This event will take place on Monday, February 26, 2024
This year, we welcome you to nominate your students for our 55th annual Junior High Honor Band Festival taking place on Monday, February 26, 2024.
The Junior High Honor Bands are composed predominately of outstanding seventh, eighth and ninth grade students from the area. Students selected to participate will receive confirmation of their acceptance into this festival by February 19, 2024. The day will begin at 8:30 am and will culminate in a free concert presented at 4:00 pm in the Marshall Performing Arts Center by the Junior High Honor Bands.
We are planning on two bands this year. The Gold Band will be made up of the finest Junior High/Middle School students nominated. Conductors for this year's festival: TBD.
Our Honor Band Philosophy
The purpose of this festival is to give the best students in your program a chance to participate in an ensemble that not only performs well but provides the students an opportunity to learn more about music and hopefully inspire them to become more excited about music. While we want bands that play well at the concert, we are more concerned about what your students learn while they are here at UMD. The level of performance does not always reflect what has been learned. Having said that, I would like you to consider the following when you are nominating your students.
- Nominate only those who you know have achieved a level of skill beyond beginner level.
- Please nominate students who have good attitudes and want to learn.
- Please nominate students who want to work hard.
- Nominate those who will appreciate the opportunity you/we are providing them and want to take their experiences back home to help improve your program.
The nomination process will be the same as in past years. First, please nominate your finest students for the Gold Band. Those students who are nominated for the Gold Band but not accepted will be placed in the Maroon and White Bands. You should nominate students who you know are not ready for the Gold Band to the Maroon and White Bands nomination sheet. I'm sure you will nominate only those students you know are deserving of this honor and are willing to come to work hard and learn. Also, please nominate only those students who you know are interested in coming and will be able to come if selected.
For more information, please go to the UMD HONOR BAND Web Site
https://z.umn.edu/2023JHHB
Festival Day
Monday, February 26, 2024
Nominations are now CLOSED
Annual Junior High Honor Band Festival - Monday, February 26, 2024.
HOW TO NOMINATE
This year we are requesting that all nominations for the Junior High Honor Band be done online at our UMD Bands web site. Please if at all possible try to use this method of submitting nominations.
We would appreciate this very much!
Please be specific about percussionist's strengths (timp, mallets, snare, etc.) and also indicate whether the baritone players read bass clef or treble clef.
Please nominate only students who have expressed an interest in participating and who can guarantee that they will attend if selected. We would like to make this event as musical and memorable as possible, so a commitment is essential.
Entry Deadline: Monday, February 12, 2024
Acceptance Notification: Monday, February 19, 2024
To allow us time to form a balanced instrumentation of excellent ability, please complete the online nomination form by Monday, February 12, 2024. We will notify you by Monday, February 19th as to which of your students will represent your school. No music will be sent out to you this year. We will pick appropriate music that can be learned in the given amount of rehearsal time. Although we are not always able to use all of the nominees in the honor band, all of your applicants are welcome as "listening and learning" participants in the festival. We look forward to hearing from you.
A registration fee of $10.00 per accepted student will be charged in order to help defray expenses (music, postage, student help, printing, etc.). Directors, please collect your students’ fees and bring one check the morning of registration (credit card payments are not currently possible)
Documents, Festival Information, Honor Band Up Dates
All documents, information, and updates for the Junior High School Honor Band Festival will appear here as more information is made available.