PC Band Brass Blog

Marching Season Final Words

2011-12-04T11:18:00.001-08:00

It's all over now. No more competitions left for the 2011 marching season...

It's really disappointing to see it come to an end after what seemed such a long season. But I have to congratulate you guys so much for working your butts off from before PCI all the way through the end of the season. We proved to the staff that this hornline has what it takes to be one of the best. I'm proud out of you guys for working so hard and it really paid off towards the end of the season.

Now lets move into concert season with the attitude that we will be one of the best music programs in all of the state. Especially those of us in Wind Ensemble have a hard year ahead of us.

Make sure that if you are doing All-District that you continue to work on your solos! That is coming up in only a month or so!!

Keep up the good work.

School Starts This Week!!!

2011-08-22T18:25:00.000-07:00

Jon was in Oregon at some point in time over the summer. (Who goes to Oregon??? Alek Ratzloff does.)

Hey guys and gals,

Just wanted to say a few things before the school year kicks off. So far, this summer has been really great and I know that most of you have really enjoyed the marching band experience so far. Let's keep that attitude up all the way till we arrive back home from USSBA Annapolis.

One big thing that I wanted to discuss was last Thursdays rehearsal. Every single one of you knows that we were not our best that night. I know what this horn line can do and I know many of the people in this horn line have the capability of being absolutely ridiculous. But, we also have to do well in rehearsals. It was very clear that many people did not have their dot books filled out. Tomorrow is a dot book check and I want every brass player to have his/her dot book filled all the way through set 35. From here on out, you can expect to receive drill at almost all of the rehearsals until the show is finished. Dot books are very useful and I don't feel like many of us are taking the opportunity to use them to their fullest potential. Drill books are nice, but they are bulky and it can be confusing to look at if you're setting your dot. So get those completed! Also, I think we should definitely focus on our rehearsal procedures such as not talking after a set is completed. The staff really needs to talk to each other and it is very distracting if many of the students on the field are having side conversations. Also moving once we finish a set is no good. They are trying to see the picture and if you are not on your dot, you will get called out. We just need to be more focused during our rehearsals so we spend less time fooling around and more time learning as many dots as we can. Our goal should be to push the staff instead of them pushing us. They enjoy it a lot more when they don't have to yell and scream at us and I'm sure we like it more too.

Keep working on learning Chaos!!! It is a very difficult song, but if we learn it and get it clean, it will be absolutely insane.

I know you guys are doing a lot and it really shows, but keep it up. School will slow us down dramatically, but don't let it take away your willingness to work hard!!

YAY BAND

- Jonathan

WOW Band starts soon...

2011-07-24T08:46:00.001-07:00

Jon is doing so many things this summer!! He even went to a 3rd world country to do dental clinics and other various activities to help the people of Guatemala. (he loved europe too.)

OKAY!

It has been a long time since I last posted so here we go.

BAND CAMP?!?!?: starts in basically 4 days (Wednesday). I don't know about the rest of you guys, but I am super excited for this year and from the brass arc we had a bunch of months ago, I can tell we have a very good quality brass line. If you guys put in the work that is required to make this show awesome, it will be. SQUAD LEADERS, contact your squad and tell them about certain band camp things such as when its starts (8AM), when you should arrive on Wednesday for registration (7:30AM), and let them know about the things they should bring (notebook and sheet protectors, instrument, a hat, sunscreen, a bag lunch, a gigantic water jug). This should help everyone remember to bring all of that. Hats, sunscreen, water jug and a bag lunch is crucial to having good health during the week and one half of band camp.

OTHER IMPORTANT STUFF?!?!: Squad leaders and section leaders should be coming to the school tomorrow (Monday July 25th) to have a meeting with Mr. Robinson. After that those of you who are doing field lining will have a wonderful time out in the heat of the day. Also DCI is next Saturday! It is this next weekend right after the first 3 days of band camp. It should be a great time for those of us who are going. Those who are not, there is always next year. WE ARE MAKING T-SHIRTS for the entire brass line and will be available for purchase once they are designed. We will collect money before we order so that we don't have to pay extraordinary amounts of money out of our pockets. I will keep you updated though (expect a price between $10-20).

