Mrs. Robin Long is retiring as the Olney Music Boosters President after many year's of service to St. Joe, RCMS, & RCHS Music Programs

Thanks to those that generously donated their time to help with the Richland County Elementary School's 2018 Family Fun Night last Friday, April 20th. They worked hard and made the night for many young children!

From left to right, those students were Natalie Doan, Kendra Jellison, Katie Hostetter, Taylor Klingler, & Brittany Black.

RCHS Bands, all tickets, sold or unsold, along with the money need to be turned in by end of day Friday, April 27th.   Please also make a note that you need to make sure that your name is written on every SOLD ticket stub.  You will also need to write your name, phone number, tickets sold, and money amount on the outside of their ticket envelope to turn in. Thanks!

As you all know, the due date for the RCHS Music Department 2019 Disney World Trip was last Friday, April the 13th. A deposit of $100 per person is required to reserve a spot on the trip.

I have posted the reservations list to Disney World & Cocoa Beach on the RCHS Bands Website under https://www.richlandcountyhsbands.org/2019-disney-world-trip-reservations-list.html. You may access the page by clicking on the “2019 Disney World Trip Reservations List” tab on the left to confirm that your reservation has been made.

The RCHS Music Department must make the first payment to the travel company this Friday, April 20th. We would love to have more students and family members join us on our trip! If you are interested, a payment must be made no later than this Friday. Past this point and we cannot guarantee a spot on the trip.

As I have already mentioned, family members are welcome to join us on the trip. The prices listed below include motor coach transportation, hotel lodging, eight meals, beach pass, & three day park passes (see the slide presentation under “2019 Disney World Trip Reservations List”  for more details). Of course, the price for the student includes a performance on the Disney World park. Prices for family members are as follows:

• Single occupancy: $1,264.00 (your own room to yourself + summary of inclusions listed above)
  
• Double occupancy: $1,058.03 (share a room with another person + summary of inclusions listed above)
  
• Quad occupancy (students): $952.03 (share a room with three other persons + summary of inclusions listed above)
  

If you are simply unable to make the deposit at this time, please know that we may be able to slip you in at a later time. I just cannot guarantee that this can be done, but I am more than happy to try!

Should you have any questions, please feel free to email me at cjones@rccu1.net, message me on Remind101, or call me at 393-2191 ext. 3137.

2018 RCHS Graduation Ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, May 20th from 3-5 pm in the auditorium. The call-time for graduation is 2 pm in the rehearsal hall.  The attire for the venue is concert black-and-whites (dresses and tuxedos). All students, except for seniors, are expected to attend.

The RCMS Jazz Band, the RCHS Jazz Lab Band, and the RCHS Jazz Combo performs on Saturday, May 5th at 5 PM. Call-time for RCHS students is 3:30 PM at the RCHS rehearsal hall. RCMS students will meet at Ophelia's Cup at 4:30 PM. Dress clothes (no tuxes). The performance will start at 5 PM at Ophelia's Cup, and will last approximately an hour.

Enjoy good food, dinner, and music. Come support your students, and Richland County jazz!

The RCHS Bands are featured in the upcoming 2018 Sliva Concert in the Slivia Auditorium on Sunday, April 29th. The concerts feature the Symphonic Band, and the Honors Wind Ensemble. The call-time for students is 2 PM. The concert begins at 3 PM.

Concert attire is one of the following:

• tuxedo
• Black dress shoes (males and females)
• Black socks
• black concert dress (school owned)
• alternate attire for females: black dress slacks, black dress blouse and black shoes (black jeans do not count, sorry)

The concert is free to the public. We hope to see you all there!

Good afternoon, RCHS Bands.

The Symphonic Band, the Honors Wind Ensemble, & the Color Guard are all performing at the Olney & Noble Memorial Day Ceremonies on Monday, May 28th, 2018. The combined band will support the Olney ceremony, while a bugler will support the Noble ceremony. 

Here are the details regarding the Olney Memorial Day Ceremony:

The VFW is hosting the Memorial Day Ceremony at Haven Hill Cemetery (just north of the City Park). Drum majors Ethan Steber & Natalie Doan are directing. We meet in the RCHS rehearsal hall before traveling to the cemetery. 

