MP BAND WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

From The Desk of Mr. Lee

EXAMS HAVE BEGUN!!! The finish line is near. Ensure you are doing everything necessary to close out your school year in a positive way. Looking forward to watching our Seniors walk that stage next week! Wind Ensemble members need to ensure they are tracking the schedule of events for Graduation next week (please see info below).

MARCHING BAND COMMITMENT FORMS: For those who plan to be a part of the MPHS Marching Band this coming season, please ensure you complete the Commitment Form (see information below). These are due by the end of the day today! Looking forward to an awesome season!

ARENA WORK OPPORTUNITIES: There are lots of opportunities for folks to work a shift at Cabarrus Arena to help build funds in your student's account to help pay for band fees, etc. Current days available are:

• Thursday, 21 MAY
• Friday, 22 MAY
• Saturday, 30 MAY

We have a few different shift types available this month. There are parking/flagging shifts for Cabarrus County Graduation, as well as banquet shifts for a wedding at the end of the month. For the parking/flagger shifts, volunteers may dress according to the weather. They must still wear a plain black or grey shirt, or a shirt representing your non-profit group, along with closed-toe shoes. Hats, shorts, and raincoats are permitted depending on weather conditions. For the banquet serving shifts, volunteers must wear a white long-sleeve button-up shirt and black dress pants. If volunteers do not already have these items or are not willing to obtain them, please ask them not to sign up for those specific shifts.

Go HERE to see more information concerning these opportunities.

PLEASE NOTE: For anyone that signs up to work at the Cabarrus Arena, please review this slide deck to answer any questions you may have. If your question is not answered, please reach out to Lisa Coley at 704-674-4011. Failure to show up for shifts can result in getting your name flagged and our organization flagged for no-shows. This could result in less shifts available to us. Thank you for your understanding.

In this week's edition:

• MARCHING BAND UPDATES
• UPDATES FROM THE CLASSROOM
• NEWS AND EVENTS FROM VARIOUS AREA COLLEGES/UNIVERSITIES AND OTHER LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
• BAND PARENT CORNER
• SCHEDULE FOR 15 MAY - 4 JUN 2026

MARCHING BAND UPDATES

Commitment Forms

For all students planning to march in the MP Marching Band this coming season, commitment forms are due NLT Friday, 15 MAY 26 so we can begin to tighten up our design of the fall production. To complete this please go HERE.

2026 Marching Band Handbook

To review all rules, procedures, schedule, etc. for this upcoming marching band season, please see the Band Handbook.

Mini-Camp

Now that we have finished "Rookie Camp," we now turn our attention to our next big event. We will have our Marching Band Mini-Camp on 1-4 JUNE for ALL MEMBERS of the MPHS Marching Band. This is a super important camp because it helps to lay the foundation on skill sets that all students will need to work on through the summer and we also will begin to learn music and choreography for our fall production. The schedule for the week is as follows:

• Wind Instrumentalists: 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
• Percussionists and Colorguard: 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM

All students will need the following for these rehearsals:

• Attire: White T-Shirts, Athletic Shorts/Pants, and Tennis Shoes
• Hats
• Sunscreen
• Water Bottles
• Musicians: 3 Ring Binders, Pencils

Please come in ready to work hard so we can lay down a great foundation for our upcoming season!!!!!!

Marching Band Schedule

Schedule of events (camps, rehearsals, performances, etc.) can be found in the marching band handbook, on the MP Marching Band BAND app page, and on the band's website. Keep in mind that while we try to do our best to give a solid product so you can make the necessary plans, changes may come due to a variety of reasons. We will communicate those as soon as we know of any adjustments that need to be made.

In the event of absences for rehearsals, etc. (please read the handbook on the policy on this), absences can be requested through the Absence Leave Request form (NLT 48 hours prior to a planned absence). Emergency absences (under the 48 hour mark for emergency circumstances such as sickness, etc.) need to be submitted to me through an e-mail (keith.lee@cabarrus.k12.nc.us).

