UPCOMING CONCERT!
INTERNATIONAL WIND BAND CONCERT!!
AUSTRALIA, YORKTOWN, GMHS WIND BAND CONCERT
Sunday, December 16th
Musicians from Chatswood High School in Sydney, Australia will be visiting George Mason High School as
guests of GMHS and Yorktown HS band families. The culminating event will be a concert featuring all three high
school bands on Sunday, December 16th at 7 pm in the GMHS auditorium. The finale will be a combined group
comprised of the top instrumentalists of all three groups. The concert is free and open to the public!
5:00 pm
Student pizza dinner/meet and greet (Chatswood, Yorktown,
students – required GM Wind Ensemble)
GM
5:45 pm
Change into tuxes and gowns – Mass band members onstage for rehearsal
(5:45 – 6:15)
7:00 pm
Concert begins – GMHS Performs
7:30 pm
Yorktown Wind Ensemble
8:00 pm
Chatswood, Sydney, Australia performs
8:30 pm
Massed Band (section leaders from all three bands!)
EXTRA CREDIT FOR ALL PERCUSSION AND SYMPHONIC BAND MEMBERS WHO ATTEND!
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:
Parents needed to help with setting up the cafeteria for 250 band students. Pizza will be delivered. If we could
have three people to get the soda iced down (we can use the school's ice) and get everything ready for the pizza
dinner, it would be great. If you would be willing to help on this, please let me know. Thanks to Martha Cooper,
Mike Mitchell and Sheila Frost who have volunteered.
> 3 people - help with setting up icing drinks and serving students
> Anyone interested in stage set up, we could use help with this as well but most importantly above. Your time
commitment would only be about an hour unless you want to stay for the concert.
CONGRATULATIONS PERCUSSION, JAZZ ENSEMBLE, BRASS QUARTET, SYMPHONIC AND WIND
ENSEMBLE MEMBERS ON A FANTASTIC CONCERT!
Here’s a note from our superintendent, Dr Jones and our principal, Mr Byrd:
From: Jones, Toni
Sent: Friday, December 07, 2012 7:11 AM
To: West, Mary Jo
Subject: Awesome!
As always, the concert was FABULOUS!!!!!!
Thank you so much for sharing all of your talents with us! J
From: Byrd, Tyrone
Sent: Thursday, December 06, 2012 11:01 PM
To: West, Mary Jo
Great job tonight. The show was amazing as usual!!!
The Falls Church City TV Access Channel has recorded the concert and it is available at the link below. It is not
edited, but here’s the entire concert:
http://youtu.be/JAEdQxqVppg
Here’s better sound quality from a parent recording of just the wind ensemble:
BAND___0053.wma
DISTRICT BAND AUDITIONS!
On Saturday, December 9th, District Band Auditions were held at West Potomac High School. The auditions
consisted of major and chromatic scales, prepared etudes and sight-reading. Students competed from Fairfax
County and Alexandria City. The competition was rigorous. Congratulations to the students who auditioned
and also to those who made it into the ensembles! District Band is held at Hayfield High School on January 31,
February 1st and 2nd. The culminating concert is held on Saturday afternoon. Conductors for these
ensembles are selected from across the country. Admission is free!
CONGRATULATIONS DISTRICT BAND MEMBERS!!!!!
DOMINIQUE BARNA – FLUTE MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND
CRAIG FISCHER – CLARINET MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND
LACEY LINDQUIST – CLARINET MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND
MICAH AYRE – CLARINET MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND
YEAL COHEN - CLARINET MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND
BHASKAR SINGHVI – BASS CLARINET ALTERNATE –MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND
CINDY LAY – BASSOON MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND
SIANA HINSZ – BASSOON MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND
LUCY HOAK – FRENCH HORN MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND
SAM UPDIKE – FRENCH HORN MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND
NATHAN SPERRY – FRENCH HORN MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND
CHRISTIAN AUTOR – TRUMPET ALTERNATE MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND
TIMOTHY GILMOUR - EUPHONIUM MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND
NATHAN FROST – CLARINET WIND ENSEMBLE
LAUREN BOWLING– CLARINET SYMPHONIC BAND
ALYSSA FORBES– OBOE SYMPHONIC BAND
RACHEL CROXTON– TRUMPET SYMPHONIC BAND
ADA HAENSEL– TRUMPET – SYMPHONIC BAND
MAX HENDRICKS– EUPHONIUM – SYMPHONIC BAND
A HEARTY CONGRATULATIONS TO THE STUDENTS WHO AUDITIONED!!!
