MBA Header graphic
Table of Contents
Online Schedule
Concert Attendance
Concert Change
Now on Facebook
Oceanaires/Westwinds
Mini-Tour #1
Music Tour to Florida
Fundraising

Department Needs:


Hand bells - $7500

Percussion Maintenance & Upgrades - $2400

Rehearsal room sound systems - $1500

Wireless Controller for iPad 2 (for use in rehearsal) - $85

Rehearsal Chairs - $1050

Wiring for recording system in rehearsal rooms - $250


DONATE
(tax deductible)
(any amount appreciated)


Tour Payments:


Payment schedule: 

11/18/10 - $250

2/17/11 - $250

4/6/11 - $100

 

Payments to date
(coming soon) 

(tax deductible)


Fund Raising:

   
Orders due:  11/28
Order pick-up:  12/12

     
All items due by 12/5


Resources

 
 

Like us on Facebook Music Department on Facebook

Find us on Facebook MBA on Facebook

View our profile on LinkedIn MBA on LinkedIn

Join Our Mailing List
Music Banner

OCTOBER 20, 2011

Leukert
Kristian Leukert,
Music Director

Dear music parents,

I'm very excited about a new and exciting year of great music.  The students continue to amaze and inspire me.  I hope I do a little of that for them, too.  Please keep the music department and the school in general in your prayers.

For those of you who are new to the music department this year, welcome to Music Notes.  While I won't be sending out regular newsletters, I will be using this to disseminate necessary and/or useful information when the need arises.  I hope this can be a relaxed and inviting medium that will give you the opportunity to become more connected to, and involved in, the formal MBA music experience.

Take a quick glance at the left side-bar.  I've tried to include some useful links and information pertaining to the music department.  Concert schedule, tour payment dates, fund raising info, music department needs, online donation/payment, etc.  Perhaps this will be a useful resource for you--preventing sleepless and worry filled nights, assuaging guilt for missing performances, softening the shock of "...and by the way, dad, there's $300 due tomorrow for music tour,"  and lessening the frustrated last minute phone calls to my office.  Not that I don't love to hear from you....

Lastly, I am first and foremost here to minister to your children, but parents need love and support, too.  If there is anything I can do to make your MBA experience a more comfortable and rewarding one, please let me know.


Online Schedule

I want to make sure you are aware of the concert schedule available on the MBA website.  From the main page, click "Campus Life," then click "Music and Fine Arts."  On the right hand side, you can view the most up-to-date schedule.  If your smartphone is your best friend and constant companion, you can also use iCal and other apps to access/download the entire school calendar.


Concert Attendance
 

It is the policy of the music department that any absence due to verifiable emergency or illness is excused. Any other type of absence is unexcused. An unexcused absence will result in the reduction of the student's quarter grade by at least one grade letter, and possibly expulsion from the group.  This was explained in the course outline which I handed to each student at the beginning of the school year, and is also outlined in the student handbook.

 

There are often many duties and difficulties that make consistent performance attendance a hardship. However, in order for your child to be a responsible member of an ensemble, they must faithfully attend all performances. When even one or two members are missing, the overall quality of the performance is weakened. Your children have worked hard to prepare this music and deserve every possible advantage in performance. For this reason, please find attached the master schedule for all MBA ensembles. Please take a moment to look over this document and add all applicable dates to your family calendar.

Concert Change

For those who already received a performance schedule, you might notice a change in this recent iteration.  Please make note of this change if it affects you:  There will be an additional performance on November 19, 2011.  The Oceanaires will be performing at the Mello Center in downtown Watsonville.


Music Notes on Facebook!

Even a sophisticated, beautiful email such as this is now antiquated.  Many of you communicate exclusively through text and Facebook.  Now you can catch the latest Music Notes editions (and past editions) on our FB page.  Click here to check it out.  I will send a message to all the followers whenever a new issue comes out.  A word of caution, even though the music department now has a FB page, the most reliable and timely way to contact me is still through email or phone.  I don't check FB nearly as much as I check my email.  And yes, that means I'm antiquated, too.


Oceanaires/Westwinds

Some of the info in my emails will apply to all music parents.  Much will apply to only the parents and students involved in Oceanaires and Westwinds.  Tour info, payments, fund raising, etc., will usually be at the end of the email.  Links and info on some of this material will also be located on the side bar.


