Band Newsletter #5

Still need “Prop” helpers!
(Contributor: Kami Hettwer)
To Students especially — Please help us locate more volunteers with the props — this is the moving of the gears on and off the field as well as getting one of the best seats in the house while they turn the gears. By extending the invitation to your siblings, their friends, and your friends, we might get the number of volunteers needed. Our first competition is right around the corner and we do not yet have enough to make this work for the marching band.

On another prop note/project, there is a “paint party” that we’d like as much help as possible. It is scheduled for after school, Friday, September 21st — meet in the band area (of course). If we can get enough volunteers, it should probably go pretty fast. These two tasks are very important to the success of this year’s marching theme, so we really need to dig down and pull some of this together, but we can’t do it without everyone’s help. Please contact Kami Hettwer directly at (503) 585-2529 or mkhett@aol.com to let her know that you can help in one way or another. If you can, please bring brushes, gloves, tarps, small buckets (to hold paint), or any other items you know may be useful for the task. Thanks in advance for your contributions of your time!

Adults welcome here for sure! And if you STILL have some energy left or couldn’t help out with the Friday paint party, Mrs. Hettwer and Mr. Rothweiler could sure use help working on the base units for the gears (the part that holds the “gear”). Simple work — attach the hardware and drill larger holes for the bolts to fit/move a little smoother. It will be held at 9:00 a.m., Saturday, September 22nd – again, please contact Kami Hettwer directly at mkhett@aol.com.

“Music Day” – Another huge success! Thank You!
(Contributor: Marianne Stipe, edits by Jesse Seeley)
A huge THANK YOU to all of you that helped make Music Day a success! We could not have raised approximately $20,000 (we don’t have a final figure yet as checks are still coming in) without the help of our many drivers and other volunteers. I am extremely grateful to all of you that gave up your Saturday (September 8th) and to those who gave countless hours beforehand and afterwards! Our students are very fortunate to have such supportive parents. Our Music program benefits from all of us who are involved and I know we are appreciated by both the students and their teachers. And to our students/musicians? What else can we say? You’re the greatest kids in one of the greatest bands of all time! Congratulations to both parents and students!

Upcoming events on the 2007/2008 “Calendar”
(Contributor: Jesse Seeley)
Here’s a look at the “Calendar of Events” that was updated a few weeks back. Looking forward to our FIRST competition on October 6th, the dates/times are included below. There are obviously some conflicts of students taking the SAT the day of October 6th, so please contact Dr. Nail or Mr. Griffiths if you have plans to take your SATs that day (if you have not already done so)—I believe Dr. Nail mentioned at Wednesday evening’s practice (9/19) that our band has a tentative start time of 0945, and it is the Eugene venue at U of O. So again, please contact one of the directors to let them know your availability and intentions for October 6th if you will not be participating at the “Festival of Bands” at U of O.

Pictures of the Marching Band (and other WSHS Events)
(Contributor: Jesse Seeley)
Many already know him from all the different sporting events he has covered over the past years, maybe have seen his picture page in the West Side Newspaper or other publications. While others (especially the “Frosh” parents) have (so far) only seen this guy on the sidelines at the WSHS football games taking pictures with a lens the size OF the football J For those of you who DON’T know who I’m talking about, he is West Salem’s own Joe Gottsch. He USED to be WSHS’ own, but Ray has since graduated. Joe still practices his hobby for your enjoyment and viewing pleasure. If you’d like to see more of the most recent pictures of the marching band and other events around WSHS and West Salem, why not pay this website a visit: http://westsidephoto.smugmug.com/.

Joe can be reached directly by email at jgott13@comcast.net. Visit his website, enjoy the pictures, or simply say “Hi Joe,” or “Thanks.” The website is self-explanatory and you can send Joe emails of any questions you may have. It’s free, but you can always “contribute” to his habit — taking some of the best pictures of your children in the activities they love! Up close, closer than you’ll ever get with that good ol’ disposable for sure J

OSU Celebrates it 117th Year in the Pac-10! Free performance by OSU Marching Band
(Contributor: Dr. Brad Townsend, Director of Athletic Bands, OSU)
I would like to invite you to a free performance by the OSU Marching Band on Friday, September 21 at 4:00 p.m. in Reser Stadium. The band will finish band camp that day and offer a sneak preview of our Pregame show and first halftime show of the season, ³The Wild West.² Songs include ³Home on the Range,² ³Stand by your man², ³Rawhide,² and ³The Magnificent Seven.² The entire OSU Marching Band including the Dance Team and Color Guard along with the OSU Cheerleaders will be featured. Admission is free at gate 7 and gates in the South endzone will be open. Please sit on the West side.
The OSU Marching Band is celebrating its 117th year (oldest in the Pac-10) with release of its first CD of OSU¹s songs and other favorites. You can order online at osubeavers.com or purchase at the OSU Bookstore, Mehlhalf¹s Clothiers in Corvallis or purchase them at the event on Friday. Hope to see you tomorrow! Go Beavs! (More details on OSU Marching Band program can be found at: http://osumb.oregonstate.edu/home.html.

Editor’s Corner: Quote/thought for the week
(Contributor: Well, the “Editor” of this Newsletter J)
I’m going to try something this year that I hope all will enjoy. For lack of a better name for now I’ll call it “Editor’s Corner”. If anyone would like to submit anything for possible inclusion to this newsletter (e.g., an “open letter” to the band, directors, teachers, etc) or a quote you just think everyone would enjoy, submit it directly to me with the subject “Editor’s Corner”. If it is a quote or other referenced material, please supply your source. That’s just a short introduction to this new feature. But here is the quote of the week, but words to live your life by:

“There is no RIGHT way to do a WRONG thing”
Author: Kenneth Blanchard