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awesomebaby96 writes "By: Jermaine Williams
Springs Valley Blackhawk Brigade
Webmaster / Pit Instructor
On Sunday, November 12, three members of the Springs Valley Blackhawk Brigade joined 91 others from southwest Indiana schools in the Indiana Band Masters Association All-District Honor Band. AJ Apple, Hallie Conrad, and Drew Hill were selected by a panel of Indiana Bandmasters to participate in the honor band after being recommended by Luke Aylsworth, director of bands at Springs Valley. Apple is a senior saxophone player and has marched for the Blackhawk Brigade five years. He was first chair saxophone and made his second appearance in the honor band. Conrad was also first chair and made her second appearance with the band. She is a senior and marched trumpet for Springs Valley for five years as well. Hill is a sophomore and plays snare drum for Springs Valley. Hill is the second percussionist from Springs Valley to make the Honor Band. The Honor Band was a combination of the musicians from the area bands. Some such schools include Orleans, Jasper, Southridge, and Perry Central. The group of musicians met on Saturday and began practicing. They practiced throughout the day and then performed at Loogootee High School on Sunday. Special guest conductor was Dr. Tim Yontz. |
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awesomebaby96 writes "Last Wednesday, Springs Valley Director of Bands Luke Aylsworth was named the IndianaMarching.com Director of the Year.
Aylsworth was given this award due to the success of the Blackhawk Brigade this season and the growth the band program has experienced during the last six years under his direction. Aylsworth begin his career at Orleans High School with a one-year reign as director of the Bulldog Regiment in 2000. The following year, he took the Springs Valley opening and began the “Restoring of a Tradition” campaign with the Brigade in 2001. In 2001, the Brigade shown signs of improvement by growing over 100% in enrolment. By the end of the season, the Brigade had over forty members. Under the direction of Aylsworth, Springs Valley started to become competitive. The 2002 band grew in membership again to a much higher sixty-three member band. In 2001 and 2002, the band received a Silver Division rating at the ISSMA District competition. The 2003 season was a breakthrough year as the Brigade qualified for Regionals. Then in 2004, the Brigade received a gold division at regional, first time since 1997. They missed the state cut line by a few tenths of a point, motivating the Brigade for the next year. With a band of eighty members, the 2005 edition of the Blackhawk Brigade become a fan favorite and started to become recognized throughout the state. The 2005 band was ranked in the Indianamarching.com top 10 several times throughout the season. In addition, the band also received a Gold Division rating at District and Regional competition. The 2006 season, dubbed “The time is NOW” ended up being exactly that as Aylsworth led the Brigade to the State Finals. This was the first time since 1994 (Aylsworth’s senior year in high school, that the Brigade had made finals). "Anytime a group of individuals nominates you for an award, you feel extremely honored. I think the award is a direct reflection of the sacrifice, attitude and dedication our bands have displayed the last six years. People start to take notice when a band is growing and getting better,” mentioned Aylsworth.
Aylsworth is also an established composer/arranger of ...
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awesomebaby96 writes "By: Jermaine Williams
Springs Valley Blackhawk Brigade
Webmaster / Pit Instructor
Springs Valley took to the RCA Dome in Indianapolis on Saturday as a fan favorite and came back to French Lick with a fourth place trophy and smiles on their faces after the ISSMA State Marching Band Finals. Saturday was a day to celebrate for the Brigade as they marched in the RCA Dome for the first time since 1994. Over 30,000 attended the State Finals. "We were thrilled to death to be a state finalist. Everyone from the students to the staff and parents were just thrilled to have the opportunity again to compete at the state level," stated Luke Aylsworth, Director of Bands at Springs Valley. The fourth place finish was a great testament to how hard Springs Valley has worked this season, starting at camp in June and July. Being a state finalist in itself is attributed to the past bands that have helped restore the marching band tradition at Springs Valley. Aylsworth said, "Being in the top five is a major accomplishment. Only three years ago, we were struggling to make it out of District. To be at this level so quickly is an awesome achievement." Back in 1994, the Brigade placed fourth at the State Finals. That was the last year the Brigade marched in the RCA Dome. "It took us twelve years to get back to the level we were in 1994. The last time we made it to state finals we were fourth place. I think it is fitting that it now seems we have taken up where we left off. The mission now becomes maintaining this level of achievement. We have approximately three hundred students in the Springs Valley Band Program. The future looks promising and we must continue to push for musical excellence while developing our student leaders," Aylsworth said. On Friday afternoon, the Brigade held a “Sticker Ceremony” to add the year “2006” to the Brigade’s semi.