Have bus, will travel--Our First Mini-Tour 

Our first mini-tour is coming up very soon.  On November 4, we will be leaving for Valley View/Santa Maria/Arroyo Grande.  Here are the concerts:

-11/4, 11:00 am at Valley View
-11/4, 7:00 pm at Santa Maria Spanish Church
-11/5, 11:00 am at Santa Maria SDA Church
-11/5, 3:00 pm at Arroyo Grande SDA Church
-11/6, 1:00 pm at Civic Auditorium in Santa Cruz - Sing For Your Life (Oceanaires Only)

The Sing For Your Life concert is a fundraiser of sorts.  Feel free to sell tickets to friends/family/neighbors.  Tickets are $15 each and are available through the music department.  We can arrange for them to be picked up at the door if that is easier for your purposes.

For a more detailed itinerary of the Valley View mini-tour, click here.


Music Tour to Florida!

If all goes as planned, our big tour this year will be to Florida.  We are trying desperately to keep the price the same as last year, $750.  One of the largest obstacles will be airfare.  It is still too early to know how that will work out.  But, like I said, we're trying our best to keep the cost to $750.  More info will be offered when it becomes available.

You can see a payment schedule in the left sidebar.  Once the first payment date has come and gone (11/18, which is a month from now, by the way), you may use the "Payments To Date" link to see your child's current balance.  That will be updated every couple of weeks or so.  Keep one of the issues of music notes somewhere in your email account and click that link whenever you want to see the most recent balance.


Fundraising

This section applies to Oceanaire and Westwind parents only (the ones needing to finance music tour).  It should be noted that if you are not current in your school bill, your child will not be allowed to go on big tour, even if you have paid the entire tour fee.  Instead, the tour fee money you have paid will be applied to your outstanding school bill.  Here are the opportunities for fund raising available right now:


Silent Auction
- This one should be first on your list.  Jan Shakespeare is heading up this endeavor and she is expecting to hear from you.  You can contact her at
[email protected].  70% of the proceeds from your family's donations will go directly to your child's tour fee.  The more items you bring, the more money you can make for tour.  The deadline for donations is December 5.  Donations need not be at the school at that time.  They just need to be submitted by email or phone to Jan.

See's Candy Chocolate Bars
- Students are out selling (and eating) chocolate like mad.  The candy bars are back and you can certainly take advantage of this, too.  A box containing 24 chocolate bars costs $21.60.  Recommended sale price is $2.00 per bar.  You do the math.  Some parents want to buy them at the $0.90 per bar (cost) and use them as Christmas gifts, stocking stuffers at work, etc.  That is fine and I will be happy to supply those to your children, but keep in mind that if you only pay back what the cost was on the bars, you child won't make any money on the sale.  That being said, do with them what you will.


See's Candy Winter Fundraiser
- Winter/Holiday candy and chocolates are available from See's.  I have passed out flyers and order forms to interested students, but
here is a link to the .pdf (just in case it doesn't make it to your fridge on its own).  Make checks out to MBA.  The school will pay one large check for the entire school order on the due date.  All orders are due on November 28.  This gives you the Thanksgiving recess to sell, sell, sell (or buy, buy, buy).  The order will arrive and be available for pick-up at MBA on December 12.  The music department will be happy to hold on to your order for as long as you need us to, but a timely pick-up is appreciated.

Solicitation Cards - Like last year, there is the option to send out solicitation cards/letters to raise funds.  Unlike last year, PJ and Mrs. Henderson have worked hard to develop a nice, professional looking card that can be used for this purpose.  The concept is still the same--you send out cards to people you know, they send it back with a check.  Your child gets help paying off the tour fee, your friends/relatives get a tax deduction.  Everyone wins.

FYI:  Please make sure the student's name is not written on the check.  Attach a sticky note or something to indicate who it is for.  If a student's name is written on the check, the school will not be able to process the tax receipt.   
I look forward to many more installments of Music Notes.  If you want to receive these communications at a different or additional email address, just let me know.

God bless,
Leukert Signature 
Kristian K. Leukert
Music Director
MBA SealMonterey Bay Academy is committed to excellence in communicating Jesus Christ while teaching young people to balance academics with everyday living in a clear and practical manner, so they will be equipped to grow in wisdom, integrity, and service.