UPDATES FROM THE CLASSROOM

Graduation Activities

As we enter the 4th Quarter, we also have to prepare for Graduation Activities. All the listed events below are REQUIRED and GRADED EVENTS for all 9th, 10th, and 11th Grade Students (see Band Handbook for more details)

• After-School Dress Rehearsals: Monday, 11 MAY, Tuesday, 12 MAY, and Wednesday, 13 MAY 2026; 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM
• Graduation: Thursday, 21 MAY 2026

Details for Graduation Day are as follows:

• Students must report to the band room NO LATER THAN 2:00 PM on Thursday, 21 MAY 26.  Students can report to school as early as they need to (I will be here early that morning) if rides are an issue. 
• Upon arrival, we will have a light rehearsal. At approximately 3:30 PM, we will break for an early dinner break (pizza provided).
• At approximately 4:30 PM, we will prep to board buses to head to the Cabarrus Arena for the Graduation Ceremony.  Equipment will be loaded at this time.
• We will depart MPHS NLT 4:45 PM to head to the Cabarrus Arena.  We will plan to arrive to the Cabarrus Arena by 5:00 PM
• Once we arrive, we will get our area prepared for the ceremony, warm-up, etc.
• The graduation ceremony will begin at 7:30 PM
• I anticipate the end of the ceremony to be at approximately 9:00 PM.  We will get equipment loaded and board buses to get back to MPHS. 
• I anticipate arrival back to MPHS to be 9:30 PM with dismissal being 9:45 PM.  This is all dependent on how long the ceremony runs.
• Students need to plan to wear “nice” attire.  Females can wear dresses, skirts/nice pants with nice tops, etc.  Males should wear collared shirts (button ups, polos, etc.) and dress pants/khakis.

Assignments for 4th Quarter

Assignments for the 4th Quarter have begun to be input in SmartMusic for completion. Ensure you get these assignments done.

Assignments PAST DUE:

• Major Scales: D, G, C, F, B-Flat, E-Flat, A-Flat, D-Flat
• Sightreading #1
• Sightreading #2
• 2 Octave F Chromatic Scale (#251)
• Sightreading #3
• Sightreading #4

Absolute last day these can be turned in for credit is Monday, 11 MAY 2026. If not turned in by then, these will stay as "zeroes" in the gradebook.

SmartMusic (MakeMusic Cloud Accounts)

To create SmartMusic accounts (if you have not done so), do the following:

• Go HERE to register
• The class code should automatically populate, but if it does not, it is UC7CCJ-V4WYE
• Hit “Find Your Class.” The class Mount Pleasant HS Band 2025-2026 should populate. Hit “Join this Class.”
• Please put in an e-mail address that you utilize often to establish your account.
• Check your e-mail for a confirmation e-mail. Please confirm your account.

To Login to SmartMusic: Go to HERE

NEWS AND EVENTS FROM VARIOUS AREA COLLEGES/UNIVERSITIES AND OTHER LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

News from East Carolina University

Student for a Day (Monday, September 21st): Intended for juniors & seniors who might be thinking about majoring in music, or who want to keep playing music at the collegiate level. Registration is free. Learn more HERE.

ECU Band Day (Friday, November 6th): Intended for any high school marching band student who’d like to experience a gameday with the ECU Marching Pirates. Registration and ticket price are TBD. Learn more HERE.

News from UNC Charlotte

Summer Music Camp (June 17th - 20th, 2026): students will work with faculty and guests in full band, chamber music, and composition (Tyler S. Grant, guest composer). See information below from Dr. Taylor: "I'm excited to announce registration for the Charlotte Summer Music Camp is now open! This year we will host Composer-in-Residence Tyler Grant. In the full band portion of the camp, students will workshop unpublished music with Mr. Grant to learn about the compositional process and refine compositions soon to be published. The full band will culminate with a professional recording session of Mr. Grant's music. Additionally, students will participate in chamber ensembles and masterclasses coached by UNC Charlotte Faculty and Charlotte Symphony Musicians. Students will get valuable experience performing in small groups and receive crucial individual instruction, and perform in a chamber concert on Saturday, June 20th. Finally, scholarships are available by audition. Students should submit a single video link of their District Band Audition Solo, Ab Concert Scale, and Chromatic Scale to be considered for Scholarship. Register here by January 18th to be considered for a scholarship! Registration fee of $30, final payment of $120 due by May 1.

