STATE here we come!

The amount of pride that I had on Friday as we performed on Stage at Gadsden High School and as I read the scores to our students afterwards is beyond description. A HUGE Congratulations is in order for the members of the ZEJH band that participated in District Assessment and received Superior ratings, which qualified them to move on to State! This is truly a great accomplishment, even more than you realize! Dr. Buck, also a former junior high band director stated, "I have state contest programs from every year dating back to 1956. I can find no record of a junior high band from this entire county performing at state contest other than performances by Talladega Jr. High in 1964 and 1965."

After working out a few kinks we have a spot and will travel to Briarwood Church in Birmingham, AL on Monday, March 2nd to perform at 1:00 p.m, yes, that is a week from tomorrow. All information will go out in class tomorrow! Due to honor band and other conflicts we have limited rehearsal time before the 2nd. Please use your time wisely and practice at home.

I am so proud of the accomplishments of our students and look forward to what they have to offer not only at Zora Ellis, but as they move on to the high school band next year. The Talladega High School Band also received superior ratings and will travel back to Gadsden on March 4th for State.

This will also be my first trip to state contest, as a director. I am so proud to be able to share this experience with such a great group of students. It is something I will treasure forever!

HONOR BAND AUDITIONS!

REMINDER!

Honor band auditions are on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009 at Talladega High School. They begin at 4:00 p.m.

Please turn in $5.00 audition fee ASAP.

Set up a time to pass off your scales for Ms. Todd before Tuesday.

Check your schedule. If you have a conflict with the clinic held on Feb. 27-28. You should not audition.

If you have questions about requirements see Ms. Todd.

Attention 8th graders!

8th grade band students,
The THS band and the Band Boosters of Talladega would like to invite you and your family to a BBQ dinner to get to know you and welcome you as an upcoming 9th grader. Mr. McDaniel will be available to answer questions and offer information about the outstanding band program at Talladega High School. This is a great time to learn a little more about the band and what is required as a member. I hope that you take advantage of this opportunity.

Location: Talladega High School Lunchroom
Admission: Free
Date: Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Time: 6:00-7:30pm

I will send home a handout and get numbers from you soon.

Band Practice...

We will have band practice for District Band on Thursday, Feb. 12th, after school until 4:30 p.m.

Please recall the rules on rehearsals and grading.

A detailed handout and permission slip will be given at this rehearsal for the district band trip.

See you there!

We are proud of you!

After two long weeks of hard work and the addition of new material, the Ellis Emeralds, Dega Darlins Addition and Dega Darlins traveled to Oak Grove, Alabama, on Saturday, February 7, 2009, for their second winter guard compeition of the season. The excitement of each group being promoted to the next classification and the anticipation to see where they would stack up against the competition proved to be a very rewarding wait. Each group had an outstanding performance.

The Ellis Emeralds came in a close 3rd, proving that no challenge was too much. The challenge of competing with several high school groups was something they were willing to take on full force and do with success.

The Dega Darlins Addition (a group of all 9th graders) competed in the Scholastic B classification where they were awarded 2nd place for their efforts.

The Dega Darlins astounded the competition and very proudly took 1st place under their new classification, Scholastic AAA.

For more information, pictures, and accomplishments please visit the indiviual group blog by clicking on the groups name.

The Ellis Emeralds, The Dega Darlins Addition and The Dega Darlins

District Honor Band

Cate Joseph was selected and attended district II honor band on Friday Feb. 6th, at Gadsden State Community College in Gadsden, AL.

What a great accomplishment as a beginning band student. Keep up the good work!

Hard work pays off!

A long trip, 12 major scales, 3 prepared pieces, sight-reading and a nervous wait led to great news for our very own Cate Joseph. We are very proud of her for trying out for the Alabama All-State band, especially since she is a beginning oboe player. What a great goal so early in a musician's life. I am so proud of the hard work that she put forth and the accomplishments that she has made so far. As a result of trying out for All-State, Cate Joseph was selected to participate in the District Honor Band that will be held in Gadsden, Alabama this weekend.

What a great representation of our band and our School!