That is about all I can remember for you guys right now. If I remember something I will put it up. Keep checking the blog around once or twice a week to look for any updates on any of the blogs! Don't want to miss anything.

Have a great rest of the summer!

Jonathan.

2011-07-04T12:09:00.000-07:00

Hello from London!

2011-06-29T12:34:00.001-07:00

Hey guys!!!

So this is my first post from London and I just had a few things to say for this weeks update.

First off, MUSIC for Chaos (mvmt. 3) is under the music tab on this website! Get it now before it is taken down. Practice it a lot as well. It'd be really nice to hit the ground running with at least some of the music learned already. It is very hard music and it will probably take the majority of you a while to get some of the parts down.

Secondly, it is the time to really start exercising daily and drinking lots and lots of water. It will help you greatly during band camp if you are 100% healthy and ready to work really hard.

Lastly, keep checking the blog around once a week or more. You won't want to miss any information posted in any of the blogs or music posted up. It is extremely important for you to do that. ALSO, keep in contact with your squad and tell them that the music is up on the website and that they should get it and practice it.

Have a wonderful rest of the week!

(in English fasion,) Cheers, Jon.

Here we go!!!

2011-06-26T12:02:00.000-07:00

Hey there people!

This is Jon on the airplane to Boston! He had a wonderful time and is looking forward to a nice overnight flight to Heathrow airport in London!

So this isn't really much of a legitimate post, just an update of my trip thus far. I haven't gone too far, but I will be across the pond by tomorrow.

A couple things that you should be doing this summer:

You should be practicing your instruments almost daily. If you don't practice often during the summer, then you will not be prepared for the hard music that this marching season has for us.
Also check the blog for music!!! It should be coming up in the near future and you don't want to miss it!
Take care of yourselves! It is important that you don't do anything dumb this summer so that your body will be able to do the show this year. Also drink lots of water. It is going to be a hot summer so make sure that you are hydrated. You will feel a lot better and your body will function more effectively.

That is all that I have for you guys today. Keep checking the blog to see some more photos of my vacation!

Jon.

Last week at home

2011-06-21T10:57:00.000-07:00

Hey fellow brass peoples.

This is Jon after the huge storm on Sunday night. Poor guy has to fix up all the deck furniture. It'll be good work for him to do!

So this will probably be the last post I do at home so I'm going to make sure that you guys talk to me about what you need from me before I leave.

First thing is that we make sure to contact all of our squads and talk to them especially about DCI. That will be coming up quick! It's a little over a month away and it would be really nice to have as many brass players there as possible (especially rookies!!).

Also make sure that you are staying healthy and hydrated for the remainder of the summer. On a day like today especially when the air quality is very poor, be extra sure to take care of yourself. It would not be fun to have to sit on the sidelines during band camp and have to miss learning drill.

Lastly, make sure that you keep checking the blogs for updates. Music will be coming out really soon. Once you get that, practice it often. It would be awesome to be able to play through some of the music during the week of band camp. That will also help us learn drill faster.

Thanks for doing all this stuff!

PS: IF YOU PLAY BARITONE, and do not have an instrument, contact me THIS WEEK so I can get it to you before I leave for Europe. Email me at jon.minnick1@gmail.com

- Jon

Mountain Biking!

2011-06-18T11:55:00.000-07:00

Hey there guys and girls,

This is Jon going mountain biking with me, Eric Dekker, and Libby Logsdon. He had lots of fun and it was a great way to get out of the house and get some exercise.

So this is again just another really quick update. Section leaders, I've said this before but make sure that you distribute the contact information to your squad leaders. Squad leaders, call your squad members and talk to them a couple times over the summer. Also talk to them about DCI. If they are not going, you should strongly encourage them to go. It is a great show and it really affects everyone's attitude during band camp. Also just keep in contact with them to establish good relationships. Marching band is lots of hard work, but it is also a way to meet a lot of great people and it provides many social activities as well.