The uniform is department shirts & shorts, with tennis shoes (no sandals or boots!). Students will also need flip folders, lyres, and instruments.

The times are as follows:
Corner Stone Church at the Cemetery in East Noble

9:00 AM: Call-time for Ryan Smith (bugler) & saxophone quintet at RCHS
9:05 AM: Bugler & saxophone quintet leaves for Noble Cemetery
9:30 AM: Bugler & saxophone quintet
10:00 AM: Noble Ceremony (bugler & saxophone quintet only)

VFW (parade) & the Olney Cemetery (ceremony). In the event of rain, the ceremony shall be held in the VFW hall.
9:30 AM: Call-time at RCHS (all but bugler & saxophone quintet)
10:15 AM: Load bus and depart for Olney VFW followed by Haven Hill Cemetery
10:30 AM: Parade line-up at the Olney VFW
10:45 AM: Parade step-off (parade begins)
11:00 AM: Olney Memorial Day ceremony at Haven Hill Cemetery.

I anticipate the ceremony won't last longer than an hour and a half, which will put the band back at the school around 12-12:30 PM.

The band is performing the following songs:
Hosts of Freedom
Star Spangled Banner
Army
Navy
Marines
Coast Guard
Air Force
Merchant Marines

Please bring water with you to this event. I encourage students to bring a water cooler.

I know that this falls on Memorial Day weekend, falls during the summer, and many families will be out of town. That being said, we need as many RCHS Bands members to this performance as possible. All total, the combined Honors Wind Ensemble & Symphonic Band is around 50 students during the 4th term. We want to support the cities of Olney  & Noble (and our veterans) that support us. Students, please make every effort to be at this event. It means a lot to this community.

Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions, comments, or concerns.


Best,
Mr. Jones

The jazz faculty from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville presented a jazz clinic to RCMS & RCHS student-musicians on Tuesday, April 3rd in the Richland County High School rehearsal hall. Participating students were treated to a brief performance by the jazz combo before learning first-hand how improvisation is similar to the spoken language.

On Friday, April 6th Dr. Danelle Larson, Associate Professor of Music Education and Director of the Music Education Division at Eastern Illinois University guest conducted the Honors Wind Ensemble & Symphonic Band in rehearsal as we prepare for the upcoming IHSA Organizational Contest.

Our thanks goes out to all eight visiting professors!

The RCHS Choir, Symphonic Band, & Honors Wind Ensemble are performing at the 2018 IHSA Organizational Contest on Saturday, April 14th. Performance attire is concert black-and-white (tuxes or dresses) that were issued out to the students at the beginning of the term. Parents may sign out their sons & daughters following the last RCHS performance that morning in the assigned homeroom.

Food and drinks are available in the cafeteria. Students may purchase food and drinks after performances.

The schedule for the day is as follows:

IHSA Organizational Contest Saturday, April 14th
5:30 AM.....................Call-time for those changing into concert attire at RCHS
5:35-5:50 AM............Change into black-and-white concert attire
5:50 AM.....................Call-time for those that report in concert attire
6:00-7:10 AM............Travel to Salem HS and settle into assigned homeroom
7:30-7:55 AM............Honors Wind Ensemble warm-up
8:00-8:25 AM..............Honors Wind Ensemble performance
9:00-9:15 AM............Choir warm-up
9:20-9:45 AM..............Choir performance
10:30-10:55 AM........Symphonic Band warm-up
11:00-11:25 AM.........Symphonic Band performance
12:00-1:30 PM..........Pack bus, travel to RCHS, unpack, & dismiss! (est. time)

CONTEST ADDRESS: Salem High School is located at 1200 N. Broadway St. in Salem, IL

ADDITIONAL NOTES: Those participating in SAT are except for this performance. No makeup assignment is required since the date was changed following the beginning of the term.

Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions at cjones@rccu1.net, or 393-2101 ext. 3137.