"One of the neatest things about this week was our semi trailer sticker ceremony. We received a semi trailer a few years ago and we placed decals on the side of the trailer to signify each state finals appearance. We started a new tradition of lining up next to the semi before a performance and patting our years before we performed. Friday we put the 2006 decal on and the students got to pat their own year. That was a very special moment. They are now forever a part of the storied Blackhawk Brigade legacy." Springs Valley does not end their season with State Finals. They will travel to ... |
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awesomebaby96 writes "
Springs Valley
Blackhawk Brigade
Heads to State Finals
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The Springs Valley Blackhawk Brigade has accomplished a task no other band has done since 1994, that is advance the ISSMA State Finals at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana.
This past Saturday, the Brigade competed in the ISSMA South Regional contest at Warren Central High School in Indianapolis, Indiana. Fourteen Class “D” bands were in attendance competing for five state finalist spots. The Brigade performed one of their better shows of the year and had the staff in a celebratory frenzy. Not only was the staff excited, the many Valley fans in the crowd along with other schools gave the Brigade a huge ovation following their show. Luke Aylsworth Director of Bands commented, “This was truly one of the most amazing days of my career. The students performed an amazing show and we as a staff were already excited after the performance. We knew that the students had performed a show worthy of a state finalist appearance. We then had to wait to see if the judges felt the same way we did about the show.” During awards, all three country schools were awarded with a Gold Rating, however Springs Valley was the only school to advance to state finals. Springs Valley will be joined by Tell City, Forest Park (Ferdinand), Mater Dei (Evansville), and North Posey (Poseyville) from the southern regional site. Once the Brigade returned home, they were greeted by a host of police officers and fire trucks from the French Lick, West Baden, and Orange Country departments. Once back at the School, over 200 parents, family, alumni, and friends cheered and celebrated the bands return to state outside the band room. “We received a hero’s welcome when we returned to Valley,” Aylsworth stated. “It will be a memory the students, staff and band parents will never forget.”
The 2006 ISSMA State Finals is this Saturday, October 21 at the RCA Dome in downtown Indianapolis. Tickets for State Finals are now on sale in the Springs Valley High School office from now until Friday. Office hours are from 7:30am – 4:00pm. Tickets are $13 for adults and $11 for Springs Valley Community School students. Tickets are general admission. If you do not purchase a ticket in advance, you must purchase your ticket at the RCA Dome Box Office, located on Capitol Avenue.
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The
top five: Marching bands looking for spots in state finals
Times-Mail (subscription), IN
By CARLY NATION,
cnation@tmnews.com
BEDFORD — Jasmine Kelley looks into the
setting sun as she marches in formation during the Bedford North Lawrence High
School marching band practice Thursday. Four area bands, including the Marching
Stars, will compete in regional action Saturday. Times-Mail Photo/Garet Cobb
The Marching Stars, the Bulldog Regiment, the Blackhawk Brigade
and the Pride will compete Saturday for more than just gold.
The squads are taking part in the Indiana State School Music Association
regional competition, and they hope for a place in the top five spots of their
respective classes. Because the top five will move onto the state finals the
following Saturday, Oct. 21.
Moving into the competition at the top of their game, the Springs Valley
Blackhawk Brigade has placed first and second in the season’s contests.
“This year has been our best year since I’ve been the director,” said Luke
Aylsworth. “We have a very strong senior class. And we put together a really
strong show.”
