THIS WEEK 3/16
Congratulations to the Gahr High School Concert Band and Wind Ensemble on their outstanding performances at the ABCUSD District Festival this past Thursday! Both ensembles received high praise from the adjudicators and gained valuable insight during their clinics with Dr. Gregory Whitmore, Mrs. Cathy Olinger, and Dr. Rickey Badua.
Thank you to the family members, friends, and alumni who came to hear the bands, including Gahr High School Dean, Mr. Ariel Legaspi. We are also incredibly grateful to the parents who helped provide dinner for the students and assisted with transporting equipment to and from the festival. Your support makes these opportunities possible for our students.
On Saturday, Gahr Indoor Percussion delivered a strong performance at the WGI Ontario Percussion Regional. The ensemble earned 1st place in the Music caption, a tremendous achievement and a testament to the students’ hard work and musical development this season. While we narrowly missed advancing to Sunday’s Finals, the group continues to make outstanding progress. We are excited to keep refining the show as we prepare for our next performance at SCPA Prelims on Sunday, March 29th.
As we begin another important week of rehearsals, we encourage every student to stay focused and continue striving for improvement. Great ensembles are built through consistent effort and attention to detail. Practice is where you master your individual responsibility; rehearsal is where we bring those pieces together to create something greater as a team.
LUNCHTIME LEADERSHIP CLASS – THIS FRIDAY!
Our Lunchtime Leadership Classes have been off to a great start with strong turnout and excellent discussions. We look forward to seeing everyone again this Friday, March 20th at lunch.
IMPORTANT: Students who plan to apply for a band or color guard leadership position are required to attend these sessions.
However, this class is open to everyone — even if you are not sure about applying for leadership. It’s a great opportunity to build confidence, develop leadership skills, and learn how to positively impact the ensemble.
You may bring your lunch and eat during the class. We meet once per week for a 5-week series, and leadership application packets will be released at the end for those who are interested. We encourage all students to take advantage of this opportunity and grow as leaders in our program!
SEE’S CANDY SPRING FUNDRAISER – DEADLINE WEDNESDAY
We are excited to be wrapping up our See’s Candy Online Yum-Raiser Fundraiser! This fundraiser helps students raise money for their student accounts while giving family and friends the chance to purchase some delicious See’s Candy. Students earn 20–50% profit (depending on the item), and all profits go directly to the participating student’s account. Orders are shipped directly to the buyer as soon as they are placed, making this an easy way to support the program.
Band and Guard members and parents should have received an email with a personalized Yum-Raising link that connects directly to our Gahr Band and Color Guard storefront. The first few letters of your first name should appear in your link. If you did not receive your link and would like to participate, please contact Vickie Gonzales at gahrbandboosters25@gmail.com
🍫 Product List: https://tinyurl.com/gahr-sees-candy
📅 Final Deadline to Order: Wednesday, March 18
💰 Student Profit: 20–50% depending on the item
🚚 Shipping: Orders ship directly once they are placed.
If you would like to support the Gahr Instrumental Music Program overall, you may also share or use this general fundraising link: https://www.yumraising.com/store/spring-2026-gahr-band-and-color-guard-2026-spring-fundraiser-01ea/VicGon20778
PROGRAM AD FUNDRAISER – DEADLINE THIS FRIDAY
This is a great opportunity to raise money for your student account while supporting our Winter Guard and Indoor Percussion programs. We are creating a program booklet for the ABCUSD Drumline & Color Guard Spring Showcase, and students can earn money by selling advertisements or performer shoutouts. The deadline to sell or purchase an ad is this Friday, March 20th.
For the program, we offer two advertisement options, both in FULL COLOR:
$50 Half-Page Ad or Shoutout
$100 Full-Page Ad or Shoutout
Each ad sale directly supports our program, with 50% going to the participating student’s account and 50% supporting our Winter Guard and Indoor Percussion programs.
What you should do:
Reach out to family, friends, and local businesses
Ask for support through an ad purchase or student shoutout
Start now so you maximize how much you can earn
The showcase attracts a large audience from middle and high school programs across ABCUSD, making it a great opportunity for businesses to advertise and families to recognize their students. Take advantage of this opportunity and raise money for yourself and the program!
