Western High School Bands
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For parents and graduates: Love and Wars tickets are still available! Prices go up on Friday, January 11, so get yours this week! Copy and paste the link.
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*Congratulations to the middle school and high school groups for fine concerts on December 5 and 6.*All new festival concert selections should be in the hands of all students in grades 9-12. Please contact Mr Bickel if you are missing any of the pieces.*All festival concert selections have reference recordings in Schoology so that students can practice along at home.
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Schoology is up and running for the band classes. In addition to the calendar, there are assignments, listening resources, and course materials posted for each course on Schoology. Playing assignments are also to be posted to Schoology throughout the school year. To do this, students practice at home and make a recording, saving their 'best take' into "Resources" on Schoology. Then, go to the assignment and click the box to the right marked "Submit Assignment." Selecting from the next pop-up box, choose "Resources," then check the extremely small box next to you 'best take' video. Finally, press "Upload" and then "Submit." The video should then be turned in so that I can watch it, make comments, and give it a grade. Most playing assignments can be revised for improvements and resubmitted for higher grades throughout the marking period.Instrument supplies are a constant need for our students. We are working to make an order form to help ease the process of getting things like reeds, oils, and cleaning supplies. Expect to see this order form soon! Woodwinds should be swabbing their instruments daily, and brass players should be bathing their instruments at least once every six months. Please help your student to ensure the proper care and maintenance of their instrument.The Band Boosters meet on the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Biggby Coffee in Spring Arbor. Meeting are typically less than an hour long, and greatly benefit the students in our program.There is still room available in the Band Boosters' Private Lesson Program. This is another great opportunity for our students. Click the link here to get more information: https://docs.google.com/forms
/d/e/1FAIpQLSfXnUZhutg_IxSoa7N JWPau7EdB62Zp2w_qRZdAije1L1GSy w/viewform If all of the links above aren't enough, login to Facebook and join the Western High School Band page.Thank you for taking the time to read this message! If you have any questions, please email me.
2018-19 Western High Marching Band
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Welcome to the Western Band page! We have a long tradition of musical excellence and opportunities. This page has a few details, including a "Calendar of Events" and the Western High School Band Handbook. For even more information, be sure to join our Western High School Bands Facebook page, and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Please email Mr. Bickel at paul.bickel@wsdpanthers.org if you would like more information about the band.
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Click for the Western Bands YouTube Channel!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYTTkXEUkandG0PH89GGW-Q?view_as=subscriber
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2018-19 Western High School Band Calendar
Note: all events mandatory unless marked “optional”
July
23-27 WHS Marching Band Camp
August
30 WHS Marching Band at Home Football Game and Picture Night-HS
September
14 WHS Marching Band at Home Football Game
22 WHS Marching Band at Parma Day Parade, 11:00 a.m.
24 WHS Marching Band at Jackson County Marching Band Invitational
28 WHS Marching Band at Home Football Game (Homecoming)
October
12 WHS Marching Band at Home Football Game
16 Fall Band Concerts (ALL - 6, 6:45, 7:30 p.m.)
November
8 Band Department Small Group Day (during class)
December
5 HS Holiday Band Concerts 7:00
6 MS Holiday Band Concerts (6, 6:45)
January
17 Music Department Picture Day (During school. Wear concert uniforms)
19 HS Band Solo/Ensemble at Onsted High School (optional)
28 ”Chilly” Jazz Dinner (Jazz Band only)
30 NW/Western HS Masterworks Concert at Western 7:00 p.m.
- (NW Band & Vocal Dimension, Western Symphonic Band & Select Choir)
February
28 Band Concerts - HS @ 5:30 , 6th Gr. @ 6:15, and 7th & 8th Gr. @ 6:45
March
8-9 Host MS/HS Band Festival here
16 Band State Solo/Ensemble (optional)
April
26-27 Thornapple Jazz Festival - Hastings (Jazz Band only)
May
19 HS Band Concert: 2:00 p.m. - HS Bands
20 MS Band Concert: 6:00 p.m. - 6th Gr. & 8th Gr. Jazz / 6:45 - 7th & 8th Gr.
27 HS Marching Band (grades 9-12) at Spring Arbor Memorial Day Parade
30 Baccalaureate 6:00
31 Graduation (Symphonic Band performs)
July
22-26 Band Camp at Western
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Meet the Western High School Band Director!
Mr. Paul Bickel
Mr. Bickel started his teaching career in 1992 at Vandercook Lake, where he taught all bands in grades 5-12 (marching, concert, and MS and HS jazz), 9th and 10th Grade English, and restarted both the choir and jazz band programs at Vandercook Lake until 2002. He teaches band at Western with middle school band director Christina Prater. Mr. Bickel teaches 6th Grade Beginning Brass, HS Concert Band, HS Symphonic Band, the WHS Marching Band, and HS Jazz Band. He also assists the 7th Grade Band and 8th Grade Band. Mr. Bickel is an active trumpet performer in the Jackson French Quarter Dixieland Band (run by father Philip Bickel), piano and vocal performer as a dueling piano player for "Piano Wars!". He loves teaching because he loves to inspire students to perform and continue through and after high school. He is married to Bethany Bickel, Western Middle School's choir director, and they have two daughters, Julia and Laura.