That show, called Clocks, is performed in three movements: Clockworks,
Pendulum and Kinetic Clock/Alarm Clock.
Also coming into the regional contest with a good season is the defending
state champion, the ...
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awesomebaby96 writes "
By: Jermaine Williams info@blackhawkbrigade.com
SV Brigade Webmaster/Instructor
This past weekend, the Springs Valley Blackhawk Brigade performed at the Center Grove and Martinsville Invitational. In all, the Brigade won first at Center Grove in Class “D” competition and second at Martinsville in Class “2A” competition. They also won music, general effect, auxiliary, percussion and tied for visual at Center Grove. Music and Percussion were tops for Springs Valley at Martinsville. The Brigade got the ball rolling early on Saturday and it showed in parts of the show, however the Brigade pull things together to end the Center Grove show on a strong note.
“You just can not substitute for experience. Our band this year has a great deal of experience and it is starting to show. They can handle tough situations or bad weather. They know how to react on the fly. You are starting to see just how hard these students and the recent alumni have worked over the past five years,” mentioned Springs Valley Band Director Luke Aylsworth.
Saturday Night, the band made up for morning mistakes and performed a fantastic show, with very little errors and a much cleaner show visually than the morning show.
This weekend is the ISSMA (Indiana State School Music Association) South Regional contest at Warren Central High School in Indianapolis, Indiana. The band will perform at 12:44pm.
“What we need Saturday is a big crowd of Brigade fans. There is nothing kike stepping out on the performance field and hearing your fan base being the loudest of the day. I hope to see a huge crowd of supporters at Warren Central,” stated Aylsworth when talking about the upcoming weekend.
The Brigade has continuously move up to a well-known band around ISSMA Class “D” and it has ...
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awesomebaby96 writes " By: Jermaine Williams
Springs Valley Blackhawk Brigade
Webmaster / Pit Instructor
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The Springs Valley Blackhawk Brigade took care of business at the ISSMA (Indiana State School Music Association) District Marching Band Festival on Saturday, bringing home a Gold Division rating and best general effect.
The Brigade had to dodge the raindrops at the show was hampered a little with rain. However, they went out and performed a great show. Also receiving a Gold Rating were the Pride of Paoli and Orleans Bulldog Regiment. They will join the
Blackhawk Brigade at the ISSMA South Regional at Warren Central on
October 14. As the Brigade looks towards to the
upcoming weekend, Director of Band Luke Aylsworth said, “We now start
to focus on adding some new components to the show. We have two weeks
to tweak and clean the show before the Regional competition. What
happens in the next two weeks will determine the outcome of our season
and the level of excellence we can achieve.” Aylsworth
has mentioned on numerous occasions that the success is due to the
re-building of the program that started back in 2001. “When I look back
on the last six years, it still amazes me that we have grown and
improved to this level,” he stated. The Brigade will travel to Indianapolis this weekend to compete in ...
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Marching
bands taking confidence to contests
Times-Mail (subscription), IN
By ROGER MOON,
roger@tmnews.com
Energy levels are building as high school marching bands get ready for
Saturday’s Indiana State School Music Association’s district-level marching
contests.
The Bedford North Lawrence High School Marching Stars will go to Columbus
East High School, while bands from Orleans, Paoli and Springs Valley high
schools will march at Alumni Stadium in Jasper. A gold rating from the judges at
District gives a band an opportunity to advance to the Regional on Oct. 14, and
top bands at that level then advance to the State contest a week later.
Luke Aylsworth, band director at Springs Valley, said, “It seems like
district contests bring out our better performances. I look forward to an
exciting performance that is full of energy and pride.”
At BNL, band director Brian Lackey praised his group for the way its members
presented in its final invitational that led up to District. “We just did such a
good job last week, especially musically, with the standstill performance at
Castle in Newburgh. They (band members) realized that the judges were
recognizing that we’ve got a really good show.”
He said, “I think they are starting to gain some confidence because they’re
just more comfortable with performing their show.”
