Islands Fundraiser

The Islands fundraiser is coming up next Tuesday, September 29th and all you have to do is bring your family, friends, neighbors, and generally anyone who could use a good meal, for a night out to eat. Islands will donate 20% of the value of your order to the Folsom High School Music Boosters if you present them with the Booster flyer found on our web site http://www.folsommusic.org/.

See you there!

Extra Marching Band Rehearsal

There will be an extra Marching Band rehearsal on Saturday, October 10th from 8:00 am to noon. Make sure to mark your calendars!

Marching Band Photos - Really

Really...the Marching Band photo will be taken Friday, October 9, 2009 at 7:30 am. No, really, it will be. :)

Way To Go Jessica Lawson!

For those of you who don't know her yet, Jessica Lawson is a third-year Color Guard member. Jessica has been concerned about the ongoing budget problems that our school district faces and the affect that has and will have on the Folsom High School Music program. She decided to take matters into her own hands, put on her fundraising hat, and attended the local Folsom Prison chapter of the California Correctional Peace Officers' Association meeting last week.

At the meeting, she requested a donation of $250.00 dollars. She explained to the members of the CCPOA that the music budget had been impacted because of the statewide budget cuts and that our competition budget was also affected. She told them that numerous fundraisers were taking place to fund the travel and food for the Marching Band and Color Guard. During the meeting, the members were so impressed with her presentation that they added an additional $750.00 to her original request, for a grand total donation of $1,000.00 to the Folsom High School Music Boosters fund! Jessica presented the check to the Marching Band at this week's practice.

Thank you Jessica for representing us so well and thank you to the Folsom Prison California Correctional Peace Officers' Association for supporting our cause. Outstanding!

Conquistadors Take the Field

The theme for this year's marching band show is "Conquistadors." Did you ever wonder what goes into the making of our marching band routines? Here is a description from Curtis Gaesser on the making of "Conquistadors":

I try to find pieces that fit together to make a great musical moment, and to flow with tension and release. I spend hours every summer searching for 8 minutes of music that's exciting, challenging, and most of all, music that's pleasing to the ear. The title of this year's show is "Conquistadors." Many Spanish elements make this year's show challenging and exciting. Then once I have chosen the works, I have my friend Kerry Marsh arrange them for me. We collaborate a lot to make sure it's what I want. He truly is a master at arranging. When the music is chosen, I break down the music into counts for the drill writer (Paul). He spends hours using a special program that plots each person and where they go from bar to bar. This is meticulous and a very important element to the entire production. Flag choices, uniforms, props, and so many other factors go into making a great show. Please make sure you come out and support these great kids as we try to produce the best show yet at Folsom High. Curtis

Jazz at Mondavi Center

Check out the Mondavi Center website http://www.mondaviarts.org/ for some great jazz entertainment this season. The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis is playing September 25th. And Sonny Rollins, a great saxophone player for more than 50 years, will be featured in May.

Homecoming Itinerary

You should have received an itinerary by now for the Homecoming Parade and Game this Friday, September 18th. (If not, you can find itineraries throughout the year on the website at www.folsommusic.org.)Students should report to the Band Room no later than 2:30 pm to get dressed and board a bus for Sandra Gallardo Elementary School where we'll line up for the parade. The Band Room will be open at 1:45 pm so your student can come early if they want.

Please note: Students cannot leave campus from 2:30 pm to 10:20 pm for any reason. Thank you!