Newsletters

Bangor Township Band Families - 

We have had a wonderful last couple of weeks. Although the Parkside Mini Golf Fundraiser was rainy at the beginning, much of our community went out and supported our program. The JGHS Marching Band presented a good performance at their first football game, and they will continue to raise the bar. I want to give a special thank you to our parent volunteers who made the football game so smooth and successful. 

Handbook Acknowledgement Signature

There are a few families that did not sign off on the handbook yet. This  on our band website at https://www.btsbands.org/handbooks  

Practice Routine (6th Grade)

An email was sent to families of 6th grade band students regarding students daily band homework: practice. Students should strive to practice each day to develop good habits, as this will help them have a positive experience and grow as musicians. The beginning band continues to impress me, and I look forward to a wonderful school year. 

Playing Tests

8th Grade & High School students have active playing tests that they should be working on preparing and recording. 

GLB Discount Card Fundraiser (All Grades)

For just $30, each card offers valuable discounts at hundreds of popular local restaurants and businesses across the Great Lakes Bay Region. Often, the discount ranges from 10-20%. Cards are active through December 31, 2027, making them a fantastic way to save money while supporting our group!  You do not have to wait until September 18 to purchase, as I will give the students the card as money is collected. 

To check out the list of participating local businesses, you can browse glbdining.com. Do NOT order from the GLB website, as orders placed through their main site will not be credited to our group. To ensure our program receives the proceeds, please order strictly through our official links below or paper form given to your student in class today. All cards are supplied directly through us and will be handed out to the students to bring home upon receiving an order form or we can arrange pick-up.

Our sale is open now through Friday, September 18, 2026. We are accepting and processing orders every day until the deadline, so feel free to send yours in as soon as you are ready!

• Option 1: Order Online by clicking on this form: https://forms.gle/jQuJhyD74VESxzET6

  1. If using online payment, make sure to enter your student's full name at checkout so we know who to give the card to!

• Option 2: Order by Paper Form (Cash or Check)

  1. Complete the order slip students brought home

  2. Put the completed slip and payment (Cash or Check made payable to Bangor Township Schools) inside a sealed envelope.

  3. Clearly write the student's full name and grade on the outside of the envelope and have your child turn it in.

• Option 3: Purchase at the Varsity Football Game on September 18 from band volunteers.

Final Order Deadline: Friday, September 18, 2026

Lastly, students are bringing home a brochure and order form. The company has requested that we return the brochures at the end of the fundraiser, so students can bring those back at the conclusion.

CMMS MSBOA Solo & Ensemble (7th and 8th Grade Band Students)

HERE is information regarding Solo & Ensemble (highly recommended). This event allows 7th and 8th graders to prepare a performance (solo, duet, trio, etc.) for an adjudicator. They will receive both a rating and feedback. The benefits of this event are significant, as students experience considerable growth in just 2 months. I cannot recommend this enough. Registration form and payments are due on September 17, 2026. 

Students will sign-up for rehearsal times after school. Check out these dates on the www.btsbands.org calendar. I will provide sign-ups at a later date. Students are required to attend 1 session every 2 weeks, but are welcome to attend more if they would like. These are open practice sessions where myself and high school students will assist. 

Although I did not mention it on the form, families can also pay online through this link if online payment is preferred over cash or check (students must still submit the paper form as well): https://bangorschools.revtrak.net/CMMS/#/v/CMMS-Band-Fees

JGHS Jazz Band Registration (9-12 Grade Band Students)

We are opening up registration for JGHS Jazz Band for students in high school band class. Rehearsal date and times are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:30-3:30pm, as listed on our calendar. The first rehearsal would be Tuesday, September 29 with less frequent rehearsals scheduled until marching band is over. 

A parent/guardian must register their student for JGHS Jazz Band HERE by Thursday, September 17 in order for their student to be able to participate.

Jazz Band currently has concerts on December 2 at the State Theater, December 9 for Winter Concert, February 4 or 5 for CMU Jazz Festival, March 10 for our March Madness Concert, MSBOA Jazz Festival in mid-March, and the Night of Jazz on May 7.  

MSBOA All State Band Auditions (7-12 Grade Band Students)

MSBOA All State Honors Band audition materials are now available for students interested. This is an optional performance opportunity meant for the advanced, driven band students who practice a lot and need that extra push. This event does not replace Solo & Ensemble, and students who audition for this event should be doing this in addition to Solo & Ensemble (S&E registration will go out this week). 

MSBOA All State Band is a highly selective band that rehearses and performs at the Michigan Music Conference from January 21-23, 2027. If the student is selected, hotel arrangements and participation fee ($80) will need to be made at the expense of the family. Over 2,500 students audition each year throughout the state. It is highly-competitive, but the growth experienced during the preparation is what is taken from this event. The audition materials were emailed - students will need to purchase an etude book for their instrument, listed on the audition packet. You will need to practice a lot for this audition - you cannot prepare last minute and be successful.

This is for the students that want that additional challenge. To be seriously considered for this band, the following are recommended:

• Regular Practice (30-45 Minutes per day)

• Guidance from a Private Lesson Teacher

The form below and the $15 registration fee are due on September 14. 

https://forms.gle/T6mzz4NDAMTXb5uV7

Auditions are October 24 and 25 at Bay City Western High School. Parents would be responsible for transportation. 

Band Calendar

Be sure to review the full season calendar on our website by clicking HERE. I encourage students and families to directly add this to your personal calendar by clicking on the corner of the Google calendar on our page. If you are an Apple user, like myself, you can add a Google Calendar to your Apple calendar by following THIS advice.

Field Trip Eligibility (6-12 Students)

Looking ahead to the end of the year, we are excited to share that a band field trip is in the works! More details will be shared this winter. As a quick reminder, students must follow all school rules and expectations across all classes to remain eligible to attend. Per school policy, receiving 5 office referrals or a suspension will disqualify a student from participating. We hold our band students to a high standard of pride and representation, so we know and hope this won't be an issue for our group. Thank you for continuing to represent our program well every day! 

Upcoming Band Program Events

• Tuesday, September 15 – 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM: JGHS Marching Band Evening Rehearsal

• Friday, September 18 - 3:30 PM - 10:00 PM: Homecoming Parade and Varsity Game (JGHS)

  • Full Schedule for Homecoming Parade and Game HERE

• Monday, September 21 – 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM: JGHS Marching Band Evening Rehearsal

• Monday, September 28 – 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM: JGHS Marching Band Evening Rehearsal

• Monday, October 5 – 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM: JGHS Marching Band Evening Rehearsal

• Wednesday, October 7 - 3:30 - 9:30 PM : Midland Marching Band Showcase (JGHS

  • Full Schedule for Midland Showcase HERE

• Friday, October 9 - 5:30 - 10:00 PM: Varsity Football Game (JGHS)

• Tuesday, October 13 - 5:30 - 10:00 PM: Marching Band Glowshow (JGHS)

  • Event occurs at Meridian Early College High School. There will be an admission cost, and more details will be shared as we get closer. 

• Wednesday, October 14 - 3:30 - 9:30 PM : Midland Marching Band Showcase RAIN DATE

  • This has been on the calendar only as the alternative rain date. If it occured, it would follow the same schedule as October 7 and students would be expected to attend. 

Previous Newsletters

• • August 28

  • July 31