15: Marching Bears "Start-Up" Session (TBA)
June 22-26: Guard & Percussion Camp (All Color Guard and Percussion Students) (8am-4pm)
June 16-17: Band Student Leadership Symposium
July 19: Parent Meeting (Mandatory Parent Meeting) (5:00pm)
July 20-21: Rookie Camp (Mandatory for all First Year Members) (8am-4pm)
July 23-24: Pre-Camp Rehearsals (Mandatory for ALL STUDENTS) (8am-4pm)
July 27-31: BAND CAMP (Mandatory for ALL STUDENTS) (8am-8pm)
Attendance:
Please be reminded that if you plan 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!). Use this link: ABSENCE REQUEST FORM to notify us of your absence.

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:

Guard & Percussion Camp: June 22 - June 26 (All Colorguard and Percussion students must attend!)
Parent Meeting: July 19 (CBHS Theater - 5:00pm)
Marching Bears Pre-Camp Rehearsals: July 20-21, July 23-24 (All Marching Bears members must attend)
Marching Bears Band Camp: July 27 - July 31 (All Marching Bears members must attend)