Once again the Cleveland HS Marching Band will participate (and compete) in the annual Starlight Parade. This year’s event will take place June 1. This is an amazing experience for students and families alike. But it takes a lot of work. We are looking for adult volunteers to help out in the following ways:

– Getting the kids ready with uniforms and equipment
– Accompanying the band along the parade route with water and other necessities to keep the kids going
– Photographing/recording video of the event

Please contact volunteer coordinator jennmeans@gmail.com if you can help in any of these areas and/or would like more information.

Please see the Calendar for marching band rehearsal dates. These rehearsals are required for all students participating in marching band.

Friday is our student musicians’ turn to celebrate their hard work and their amazing progress as we close out the school year. All current band members are invited to a Band Celebration Pizza Party on Friday, May 24, 4-6:30pm at Pietro’s Pizza, 10300 Main Street in Milwaukie. Pietro’s is a 10 minute walk from Milwaukie/Main St MAX Station.

Friends of Cleveland Bands will provide pizza, drinks, and dessert. Our kids won’t want to miss this event, when Mr. Riler hands out the more humorous awards.

We are looking for an army of volunteers to help keep our band program running smoothly in a variety of ways. Please check out our 2019-20 Volunteer Sign-Up page for information about all the opportunities for the coming school year, with events taking place as early as this summer and throughout the school year—from fundraising to transportation, car washing to event setup/cleanup and so much more. There’s something for everyone!

We ask that every parent/guardian contribute their time and energy by signing up for at least one volunteer spot. But please feel free to sign up for more than one if you’re able to. It takes a village to keep a band program running!

The Portland Friends of Music is a city-wide group of parents, students, teachers, and concerned community members who want to ensure that all students have equitable access to high-quality, sequential music education programs taught by Oregon TSPC certified music teachers at every K-12 school in PPS.

Here are some of the ways you can help in this effort:

• Attend tonight’s meeting!
• Join the PFoM Facebook group
• Follow PFoM on Twitter. The Twitter handle is @PFoM_Community
• Sign this petition

Please note that auditions for next year’s jazz ensemble will be held on the following dates. The LIVE auditions take place April 16 and April 22 at 8:00 am in the band room. The recorded portion is due no later than 10:00 pm April 22.

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