[ UPDATED APRIL 9, 2018 - REMOVED SOCCER SCHEDULE ]

A Parent Q&A meeting for RCHS Bands parents has been schedule for 6:30 PM on Tuesday, April 3rd in the RCHS Band Room. Mr. Jones will discuss the following topics:

• Band Day at Six Flags trip on Sat., April 28th for the Honors Wind Ensemble
  
• The upcoming 2018 Marching Tigers season (band fee, dates, etc.)
  
• The RCHS Bands & Choir 2019 Disney World trip
  
• The benefits of joining the Olney Music Boosters
  

Please pass the word. We hope to see you there!

The 2019 RCHS Bands & Choir Quadannual Disney World Trip falls the Spring of 2019. The date of the trip runs from May 30th to June 4th. Included in the trip is a performance down Disney's Main Street for the band and a performance in one of the parks for the choir. I have included the itinerary for this trip at the bottom of this post. You may ask for a copy of the itinerary by emailing me at cjones@rccu1.net.

The cost per student runs $952.03. Parents or guardians may elect to pay outright, or make quarterly payments. The quarterly payments schedule is as follows:

• April 5 - $100 deposit per traveler
• July 5 - $200 per traveler
• Nov 5 - $200 per traveler
• Feb 5 - $200 per traveler
• April 5 – Final balance

The students may use the funds in their student accounts to cover the cost of the trip.

The RCHS Music Department will frequently hold fundraisers to help offset the cost for parents & guardians. We are, in fact, hosting a fundraiser at this very moment. Eighth grade students from St. Joe, RCMS, as well as RCHS bands & choir students are selling candy bars for $1. For every candy bar they sell, 50 cents goes into their student accounts. Each box earns the students $32 towards their student accounts.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to direct them to Mr. Jones at (618) 838-2191 ext 3137, or by email at cjones@rccu1.net.

Friends, family, and students of the Marching Tigers Colorguard, it is that time of the year again! Under the direction of Ms. Edwards, the colorguard has begun preseason practices in preparation of the upcoming marching band season. The spring preseason rehearsal schedule began on Tuesday, 2/27/2018, and will fall on every consecutive Tuesday from hereafter. The dates are as follows:

March 6th
March 13th
March 20th
March 27th
April 3rd
April 10th
April 12th (extra practice - not required)
April 15th from 1-6 PM [Rifle Clinic]
April 17th
April 24th
April 26th (extra practice - not required)
May 1st
May 3rd (extra practice - not required)
May 8th

Weapons Training is from 5-6 pm.
Flag Training is from 6-8 pm.

Students will meet with Ms. Edwards in the band room (exit 21) at each rehearsal before moving to the practice area.

For further questions, please contact Ms. Edwards at gymnastcaitlyn1@yahoo.com, or Mr. Jones at cjones@rccu1.net.


[UPDATED 4/4/2018]

The RCHS Bands are featured in the upcoming 2018 Spring Concert in the Slivia Auditorium on Sunday, March 11th. The concerts feature the Symphonic Band, Honors Wind Ensemble, and the Jazz Lab Band. The call-time for students is 2 PM. The concert begins at 3 PM.

Concert attire is one of the following:

• tuxedo
  
• Black dress shoes (males and females)
  
• Black socks
  
• black concert dress (school owned)
  
• alternate attire for females: black dress slacks, black dress blouse and black shoes (black jeans do not count, sorry)
  

Remember to set your clock forward one hour that day. The concert is free to the public. We hope to see you all there!

The IHSA Solo & Ensemble Contest for 2018 is nearly upon us! I have just received the performance times and location for each entry for this Saturday, March 3rd. You may find performance times & locations at the bottom of this email. (I apologize for the size of the list)

The day's itinerary is as follows:

7:30 AM - Meet in the RCHS Rehearsal Hall
7:40 AM - Depart for Lawrenceville, IL
8:15 AM - Estimated arrival at Lawrenceville High School
3:00 PM - Depart Lawrenceville for Olney
3:30 PM - Estimated return to RCHS

Students may sign-out with a guardian following performances. Please sign-out with Mr. Jones (band) or Mr. Weitkamp (choir) before leaving.

