Spring Band Concert

Bainbridge High School TheaterMarch 21st, 2024 @ 7PM

Dear Band Families and Band Friends, 

Happy Festival Season to everyone!  March is Music in Our School's Month, and traditionally, it is the month for band festivals and celebrating all the joy and personal growth that music brings to us.  There's a reason music has been an important part of every civilization in the history of the humanity.  Song and dance resonate deep in our souls, and being a part of a musical ensemble can bring some of the best rewards and feelings of being connected to others that we can offer our students.  I saw someone online recently saw, "I don't do music because I want to be great at it.  I play music, because it is great, and I want to be a part of it."

Our bands have been hard at work for months preparing tonight's concert; each showing moments of real greatness.  This concert will feature several mature pieces that we are preparing for festival this Saturday; some of the hardest pieces we've ever played.  If everything goes as planned, you will be in for something special.

Thank you to everyone who particiapted in last weekend's Swing Dance.  It was one of our best ever, and the community showed up in a huge way to support the band.  We raised over $10,000 in revenue from the event, and after expenses, that will be enough to buy a few new instruments.  Thank you to the band parents for helping make the night such a success.

Please do submit your thoughts for this concert's Props Survey, linked below.  The students love when there is a lot of participation in that.

Sincerely,

Chris Thomas 

Director of BandsBainbridge High School

Beautiful Bainbridge Island | Land Acknowledgement 


We would like to begin by acknowleding that the land on which we gather is within the ancestral territory of the Suquamish people. Expert fisher peoples, canoe builders, basket weavers, and much more, they have lived in harmony with the lands and waterways along Washington's Central Salish Sea for thousands of years, as they promised in the Point Elliot Treaty of 1855. 

"Every part of this soil is sacred in the estimation of my people. Every hillside, every valley, every plain and grove has been hallowed by some sad or happy event in days long vanished."

- Chief Sealth, 1854 

Student Recognition

Marching Band

I am so proud to report that our students had another amazing marching band season!  With 48 members this year, our band took home several awards.

For a full run down of results, please visit our Marching Band Awards Page.

Honor Bands

I'm proud to report an increase in the number of students participating in Honor Bands this year!  Huge congratulations to the following band members for being accepted into the following Honor Band Programs:

All-State

All-State Wind Ensemble

All-State Concert Band

All-State Philharmonic Winds

WIBC

Montana

PLU

Chamber Music

We have more good news to report!  This year's chamber music program was one of our most outstanding on record.  We had 47 performances, split across 22 competitive categories.  This year, BHS came home with 31 Superior Ratings (the highest possible), 12 winners, & 15 alternates.  For perspective, there are 9 high schools in our region, and a proportional number of wins would be about 2.4 wins per school.  Needless to say, our students deserve a hearty round of applause for these accomplishments.

Our winners will be heading to State in late April, and our alternates will find out if they get invited in early April.

