We are still seeking a Hospitality Committee Chair or Co-Chairs for the 2019-20 school year. This is a fun job that ensures we get the donations of food and drink we need to keep our musicians and our audiences going. The time commitment is small—we estimate one to three hours per month—but the rewards are great. Help us keep cookies alive in our band program! Our kids and their audiences will thank you for it.

Please note that the outgoing chair will be on hand to help you with any and all questions you might have. Contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Jennifer Means if you can help!

Regarding a PPS restructuring of middle school student course loads, there is a Portland Friends of Music meeting tomorrow, Wednesday, March 20th at 7pm. The meeting will be at Trinity Methodist Church, 3915 SE Steele St. More information is available here.

Delicious pies from our Willamette Valley Pie Company sale will be arriving Monday, April 1. (No fooling!) We anticipate pies to arrive toward the end of the school day (exact time to be confirmed), just in time for after-school pickup. Please note that we are looking for volunteers to help with sorting and distribution between 2:00 and 4:00 pm. We are also looking for large coolers to store the pies, which must be kept frozen. Please note: all pies must be picked up 4/1. (Leftovers will be donated). Contact Stephanie Shanley at sbshanley@comcast.net and/or Jennifer Means at jennmeans@gmail.com if you can help.

We are happy to announce that the Wind Symphony trip scheduled for April 5 has been canceled due to the band’s high qualifying scores at OSU. Congratulations, Wind Symphony!

We are pleased to report that Wind Symphony qualified for the State Band Championships at OSU last week, receiving qualifying scores from at least two of judges. They are now looking forward to another impressive performance at the PIL League Contest at Roosevelt HS on Tuesday, March 19.

With the outstanding performance from the Wind Symphony at Oregon State University, the scheduled April 5th trip to Western Oregon University has been canceled as it is no longer necessary to attend.

Solo and Ensemble day was equally exciting and impressive:
• Seven PIL Champions in the solo divisions (eleven State Qualifiers including Alternates)
• Two PIL Champions in the Chamber Music division (six State Qualifiers)
• Alternates will find out if they are added the week after Spring Break

This year’s Spring Festival band concert is upon us tomorrow! Please support our musicians and our program by signing up to bring treats for our Festival Concert and Bake Sale! In addition to replenishing precious glucose in both musicians and audience members, the bake sale supports our students by funding everyday necessities such as sheet music, instrument repairs, visiting clinicians and so much more!

You can sign up to bring goodies and to help set up, work the tables during intermission, and help clean up afterward here. (Please note that Sign Up Genius does not require an account. Just enter your email address, choose your contribution, and SignUp.com will send you an automated confirmation and reminders.) Questions or concerns? Please contact Brianne Williams at bri6031@gmail.com.

And remember: when it comes to baked treats, too much is never enough.

A number of key positions in the FOCB organization will be opening up next year as seniors matriculate and take their parents with them. We urge parents and guardians whose students are remaining (especially freshmen and sophomores) to take advantage of this fantastic opportunity to help steer the program to continued success. It takes a community to build a community!

We invite you to attend our upcoming FOCB Board meeting TONIGHT in the band room at 6:30 pm. For a detailed description of positions we are looking to fill please see the attached list. For more information please contact volunteer coordinator Jennifer Means at jennmeans@gmail.com. You won’t regret it.

For our fourth year running the Cleveland Pep Band will perform for the runners at the annual Shamrock Run, this Sunday, March 17 from 9:45–11:45 am. Precise location and other pertinent details will be provided to participating students this week. Participation is voluntary, but trumpets are strongly encouraged to step up!

We also need one adult volunteer to pick up and deliver donuts and hot chocolate to keep our musicians fortified in the chill morning air. (You have the option to be reimbursed for these purchases.) Please contact volunteer coordinator Jen Means at jennmeans@gmail.com at if you can help.

The Spring 2020 LA Band Trip will be here before we know it, which means it’s time to start thinking about costs. As we mentioned last week, all interested band families have the opportunity to sell delicious Willamette Valley Pie Company pies, cobbles, and frozen fruit to earn money towards the cost of the trip.

These hand-crafted pies are made with local, Willamette Valley–grown fruit using very little added sugar and no trans fats. They can be kept frozen for eight months or up to two years depending on the variety of pie. This means you can serve fresh Willamette Valley pie at your Easter celebration and then again at your Fourth of July Party! For more information about Willamette Valley Pies please see the attached flyer.

Information packets with everything you need to sell these fabulous pies will be available this week. Be sure to remind your student to bring one home! A few things to note:

• Please make checks out to Friends of Cleveland Bands and submit them with your order form.
• Order forms must be returned by March 13th. Pies will be delivered April 1st. Unfortunately the pick-up date is not flexible as there is no place to store frozen pies at Cleveland. (Pies that are not picked up on April 1st will be donated to CHS Staff.)
• Mini pies are sold by the case which includes six pies. Cases can consist of a single type or the variety pack specified in the brochure. Custom orders of the mini-pie cases are not possible.
• On your order form, please indicate whether you will be using your fundraising money for your Spring 2020 LA Band Trip or whether you would like to donate it for financial aid.

If you have any questions, please contact Stephanie Shanley at sbshanley@comcast.net or 503-319-6285.

The PIL Solo Ensemble schedule will be coming out this week. All students participating in an ensemble are strongly encouraged to find time to meet outside of the school day. One tried-and-true solution: If you can, why not host your student’s ensemble for a rehearsal and feed them? They’ll be motivated and we guarantee you will enjoy what you hear! Then, come join us for a chamber concert of our fantastic ensembles on the 28th