Find all of our events stay up to date with registrations here and follow CLTBands on Instagram.

Finally, for any student interested in band or music at UNC Charlotte - encourage them to reach out! Check out the attached postcard for more information and visit our website for information about admissions and auditions. We highly encourage interested students to apply by November 1."

News From Western Carolina University

We are excited to announce that registration for the 2026 Summer Symposium is officially open! The Pride of the Mountains Summer Symposium is designed to serve both students and band directors, offering multiple instructional tracks that support musical growth, leadership development, and professional learning within the marching arts.  Student Tracks We are pleased to offer a wide range of student-focused instructional tracks, including:

• Drum Major
• Wind
• Front Ensemble & Rhythm Section
• Battery Percussion
• Color Guard

The 2026 Summer Symposium will take place July 5–9, 2026. Students will enjoy a full week of high-quality instruction, engaging activities, and meaningful mentorship. Participants will study with renowned clinicians from across the country, work closely with assigned WCU student leaders, and gain valuable skills in leadership and musicianship they can take back to their home programs. Guest Artist-in-Residence We are thrilled to welcome Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps as our 2026 Artist-in-Residence. Students will have the opportunity to observe a rehearsal, experience Crown’s Summer 2026 production, and participate in an exclusive clinic with this world-class ensemble. Eligibility Rising high school freshmen and rising college freshmen are also eligible to attend. The registration link can be found HERE. We would love to have you and your students join us for a rewarding and inspiring week. If you have any questions, please contact us at potminfo@email.wcu.edu.

Marching Band Clinic Through Silent Command

The folks who run Silent Command will be in North Carolina on Saturday, 25 JUL to do a 1 day clinic at Hough High School. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn from some of the greatest clinicians in the country. I HIGHLY encourage folks who are interested in attending this to go check this out. Will be a great day. To learn more and register for this clinic, go HERE.

Leadership / Drum Major Camp with Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps

The world championship finalist, Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps will be hosting a leadership/drum major camp in conjunction with their spring training on 5 - 7 JUN 2026 at Gardner Webb University. This is a great opportunity to work with world class instructors and performers to hone your skills. If you are interested in attending this fantastic camp, please go HERE for more information.

BAND PARENT CORNER

Band parents make it possible for us to do what we do. We appreciate you so much!!!

The Band Dads Podcast

New season with new episodes are here!!! The latest episode of The Band Dads podcast is now available. Please go HERE to listen.

SCHEDULE FOR 15 MAY - 4 JUN 2026

15 MAY 2026: MPHS Marching Band Leadership Team Auditions; 2:30 PM - 5:00 PM

15 MAY 2026: Marching Band Commitment Forms Due

21 MAY 2026: MPHS Graduation (ALL 9th, 10th, and 11th GRADE WIND ENSEMBLE MEMBERS); Report to MPHS NLT 2:00 PM (SEE ABOVE FOR FURTHER DETAILS)

1 JUN 2026: Marching Band Mini-Camp (FOR ALL MARCHING BAND MEMBERS); Wind Instrumentalists 8:00 AM - 112:00 PM Percussionists / Colorguard Members 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM

2 JUN 2026: Marching Band Mini-Camp (FOR ALL MARCHING BAND MEMBERS); Wind Instrumentalists 8:00 AM - 112:00 PM Percussionists / Colorguard Members 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM

3 JUN 2026: Marching Band Mini-Camp (FOR ALL MARCHING BAND MEMBERS); Wind Instrumentalists 8:00 AM - 112:00 PM Percussionists / Colorguard Members 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM

4 JUN 2026: Marching Band Mini-Camp (FOR ALL MARCHING BAND MEMBERS); Wind Instrumentalists 8:00 AM - 112:00 PM Percussionists / Colorguard Members 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM

4 JUN 2026: Band Boosters Meeting (ALL ARE WELCOME); 6:00 PM