User:Poxywallow/Beavercreek Band

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The Beavercreek Band (also known as 'BHS Instrumental Music Department') is one of three groups constituting the Music Department of Beavercreek High School, located in Beavercreek, Ohio. In addition to the band, there are the Drill Team and Choir. The Beavercreek Band consists of four concert band ensembles, two jazz performance ensembles, one pep band, one marching band, one Color Guard team, one Winter Guard team, and one Winter Percussion ensemble. ^[1] The Beavercreek Band involves roughly 300 or more students on a yearly basis in one or more of these activities. Doug McCullough is the director of bands.

Overall, the Beavercreek Band is one of the most successful band programs in the state of Ohio. It has earned the highest rating at the Marching Band State Finals for over twenty consecutive years, making it one of OMEA's longest-standing "Superior"-earning bands. Its Jazz Bands earned consistent top spots during the competitive 2009-2010 season. It has students qualify regularly for Honor Bands, such as the Ohio University Honor Band. The band also sponsors The Weekend of Jazz the first weekend of every March. ^[2]

Facilities and Upkeep

The band is funded through a booster club (Beavercreek Music Parents Association), which derives most of its funding from the two annual fundraisers and concession stand sales throughout the athletic seasons. The BMPA is responsible for funding all normal upkeep costs, except for building and stadium maintenance. This includes purchasing instruments and equipment, maintenance of the band truck, and similar expenses.

Its facilities are comprised of a Music Department Wing (shared with the choir); Frank Zink Field at Miami Valley Hospital Stadium, which is an artificially turfed football stadium; a painted parking lot; and transportation vehicles (such as a set of a semi-tractor and a towing trailers). The Music Department Wing has four single-sized practice rooms, one double-sized room, one choir room (capacity 150), one band room (capacity at 250), and several storage rooms. The football stadium was renovated for approximately $2M in 2008 with funds from its namesake, Miami Valley Hospital^[3]; the band has its own private set of stands at the north side of the field for easy access to the field for its pre-game, halftime, and post-game shows. The east-side parking lot (also known as the PSEO Lot) is reserved for the marching band from 4:30-6:30PM, Tue-Thur beginning on the first day of school and ending the first Thursday of November. It is also reserved for special summer usage for practice. The semi-tractor trailer is used for towing wind instruments, certain drumline instruments, sideline carts, uniforms, and similar items for contests and special performances, and the towing trailer is used to transport sideline equipment, an ATV, and a portable podium on which the drum major stands.

Marching Band

The marching band is the most public ensemble within the Beavercreek Band. With a membership averaging 200 members, it qualifies for the highest class of band divisions for OMEA and Mid-States Band Association ^[4], the resident competition sponsors for its locality, and performs over twenty times annually. Since 1988, the marching band has played "pop/rock" styled shows, including such artists as Sting, Led Zeppelin, U2, Carlos Santana, and Chicago. ^[5] It is comprised of a marching instrumental ensemble, a marching color guard, a marching drumline, and a stationary sideline/accessory section.

The band is organized under a hierarchy of authority. At the top are directors, followed by staff members, drum major, band leaders, then band members. In 2009, Beavercreek City Schools hired two teachers who joined Matt Frost as Assistant Directors. 2010 directorship was: Doug McCullough - Director; Matt Frost - Assistant Director; Michael Bisig - Assistant Director; Aaron Jacobs - Assistant Director; and Rachelle Navarro - Color Guard Director. Staff includes alumni of the band program. Notable staff members are Jeff Sydelko, who is also the website manager and "tech guru" of the band, and Kristen Ake, who joined the team in 2006. These two are the longest-serving staff members. The drum major is considered part of the leadership team, and is considered to be the overall head of this group of students. In addition to being responsible for conducting throughout the show, the Beavercreek drum major is considered the "poster child" of the band. The band leaders are a group of roughly twenty students who comprise the "leadership team". Interviews and auditions help McCullough to choose these students. Positions within the leadership team are: section leader, service crew leader, and drum major. Section leaders are in charge of overall marching and playing quality from their respective instrument sections; service crew leaders are responsible for logistical preparation for band contests and positions include a Truck Crew Captain, Setup Crew leader, Uniform Committee chair, Librarian, Historian/Publicity Chair, and Cleanup Committee chair.

In 2006, the band announced that a new form of experimental leadership would be implemented for a four year test. This new leadership team would incorporate "marching leaders", who would be responsible for overall visual performance and style of the twenty-plus students in their team (except auxiliary color guard performances) as well as additional service crew leaders. Previous to the implementation of this system, the Truck Crew Captain was responsible for setup, cleanup, and transportation and the Section Leader was responsible for all forms of quality in the section. In the years previous to 2009, there were ten marching leaders, all sharing equal authority with one another. In 2009, however, a new position was formed as a Marching Team Coordinator. In 2009 the position of Historian/Publicity Chair was established. Though its goal remained unfulfilled in that year, the position was retained for subsequent seasons. In 2010, following the test, only the marching leader positions were dissolved, with Section Leaders returned jurisdiction over visual quality.

