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Downloads:

Cardinal Heights Band Links:

Registration Information:


For a full calendar of Sun Prairie Band Events,
 please click HERE!

Contacts:

Joe Mesner
jrmesne@sunprairieschools.org
608-318-8137
  • Wind Symphony
  • 8th Grade Concert Band
  • CHUMS Jazz II
  • EPOCH Sound

Ian Melrose
ipmelro@sunprairieschools.org
608-318-8134
  • 9th Grade Band
  • 8th Grade Symphonic Band
  • CHUMS Jazz I
  • Sound of Sun Prairie - Business Manager

CARDINAL HEIGHTS BAND NEWS:

Cardinal Heights Bands - March Updates!

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CHUMS March Concert – Thursday March 5th @ Cardinal Heights Theater ​
We are excited to welcome guest conductor, Dr. Colleen Richardson, from Western University in Ontario, Canada. Besides being active as a clinician, adjudicator, and guest conductor nationally, Dr. Richardson has guest conducted or presented her research at conferences in Ireland, Switzerland, Italy, Taiwan, Indonesia, Japan, Wales, and the US. Her research focuses on wind literature, conducting pedagogy, and rehearsal techniques. Publications include articles for the Canadian Winds, and the Canadian Music Educator Journal, as well as multiple study guides for the Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series. Dr. Richardson has produced two CDs with the Western University Wind Ensemble (Apparitions and Explorations), and the Hunsberger DVD within GIA’s DVD set entitled Three Icons: Frank Battisti, Donald Hunsberger, and H. Robert Reynolds.
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Annual Band'O'Rama - Monday April 6th @ High School Field House
Sun Prairie will host their annual Band O’Rama featuring all bands in the SPASD.  
  •  6:30pm - Warm up time 
  • 7:00pm - Concert Begins

*Students will be responsible for transportation of their instrument to and from this concert.  Please plan ahead and let us know if you are in need of assistance.  
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Cardinal Heights Bands - Upcoming Dates!
  • Friday April 3 @ 7pm - Swing Into Spring (Jazz Bands) @ Patrick Marsh
  • Monday April 6 @ 7pm - Band'O'Rama @ SPHS Fieldhouse
  • Wednesday May 20 @ 7pm/8pm - Cardinal Heights Spring Band Concert Band with with guest composer Cait Nishimura
  • ​Thursday May 21 - 8th Grade Bands @ Beyond the Notes Music Festival @ Kalahari. 

Cardinal Heights Bands - Solo & Ensemble Information

All Cardinal Heights students are working on solos or chamber groups as part of their band curriculum. Students have 2 performance assessment options:
Option #1
Saturday 2/8/20- official WSMA Solo & Ensemble Festival @ Patrick Marsh
  • Fees - cover registration
  • Registration Forms
  • Due Dates:

    • Registration Form - Monday 11/18
    • Payment (via Infinite Campus): Friday 12/6  *Payments will show up in Infinite Campus after we receive & process the registration form (this may take a few days). 
  • Accompanist (optional) - If you have an accompanist, please indicate the name of your accompanist on your registration form.  Students make their own arrangements with accompanists if they choose to play with an accompanist Also, please be sure to check schedules and start arranging practice times with your accompanist.  
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
https://bit.ly/2MSAKKs

Please support young musicians on Saturday February 8, 2020 by volunteering and making this festival a success.  We could very much use your help to make solo/ensemble a great event for students. How can you help?
  • Door monitor (keep hallways quiet, help adjudicator with who performs next, ask for adjudicator copy of music)
  • Runner  (walk to each site and collect completed results and bring them to the office for tabulation)
  • Concessions (sell food, clean tables, etc)
  • Donate food items for concessions or the adjudicator lunch
  • ​Clean-up (moving chairs and stands back after the festival is completed)
Option #2
Thursday 2/6/20 - Solo Night @ CHUMS, 3 - 6pm
  • Fees -  none, *This is designed for students who are not able to attend on Saturday or would prefer a different option
  • Registration - Students will sign up in class the week prior

Cardinal Heights Bands - December Concert

CHUMS December Concert – Monday Dec. 16th  @ High School PAC!
The High School and Cardinal Heights will share the PAC stage for the Winter Concert.  
Students will be responsible for transportation of their instrument to and from this concert.  Please plan ahead and let us know if you are in need of assistance.  
  • 8th Grade Bands and the High School Symphonic Band will perform at the 6:30pm Concert.
  • 9th Grade Band  will perform at the 8:00pm Concert.
    *Wind Symphony performs Wed. 12/18 w/ Japanese Guest Band. 