Rainy weather last weekend forced some ...
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awesomebaby96 writes " By: Jermaine Williams
Springs Valley Blackhawk Brigade
Webmaster / Pit Instructor
Logan Burger is lifted by her fellow
guard members at the
community show eariler this season.
(www.blackhawkhawkbrigade.com)
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| The Springs Valley Blackhawk Brigade is making final preparation
for this weekends ISSMA’s (Indiana State School Music Association)
District Marching Contest at Alumni Stadium in Jasper, Indiana.
When speaking with Director of Bands at Springs Valley Luke
Aylsworth about this weekend, he remarked, “A few years ago, this
program was struggling to make it out of the district level
competition. Now, we are an established competitor in ISSMA Class D.
Our success is a testament to the hard work and dedication of every
band member from 2001 to present day. We started a restoration project
six years ago on our band program. Now, we can sit back and enjoy the
fruits of our labors.”
Senior saxophone and soloist AJ Apple joined the Brigade back in
2002 and was apart of the re-building of the program. When asked about
district, he said, “It's bittersweet and exciting because it is
District's week and the season is really starting to get going now. It
is also sad because this is my last year and inevitably, everything is
going by so fast.
“I feel very good about our show. Everyone has been giving 100% at
rehearsals and we improve as the season goes on,” Senior Hallie Conrad
remarked when talking about the season. Conrad joined the Brigade as an
eighth grader along with Apple. Aylsworth will use the final day before district to clean up
problematic area in the show. As it gets closer to district time, the
energy level among the band goes to a different level. “It seems like
district contest bring out one of our better performances. I look
forward to an exciting performance that is full of energy and pride,”
mentioned Aylsworth.
Fourteen bands will compete in Class “D” competition including the
Pride of Paoli and Orleans Bulldog Regiment. Each band will be judged
on their musical and visual performance. In order for the bands to
qualify for Regional’s, a band must score a 52 or higher. This is a
“Gold Rating.” Each band receiving that gold rating will be
participating in the ISSMA Southern Regional at Warren Central High
School in Indianapolis, Indiana on October 14.
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Paige Wilson plays a musical run on
her xylophone at the
Heritage Hills Invitational.
(www.simplyinstrumental.com)
(L to R) Trombones Landon Price, Ethan
Emmons, and Tommy
Lynch play the National Anthem during the Mitchell
football game
(www.blackhawkbrigade.com)
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Results for Saturday’s contest can be found immediately following ...
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Blackhawk Brigade Shines In front of Hometown Fans
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awesomebaby96 writes "By: Jermaine Williams
info@blackhawkbrigade.com
SV Brigade Webmaster/Instructor
The Springs Valley Blackhawk Brigade participated in the 25th annual
Pride of Paoli Invitational on Saturday night. The Brigade marched away
with first place in Class “2A” competition and won the best music,
visual, and drum major caption awards.
Springs Valley worked all week on cleaning up some visual issues they
had the past weekend at Heritage Hills. Director Luke Aylsworth said,
“We had another great performance. It is good to see the students
making adjustments and improving the areas we work on during the week."
Saturday’s contest at Paoli was the closest Springs Valley will compete
to home. The show was a homecoming of sorts, bringing out alumni,
family, and friends of the Brigade. Some of the largest ovations came
after the performance of the Springs Valley Blackhawk Brigade. "The
crowd response was amazing! I thought it felt like a rock concert. The
kids were so excited to see so many (Springs) Valley people in
attendance. I know it made the experience and performance more positive
and enjoyable," Aylsworth mentioned.
Springs Valley travels to ...
(Click Read more for contest results)
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Tenor player Amanda Skaggs marches
on, eyeing the drum
major at the Heritage Hills Invitational.
Saxophone soloist and senior AJ Apple
halts during a big
hit during the Brigade's show.
Photos Compliments of: SimplyInstrumental.com
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Note: BlackHawk Brigade Website
See the video
View pictures
View pictures (By Amy Drake)
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