Band membership is open to any student who has the requisite grade and credit levels and is a member of one of the four concert band ensembles. Color Guard membership is by audition only. The marching band does not utilize "alternates", which is a system in which a cap of marching students is made and students must audition for places on the field. Any student who is scholastically and physically able may march or play with the band. McCullough, when introducing this idea, insinuated that it improved camaraderie and equality in members. In its place, a philosophy of overall character is emphasized. The band relies on the idea that "Success is determined by: Discipline, Citizenship, Dedication, Focus, Unity", which has been imprinted in its pyramid-shaped visual form on the uniforms since 2001.

It would seem that this organization is effective, as the band has qualified for the OMEA State Marching Band Finals since 1987. It has earned the highest rating, "Superior", every year since 1989. In addition, the band has won hundreds of awards in competition, many at competitions as prestigious as the Bands of America Championships and the Vanderbilt Marching Invitational. ^[6]

The marching band goes on a bi-annual Spring Break trip. Although rumours suggested events at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade or the Rose Bowl Parade, the band has historically performed at Disneyland and Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Unlike in-season performances, this trip is not mandatory.

Other Ensembles

In addition to its marching band, the Beavercreek Band offers multifarious ensembles. Each group has its own requirements, and all are led by Doug McCullough, with assistance from other parties.

Its concert bands -- which are a requisite for more popular ensembles -- are divided into four echelons: Varsity Band, Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Wind Symphony. Auditions in the spring determine band placement in the fall. Though most freshmen enter the program through Varsity Band, there are no grade restrictions. Wind Symphony is the most elite ensemble, and it performs, in addition to standard concerts with the other ensembles, at community events. Concert bands play two songs per concert, with three concerts per year. The themes for these concerts are usually: December - Holidays, February - Winter/Pops, and May - Contemporary, though exceptions are not rare. The concert bands were organized with chairs (a listed ranking of playing quality) prior to 2007. Before 2010, auditions for band placement were submitted via casette tape, but this changed with the hiring of two new assistant directors for the Middle Schools. In addition to switching to live auditions, 2010 brought about the reintroduction of chairs as well as the idea of a "section leader" for each instrumental section within the concert bands. How this relates to the marching band's idea of a "section leader" is not known.

Two Jazz Bands are divided into Jazz 1 and Jazz 2 and perform throughout the winter and spring. Auditions are live, with improvisation and playing skills measured. The instrumental arrangement of the bands changes year to year, but generally consists of five saxophones (two alto, two tenor, one baritone), five trumpets, five trombones, a piano, bass, guitar and drumset. A position for a tuba is sometimes considered. These bands perform at various concerts throughout the year (including some of the concert bands' concerts), college jazz contests, and the more prestigious Jazz 1 is the featured ensemble at each year's graduation. Beavercreek's jazz program is regarded as one of the best in the region, and it earns top awards and placements at the adjudicated events it goes to throughout the year. All Beavercreek Jazz ensembles also perform at the annual Weekend of Jazz celebration.

The Winter Guard group is a selection of students not necessarily otherwise involved with the band program. It is a color guard that is funded through the band program and performs at various competitions throughout the winter. They also perform at some winter concert band concerts. It incorporates dance technique, marching, and equipment handling all choreographed to music. Membership within the group is dictated by auditions, with emphasis placed on attitude, effort, and skill level.

The Pep Band is an ensemble open to any student who is a member of a concert band. There are no auditions and requirements for admittance are attendance of two mandatory practices and scholastic eligibility. The repertoire of songs is usually twenty-plus per season, and a major emphasis is placed on the ability to sight read effectively. This group performs at home basketball games for Beavercreek and does not compete. Members of this band are also invited to participate in the University of Dayton's Pep Band for certain games. Matt Frost and Doug McCullough are codirectors for this ensemble.

Hosted Events

Every November, the band hosts the Mid-States Band Association Championships. Because the Championships are so extensive, individual schools can host only specific classes of band, and Beavercreek hosts the AAA rated bands. Though it is a marching band contest, and the marching band performs in exhibition at the end of the qualifying or championship rounds, students from the band program as a whole help in organizing the event. ^[7]

In 2001, the band hosted the first Weekend of Jazz. The Weekend of Jazz is a three day event held the first weekend of every March. Beginning as an event to celebrate the opening of the Beavercreek Alumni Auditorium, it has developed into an annual celebration of Jazz and what it can do for students' lives. Its motto ("Where the future of Jazz meets the Legends of Jazz!") explains the adopted purpose of the event: to introduce Beavercreek students to the most successful Jazz musicians in the world. Beavercreek is one of only two schools in the country to host an event of this type, and travelers have come from as far as Wisconsin to attend. The event is hosted over three nights, beginning on Thursday. The Thursday performances are free and demonstrate the abilities of local, student-age ensembles. College and high school jazz programs send bands, with the featured bands being the Ferguson Middle School and Ankeney Middle School Jazz Bands as well as the host-school's Jazz I and Jazz II. The Friday and Saturday night concerts include famous, world renowned musicians such as Meynard Ferguson and the Woody Herman Orchestra; ticket costs are engineered to cover costs, without profit. Public clinics for students are held on Saturday during the day and are taught by one of the featured artists of that year's show. A list of professional bands to have performed at the Weekend of Jazz includes: