These trips are priviledges for which our students meet the following requirements: 90% achievement
1) Smartmusic assessment (*TBA)
2) Excellent ATTENDANCE
3) Academics: 3.0 grade point average
4) Fees (usually paid in installments) which can be offset by fundraising. Our Music Boosters invite all interested parties to attend meetings held (usually the 2nd Wednesday) monthly where we discuss trips, plans, fundraising, etc.
Last year's District Festival (Littlerock High School)/Disneyland Festival trip cost $150 per person. The Smartmusic assessment was McBeth's "Chant and Jubilo" and bandmembers had 3.0 gpa requirements (see above). This year's festival trip (Hawaii) also had Smartmusic assessment and gpa requirements. Students auditioning for honor groups (i.e. WIBC & Rose Parade) do Smartmusic so we're spending much time getting the word out about BHS Band using Smartmusic.
*Smartmusic is computer software that many band directors use for teaching music concepts & recording school bands. It's helpful al so for demonstrating classical/jazz/misc. styles with either piano accompaniment or band accompaniment or whatever medium was used to make the audio file. Our BHS Band members performing in the 2009 Tournament of Roses Parade earned spots as well as our WIBC (Seattle honor band) participants based on Smartmusic assessment. Teachers who use Finale (notation software) make school band pieces available for members to learn/practice/test music using any web-connected computer running Smartmusic.
Note: all out-of-state travel requires school board approval.
On Thursday,
March 5, 2009, the SSUSD school board approved the Hawaii 2010 trip.
The Spring 2010 band trip was a Hawaii Festival trip which cost $2,000 per person. A $200 deposit was due April 15 from every applicant (band, choir or orchestra member). More info available via this link. The next trip to Hawaii is proposed to be Spring Break 2014 (pending school board approval).
Below is a video sample of the 2010 Hawaii trip (high-speed internet recommended)