Instrument Rental Pickup - Students may pick up their marching instrument the week of their scheduled sectional day...except mellophones are the week before (I will be out of town during your week so it is important that you show up for the scheduled time) Read the Instrument Rental Pickup Schedule.

Please donate your retired tuxes, band dresses, drillmasters, etc. Please email/call karenraydonner@tmo.blackberry.net or 452.5175 or drop off by the uniform room. Thank you!

Music and the Arts: Musings of Significance - Learn, Enjoy:; The Study of Music Helps Students Achieve Success in Society Computer Science and other technical university degree programs now include music and the arts to complement and catalyze engineering, science and math education. For additional insight on how creative pursuits are becoming recresite for success in the post-information age read Daniel Pink's, A Whole New Mind. Reading, writing and math remain important were sufficient in the industrial age, but music, art and creative skills are the new differentiators for global competitiveness.

Payment information for Grand Nationals travel- November 11, 2009 - November 15, 2009. All Wando Marching Band students for 2009 will be paying online for travel costs to Indianapolis through Music Travel Consultants. You can start now! Read the instructions, which are in English. Then start here. If you have questions, or prefer instructions in Swahili, please email Mary Ruth Starr ( starrcm @ comcast.net ).

Summer 2009 and Fall 2009 Calendar - Save the dates! Now you can plan ahead by getting information well in advance. Please download the calendar dates and forward the file to all of your band family friends.

Stadium Sign Sale - Learn more about this community fundraising opportunity for 2009. Get the Hands Off List.

Band Parent Announcements - Check the Parents section for additional partent announcements and information that is rolled off of this main page, but is still important to band parents in particular.

Rising ninth graders and parents of rising ninth graders - Please take a look at our Future Members information.

Concert Festival - Becca says congratulations to the Wando Band's Concert 1, Concert 2 and Symphonic Band for straight superiors at Concert Festival. The unprecedented performances of the Wando musicians, under the direction of Scott Rush, Sean McGrew and Lanie Radecke reached a musical level of soulful passion, replete with joy. If you missed this experience, kick yourself now.

LCI - Band directors can plan now to participate in the 2009 Lowcountry Invitational Marching Band Festival (LCI), hosted by the Wando Band Boosters. LCI Flier. LCI Website.

New Records Set by Wando Band Students for South Carolina All-State in 2009 - 70 Wando students, 51 chairs and 19 alternates, were selected into the South Carolina All-State Clinic and Senior bands for 2009. This sets a new Wando record, breaking last year's record achievement. In the Clinic band (9th and 10th graders), 26 musicians from Wando have chair placements and 12 additional musicians are alternates. In the Senior Band (11th and 12th graders) there are 25 chair placements and 7 alternates from Wando. Furthermore, 9 students made All-State Jazz this year; that's up from 4 and the most in the state this year from a single school.

Congratulations to all All-State band members and alternates as well as to all Wando band students who make All-State one of their performance goals. Wando's music education philosphy and the dedication of each recognized Wando musician are evident in these successes. Overheard from a daughter during a hug, "Your were right dad, practice is not always fun, but I love the results."

SC State Band Competition - Congratulations, Wando Band! What an honor for Wando to place first in the SCBDA State Marching Band Championship for 5A bands on November 1, 2008. All together Wando parents, alumni and supporters were treated to 14 creative and high quality band shows in preliminary competition and eight bands returning for finals competition. What a strong group of competitors each was. Congratulations in particular to our Lowcountry bands, Summerville, Stratford and Fort Dorchester. The Wando band family was humbled to see the dedication and hard work by so many young musicians from these bands and from bands across our state. It is evident that a rising musical tide has washed over South Carolina bands, raising musical excellence and competiton to new level. Of course the real champions are those students in each band who reached deep inside themselves to achieve a new level of self-expression in music, fieldwork and comraderie. Again, congratulations!

Wando Incarnate - Congratulations to the Bands of Wando, winning the caption award for overall visual effect and 2nd place in finals performance at BOA with Incarnata. What an honor and accomplishment by our students, directors, staff, band family and the East Cooper community. State my assumption: There is no finer place for young people to learn and grow than as members of the Bands of Wando.

The Sudler Flag of Honor - The Wando Band received the Sudler Flag of Honor, An International Award recognizing high school concert bands of outstanding musical excellence. The award is sponsored by Louis and Virginia Sudler, who were (and who's family continues to be) huge supporters of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The award is administered by the John Philip Sousa Foundation, who will present the Sudler flag at one of our upcoming concerts (TBA). The application reads, "The Sudler Flag of Honor, the most prestigious award for high school concert bands." (Although playing at the Midwest Clinic is the highest honor, this is certainly the most prestigious award). The presentation ceremony for the Sudler Flag of Honor will be held at the Wando Band's Spring Concert on May 15, 2008.

The Midwest Clinic - The performance at Midwest 2007 was one of the finest performances heard this year, by national and international attendees at the Midwest Clinic. Directors Scott Rush and Sean McGrew, along with three guest conductors, performed nine pieces of music. The composers/arrangers of the works, along with thousands of musicians, teachers, conductors, students and music benefactors were in attendance. Two, unprecedented standing ovations erupted during and following the Wando performance. Tears flowed after the premiere performance of A Boy's Dream by Jay Bocook. Three video/audio recordings of the Wando Symphonic Band performance in Chicago have been published by the Midwest Clinic. Listen to them now:
A Boy's Dream (Jay Bocook)
Dance of the Jesters (Tchaikovsky / Ray Cramer, arranger)
Resting in the Peace of His Hands (John Gibson)

Before and after their performance as world class musicians, the Wando students attended a stellar performance of the Chicago Brass, discovered the backstory of Oz in Wicked, enjoyed deep dish pizza, and played in the snow like the southern teenagers they are.

Thought for the Day

Mathematics moves my mind;
Love moves my heart;
Music moves both.

As a scientist I believe that there has never been a more critical time to rally behind music, art and drama programs (the arts). It is far too easy, both economically and politically, to cut programs in the arts, including our own philantrhopy. If we let this happen, we risk the loss of what makes us human. The math can be rediscovered and applied. The music, however, has to be experienced, binding us together in relationships that mathematics falls short to describe. -- Chris Starr, PhD. Systems Science.