All ads and shoutouts should be submitted via email to darren.loney@abcusd.us.
ANNUAL GIFT BASKET RAFFLE!
We are collecting donations for our Annual Gift Basket Raffle, one of our favorite spring traditions! This year we will be raffling off four incredible themed baskets during the Gahr Area Concert on Wednesday, May 6th, including a special “Disney Day” basket featuring a Family 4-Pack of Disneyland tickets! Each section of the band & color guard will help build the baskets by donating themed items. Families may also contribute cash or gift cards, which will allow the boosters to purchase larger items (such as the Disneyland tickets). This fundraiser directly supports the Gahr Instrumental Music Program, and we greatly appreciate the generosity of our students and families!
WINTER GUARD & INDOOR PERCUSSION
WINTER GUARD & INDOOR PERCUSSION SHOW SHIRTS ARE HERE! Shirts are just $20 each and are a great way to support our talented performers at shows and competitions. They also make great gifts for family members and friends. GET THEM BEFORE THEY’RE GONE!!
ALL WINTER GUARD & INDOOR PERCUSSION MEMBERS SHOULD BE CAUGHT UP WITH THREE DONATIONS BY THIS POINT. This is critical so that we are able to pay for costumes, production costs, and our instructional staff. WE ARE UNABLE TO PAY FOR THIS WITHOUT YOUR DONATION. Please click here to make an Indoor Percussion Donation and click here to make a Winter Guard Donation. Thank you.
Band & Guard Families: If you’re at the store this week, please consider picking up an item from the Drumline & Guard Wishlist. These donations go a long way in supporting our students throughout the season. Thank you for always taking such great care of these hardworking performers!
2027 ORLANDO TRIP!
Thank you to everyone who attended the Orlando Trip Parent Meeting! We had an incredible turnout and are very excited to offer this opportunity to our students. If you were unable to attend the parent meeting, please review the full information packet here.
The Orlando Trip is open to all current 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th grade Band and Color Guard students and will take place during Spring Break from March 25-30, 2027.
This once-in-a-lifetime experience includes:
Round-trip airfare and hotel accommodations
Transportation throughout the trip
3 days at Walt Disney World
2 days at Universal Orlando (including Epic Universe)
Performance in the Walt Disney World Parade
A Disney Imagination Campus Workshop
Daily meals provided through dining cards
Professional tour manager and overnight security
Trip Cost: $3,175 per student (quad occupancy – two beds, four students per room)
Students can begin registering now to secure a spot and start monthly payments. To register:
Click “Login” at the top of the page
Enter Trip Code: gahr27
Select “Access Account” and create your account
Complete your reservation
DON’T WAIT! We strongly encourage families to register now to secure their student’s spot.
THIS WEEK:
MONDAY 3/16
INDOOR PERCUSSION DONATION OF $200 PAST DUE
WINTER GUARD DONATION OF $225 PAST DUE
7:17AM Jazz I & II – attendance
7:20AM Jazz I & II – downbeat
2:30-6:00PM Indoor Percussion - Battery Only
5:30-8:30PM Indoor Percussion - Front Ensemble Only
TUESDAY 3/17
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
7:17AM Jazz I & II – attendance
7:20AM Jazz I & II – downbeat
3:30-6:00PM Wind Ensemble rehearsal/sight-reading
5:00-9:00PM Winter Guard Rehearsal
WEDNESDAY 3/18
SEE’S CANDY FUNDRAISER DEADLINE
6:00-9:00PM Indoor Percussion rehearsal
THURSDAY 3/19
7:17AM Jazz I & II – attendance
7:20AM Jazz I & II – downbeat
3:30-6:00PM Concert Band rehearsal/sight-reading
5:00-9:00PM Winter Guard Rehearsal
FRIDAY 3/20
SPRING SHOWCASE PROGRAM ADS DUE
7:17AM Jazz I & II – attendance
7:20AM Jazz I & II – downbeat
12:50-1:20PM Lunchtime Leadership Class!
6th – Percussion sight-reading during class
TAKE INSTRUMENTS AND MUSIC HOME AFTER SCHOOL