The address for Lawrence High School is 2200 James St, Lawrence, IL 62439.

Packing List: Performance attire, instrument, musical accessories, sheet music, lunch money.

I will post the performances times as soon I as receive the schedule from the host school.

UPDATED 2/27/2018 - Caleb Thomas' solo is now 11:10 am in room 503.

This band festival was formed to afford the students an opportunity to perform in a concert band consisting of only high school student-musicians of the Little Illini Conference, under the direction of a guest conductor. We are fortunate for the opportunity for the Symphonic Band to participate in the event. There are some that are unable to attend this year, and have elected to write a research project. However, sixteen RCHS students are participating. Those students are:

FLUTE:
Katie Hostetter (1st)

CLARINET:
Kendra Jellison (2nd)
Natalie Doan (1st)
Katelyn Campbell (1st)
Daniel Roth (3rd)

ALTO SAX:
Noah McCorvey (2nd)

HORN:
Sydney Berkshire (1st)

TRUMPET:
Kamron Cantrell (1st)

TROMBONE:
Nick Baker (2nd)
Levi Forys (3rd)
Garrett Wright (1st)
Ben Hout (2nd)
Alice Chenault (1st)

EUPHONIUM:
Mac Alexander

PERCUSSION:
Allison Howard
Taylor Meritt

The festival is held at Casey-Westfield High School. There is no cost associated with the Lincoln Trail Band Festival, aside from food money.

Buffet Lunch:  ($11.50/person) Chicken Strips, Pork BBQ, Oven Baked Potatoes, Green Beans, Salad/Bread Bar, Chocolate Cake, Cookies, Iced Tea, Lemonade

Dinner:  ($4.00/person) Casey’s Pizza, Soft Drinks


THE ITINERARY FOR THE DAY IS AS FOLLOWS:

7:20-7:30...........MEET AT RCHS

7:30......................DEPART FOR CASEY, IL

8:30–9:00...........ARRIVE AT CASEY-WESTFIELD HIGH SCHOOL (306 E Edgar Ave. Casey IL)

9:00–11:15.........REHEARSAL (Breaks will be taken at guest conductor’s discretion)

11:15–12:45.......DINNER (Richard's Farm)

12:45–4:30..........REHEARSAL (Breaks will be taken at guest conductor’s discretion)

4:30-5:30..............PIZZA AND CHANGE INTO CONCERT ATTIRE

5:30........................WARM-UP AND TUNING FOR CONCERT

6:00.......................CONCERT

7:00.......................DEPART FOR OLNEY, IL

8:30.......................ESTIMATED RETURN TIME TO RCHS


The concert is open to the public for $2.00 per person. Students may be signed out immediately after the concert.

Please feel free to contact me should there be any further questions at cjones@rccu1.net or at (618) 393-2191 ext. 3137.

I would like to say that everyone that auditioned impressed me immensely! Each and every one of you proved that you embodied the spirit of the Richland County School District. With that, I hope you all walk away from tryouts with a sense of pride.

Without further adieu, here are those that made the tryouts for the 2018 Marching Tigers Color Guard:

Alyssa Bryant
Kaylee Goodwin
Tessa Hemrich
Jazzmyn Johnson
Madison Lee
Alexandra Lomas
Brittany Myers
Jessica Parsinger
Cassara Randall
Rebecca Shires
Alex Stephens
Bailey Walker

Color Guard Section Leader (riffle/dance): Rebecca Shires
Color Guard Assistant-Section Leader (flag): Alexandra Lomas

The 2018 Marching Tigers Color Guard meeting for students & parents is on Tuesday, February 13th in the RCHS Band Room. Please make every effort to attend this meeting.

Thank you all for your time and energy. Again, congratulations to those that made the team! 



Sincerely,
Mr. Jones & Ms. Edwards

Good evening, St. Joe & RCMS Bands friends, family, and students.

This is Christopher Jones, Director of Bands at Richland County High School. As you are all aware, 8th grade students at St. Joe & RCMS register for next year’s classes at Richland County High School. I have received a few messages asking for which band their sons and daughters should register at RCHS. To help parents out, I have created a webpage that should help answer your questions. That website is www.richlandcountyhsbands.org/rchs-ensembles.html.