Medal Winners

STATE CHAMPIONS

Clarinet - Finnegan Armstrong

Isaiah Beyer - Low Sax

SECOND IN STATE

Bass Clarinet - Finnegan Armstrong

Snare - Cole Moomaw

THIRD IN STATE

Mallets - Ben Beckett

Alternates

FIRST ALTERNATES

Flute - Fia Wetter

Clarinet - Claire Bremer

French Horn - Henry Burress

Snare - Liam Jurcak

Piano - Miles Wieland

Small Woodwind Ensemble - Bainbridge Sax Duet

Isaiah Beyer, Soprano Sax

Sebastian Ford, Alto Sax

Miles Wieland, Piano

Small Percussion Ensemble - Double H

Henry Bergan, Snare

Hannah Gallagher, Snare

Large Percussion Ensemble - Bainbridge Percussion Ensemble

Meridian Benson, bells

Quentin Faust, xylophone

Hannah Gallagher, chimes

Benjamin Beckett, vibes 1

Liam Doherty, vibes 2

Zachary Gonyea, vibes 3

Cole Moomaw, marimba 1

Theo Oestreich, marimba 2

Liam Jurcak, marimba 3

Henry Bergan, marimba 4

Kayla Holmberg, timpani

Timmy Voss, bongos

Vivian Flowers, sandblocks

Jackson Castillo, triangle

Hannah Ast, percussion

Finn Walker, drum set

Matthew Borrevik, bass drum

SECOND ALTERNATES

Flute - Sage Matteson

Clarinet - Lucy Kooistra

High Sax - Isaiah Beyer

Piano - Stella Saleh

Mallets - Theo Oestreich

Small Woodwind Ensemble - Bainbridge Clarinet Duet

Claire Bremer, clarinet

Finn Armstrong, clarinet

Large Woodwind Ensemble - Lil nitro quintet

Isaiah Beyer, soprano sax

Miles Wieland, alto sax

Finn Armstrong, tenor sax

Cascade Kaseler, tenor sax

Sebastian Ford, bari sax

Concert Program

Percussion Ensemble

Compound Autonomy | Jim Casella

Chamber Music

Afta-Stuba! | Mark Ford

Horn Quartet in B flat Major Op. 38 | Friedrich Constantin Homilius

Duo Concertante, Op. 55 | Jean-Baptiste Singelée

Symphonic Band

Cincinnatus March | H.A. Vandercook

Across the Currituck Sound | James Hosay

Russian Sailors' Dance | Reinhold Glière, arr Curnow

Wind Ensemble

Amazing Grace | Frank Ticheli

Chester | William Schuman

Volver a la Montaña | Shelley Hanson

Overture to Candide | Leonard Bernstein

Tonight's Composers

Tonight's Musicians

Percussion Ensemble

SENIORS

Hannah Ast

Zachary Gonyea

JUNIORS

Benjamin Beckett

Cole Moomaw

Henry Bergan

Io Zaballa

Kayla Holmberg

Liam Doherty

Liam Jurcak

Theo Oestrich

SOPHOMORES

Hannah Gallagher

Matthew Borrevik

Quentin Faust

FRESHMEN

Finnegan Walker

Jack Castillo

Meridian Benson

Timmy Voss

Vivian Flowers

Symphonic Band

FLUTES

Bailey Kleiven

Eve Wilson

Fia Wetter

Kelsey Goodro

Nicole Stipe

Pebbles Featherston

Sage Matteson

Seiya Stutzman

CLARINETS

Amanda Herten

Lucy Kooistra

Olyvia Shepard

BASS CLARINET

Rex Cantwell

SAXOPHONES

Annamarie Peterson (a)

Cascade Kaseler (a)

Lauren Blakemore (a)

Julia Seeley (t)

Max Hay (b)

Miguel Guillen Kushner (b)

TRUMPET

Abby Gerlek

Austin Williams

Jacob Stiepleman

Oliver Smith

Timothy Riggs

HORN

Dane Bowman

Henry Burruss

TROMBONES

Atlas Montgomery

Fae Aldrich

Kordell Reister

Gabby Tebo

EUPHONIUM

Gail Corns

TUBA

Sambela Aziz

Wind Ensemble

FLUTES

Brian Powers

Emma Kilby

Hannah Ast

Nolan Harui

OBOE

Callie Martin

VIOLIN

Matilda Sykes

CLARINETS

Abby Peterson

Aubrey Wilson

Cascade Matteson

Claire Bremer

Finn Armstrong

BASS CLARINETS

Gavin Smit

Thomas Hensley

SAXOPHONES

Connor Firth (a)

Isaiah Beyer (a)

Miles Wieland (t)

Sebastian Ford (b)

TRUMPETS

Dane Bowman

Elijah Treder

Giada DiMarco

Gretchen Johnston

Max Ramos

Stella Saleh

HORNS

Caelan Fehrenbacher

Dolly Courtway

Henry Burruss

Lillian Jackson

TROMBONE

Atlas Montgomery

Ben Van Patten

Gabby Tebo

EUPHONIUM

Dylan Gray

TUBAS

Grady Nordstrom

Sambela Aziz

DOUBLE BASS

Kayla Holmberg

Band Directors

Mr Thomas and Dr. Lauren Drakopulos <3
All Smiles here.
Gaia is a regal beast.

