Descriptions of Annual
Events
August
Summer Marching Band Camp
Marching Band Camp
begins three weeks before school starts, at Chantilly High School. The first two
weeks are 7:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. the third week is
Monday through Friday 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. unless school events prevent this
schedule from happening. Marching Band Camp/Marching Band Participation is
required for all Chantilly Jazz, Workshop Jazz, and Symphonic Winds students.
Marching Band Camp is optional for Concert Band students who may apply for
participation to this group.
Marching Band
All Chantilly Jazz, Workshop Jazz, Symphonic Winds and
Concert Band A students are required to participate in the Marching Band. The
Marching Band will play at home footballs games and two or three major
competitions. Marching Band competitions will occur on Saturdays. Hopefully the
football team is having a winning season and there will play-off games; these
are also held on Fridays or Saturdays. In November at the end of the Marching Band season, there
is an awards banquet for Marching Band members and parents. This banquet is held
at Chantilly High School and is hosted by the Marching Band parents.
September
Tag
Day
This is the first and largest fundraiser of the year. Proceeds go toward
expenses outside what is provide by the Fairfax County School System, i.e.
instruments, equipment, music, trip costs, uniforms.
Annually we earn over $20,000. ALL Band, Chorus, Orchestra, and Color Guard students are expected to
participate. Students will canvas the neighborhoods, within the Chantilly High School
District, in teams of two, riding with a parent driver. Each student team
will receive a map specifying their canvas area. In exchange for a donation to
the Music Department, the students give a TAG or ticket for free admittance to
one of three specific music performances at Chantilly High School. The TOP individual fundraisers receive a
prize.
Senior Regional Orchestra Auditions
Open to Orchestra Band Instruments, auditions are in late
September and the event is in early November. A successful audition qualifies
one to audition for All-State. The Orchestra is comprised of the top Orchestra
Musicians of Fairfax County, which makes the orchestra one of the finest of the
year. For this event top conductors from the nation are brought in for two days
of rehearsal and a performance concert the last evening.
October
Auditions for
Indoor Drum Line
Auditions for pit, percussion
and battery will be held in late October/early November for this class/activity. Competitions
are held on Saturdays
February through April. Practice is usually held two
nights a week and Saturday afternoons.
November
Marching Band
Banquet
The
students, staff and families of the Mighty Marching Chargers gather together to
celebrate the end of the Marching Band Season.
Fall Band
Concert
The Fall Concert is held one
or two evenings in November: usually the second Monday or Tuesday of November.
Participating groups include the Percussion Ensemble, Cadet Band, Concert Band,
and Workshop Jazz, Jazz Band and Symphonic Winds. There may be a nominal charge
at the door for admission. Tag Day tickets are customarily honored at this
concert. Sometimes this concert will be shared with the Choral Department
December
Tiny Tots
Concert
The Tiny Tots concert is held at CHS during the school
day for day care children. Symphonic Winds, Chantilly Jazz
and the Chantilly Jazz Combo participate. The
combined efforts of the Choral, Band and Drama Department will present an
abbreviated form of the Holiday Spectacular. This event usually takes place the
first or second Wednesday in December.
Holiday
Spectacular Concert
The combined efforts of the
Choral, Band and Drama Department will present a two-night
entertainment program geared towards families and the
Holidays. This is a popular program and is usually a sell
out. Tickets go on sale in November. Preparation for this
concert has several combined rehearsals.
January
VBODA/VMEA
All-District
Band Auditions
Auditions for All-District Band are held
the first Saturday we return from Winter Break in January. All
students in the Band program, with the exception of guitarists, bassists and
pianists, are encouraged to audition for the All-District Band (District 12).
Students must register through CHS in December. Requirements are posted in the
Band room. Please bring special physical needs to the attention of the Director.
Auditions are held the first weekend after winter break. Qualification for the
All-District Band may qualify a student to audition for the All-State Band.
February
VBODA/VMEA
All District
Band Event
Participating in the All-District Band is a very high
honor. Students selected for the All-District Band participate in concentrated
practices the first weekend in February on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday ending
with a concert on Sunday. More details about this event can be found on the
All District Webpage.
VBODA/VMEA
District 12 Solo & Ensemble Registration
All students in the Band program, with the exception of
guitarists, bassists and pianists, are encouraged to register for the District
12 Solo and Ensemble Festival. Requirements are posted in the Band room.
Band
Pyramid Concerts
These
evening concerts incorporate the band programs from the Chantilly Area Honor
Band, Franklin Middle School, Rocky Run Middle School and Chantilly High School.
These concerts usually take place the last full week of February. There is no
charge for this concert.
VBODA/VMEA
Virginia All State Band Auditions
A successful audition into this band ranks
as the highest honor a student can achieve as an
individual. Auditions for the All-State Band are usually held the third weekend
in February at James Madison University. A student must earn
a high enough ranking from their All-District Band or Senior
Regional Orchestra audition and attend that event in order
to qualify to audition for Virginia's All State Band.