RCHS has five ensembles; however, freshman generally register for only three of those ensembles. Those ensembles are the marching band (which meets only over the 1st quarter over zero & 1st periods), Symphonic Band (which meets over terms 2, 3, & 4) and the Jazz Lab Band, which meets over all four terms.

Students that register for both the marching band & the 2nd term Symphonic Band receive a PE credit. A PE credit is not offered for the Symphonic Band over terms 3 & 4. No other ensembles receive a PE credit.

To be eligible for the Spring 2018 Disney World trip, students must be registered for at least two terms in the 2018-2019 academic school year.

Again, for further information, please visit www.richlandcountyHSbands.org/rchs-ensembles.html.

As always, please feel free to contact me should you have any further questions. My email is cjones@rccu1.net. My work phone number is (618) 393-2191 ext. 3137.



Sincerely,

Christopher Jones
Director of Bands

Congratulations to those that are participating in the LIC Pep Band Conference on Saturday, January 20th, 2018.

Band A:
Marcus Painter-Bari Sax
Colby Steber-Bass Clarinet
Natalie Doan-Clarinet
Kiersen Brach-Flute
Delaney Shryock-Mellophone
Allison Howard-Drum Set
Brenden Jackson-Sousaphone
Hannah Hartleroad-Tenor Sax
Levi Forys-Trombone
Ryan Smith-Trumpet

Band B:
Kendra Jellison-Bass Clarinet
Jacob Pampe-Baritone
Ethan Steber-Clarinet
Josh Hartleroad-Drum Set
Jake Wheeler-Sousaphone
Alice Cheanult-Trombone
Garrett Wright-Trombone
Kamron Cantrell-Trumpet

The LIC Conference is held at Red Hill High School. Rehearsal will begin at 1:00 p.m. The call-time for that day will be 11:30 am in the rehearsal hall. We will depart for Red Hill High School at 12:00 pm. Rehearsals begin at 1 pm. We will perform before the games and during all breaks.

Performance attire:

• Jeans
• Tennis shoes with socks
• Department shirt

Required items:

• Instrument
• Valve oil or slide grease
• Extra reeds
• Money for dinner at concessions
• Jacket or coat

Rehearsal locations:
Band A (gym)
Band B (band room)

Band A will play at the 3pm & 6pm games
Band B will play at the 4:30pm & 7:30pm games

Ladies & gents, I shall meet with the students within the next couple of days regarding the upcoming ILMEA All-State Conference. They will receive a packet from me on the day of the meeting; however, here is a sneak-peek of what the students will receive:

Shey Long, Caleb Thomas, Ethan Steber, & Delaney Shyrock have the distinction of being selected out of thousands of Illinois high school student-musicians to participate in the ILMEA IL Music Education Conference (All-State Conference) from Wednesday, January 24th through Saturday, January 27th.

Mr. Jones & Mr. Weitkamp will transport students in a school van at 3:30 pm on Wednesday.  Rehearsals in Peoria will occur on Thursday, Friday, and part of Saturday. The week concludes with concerts on Saturday. Those participating in an All-State ensembles will audition on Thursday to determine which of the All-State ensembles he/she will be placed. The All-State Music Conference ensembles include the Honors Band (3:30 PM concert on Saturday), & the All-State Band (1:00 PM concert on Saturday). The concerts are held in the Carver Arena at the Peoria Civic Center. Your student will notify you as to which ensemble they were placed following auditions.

Hotel lodging is provided for the students by the school. Mr. Jones & Mr. Weitkamp are chaperoning the students the entire conference. We will not know which hotel we have been assigned until we are closer to the venue.

The students are responsible for making arrangements with their classroom teachers for homework, quizzes, tests, projects, and notes prior to departure.

Each student shall to provide enough money to cover 3.5 days of meals.

Parents/guardians may sign-out their student following the concert.

All-State apparel, plaques and recordings of the concerts are available for purchase at the concerts.

