CN Band Newsletter 11-03

1 day ago

8 min read

Updated: 2 minutes ago

From the Director's Desk

Week 12 Update & Announcements

Sorry for no update last week. We will fit two weeks worth of info into one message today. Thank you to everyone who participated in our 4th annual trunk-or-treat! It looked like there was great turnout and some very creative decorations. Thank you for helping to create a fun activity for our students and community. Also, thank you to everyone who attended our Fall Concert last Wednesday night.

Hope you will join us tomorrow at Buchanan for the 20th annual CUSD Band Night as well as Saturday at Lamonica Stadium for our Golden State Tournament of Bands Competition.

3 Weeks till Championships! We now need to start thinking more about season changes, temperature changes, and people staying healthy.

PLEASE - wash your hands, cover your mouth, take your vitamins, do not share drinks with one another, and get as much rest as you can. The last thing we want is to have the band sickness travel through the group leading up to Thanksgiving! Thank you for your diligence with your health.

We hope you will join us at a series of events as we prepare to wrap up the fall marching band season. We could begin running into weather as a rehearsal and performance challenge.

So you may be asking: How does the weather affect a marching band competition?

We will play things on a minute-to-minute basis. Please be prepared for anything.

The posted itinerary will be followed.
Any alterations will be sent out through remind for quick changes.
Any large changes will be made on cuttime itinerary and a remind text will be sent to instruct you to check the updated itinerary on cuttime
Please DO NOT assume any rehearsal or performance is canceled until you receive a remind text or notification from Mr. Lesser.

In the event of rain, you should have some other supplies ready to go.

Some type of raingear
A towel to dry your instrument
Woodwinds should have a pack of cigarette wrappers (zig zags orange package works best). (I know this doesn’t sound appropriate, but it is the best way to dry wet pads because of the type of paper and absorption that occurs)

Bronco Star of the Week - Week 10

Congratulations to Khloe Barcellos for being named our Bronco Star of the Week for Week 10!

Khloe has found her stride as a consistently awesome performer. Her face lights up on every toss and catch. She gives 100% effort every day.

She lifts up her teammates and is helpful as needed. We are very proud of her commitment, improvement, and excellence.

Way to go Khloe. Keep up the great work!!!

Bronco Star of the Week - Week 11

Congratulations to Jaxson Wilson for being named our Bronco Star of the Week for Week 11!

Jaxson is one of the main reasons we have seen such a positive turnaround in our drumline this year.

It is due to his great attitude, demeanor, dedication, and the way he is leading by example that is bringing the drumline together in a way we have not seen for some time.

Jaxson is finding joy in playing the drums. This is radiating throughout the drumline and having a positive impact throughout the whole band.

Way to go Jaxson. Keep up the great work!!!

📅 Calendar: Week at a Glance

Monday: Music sectionals
Tuesday: Concert Band
Wednesday: Be ready quickly outside. Run throughs. Complete class by 2:30 so we can load and eat pizza. CUSD Band Night begins at 6pm @ Buchanan High School
Thursday: Winds on field, percussion and color guard on own
Friday: All to field. NO FOOTBALL GAME
Saturday: AM Rehearsal WBA Competition @ Clovis HS, GSTOB

📅 Calendar Updates

CUSD Band Night - Wednesday, Nov. 4
Golden State Tournament of Bands - Saturday, November 7
Fall Jazz Band Concert - Monday, November 9
Wind Ensemble Rehearsal - Wednesday, November 11
WBA Central California Regional Championships - Saturday, November 14
WBA Championships Sat. Nov. 21 & Sun. Nov. 22
CN Wind Ensemble Rehearsal Monday, Nov. 30
Orchestra Concert Monday, Nov. 30
Fall Winter Concert Wednesday Dec. 9

Calling all Family Members and Alumni - "It’s that time!!!"

Did you play in band during Middle School, High School, College, or just start learning a wind or percussion instrument? Well… if the answer is yes, WE WANT YOU!!!

We hope to have any faculty or staff member join us on the stage as a performer for this year’s winter concert!

Please join the Clovis North Wind Ensemble on stage to play with us on the last piece in our Winter Concert on Wed. December 9. We will have a short rehearsal at 6:30pm in the band room the day of the concert. The concert begins at 7pm. 😊 Do. Not. Be. Afraid. If you are interested, please reply to this email and let me know what part you would like to play. I will send you a copy of the part so you may begin practicing. The piece this year will be, Christmas Festival!

Here is a link to a recording of the band arrangement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8tiiC20C6Y

Please don’t be nervous. You will play alongside the Clovis North Wind Ensemble. We will also have some alumni and staff members of the band join us on stage as well. This is a great way to celebrate the holidays and share some Bronco Spirit together through music!

Please let me know if you are interested. Have a great day

NEEDED - BOX TRUCK DRIVER FOR WGI COLOR GUARD CHAMPIONSHIPS

We are in great need of a duo who would be willing to drive equipment from Fresno to Dayton Ohio and back for our WGI World Championships performance in April.

Departure from Fresno would be Saturday April 3. Arrive in Dayton Ohio Tuesday April 6. Depart Dayton Ohio Sunday April 11 or Saturday April 10.

We will take care of hotel rooms, fuel, meals, and entrance to all WGI events in Ohio.

You will need to complete some CUSD paperwork to be allowed to drive our CUSD vehicle.

If you are interested, please contact Mr. Lesser.

