UA High School Honors Band

<p>Is the Honors Band for Alabama students only? Also…anyone familiar with the summer percussion camp?</p>

<p>My daughter participated in the University of Alabama Honor Choir as an out of state student. The experience sold her on Alabama and she is now a freshman at UA. I would presume that the Honor Band is also open to out of state students.</p>

<p>DS2 (OOS - Illinois) was told by the prof. in his (possible) intended major that he could arrange an invite to the Honors Band if interested. I’m assuming this only makes sense for his Junior or Senior high school year, esp. if competing for the scholarships.</p>

<p>Out of state students can definitely come to the Honor Band. They just need to have their band director recommend them. For all the students applying from that school, the band director has to rank them in order of their abilities. Then, he/she has to tell in what percentile each student fits of all the students he/she has ever taught. Plus submit a letter of recommendation.</p>

<p>It’s a great opportunity for any student interested in pursuing music at UA. My D was one of the top two students in her high school band. Six students from her band were recommended and accepted to Honor Band by their band director. All six walked away with at least a Million Dollar Band scholarship ($500) and D and other top student plus one more also received scholarships for participating in concert bands as well ($250).</p>

<p>We spent two 4-day weekends in a row on campus last year: one for Honor Band followed by All State Orchestra (which is limited to Alabama students).</p>

<p>They should be updating the website any time now with information on how to apply.</p>

<p>My D is a flute player, so she participated in the summer Crimson Camp after her junior year. So we know nothing about percussion camp.</p>

<p>Her best friend participated in jazz camp for many years and loved it. (trumpet player)</p>

<p>D was also in our top youth orchestra for all her high school years and was principal flute her senior year. She thought they’d be playing very advanced music at Crimson Camp, but they didn’t play anything near the level they played in youth orchestra. She still had a fabulous time being part of it and living on campus for a week, though!</p>

<p>It was also beneficial because she got to know the band directors very well, plus the flute instructor. They remembered her on campus visits and when she returned for Honor Band during senior year. She said it felt great when they walked up to her with a bunch of other students around and addressed her by name and told her how glad they were to see her there.</p>

<p>The music instructors are top-notch. D had an excellent instructor here in town for the past 4 years, and was always told she had a beautiful tone. (She attended the UA Huntsville honor band camp last fall. She was playing a solo piece and the UA Huntsville band director loved her tone so much and thought her playing was so haunting, he actually stopped directing and just enjoyed listening to her!) Well, after half a semester with the UA flute professor, she’s improved her tone significantly. Amazing!</p>

<p>Lest anyone think I’m bragging on her unnecessarily, please indulge me. I have less than no musical ability of my own, other than being a very appreciative listener! So I’m very proud that she has such talent, because I certainly had nothing to do with it! :)</p>

<p>For those of you who have participated in the Honor Band, do you recall what time it concludes on Sunday? I am trying to figure out if we will be able to catch a flight home on Sunday or if we will have to fly out on Monday. It looks like the last flight out of BHM to Detroit is around 7 PM.</p>

<p>My son will be missing school on Thurs and Friday…it would be better if he didn’t also have to miss Monday.</p>

<p>I just pulled out last year’s program. The concert was scheduled to be over at 4:00 pm. </p>

<p>They might have changed things this year, so you might want to email Dr. Ozzello or Mr. Coleman and ask what this year’s schedule will be.</p>

<p>It takes awhile for everyone to get offstage, say good-bye to everyone, so it might be pretty tight trying to make a 7:00 pm flight without stressing over checkin at the airport.</p>