Make sure that you are practicing your instruments so that when you play it again, you're not having to re-learn it. Also it will make you a better player, which is always a bonus. Music will be coming out within the next couple of weeks so be prepared to be practicing that as well. Also make sure that you are staying healthy and drinking lots of water! Hydration is extremely important to making sure that you are able to push yourself to the max this band camp. It will be hot and there will be lots of work that will be completed.

Stay safe, have a good weekend! I leave next Sunday for Europe so if there is anything you need, contact me on Facebook or my email, jon.minnick1@gmail.com.

Thanks, Jon

Quick Update!

2011-06-16T11:15:00.000-07:00

What's up chillun?

This is a picture of Jon with Reed. They are at spring training in Bloomington, Indiana! Jon is loving it so much!

I have finished sending out all contact information to section leaders. Section leaders, if one of your squad leaders is not home, call their squad for them. It is important that we contact them ASAP. Squad leaders, stay in contact with your squad all summer long. Tell them to check the blog too if they are going to be rookies.

Keep healthy and hydrated! And keep checking the blog. Music will be coming out during the summer. Practice it so that we will not have to spend as much time on it during band camp. It is difficult. Especially Chaos! It is at tempo marking 192. About the same speed as Sensemaya if you were in marching band last season.

- Jonathan

Quick Update

2011-06-15T10:21:00.001-07:00

Hey guys!

This is Jon reminding all of you to drink lots of water!!! It helps you keep hydrated and you'll be healthier if you do so.

Right now I am in the process of distributing contact information to section leaders and that should be finished by the end of this week. Squad leaders, call your squad ASAP! It is important that you stay in contact with them.

Also, DCI!!! Make sure that if you haven't signed up for that, you do so immediately! I know I've repeated it in about every post so far, but it really has made the difference in our performance in band camp which then leads to amazing shows throughout the season.

Keep checking the blog once or twice a week to see what is new in the band and check for music! It will be coming soon. And once you get it, be sure to be practicing almost every day. If all of us come to band camp with a good chunk of our music playable or even memorized, we will be able to learn drill that much faster.

Thanks, Jonathan

PS: If you play baritone in the marching band and DO NOT have a horn, message me on facebook or e-mail me and jon.minnick1@gmail.com

2011-06-14T14:39:00.000-07:00

Hey guys and gals!

This is a picture of Jon with Drew and Evyn at Governor's School West! They are having such a wonderful time there, even though the water main just broke.

This is another quick update. Top priority is that if you are a section leader, distribute contact information to your squad leaders. Squad leaders, call every member of your squad to talk to them a little bit and to exchange information. Also you should talk to them about coming to DCI. This is very important that all brass members attend this. It really makes a big impact on our performance and efficiency during band camp (it's also a lot of fun!).

So keep checking the blog once in a while to see what is new. I will probably be posting about every day, maybe less once I start traveling.

Stay healthy and hydrated!

-Jonathan

Summer Update

2011-06-13T11:15:00.001-07:00

This is Jon in the band room finishing some business so that we will be ready to go when band camp rolls around.

This is just a short update so you don't have to worry about spending too much time reading.

First and most important is that I have contact information to give to section leaders who will then give that information to their squad leaders. Section leaders, also talk to you the rest of your section about DCI! It is extremely important that we get all, if not most, of the brass section to attend this trip. It really makes a big impact on how we do during band camp. An email will be sent out soon about this.

Also I'm thinking about the possibility of Brass Section t-shirts??? Let me know if you're interested. Check the blog once or twice a week to see when music is up.

- Jonathan

Graduation '11

2011-06-11T07:50:00.000-07:00

Hello peoples!

(This is Jon waking up later that usual because he is enjoying his summer break so much!)

So today is Graduation Day for the class of 2011. This is an important day for all of our graduating seniors.

To make sure that this day runs smoothly for us and our seniors, make sure to bring your band tux/dress and bring your instruments and other parts. Also bring your music back if you have been practicing it at home.

