AFM Newsletter
Copies of the AFM Newsletter mailings just in case you've misplaced yours.

September 12, 2007

*** Jon Grantham

Concert Bands:
· New members of Wind Ensemble I and all members of Wind Ensemble II will be fitted for concert attire. A letter will be coming home with cost and information. These uniforms will be paid for by each member (with one check for the order written through AFM) but will be the sole property and responsibility of the student. Fittings will be taking place during class on September 14th and 28th.
· Students in 5th period Symphonic Band: gentlemen wear black dress pants, black dress shoes, black socks, long sleeve white dress shirt and a black or navy neck tie; ladies wear all black (no sleeveless tops, no open toed shoes and if a skirt is worn it must be knee length or longer.)
· Students in 6th period Wind Symphony: gentlemen wear black dress pants, black dress shoes, black socks, long sleeve black dress shirt and a black neck tie; ladies wear all black (no sleeveless tops, no open toed shoes and if a skirt is worn it must by knee length or longer.)

Jazz Bands:
· Upcoming Dates: Sacramento Jazz Festival on Saturday, December 8 at Sac State (This is a new addition to the band calendar.)
· Winter concerts pending a venue and date change (theater under renovation)

Marching Band:
· The 225 member AVHS Marching Band and Colorguard takes the field again Friday night at the football game. Report time is 5:54 and the students will be released by 9:00 pm. All personal belongings must be taken home (except instrument) Friday after the game. Uniforms are not to be left in the band room after the game.
· For the new band families, the update is this: amazing freshmen class, dedicated returning members, the strongest leadership team yet are all combining for a professional, motivated and energized group of young people! I somehow am lucky enough to find a way each year to be more impressed than the year before and it is genuine. We are in for a memorable season - enjoy the show tomorrow at the game and the full opener at the BBQ on Saturday!


*** Football Game Itinerary:
FRIDAY September 15, 2007
Football vs. Hayward


5:54 Report to attendance block with instruments in modified full uniform
-marching shoes
-black socks
-hemmed bib pants
-2007 AVHS band t-shirt
-ladies, hair pulled back and out of face
-no jewelry of ANY kind, no nailpolish

6:00 Warm-up
6:40 March to stadium
6:50 Pre-game (Amador Hymn, National Anthem, Fight Song)
7:00 Move to track to sit for first half
7:30 Perform opener at half-time (this is an approximate time-if you'd like to see your child perform, best to get there for the start of the game)
9:00 Dismissed from band room (may be earlier)



*** Pigskin Roast
Dianne Jones

Stop by the Band Booth at the Pigskin Roast and pick up your luggage/ instrument tags. You may also order some purple AV jackets or sweatshirts. If you ordered AV clothing at registration or the BBQ, you may pick it up between 5-7 at the band booth.


*** Metal Worker Needed for Sound Cart Modifications
Steve Ethier

Aaron Jenson, our pit instructor, would like some modifications made to the sound cart. These modifications require the ability cut, fabricate, and weld metal. He wants to modify the cart to remove the hydraulic section that houses the amplifier so that this section is now fixed in position in the cart. As the cart if currently constructed, the amplifier must be pulled up out of the cart to operate it which makes it a pain to use. Aaron is hoping we can complete these modifications before the first competition on October 20.

Please contact me at slethier_908@yahoo.com if you are willing and capable of doing this work. I can try explaining to you in more detail then what needs to be done or we can meet at a band practice some time to look at the cart.


*** RA News
Trish Moosbrugger

Thanks to all who have volunteered for the early part of the schedule and the LA trips.
I have compiled the schedule and emailed it Tuesday
evening. Please check your email (and then the schedule!) and let me
know about any corrections. Remaining events will be scheduled via email next week.

*If you'd like to volunteer for an event or be added to the RA email
distribution list, please contact Trish Moosbrugger,
pmoosbrugger@comcast.net.


*** Band Photo Date Changed
Jon Grantham

The band photo date has been changed to Friday, October 12. Individual photos start at 3:30 with the group shot in the stadium (yes, stadium) at 4:30 (we don't fit on the risers anymore!)

