Hofstra University Middle School Honors Band Festival

HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC SYMPHONIC BAND AND WIND ENSEMBLE

is pleased to announce the 7th annual

HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY MIDDLE SCHOOL HONORS BAND FESTIVAL

Peter Loel Boonshaft, conductor
Robert W. Smith, guest conductor

Rehearsal: Thursday, October 22, 2009 (6:00-9:15 pm)
Pre-Concert Rehearsal: Friday, October 23, 2009 (6:30-7:30 pm)
Concert: Friday, October 23, 2009 (8:00 pm)

Hofstra University is pleased to announce the Hofstra University Middle School Honors Band Festival for the fall of 2009. The overwhelming success of last year’s performance has led to the continuation of this extraordinary event. The Hofstra University Symphonic Band invites your school to participate in the 2009 Middle School Honors Band Festival. This event has been designed to enhance the education and development of young band performers while at the same time rewarding their past accomplishments. School districts are invited to recommend up to fifteen seventh-grade performers to participate in this year’s festival.

Those 290 seventh-graders will combine with the 110 players of the Hofstra University Symphonic Band sitting amongst them to form the 400 member Festival Band. On October 23, 2009 this massed band will take the stage of the Hofstra University Arena for a rehearsal of middle school level music featuring the work of world-renowned composer and guest conductor Robert W. Smith, one of the most-performed composers of band music in the world today. In addition to preparing music for the concert, this event will lend itself to reinforcing educational performance concepts and for the demonstration of those concepts by the University Symphonic Band.

Selection: Participating schools, with approval of their school administration, may choose seventh grade students to nominate by any means they wish.Students from other grade levels are not eligible. Final selection will be made by Dr. Boonshaft based on instrumentation. Seating within the massed band will be random; no auditions will be held while the students are on campus.

Fees: There is no fee for participation in this event. Hofstra University will provide all music and percussion instruments.

Teacher Responsibilities: A teacher from each participating school must be present at each rehearsal and the concert. Teachers must create a student permission slip, and allow no student to participate without proper permission and signatures. Teachers will be responsible for each student arriving at the rehearsal with all music completely learned.

Student Responsibilities: Students must provide instruments and a music stand, and be present at each rehearsal for the entire time. No exceptions will be made for any reason. Percussionists must provide their own sticks and mallets.

Concert: The performance will be open to the public free of charge. In that the seating capacity of the Arena is quite large, there is virtually no limit to the number of guests each performer, teacher or school district may invite.

Concert Dress: Men will perform in a jacket and tie, or shirt and tie. Ladies will perform in any dressy outfit of their choice. No sneakers, jeans or hats will be allowed.

Teachers interested in participating must email Peter Boonshaft by
September 21, 2009 to state that they wish to participate. Names of recommended students will be requested shortly thereafter.

Dr. Peter Loel Boonshaft
New Academic Building, 160 Hofstra University
Hempstead, NY 11549
Phone: 516-463-5298
Email: MUSPLB@Hofstra.edu