Cardinal Heights Bands - October Concert

  • 7pm - 8th Grade Bands (6:30pm warm-up time)
  • 8pm - 9th Grade & Wind Symphony (7:30pm warm-up time)

Livestream Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRPKkNdkgZo&feature=youtu.be

Welcome to Cardinal Heights Bands - September 2019!

We would like to welcome all of the 8th and 9th grade families to the Cardinal Heights Upper Middle School band program and our “vision of students as accomplished learners and evolving musicians in pursuit of artistry.” 

Music Uniforms:
All Upper Middle School students should have been fitted for a concert uniform.  There is a pants and vest options as well as a dress option. Students wearing the pants & vest option will need to provide their own fully black shoes, long black socks, & long-sleeved buttoned dress shirt.  Students wearing the dress option will need to provide black dress shoes. Please contact if you have questions or need help with anything! 

Uniform Fitting Times - 2019:
Wednesday August 21, 12 - 6pm 
Wednesday August 28th, 4 - 8pm (also Cardinal Heights Open House)

*August times are preferred if possible, but the following September dates work as well:
  • Thursday September 5th, Before or After School
  • Friday September 6th, Before or After School

Band Lessons:
  • Students have 1 band lesson every week during their resource.  This lessons is attached to A & B days (except for Fridays).  
  • Lessons are where much of the assessment occurs and instrument curriculum is taught. 

Sun Prairie Band Booster Lesson Academy 
The Sun Prairie Band Booster Lesson Academy has been created to provide convenient access to quality private instrument instruction for students in the Sun Prairie Band Program.  The program is designed to give students access to one-on-one instruction on their instrument with professional musicians/teachers that specialize on specific instruments right at Cardinal Height after school on Tuesdays.  

Learn more about the Sun Prairie Band Booster Lesson Academy at http://www.spbb.org/spbb-lesson-academy.html 

Sun Prairie Honors Band - for 8th Grade Students
Cardinal Heights Jazz!
Jazz season will be kicking off shortly with auditions for jazz bands at the Upper Middle School.  There is a place for everyone; the audition helps place students in an appropriate ensemble. Students interested in participating in jazz band will audition by performing “Blues by Five,” some sight-reading, and the option of soloing over a Bb blues.    For more information please visit http://www.spbb.org/chums-jazz-audition-page-2019.html

Auditions will take place September 23 - 26 and rehearsals will begin October 1st.   

For more updates go to:  CHUMS BAND NEWSLETTER PAGE

About Cardinal Heights Bands:

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Cardinal Heights Upper Middle School houses grades eight and nine, with more than 200 students enrolled in band classes.  The Cardinal Heights music program includes four concert bands, two orchestras, three choirs, and a digital music class.  Concert bands at Cardinal Heights include two eighth grade bands, a ninth grade band, and an auditioned Wind Symphony comprised of both eighth and ninth grade students.  Concert bands rehearse daily and students receive weekly small group instruction as part of the band curriculum.  Co-curricular ensembles available to Cardinal Heights band students include two jazz ensembles, a jazz combo, the "Epoch Sound" pep band, and a voluntary marching band, the "Sound of Sun Prairie."
     The mission statement "a vision of students as accomplished learners and evolving musicians in pursuit of artistry" guides the Cardinal Heights band program.  With support from the Sun Prairie Education Foundation and Sun Prairie Band Booster organizations Cardinal Heights bands have created a series of visiting clinicians, conductors, composers, and artists to collaborate with students.  These collaborators have played an important role in supporting the growth of students.  These visitors and musical mentors have introduced students to new approaches, perspectives, and philosophies about music, creativity, and self-expression.  Past collaborators include composers Rick Kirby, Joel Blahnik, John Stevens, John Nelson,  Jonathan Newman, and Kim Archer; conductors Scott Teeple, Peter Haberman, Carolyn Barber, and Matt Temple; clinicians Philip Ostrander, Matt Buchman, and Ronald Carter.  Cardinal Heights students have participated in the commissioning of new works for band including Aurum Memoria, In Memory of Jay Haraldson John Nelson, 3 O'Clock Mix by Jonathan Newman (consortium), and Beacon, In Memory of Jim Croft by Kim Archer (La Crosse Central consortium).