"Africa" recording

Hey band! If you'd like to use the recording "Africa" for reference or playing along over the weekend, here it is:

"Africa" - arr. Ralph Ford

We will be playing this for Band Night, the Homecoming Assembly, and very likely the Homecoming Parade. It does not need to be memorized but it DOES need to be GOOD!

Happy Practicing!

Corn Fest & Homecoming Weekend

Below is our schedule for the Grundy County Corn Festival Parade this Sunday, Sept. 30th. Please eat lunch and drink water before you arrive!

The parade travels from south to north on Liberty St. in downtown Morris. Our band is Unit #50. If you are picking up your student, you must fill out this Parent Release Form (please note - this form is for Activities - it is different than the athletic release form linked from the MCHS homepage!). Form must be completed before Sunday. Pickup will happen at Goold Park (across the street from Morris HS) immediately following our band’s portion of the parade.

12:30 pm - Arrive atschool, change into uniform

12:50 pm - On busses for attendance

2:00 pm - Parade begins

3:20 pm (approx) - Load busses (parent sign-out at busses at this time)

4:00 pm (approx) - Return to MCHS, change out of uniform

Looking ahead to next week…

Monday, Oct. 1 - No evening rehearsal

Wednesday, Oct. 3 - School Day

Students will be released from their 1A class at 8:45 am to attend Band Night rehearsal with the junior highs. (Freshman/sophomore students will be released from class at 8:30 am and will bus over to Central.) Rehearsal will end by 11:00 am and students will be able to attend their regular 3A and 4A classes. (Freshman/sophomore students with 3A and/or 4A at South will be bussed back at this time.)

Wednesday, Oct. 3 - Evening (Band Night)

6:15 pm - Call time (change into full uniform)

7:00 pm - Band Night begins!

8:00 pm - approximate end time

Friday, Oct. 5 - School Day

Wear your orange band t-shirt and athletic shoes to school! Students will be released immediately following 3A and should report to the band room. They will miss all of 4A for rehearsal/assembly prep. We will be performing the first movement of our field show and playing as a pep band at the Friday afternoon Homecoming Assembly in the stadium!

Friday, Oct. 5 - Afternoon/Evening

3:45 pm - Report time for Homecoming Parade (orange band t-shirt and athletic shoes)

4:00 pm - Homecoming Parade performance (parade starts and ends at MCHS)

5:00 pm - Approximate parade end time

6:00 pm - Call time for Homecoming football game

7:00 pm - Normal pregame/halftime performance at football game

Staff will be present and the band room will be open for students who are staying between school and the parade and/or the parade and football game.

We are excited for the busy weeks ahead! Please let us know if you have any questions.

Morton Competition!

Below is the schedule for our competition at Morton High School (350 N. Illinois Ave, Morton IL) on Saturday, September 15th. Please eat a good meal before coming to rehearsal!

11:00 am Rehearsal

2:00 pm Food (snack/lunch break), load equipment

3:00 pm Report to busses for attendance

3:15 pm Depart MCHS

5:15 pm Arrive at Morton High School - unload, bathrooms, dress

6:15 pm Depart for warm-ups

7:15 pm Marching Indians Performance!

7:30 pm Change, load equipment

8:00 pm Return to stadium to eat dinner at concessions and watch other bands

9:00 pm Awards Ceremony

9:15 pm Report to busses, attendance

9:45 pm Depart for MCHS

11:45 pm Arrive at MCHS

Other Info:

• Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students/senior citizens (children 5 and under are free)
• It has been advised that all traffic avoid downtown Morton due to road closures for the Morton Pumpkin Festival
• Concessions are available
• Morton Marching Invitational t-shirts are available for purchase for $15

Please email Mr. Adelmann or Ms. Wych with any questions!

Percussion Lessons

To schedule a percussion lesson, open both the Google Form and the Spreadsheet. The spreadsheet is to make sure you are not requesting a time that someone else has already chosen. Once you know your desired time is free, fill out the Form appropriately. Bookmark these pages for future use! 

Lesson Request Spreadsheet

Lesson Request Form

Email Nick (nmartiniak@mchs.net) with any questions!

CHANGE - Memorial Day Parade

Due to anticipated temperatures tomorrow, attire for Memorial Day will be orange band t-shirts, shorts, and athletic shoes.

Call time remains 8:30 am, and we will be finished by noon.

Please drink lots of water tonight and tomorrow morning!

Show Material!

As promised, here are links to YouTube videos of the source material for our 2018 field show, "Hymns to the Earth". The visual concept will be a "night-to-day" idea, moving from darkness/black and white to a sunrise in full color. We are very excited to begin working with this show, and will make parts available via Google Drive as soon as we receive them from our arranger.

Mvt. 1 - "Ghost Dances" by Roland Barrett (specifically 2:50-4:50)

Mvt. 2 - "There Will Be Rest" by Frank Ticheli 

Mvt. 3 - "Hymn to the Sun with the Beat of Mother Earth" by Satoshi Tagisawa

Band Director Announcement!

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Kyle Adelmann as the newest member of our MCHS music staff! Beginning this fall, Mr. Adelmann will be involved with all four curricular bands (primary director of Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band) as well as teaching Percussion I/II and Music Technology & Keyboarding. He will also serve as lead director for the Marching Indians.

Mr. Adelmann has spent the last eight years of his career at LaSalle-Peru High School, where he teaches Symphonic Band, Percussion Ensemble, AP Music Theory, marching band, and jazz band. In his time at LaSalle-Peru, the band program has over doubled in size, and seen great success both in the concert hall (including performances at the Illinois Music Education Conference and at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts in Urbana, IL) and on the marching band field. Mr. Adelmann earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Music Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, followed by a Masters in Music Education and Conducting from Northern Illinois University. Mr. Adelmann brings to Minooka a wealth of experience in the marching arts - he spent five years as a member of the Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps, has served as Visual Caption Head at Champaign Central High School, Lincoln-Way East High School, Wheaton Warrenville South High School, and Lincoln-Way North High School, has served on the brass staff for the Cavaliers, and has adjudicated marching band contests throughout the state of Illinois.

We are excited to have Mr. Adelmann on board and look forward to all he will bring to the bands and music classes at MCHS!