Required materials for the festival include:
    •    ILMEA audition music
    •    Appropriate school clothing (to wear for travel & for rehearsals) for three-days
    •    Toiletries
    •    Jacket (Peoria is cold this time of year!)
    •    Cell phone with charger
    •    Tuxedo or concert dresses (see the student handbook for further details http://www.richlandcountyhsbands.org/student-handbook.html)
    •    Folding music stand
    •    Pencils
    •    Mutes
    •    Extra reeds
    •    Value oil or slide grease
    •    Cash for lunches and dinners

Included in the student packet:

• Family Information
• Peoria Downtown Parking Map
• All-State Student Instructions
• Future Music Educators Seminar (FMES) Participant Schedule
• ILMEA All-State Student Schedule
• Pre-clearance Slip (to ensure that the students have spoken to their classroom instructors regarding their absence)

Please thoroughly review details on the ILMEA website regarding the event:

https://www.ilmea.org/divisions/band/
https://www.ilmea.org/imec/2018imec/studentdirector-information/

Please don't hesitate to contact me should you have any questions. I may be reached at 393-2191 ext. 3137 or at cjones@rccu1.net.

Check-out a sample of what the Richland County Bands has produced! You may find the sample recordings on the RCHS Bands homepage by clicking HERE. The recordings may be found above the "RCHS Marching Tigers" welcome video.

The recordings feature the Marching Tigers, Honors Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Jazz Ensemble, & the Jazz Lab Band.

Ten student-musicians from Richland County High School took part in the 2017 Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) District 5 Music Festival on November 6th (Jazz) & November 18th (band, orchestra & choir) at Eastern Illinois University. From left to right, the RCHS students that participated in the festival included Colby Garrard (sophomore/choir), Delaney Shryock (junior/choir), Ethan Steber (junior/ band), Bryce Klingler (junior/ band), Kendra Jellison (freshman/ band), Sydney Berkshire (junior/orchestra), Shey Long (senior/ band), Jacob Ferguson (junior/ jazz band), Caleb Thomas (junior/ band & jazz band), & Alice Chenault (junior/ band & jazz band).

The students auditioned last fall for ILMEA All-State during district-level performances. The students will perform with the best high school musicians in the state and work with world-renowned conductors. The Festival will close with a concert at the Peoria Civic Center arena on Saturday, January 27th.

Of the students that participated in the District 5 Music Festival, four RCHS student-musicians were selected to participate in the 2018 Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) All-State Conference on Jan. 24th-27th in Peoria, IL. Three of these students, Shey Long (contrabass clarinet, band), Ethan Steber (clarinet, band), & Caleb Thomas (alto saxophone, band), will rehearse and perform with one of the two state concert bands.

The fourth student, Delaney Shryock (junior) has been selected to participate in the Future Music Educators Seminar (FMES), a program designed to encourage and develop potential future music educators into the profession.

The RCHS Bands are featured in an upcoming concert in the Slivia Auditorium. The concerts feature the Symphonic Band, Honors Wind Ensemble, and the Jazz Lab Band. The concert date & time is Sunday, December 10th at 3 PM. The call-time for those not in the choir is 2 PM. Those that are in the choir have a concert at 2 pm, and will join us as soon as they are able.

Concert attire is one of the following:

• black dress shoes (male & female)
  
• tuxedo
  
• black concert dress (school owned)
• alternate attire for females: black dress slacks, black dress blouse and black shoes (black jeans do not count, sorry)

The concert is free to the public. We hope to see you all there!

The 2017 Olney, IL Christmas Parade is scheduled for Saturday, November 25th at 6:30 PM. The schedule for the Tiger Marching Band is as follows:

5:30 PM.............Meet at RCHS in holiday festive wear (no uniforms) & load
6:00 PM.............Walk from the school to parade line-up
6:10 PM.............Set in parade block at parade location
6:30 PM.............Parade step-off
7:00 PM.............Estimated meet-up with buses near Eagleson's Car Dealership
7:15-7:30 PM....Estimated return to RCHS

I recommend that all students layer up underneath to stay warm. Wear holiday related items, or at the very least wear lots of green and red!