*** Purple Clothing Orders
Ellen McMahon

Please pick up purple clothing orders at the AFM band table this Friday at the Pigskin Roast.
The initial orders are finished and hopefully the orders turned in at the BBQ, will be ready also. Any questions can be referred to Ellen McMahon 484-5202 or ellenmcmom@yahoo.com

Thank-you!

*** Band Photographer Needed!

The band is looking for someone who is willing to take candid photos of the students at practices, games, and competitions!



*** Amador Valley High School Marching Band presents the
2nd annual Ski Swap!
Steve Worth


Saturday October 13th,2007
from 9am till 5pm.

Come save on 1000s of new and used Skis, Snowboards, Clothing, and accessories for sale from various ski and snowboard shops and private parties. If you want to sell equipment please contact Steve Worth for more information at steve@nor-ski.com.

We need lots of volunteers still for the ski swap!

We will be setting up on Friday night, October 12th and will need the following:

6 adults for security per shift.
20 adults and students as runners to put the equipment away.

2 people (could be 1 adult and 1 student) to sleep over until morning.

The swap will be on Saturday, October 13th and we will need the following:

2 adults (1 shift) to check in any private parties equipment.
2 adults per shift at the entrance to collect admission

6 adults per shift for security
2 adult cashiers per shift

1 adult doing data entry per shift

10-20 people to break down the swap.
Each shift is 4 hours long. You do not need to know anything about skiing or snowboarding, just helping raise money for the London trip next year. Please email Steve Worth at steve@nor-ski.com.




*** Our Band Equipment Has a Fear of Driving
(AKA Drivers Needed for Equipment Transport)
Steve Ethier

During the time I've been associated with the Amador band, I've never seen the band equipment drive itself to or from a competition. I don't know why this is the case, maybe our band equipment has a fear of driving. To compensate for this fear, we rely upon one or more band parents to transport the equipment by driving a truck and/or towing the band trailer to the competitions. This year will be no different, except for the important fact that we will NOT be towing the band trailer. We will be using two rental trucks this year, a 24 footer and a 15 footer.

With the size of the band this year, there should be many parents who have driven a rental moving truck at some point in their lifetime. Driving these trucks would be no different. You are not required to load/unload the equipment unless you have a desire to do so. You can just do driving duty.

Here's what the band needs. In the list below, a volunteer driver could do more than one shift. For example, the volunteer could pickup the truck, drive to/from the competion, and return the truck if he or she so desired. I did this multiple times last year. The list below specifies the number of driver shifts that I need to fill. I will be taking a shift if you notice that the numbers don't add up for a particular competition.

Gilroy:

One driver to pick up one truck on Saturday morning 10/20 (Number doesn't add up here, I am picking up the second truck).
Two drivers, preferably four, to drive to/from Gilroy (one person can drive down, the other can drive home) that afternoon and evening.
Two drivers to return the trucks on Monday morning 10/22.
SJSU:

One driver to pick up one truck on Saturday morning 10/27.

Two drivers,preferably four, to drive to/from SJSU that afternoon and evening.
One driver to return a truck on Monday morning 10/29
Bands of America LA:

One driver to pick up one truck on Thursday afternoon 11/8.
Four drivers to drive to/from LA, leaving Pleasanton on Friday morning 11/9 and leaving LA on Sunday morning 11/11.
One driver to return a truck on Mondaymorning 11/12.

Championships LA:

One driver to pick up one truck on Thursday afternoon 11/15.
Four drivers to drive to/from LA, leaving Pleasanton on Friday morning 11/16 and possibly leaving LA on Sunday night 11/18 or possibly on Monday morning 11/19 (This return time is undecided because Championships ends late on Sunday which means the volunteer has to drive through the night or drive home during the day on Monday. The volunteers and I will need to decide what is the safest thing to do here.)
One driver to return a truck on either late Monday afternoon 11/19 or Tuesday morning 11/20.
Please contact me at slethier_908@yahoo.com if you can help with one of the most critical jobs in making the marching band season a success. You should check with your auto insurance company to ensure that you have coverage for driving a moving truck.

Again remember, it's really hard to get good scores in a competition if the band equipment doesn't get transported to the competition location. Please check your calendars and sign up ASAP so that I can tell Mr. Grantham we have the equipment transport under control.

Updated: September 12, 2007