This is probably the last time that you will be in the band room until band camp so take home all of the things inside of your lockers and clean all the trash out as well. We don't want any unwanted visitors in there when we return.

Thanks for making sure that all of this happens today!!!

- Jonathan

End of the Year!

2011-06-09T08:55:00.001-07:00

SUMMER BREAK OH'LEV! WAH GOOD?!
(Flat Jon always buckles up for safety when riding in a car!)

Today was the last day of school. I hope you all did well on your exams. Just a quick reminder, for graduation on Saturday, make sure that you arrive at the school at 1:30 with your band tux/dress as well as your instrument and other various accessories.

Make sure that you keep checking this blog as well as the Directors blog once or twice a week all summer. There will be important information that will be posted.

Also, if you have not been assigned a marching instrument, talk to your section leader or me to fill out a check-out form.

Make sure that you leave the school after graduation with all of your instruments and your junk that you have kept in your locker all year. It would be nice to have them clean so that we don't come back to any unwanted visitors (aka rodents of various sorts).

Have fun during the summer and make sure that you drink lots of water and stay in shape and don't get hurt. See you at graduation!

Flat Jons!!!

2011-06-08T13:34:00.000-07:00

Whaddup children?

In Wind Ensemble today, I had this brilliant idea. This is the "flat stanley" version of Jon: Flat Jon! We made 5 versions of Flat Jon that will be circulating with 5 of our PC brass line members throughout the summer. They'll be doing things like missionary work in Guatemala, touring with the Madison Scouts, vacationing in Europe, attending Governor's School West, and traveling around America.

So make sure you check the blog this summer, and see what the Jon's are up to!

In order from Left: Suit Jon, Carolina Crown Jon, Band Camp Jon (note his gock block and drum stick), White Shirt and Tie Jon and Black PC Polo Jon.

Jonathan

Pre-Summer Update

2011-06-06T15:44:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

This is the first post from me, Jonathan, for the 2011-2012 year. We have basically started marching band preparation already and there are only a few days left of school. There are a few last things that should be done before we leave for summer break:

Make sure that if you are using a school owned instrument for concert season you check it in to the school and then check it out again at the end of the year. (Or earlier if you are going to use is to practice, which is preferable of course)
If you play a school owned instrument for marching band, make sure that you have it in your house and checked out from the school so that you can practice the music when it is released.
Lastly, clean out your locker in the instrument storage room! That rooms gets very dirty very quickly so all of us would like to have it as clean as possible before we leave it till July.
Also be practicing your graduation music (if need be) so we sound good for all of our seniors! They have done a lot for this program and it would be really great to sound amazing for their last day in high school.

This is probably the only post that I will make before summer break so make sure you check the website once a week to read all the blogs and see if the music is up. Keep yourself in good shape and in good health so that we can start the marching season off strong.

Good luck on all of your exams!

2010-10-30T08:15:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

First off, thank you to all who played a part in making senior night special last night. It was an awesome game, and we all ended on a good note. I hope all of you are well rested and prepared for Cary Band Day tonight! This is definitely one of the toughest classes we have seen all season. As of tomorrow, we officially have one week of marching band season left!!! Let's make sure we push up until the very last day. We have pictures this afternoon, and then a late night of competition!

2010-10-18T19:31:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,

Congratulations on another successful competition this past weekend at Fuquay! It was by far one of our best runs of the show, and easily the best warmup arc of the season. If we keep bringing that level of focus and intensity from here on out, we can only keep moving forward. If you didn't have the chance today, try and read the judges sheets at some point before Wednesday. There are some good comments, and the areas of the show that need the most work are being set. We are building up to the peak of the season, let's keep this momentum going into Sanderson and Cary Band Day! (Oh, and only 19 more days until USSBA in case you were wondering.)

