Brookland Bearcat Band

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ASBA Honor Band, 2016 Tuesday night, Brookland High School Band students travelled to Searcy to compete for spots in the ASBA Honor Band. 16 students were selected, including 6 first chairs, plus 5 alternates, for a total of 21 selected:


Flutes: Brent Cochran, 4th; Hailey Ratley, 9th; Winter Hicks, 12th
Oboe: Adam Baxter 1st
Bassoon: Ethan Nelms, 1st
Clarinet: Dylan Lane 1st, Dylan Wallis, 11th, Drew Daniels, 16th, Abeer Aljaad, 17th; Taylor Mosbey, 1st alternate; Parker Odom, 2nd Alternate
Bass Clarinet: Tyler WEaver, 2nd
Alto Sax: Tyler Ballard, 2nd alternate
Tenor Sax: Nathan McMinn, 1st alternate
Baritone Sax: Ethan Scurlock, 1st
Trumpet: Zach Proctor, 4th
F-Horn: Olivia Langner, 2nd
Trombone: Katelyn Ratley, 1st; Carson Woodard, 1st Alternate
Baritone: Tim Casey, 1st
Percussion: Creed Edgar, 10th

These students will be perfroming a concert in Pangburn, Arkansas on April 2, 2016 under the conducting of Dr. Albert Nguyen of the University of Memphis.

BEARCAT BAND 2016 - ALL SUPERIOR REGION ASSESSMENT!!!!

Allied Honor

Sinfonia VI

Variants

Judge 1 
Janet Granderson says....

" Fundamentally accurate! A Very music performance! Work on a bit more energy to some of the louder dynamic levels - just do it with control. Thank you for your preparation for today's performance. A very mature sounding ensemble - enjoyed hearing you play!

Judge 2
Joe Trusty says...

"Good! Very well taught musicians. Great sounds, wonderful balance blend and tuning. [regarding musical effects:] Incredible!. Thank you! This was wonderful.



Judge 3
Ron Smith says...

"OUTRAGEOUS!!!!"

"BRAVO!"

"VERY PROFESSIONAL!"



Sight-reading judge

Mark Bailey says, " Good looking group. Very focused. Good prep time usage. Nice job identifying melodies and articulation. Great start... BEAUTIFUL ensemble sound! Ok, it makes my job difficult when everything is played so nicely. The only complaint (take it with a grain of salt :-) is the trumpets were a little over balanced during the brass choir section.. The melody was in the low brass and horn. Everything else was so nice....GREAT READING! I enjoyed it.

Mr. Hogard says....

I have never had so much fun standing in front of and conducting a band in a concert in my entire 26 year career. You people were amazing. I listened to the recordings after you left the band room Saturday evening and was so moved by Sinfonia VI that I actually welled up a little. The march made me proud and I wanted to stand and shout at the end of Variants. 


This was not the first time Brookland has made all 1's at assessment - that was in 2014. I do hope you will remember, though, that we only played TWO tunes that year because of the weather. This is the first time that we have earned all Superiors while performing the entire required 3 peices. This was also the first time that this band has ever competed by performing three grade 3 pieces. For those of you who don't know, we are only required to perform one piece of grade 2 level, leaving the other two to be grade 1 or 2.


After the concert, several people, including Mr. Ken Hatch (ASU), Dr. Bruce Faske (ASU), Dr. Sarah Labovitz and Dr. Tim Oliver, Ms. Ladonna Gibson, and others came to congratulate the band before they even knew the ratings. Mr. Steve Warner sent a text reading "Awesome concert! I am proud...of your students."


This was by far the best concert I have ever conducted and I have so many people to thank:


Mr. Tyler Worsham. I don't know how we could have gotten this all done with out him.

Mr. Monty Hill (Lyon College), Dr. Tim Oliver (ASU), Dr. Sarah Labovitz (ASU), and Steve Warner (Retired band director) for listening and working with the band and pushing us to hear, play and do things in different ways. 

Steve Warner (again) for holding me together when I was freaking out Friday night.

Ladonna Gibson (AMRO) for stepping from time to time to make comments and to also provide some glue to my spastic psyche.

Allan Cochran (booster president and band dad) for driving the truck to assessment. 

All the band family and friends who came to support us at our performance. 


I am not even going to begin to list particular students who put in work and had input on things that I was not hearing or aware of. I can't name them for fear of leaving someone out...so I will name every student:


Flute: Brent Cochran, Hailey Ratley, Zach Gibson, Winter Hicks

Oboe: Adam Baxter and Nikkolette Perkins

Bassoon: Ethan Nelms

Clarinet: Dylan Lane, Abeer Aljaad, Drew Daniels, Dylan Wallis, Taylor Mosbey, Jarred Harrison, Parker Odom, Joseph Erickson, Pamela Leonard, Colby Shortnacy

Bass Clarinet: Tyler Weaver

Alto Sax: Tyler Ballard and Ben Robison

Tenor Sax: Nathan McMinn

Baritone Sax: Ethan Scurlock

Trumpet: Zach Proctor, Jodie Seaborn, Alex White, Ben Pierce, and Daniel Pasmore

F-Horn: Olivia Langner

Trombone: Katelyn Ratley, Nathan Lamb, Jacob Scallion, Lucas Heer, Dylan Neff

Bass Trombone: Carson Woodard

Euphonium: Tim Casey and Breanna Condon

Tuba: Casey Smith, Brice Vaughn, and Amanda Tyler

Percussion: Creed Edgar, Brianna Gibson, Cynthia Hearring, Zack Rucker, Cole Layne, Leo Montgomery, Jacob Easley, Nick Gregory, and Skyler Coleman


I love you all. Thank you for making my life a little sweeter.




