Musician Gift Ideas

Ever wonder what kind of gifts are ideal for a band student?  Below are a few suggestions.  It might be helpful to know if they already have these, and in the case of reeds, you will want to know their preference of Brand and Size. 

TUNER
METRONOME
TUNER/METRONOME Combo
PERSONAL MUSIC STAND
REEDS

SmartMusic Subscription
***This is a great resource for general practice, sightreading, improvisation, etc.  Click on the link and view the information video for more details. 

***Students may also want to visit the Music & Arts store at the Arboretum and browse their music selections or talk to their teachers about private lessons.
Music & Arts at the Arboretum

Spartan Sound Plays in the Rain

Photo Courtesy of Scott Keoseyan

Our Spartan Sound Marching Band spent a good amount of time Saturday night trying to dry out after getting caught in the rain. The annual Union County Marching Band Preview was held on Saturday, September 13 at Marvin Ridge High School. Even though most of the day was sunny and clear, the clouds became dark and the rain began just as the band began their show.

Our Spartan Sound marching band started the day in our own Spartan Stadium at 9:00 am with a three hour rehearsal, lunch, and another two hours of rehearsal. The band has been putting together their 2014 production titled The Pursuit of Happiness. The band’s competition show this year includes songs from the 1920s and 30s, "Happy Days Are Here Again," Gershwin’s "Piano Concerto in F Movement 3," "Smile," and "Get Happy."

Even though the marching band got rained on during their performance at the county preview, the members were still able to stay focused and put on an outstanding performance. The audience continued to cheer and clap to encourage the performers and recognize their strong performance. After the performance, the band quickly packed up their instruments and headed back to the buses to dry off. The guest adjudicators who were there to critique the bands let Mr. Reynolds know how impressed they were with the performance, especially under the extreme circumstances with the rain.

When it was all said and done, the students had done an amazing job on the field during the heavy rain and have gotten off to a strong start to their competition season. It may take just a couple days for the equipment and uniforms to dry, but playing in a massive rain storm will most likely be a memory not soon forgotten.

Spartan Sound Marching Band Season Schedule
September 27 - Cuthbertson HS
October 4 - Butler HS and Hickory Ridge HS
October 18 - Mooresville HS
October 25 - Porter Ridge HS
November 1 - Rock Hill District 3 Stadium

Spartan Sound in the 2014 New York St. Patrick's Days Parade

Photo by Kevin McCormick / GroupPhotos.com

SPARTAN SOUND IN NYC FOR ST. PATRICK'S DAY PARADE

     On Monday, March 17, our Spartan Sound marching band marched down 5th Avenue in New York City as part of the 253rd St. Patrick's Day Parade.  The temperature for the day hovered around freezing, but that didn't keep the band from performing their best.  All along the parade route their were folks thanking the band for traveling up from North Carolina for the parade.  Several band members even had family members travel up to see the parade, or had extended family from the New York area come out to see them.
     While in New York the band also had time to explore Times Square and Rockefeller Center, visit the 911 Memorial, Top of the Rock Observatory, and take a tour of Radio City Music Hall.  The group also attended a matinee performance of the Broadway musical Newsies  before heading to a dinner cruise along the Hudson and East Rivers.

Sun Valley Welcomes New Middle School Band Director

About the Director

Our Sun Valley Middle School band students will be welcomed this year by our newest member of the Spartan Band family, band director Natassia Lail.  Ms. Lail has been teaching in Union County for four years.  Before coming to SVMS, she served as Director of Elementary Bands (Monroe Cluster) in Union County, North Carolina.  Under her direction, the Monroe Cluster 5th grade band program consisted of nearly 160 students at five different elementary schools.  Ms. Lail also assisted the Monroe Middle School bands and music classes at Wolfe School.

After graduating from Butler High School in Matthews, North Carolina, Ms. Lail received a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina.  While there she studied flute and clarinet with Dr. Phil Thompson and participated in various performing ensembles. She performed in the Winthrop University Wind Symphony, Carolinas Wind Orchestra, Chamber Winds, Woodwind Quintet, Clarinet Choir, and various school musicals.

Ms. Lail is a member of the Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society, the National Flute Association, the National Association for Music Education, the South Central District Bandmasters Association, and the Union County Bandmasters Association.

Ms. Lail has already spent several weeks working with our high school marching band members.  She is now looking forward to working with the musicians of Sun Valley Middle School and their families.  She is eager to help students realize their full musical potential and continue leading the SVMS band program towards excellence.