Lindsay Fedder, Michelle Kim, Neal Marshall, Kate Karstens, Peter Haensel, Michael Addo-Ashong, Nathan
Sese, Gwen Pasch, Claire Schmidt, Arjeet Sensharma, Matteo D’Agostino, Justin Trainor, RJ Martinez, Dave
McAllister, Diana Kim, Kalila Zackrison
ORIGINAL COMPOSITIONS BY GMHS SELECTED FOR PERFORMANCE IN VERMONT!
GEORGE MASON HIGH SCHOOL IB MUSIC announces that Carrie Gudenkauf and Tyler Waters have
been selected to have their original music compositions “Historiography” and “Brother, Brother”
selected to be performed by the Vermont Symphony musicians at Elley-Long Music Center at Saint
Michael’s College in Colchester, VT on Monday, January 7th at 6:30 pm. Both Tyler and Carrie are seniors who
entered their compositions in Opus 25, a concert of original student compositions performed by professional
musicians. Over 50 compositions were submitted in the competition featuring various instrument combinations
with brass, percussion, piano and voice. 20 compositions were chosen.
The IB Music students are part of over 7,000 students from 62 schools throughout Vermont, homeschooled
students, and a few out-of-state schools (Connecticut, Indiana, and Virginia) currently participating in this unique
program which imbeds music composition into the lives of students. The program has connected student
composers with professional composers in an online mentoring website for feedback and discussion about their
work since 1995. Carrie and Tyler will be interacting with the Vermont symphonic musicians via SKYPE as the
prepare for the performance on January 7th. The performances of these compositions can be found on musiccomp.com
HOLIDAY PERFORMANCES IN THE COMMUNITY BY THE JAZZ ENSEMBLE, BRASS AND CLARINET
QUINTETS
THIS WEDNESDAY (TOMORROW)
BRASS AND CLARIENT QUINTET
WHO: SCA Community Outreach Committee
WHEN: Wednesday, Dec 12 3 – 4 pm
WHERE: Sunrise Retirement Center (Need to provide your own transportation)
WEAR: Nice clothes See Hannah Beaman for more details. Service hours provided.
THIS THURSDAY!!!!!
JAZZ ENSEMBLE AND BRASS/CLARINET QUARTET
WHO: Falls Church News Press Party
WHEN: Thursday, December 13th
 Brass Quartet 5:45 – 6:15 pm
 Jazz Ensemble 6:15 – 7:00 pm ARRIVE AT 6 PM TO SET UP
 Clarinet Quintet 7:00 – 7:20 pm
WHERE: 222 N. Washington St., next to the State Theatre
You will need to provide your own transportation to the event as well as bring your own
amps/drumsets/keyboards, etc!!!
WEAR:
Nice Clothes (FOOD PROVIDED)
THIS SUNDAY!