Merit Charts

Most Awards for the Bearcat Band are awards that any student can earn if they seek to earn them. The Bearcat Band Award system is based on earning merits. On this page, you can find links to how to earn merits for each award at each grade level. 

There are three levels of awards that Bearcat Band students can earn based on merits.

The Musicianship Award - This award consists of a certificate. It can be earned by meeting minimal expectaions for members of the Bearcat Band. 

TheMusical Achievement Award - This student earns the Musicianship Award certificate, a Musical Achievement certificate and a pin. This award can be earned by every student who earns above minimal expectations and maybe does a little bit more, like attending concerts for other musical groups, writing papers, buying CD's, etc. 

The Musical Excellence Award - This award consists of everything the Musical Achievement Award recieves, plus the Musical Excellence plaque. This is for those students who reach for the highest expectations and pushes beyond the scope of the classroom.

The Outstanding (Woodwind, Brass, Percussion) Award - This plaque is given to 7th and 8th grade students and usually only given to one student in that section of the band. It is based on several considerations, including lines and scales passed, merits, demonstration of Musical Leadership; etc. Students must have been in the Brookland Band all year to earn this award.

The Director's Award - This award is a nationally recognized award and goes to a Junior Band student who has shown leadership over the course of their  7th and 8th grade band years. Average Merits for 7th and 8th grade years account for 1/2, and Average band grade for 7th and 8th grade years counts for 1/2. The tie breaker will be grade in 8th grade, then merits 8th grade, then grade in 7th grade. Students must have earned the Musical Achievement Award or higher in either the junior and senior year. 

The Outstanding Marcher Award - This certificate will be given to one student in each class (9th, 10th, 11th, 12th) as voted on by the students at the end of the marching season. Students are automatically disqualified if they have unexcused absences from any marching band rehearsal or performance. 

The Brookland Academic Award - This award is given by the school and will be given to the student with the highest GPA in each class: Beginning Band, Junior Band, High School Band, Jazz Band and Music Theory. 

The Special Service Award - There are several ways to earn this Certificate, including learning and performing on a new instrument that is necessary to the success of the band for the current year; being involved in another school activity, and, while they may not be able to be at all rehearsals, having perfect attendance to all band performances (including pep rallies); anything Mr. Hogard deems as going above and beyond the call of being in band.

The Esprit de Corps Award - is a pin given to high school band students who are dedicated to band. While they may be involved in other activities, these students have perfect attendance to all band performance and rehearsals, no discipline issues in band class (including excessive tardies) or rehearsal, and are involved in at least one fund-raiser. These students must be enrolled in 5th period band class (no exceptions) and they must have fewer than 10 tardies throughout the school year.

The Outstanding (Freshman, Sophomore, Junior) Award - This plaque is given to one student in the named class. Selection for this award is based on a combination of merits (51%) and leadership points (49%) as voted on by the students.  Students must have been in the Brookland Band all year to earn this award. 

The AMRO Award -  This medal is given to the two seniors with the most merits in their senior year and who have earned the Musicianship Award or higher in every grade they have been a member of the Bearcat High School Band. It will not be given to the winners of the John Phillip Sousa, Leadership, or Governor's Award winners. 

The Governor's Award - This Medallion is recognized by the state and is not given every year. It will be calculated based on average grade in high school band and average merits in high school band. Ties will be broken by student leadership votes. To be eligible must have been in the High School band for at least the full Junior and Senior years to recieve this award and earn at least the Musical Achievement award their senior year. 

The Student Leader Award - This award is given to a Senior as voted on by the students of the High School Band. It is based on the student vote, but students may not win this award and the John Philip Sousa Award.  Students must have been in the Brookland Band all year to earn this award.

 The John Philip Sousa Award - This award is a nationally recognized award and goes to a Senior who has shown leadership over the course of their Junior and Senior years. Student leadership votes count for 1/3 of this score, Average merits for their 11-12 grade years count for 1/3, and average band grade for the 11-12 grade years counts for 1/3. The tie breaker will be Senior grade, then Senior Merits, then Junior Grade. Students must have earned the Musical Achievement Award or higher in either the junior and senior year. 

The Senior Plaque - This award is, in my estimation, the hardest to earn and the highest honor. It is given to all Seniors who graduate as members of the Brookland Bearcat Band. Students who drop and come back, must have served at least 1 full year as a member of any high school band prior to dropping. Students who start band at a later age must have attained a level that would allow them to perform with the high school band on the final concert.