💳 National Concert Band Festival Updates

The MFA National Concert Band Festival Pledge form was due October 6. Thank you if you have completed the form. If not, please do so ASAP

https://www.clovisnorthband.org/2027-national-band-fest-cn

Note: If you wish to donate by check, complete the form and skip the payment page

I am getting some more information about family wishing to travel. There will be a friends and family package available from Music for All where you can purchase hotels and events through them directly. That registration will open on January 8, 2027. There is no guarantee you will be placed in the same hotel as the band. Travel will need to be arranged on your own. The family and friends registration will close on February 26, 2027.

For information about the friends and family packages, please visit this link: https://festival.musicforall.org/ffpackages/

If you wish to be on a similar schedule as the band you will want to select the 4 night package. *** This does not mean you will be with the band at all their events. You will have a separate itinerary but will be there for the band’s performance and banquet if you wish***

🎺 Holiday Catalog

Items have arrived at school. If you ordered things to be delivered at school please see Mr. Gabrielson to pick up your items. Thank you.

🎺 Program Updates

Marching Band

Is rolling along. We have had success at our first two competitions. We are getting ready for the remainder of the season in this final three-week push. Please join us the last 30 minutes of rehearsal to watch the run through. Tonight we will be in the baseball stadium

Wind Ensemble

Link to kick-off presentation - Clovis North Wind Ensemble - National Concert Band Festival Parent Meeting

🎵 Music Tests & Pass-Offs

The final retest date will be Monday Noverber 16 4:30pm

Please diligently work to retake tests as needed so your grade does not suffer.

Retake Policy: If a student does not pass, they will review material with their section leader and schedule a retake with Mr. Lesser or Mr. Vargas (before school, lunch, or after school).
Retake Frequency: Retakes are limited to once per day after adequate preparation.

💰 Fundraising & Upcoming Events

Pie Sale

Get ready. Our annual pie sale begins on Monday, October 26. This is a great way to prepare for the holidays and for the entire year. These pies are super tasty and also store extremely well in your freezer. Be on the lookout for information.

FMCMEA Honor Band Auditions

Audition registration for FMCMEA is live now. Here is the registration link: https://www.fmcmea.org/product/winds-percussion-student-musician-audition-registration/M4J2RTP5IJVRR2N5GQPBKRD7

All CN Wind Ensemble members must audition for FMCMEA. It is strongly encouraged that concert band members do as well. Please complete registration before Friday, November 6.

The audition material is the Golden State All State Band excerpts plus the CBDA chromatic scale. Wind ensemble members will perform their audition in front of the class prior to the FMCMEA audition date

Golden State Tournament of Bands

WE DID IT!!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!! ALL OF THE VOLUNTEER POSITIONS ARE FILLED!!!!! THANK YOU FOR STEPPING UP TO HELP RUN A FANTASTIC EVENT FOR OUR STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY!!!

WBA CHAMPIONSHIPS

WBA Championships will be upon us before we know it. This event takes many volunteers to host bands for a great day of fall pageantry. We share the hosting responsibilities with four of our CUSD sister schools. Be on the lookout next week for the list of volunteer slots we will need. This will be a larger commitment than GSTOB and it will take additional family members and friends to help volunteer to make sure we provide a first class CHAMPIONSHIPS experience for ALL the bands that will be traveling from all over California to participate.

Hey CN Jazz Families!

Our CNEC Jazz Concert is on Monday, November 9^th at 7:00PM in the PAC.

Mr. D.

Update from your CN Band Treasurer, Darren Huntley!

Thank you all for your donations. I try to make the process on Cuttime as easy and transparent as possible. If you have any questions about your donations or pledges, don't hesitate to contact me directly at dhuntley@gmail.com

Hello Band Family!

We have a busy couple of weeks ahead! Here are a few updates and opportunities to support our Bronco Band:

CUSD Band Night – Tomorrow!

We hope to see you tomorrow evening at CUSD Band Night! Come out and enjoy performances from all of our district middle schools and high schools. It’s always fun to see our music community come together!

The Pie Company Fundraiser – Ends Friday!

Our Pie Company fundraiser wraps up this Friday afternoon! Please continue sharing the fundraiser with family, friends, and coworkers. Every order helps support our program!

Golden State Tournament of Bands – Volunteer Help Needed!

This weekend is the Golden State Tournament of Bands, and we still have two volunteer openings:

Field Entrance: 5:30–8:30 PM – We need one volunteer to help manage the field entrance as bands and props come in and out. This is a pretty simple job! Bring a lawn chair so you can relax between bands.
Hospitality: 6:30–9:30 PM – We need one volunteer to help serve food and keep snacks and drinks stocked. The bonus? You’ll still have an opportunity to watch our Broncos perform during your shift!

If you can help, please consider signing up on CutTime!

Feed the Band – Grand Championships Meal

We would love to provide our CN Band students with a nice meal on Grand Championships day! Unfortunately, our Feed the Band account doesn’t currently have enough funds to make that happen. If you are able, please consider making a donation through Venmo at @Hanan-elmasry-1.

A reminder that Feed the Band is entirely parent-funded, and every contribution helps us take care of our kiddos!

First Band Night Out – Marco’s Pizza!

Mark your calendars for Thursday, November 12! Our first Band Night Out will be held at BOTH Marco’s Pizza locations:

Willow & Alluvial
Herndon & Armstrong

The fundraiser runs from open to close, and Clovis North Band will receive 25% of all purchases! Just be sure to mention that you’re supporting the Clovis North Band when placing your order.

Thank you, as always, for showing up, pitching in, and supporting our students. We couldn’t do what we do without this amazing Band Family!

Go Broncos!