March
VBODA/VMEA
District 12 Band Festival
The Chantilly Symphonic Winds and Concert Band perform at
this annual festival, the most important performance as a band, which is held on
a rotating basis at three schools within District 12. The students compete for
ratings by nationally acclaimed concert band judges. They also receive a rating
on sight-reading. There is no admission charge. Audition tapes of performances
may be purchased. Parents of performing students are strongly encouraged to
attend this event.
Chantilly
Invitational Jazz Festival
Held annually during the third Saturday of March, this
festival provides an opportunity for middle and high school musicians to share
their music in a competitive environment. Combos and jazz ensembles from
Virginia, Maryland, Tennessee, West Virginia and the District of Columbia have
played at our invitational. A guest ensemble or recognized jazz soloist plays at
this festival as well. More information is provided on the
Chantilly Jazz Invitational Webpage.
Admission to the all-day festival is free.
Spring Trip
The Music
Department annually sponsors a spring trip to participate in competitive band
festivals. These trips provide students an opportunity to perform for a wide
audience and to see other groups from around the country. Previous trips have
included Myrtle Beach, Orlando, New York City, San Francisco and Chicago.
The trip destination is chosen annually, in the fall.
This four-day trip usually
departs on Wednesday evening returning on Sunday. The trip is chaperoned by
Music Boosters parents. The cost of the trip includes transportation by
chartered busses, housing, festival costs, breakfast and dinner each day of the
trip. Students may help defray the cost by participating in various
fund-raisers, See section on Fund-raisers. The main focus is competition
performance but there is free time with scheduled events as well. Fairfax County
school rules apply to all students for the entire length of this trip.
April
VBODA/VMEA
All Virginia Band Event
Those students selected for the All-Sate Band have
concentrated practices on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday before the Virginia
All-State Band Event. The performance is held the first weekend of April.
VBODA/VMEA
District 12 Solo & Ensemble
The festival is for solo and ensemble groups. The
Chantilly groups that participate are contingent on which groups have prepared,
i.e., Flute Choir, Clarinet Choir, Percussion Ensemble. All students are
encouraged to participate. Students prepare for performance in front of judges
for rating on individual merit, and medals may be earned. Students are required
to select and provide their own music. There is a minimal participation fee for
the student; there is no admission fee to listen to performances.
Band
Auditions for the Next Year
April to August is audition time for placement in the
Chantilly Band program for the following school year. Dates will be announced.
Auditions are scheduled through the CHS band office. Course placement will be
made by director’s recommendation to Keith Taylor. All Jazz and Symphonic
Winds placement will be modeled after All Virginia Band, auditions, including
all major scales, chromatic scale, and sight-reading.
Spring Festival Concert and Dinner
As the calendar permits, band and guard students and
their family and friends can participate in a fun evening of dining and musical
performances. Chantilly Jazz, Symphonic Winds, Workshop Jazz, Concert Band,
Percussion Ensemble, Drum Line and Color Guard present their Competition Package
after an enjoyable meal. Tickets are required.
May
Indoor
Guard & Drum Line & Jazz Ensemble Performance
The
Chantilly Indoor Ensembles perform in the Chantilly Gym as a fundraiser and
wrap-up of their respective seasons.
Jazz and
Pizzazz
The Chantilly Jazz and the Touch of Class show choir
combine their talents to bring us four evenings of entertainment. Held mid-May,
seating is reserved and tickets are sold during lunch periods and after school.
This popular event traditionally sells out all performances.
June
Band Awards
and Final Concert
One evening near the end of the school year Band members
and parents assemble for a fun night to perform in concert one last time,
recognize and award outstanding student performance and participation during the
year, show slides of the good times experienced through the year, and to have
fellowship at a reception with food provided by Band parents.
Graduation
Symphonic Winds and selected members from the other bands
will play with the graduating seniors. Seniors are needed to play, however,
their participation is kept to a minimum. The Director will announce
participation.
Uniform and
Tuxedo Collection
Following graduation, uniforms and tuxedos must be
returned in good condition. Numbers in the garments must match those assigned to
each student at the beginning of the year. If any part of the uniform or tuxedo
is lost, you will be responsible for reimbursement, at the price listed in this
handbook. Part of the fee that you paid at the beginning of the year goes toward
the cleaning of uniforms and tuxedos. Cleaning is done during the summer so
uniforms and tuxedos are ready for the next school year. Refer to the Uniform
Section of this handbook.
Music
Collection
At the end of the school year, all sheet music is to be
returned to the Band Director.
Instrument
Collection
Instruments rented from the school are collected before
the end of the school year.
Other
Competitions, Festivals and Events
There are other competitions, festivals, and events that
Chantilly Band groups attend during the year. These programs are subject to
change annually and are chosen by the Director of Bands. Parents will be
notified as events are chosen. The
students may pay travel expenses and/or part of registration fees.