BRASS AND CLARINET QUINTETS
WHO: Sacred Well Yoga
WHEN: Sunday, December 16th from 3:15 – 3:45 pm and 4:00 – 4:30 pm
WHERE: In the Panera Building
WEAR: Nice clothes
JAZZ ENSEMBLE
WHO: SENIOR CENTER PERFORMANCE BAND TSHIRT
WHEN: Tuesday, December 18th
 Leave GM at 11:30
 Perform from 11:45 – 12:30
 Lunch at a local restaurant 12:30
 Arrive back at school no later than 1:15 pm
WHERE: Community Center at 223 Little Falls Street, FC (Contact Tracey Browan)
703-248-5020 Tracy Browand [TBrowand@fallschurchva.gov]
WEAR: PEP BAND T SHIRT
BRASS QUINTET
WHO: IB FORUM for graduated IB diploma candidates
WHEN: Thursday, January 3rd
 Arrive 6:30 pm Play 6:40 – 7:10 pm in the auditorium
WHERE: GMHS AUDITORIUM
WEAR: Nice ClothesNinja Warrior Contest
VCU FESTIVAL OF WINDS AND PERCUSSION - SIGN UP NOW!
The VCU festival is the oldest and largest of its kind in Virginia and has served as a model for many others
across the U.S. It is on Saturday, January 19, 2012 at the W. E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts, 922
Park Avenue in Richmond. Check-in is between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m. in the Singleton Center lobby. Then, from
9:00 through the rest of the day, we rehearse sections of that evening's concert, which will be given in the Sonia
Vlahcevic Concert Hall located inside the Singleton Center. The concert will be open to the public. The brass
and percussion concert begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by the woodwind concert at 7:00. There will be clarinet,
flute, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, horn and low brass choirs, and double reed and percussion ensembles, all
under the direction of our VCU artist instrumental faculty.
The festival is presented by the VCU Department of Music. With both lunch and supper provided, the fee for the
day’s instruction and materials is $30.00. Dress for the concert is coats and ties for gentlemen and
correspondingly nice dresses or pants outfits for ladies. There will be a place to change before the concerts.
Please bring your own folding music stand, your instrument, and a pencil. Please let Ms West know if you are
interested.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE FOR BAND ASSESSMENT
February and March – DISTRICT ASSESSMENT REHEARSALS
Wednesday, Jan 9
Ensemble
Symphonic/Contract/Wind
Wednesday, Jan 16
Wind Ensemble 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Wednesday, Jan 30
Symphonic/Contract/Wind Ensemble
3:15 – 5:30 pm
6:30 – 8:00 pm
Wednesday, February 6
Symphonic/Contract/Wind Ensemble
2:00 – 4:30 pm
Tuesday, February 12th
Wind Ensemble Rehearsal
3:15 – 5:30 pm
Thursday, February 14th
PREFESTIVAL CONCERT
7:00 – 8:00 SB 8:00 – 9:30 WE
Thursday, February 21
Wind Ensemble Rehearsal 7:30 – 9:00 am
Tuesday, February 26th
Symphonic Band Rehearsal
Wednesday, February 27th
Wind Ensemble Final Rehearsal
Fri, Mar 1st or Sat, Mar 2nd
Assessment Details TBA
3:30 – 4:30 pm
3:30 – 5:00 pm
District X Band
Music Dept Trip- New York City Sat, April 20 – Monday, April 22
Thursday, May 16 & Friday, May 17
Monday, May 27th
JV SHOW
MEMORIAL DAY PARADE LINE UP AT 1 PM/
PARADE AT 2 PM
Thursday, May 30
Spring Band Concert
(After school rehearsals for Symphonic Band on May 22 and 28 (3:15 – 4:30 pm). Wind Ensemble
rehearsals on May 23rd and 29th. (3:15 – 5:30 pm )
Wednesday, June 12
HS Graduation at Constitution Hall
HUGE THANK YOU TO THE PARENTS W HO HELPED WITH THE CONCERT, AS WELL AS ALL THE TUX
AND GOWN FITTINGS!!!!
IT TAKES A VILLAGE AND WE SO APPRECIATE YOUR HELP!
THANK YOU PARENTS FOR ALL YOU DO TO MAKE THE GMHS BAND PROGRAM A SUCCESS!!! Your
support makes all the difference in the world! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!!!
Mary Jo West
GMHS Bands/IB Music/Department Chair
National Board Certification
George Mason High School
7124 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, VA 22043
(703) 248 - 5500 x3019
(703) 248 - 5533 FAX