Mid Season

2010-10-12T20:39:00.001-07:00

Hey guys,

We've certainly gotten off to a great start this season. We should all be proud of what we accomplished at Wakefield. The sound that is being produced is amazing, and will only get stronger as the season goes on. Upcoming dates:

Friday: Rookie Night (earlier arrival time)

Saturday: Fuquay Varina (afternoon arrival)

Oct. 23rd: Sanderson

We've made enormous strides these past 2 weeks, let's keep the momentum going into the second half of the season!

Summer Update #4

2010-07-11T14:33:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

I hope you all are still enjoying your summer! It's looking like the heat is here to stay, so keep in shape and keep on drinking. I figured I'd go ahead and update you on another one of Panther Creek's brass players who is away for music this summer. Nicole Linderman, one of our senior horn players, is at Interlochen and is having a great time there. She has moved up to the top ensembles and is really playing well! A few other points:

The DCI trip looks like it will be a success, we have a large group of people going! Thanks for all who signed up

Check the website for music periodically

Summer Update #3

2010-06-29T12:21:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,

I figured I'd go ahead and post up a few items of interest. To the right is Tyler Buck all suited up in his Scouts uniform before one of their first shows. Keep in mind he is on the road all summer, so don't hesitate to send him a text and say hey! The picture on the left is an Australian Marching Band that we came across in California. It was cool to see just how widespread marching bands are (and yes, they are wearing the "aussie" style of hat)

Summer Update #2

2010-06-24T17:00:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,

I hope everyone is enjoying the summer despite the heat wave that's come through the past week or two. Now would definitely be a good time to start drinking all that water! If you haven't noticed, the official Fall 2010 schedule is posted on the website, so make sure to get the dates on the calendar. A few other reminders:

-Squad leaders should begin making contacts with their squad members, especially those new to the band.

-Keep practicing! Even it's just a few notes every day, anything to keep up your chops is great. Hopefully music will be up soon!

Also, one of our senior tuba players, Tyler Buck, is marching with Madison Scouts this summer. You can see how they're doing right here. Keep enjoying the rest of the summer, band camp is only a little more than a month away!!

Since I haven't gotten anyone's summer pics so far, here's one from our vacation out in San Francisco; sea lions at Fisherman's Wharf.

Weekly Update

2010-06-16T15:32:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, a quick heads up:

-Brass warmups as well as mello run exercises are now posted under the "Music" tab. Be sure to print these off and work on them (and memorize!) over the summer so we can hit the ground running when band camp rolls around.

-At this point, all school-owned instruments should be dsitributed to everyone who needs one. If you do not have one in your possession, contact your section leader ASAP.

I hope you all are enjoying the summer, and staying cool in the heat! If anyone has some good pictures of themselves from this summer vacation, send them to me and I'd be glad to put them up! Stay cool and keep practicing!

PC Brassline 2010 Basics

2010-06-03T18:51:00.001-07:00

Hello again!

It is about time I updated the blog considering the very promising marching season we have ahead of us! I hope you are all excited. I will do my best to update this blog weekly from now through marching band season. If you have any important brass related information you would like to see on here, just let me know! A few basic reminders as the school year comes to a close:

Instruments: Everybody should either have a marching horn in their hands or have made arrangements to get one ASAP. For rookies who are still without an instrument, your section leader or squad leader will contact you soon regarding when you can sign your horn out
Practice: Make sure to keep in touch with your horn over the summer. If everyone comes into band camp with fresh chops, we can get off to a good start in surpassing the high level of music from last year's line
Stay in shape: Marching band is physical, so don't be afraid to get outside and stay active while enjoying summer's weather!
DCI Trip: Every single person in the brassline should go on this trip. A drum corps is more or less a mammoth brassline, and it is amazing to hear the sound that these groups produce live. It is imperative that we have high attendance. If you have not signed up by now, contact Mr. Robinson for signup information!

And lastly, enjoy the summer, it has been a long year of school! The season will be here before you know it!

Winter Concert/Moving Forward

2009-12-25T17:58:00.000-08:00

Congrats to everyone on a successful winter concert! I hope everyone has been enjoying their Winter Break. Don't forget to keep practicing, as All-District Auditions are right around the corner. I wish all of you a Happy New Year, and see you all back in January.

Fuquay Wrap-Up

2009-10-18T13:23:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to everybody last night in bringing home our first Grand Champion award! We all made the best out of these past few weeks and put a much cleaner show on the field. Visual will continue to be our focus heading into Sanderson, as well as strengthening some musical phrases. The weather is warming up with some sunshine in the forecast, so let's keep the momentum going into Sanderson and the last portion of the season!

Weekly Update

2009-10-08T14:22:00.000-07:00

Congratulations on a pair of solid performances this past Saturday night! The overall music scores were the best in prelims, and the brass upped their score by 3 points during finals. I hope you all can see the correlation with what music we worked on in class and what our best moments were in the show. Beginning tomorrow and continuing through next week, we will continue to pick movements apart and start working on some phrases that need a little love. Get excited for homecoming tomorrow night, and be ready to start working next week in the preparation for Fuquay.

Reminders:

-If you have not already, prep and turn in your dot books
-Review key dots in your personal show

Keep pushing to the releases!

PCI

2009-09-27T09:01:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone for making PCI an awesome competition last night! It was another successful showing and we were able to perform the show in uniforms. We had a solid performance and we brought a good level of focus into the run. As far as this week goes, we as a brassline have a lot of work left to do. We have 4 or 5 rehearsals to get a solid version of Judgment on the field. In order to do this, we will need all sections to have a sectional on the music, as well as individuals reviewing their dots and really getting the drill inside their head. The forecast is sunny with cool temperatures, so let's make the most out of this week and get some good momentum going into Wakefield!

Week 4 Update

2009-09-17T16:25:00.000-07:00

Hey Brassline,

This week has gone by extremely fast. I'm still impressed at how fast we got the ballad on the field, and the closer is definitely starting to fit together. Let's keep up the pace of rehearsal we've had the past few practices and focus on getting a lot of work done before upcoming back to back performances (Home game Friday, PCI Saturday)! Some things to work on for next week:

1. Solidify the music to Judgment. Sectionals and individual practice time will make putting music together go much smoother.

2. Refresh yourself on the earlier parts of the show and keep playing it at the high level we worked it up to.

3. Get excited for PCI! Competition season starts in a little over a week, and we have the chance to make a big impact that night.

P.S. Don't forget to take care of your horns after the weather this week.

1st Week of School Updates

2009-08-30T18:24:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everybody for a great first week of school filled with hard work!

Friday night went well and the hit sounded great. A few reminders for the upcoming week:

-Keep working on the end of the 2nd movement so we can get it on the field Wednesday

-If you did not do so Friday night, wipe down your horns as soon as possible

-Keep pushing to the releases!

Hope everyone is back into the school routine, and be ready for a cooler week!

Pep Band Announcement

2009-08-17T09:28:00.000-07:00

As a reminder to everyone, pep band is starting up in the next few weeks. Please make sure you pick up the proper lyre for your instrument along with a flip folder.

During the next 2 weeks, it is the section/squad leaders job to hold a sectional or two during lunch or afterschool. These sectionals will be used to teach/refresh the old charts as well as learning the new songs we received this year. Let your section know a week in advance so they can plan accordingly. Enjoy the last bit of summer and keep practicing!

Get to know Fellow Brassline Members

2009-08-12T13:37:00.000-07:00

Over the next few weeks the blog will be featuring members of the brassline. Get to know Mary Gessner (junior-mellophone) in this post!

Favorite part about marching band? - I love the challenging mellophone parts
Favorite Stands Tune? - Brooklyn

What are you looking forward to this season? - Surpassing our previous performances both as a band and as a section

Thanks for a Great Camp Brass!

2009-08-10T08:35:00.000-07:00

Hey PC Brassline,

Thanks again for all of your hard work this past week at band camp. The sound we achieved by the end of the week is getting closer and closer to our ultimate goal. I will be be posting various bits of information or announcements throughout the year on this blog, so please check back.

Thanks, and see you all tomorrow night!

Nick