Chris Thomas has been the band director at Bainbridge High School since the 2012-2013 school year. Since then, every area of the program has won multiple awards for excellence. He prides himself in being a well rounded musician who enjoys the time he gets to spend with his bandmates.  As an educator, he works to show each of his students the joys of inspired performances and deep band friendships.

While at BHS, he founded our Community Swing Dance, State Honors Recital, and the Puget Sounds Jazz Festival, the only festival dedicated to improvization and the joyful, spontanious interactions between young jazz musicians.  Mr Thomas has also served on multiple schedule and hiring committees while at BHS, and has served on the Board of Directors for our regional music teachers' association in multiple roles, including president and webmaster.

Off campus, he plays trumpet with Backstreet Jellyroll (an 11 piece professional Van Morrison cover band), TMB Brass Band (Seattle's first call for second line), and Bud's Brass Quintet (a casual classical ensemble of mostly retired musicians and educators). He served as principal trumpet in the Bainbridge Symphony for five years before retiring from that ensemble in 2018, and previously performed with the Missoula Symphony.  While finishing his Masters Degree, Chris was a featured soloist with the Missoula City Band during their televised July 4th performances.  Mr Thomas played lead trumpet with the Kitsap Jazz Orchestra, and in the top jazz ensembles at Central Washington University and the University of Montana.  Chris was a lead trumpet and soloist with the Seattle Cascades Drum and Bugle Corps in 2001 and 2002, and with The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps in 2003 and 2004.

Before coming to BHS, Mr Thomas taught music classes for the Bellingham School District, Sedro-Woolley High School, the West Valley School District in Yakima, and The University of Montana.  Mr Thomas also was on the instructional staff of The Seattle Cascades Drum and Bugle Corps from 2009 to 2012.

Mr Thomas holds a Masters Degree in Music from The University of Montana (2010), a Bachelors Degree in Music Education from Central Washington University (2007, with endorsements in instrumental music, vocal music, and general music), and an Associates of Arts and Sciences Degree from Shoreline Community College.  Chris was inspired to continue studying music as a potential career path while taking a few elective classes as a freshman at Whatcom Community College.

Mr Thomas is married to Dr. Lauren Drakopulos, and together they are renovating a 1901 schoolhouse and trying their best to explore the great NW and beyond whenever they have a rare spare minute. This August, they welcomed their first child, Nora, to the world, and adopted a dear friend's 7 year old havanese-poodle mix, Gaia!  Life is crazy all of a sudden...!

Mr T has a soft spot in his heart for the Seattle Mariners, frisbees in parks, bouldering gyms, and the bands at BHS.  Go Spartans!  <3 <3

Thank you, Dr. Scott Meredith!

Dr Meredith taught the bands from November 10th to February 26th.
Dr. Scott Meredith

I am beyond excited to be a part of this organization. Looking very much forward to working with an elite team of artists, making new friends, and making a connection with this community on Bainbridge Island. It is both a pleasure and honor to serve this great band program!

Dr. Scott Meredith currently resides in Poulsbo, Washington where he actively performs with the Seattle Symphony, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Auburn Symphony, Yakima Symphony, Seattle Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra, North Corner Chamber Orchestra, Symphony Tacoma, Seattle Collaborative Orchestra and the Port Angeles Symphony.

For 12 years, he was Professor of Trumpet at the University of Wyoming, and served on faculties of the University of Northern Colorado and the University of North Texas.

Dr. Meredith has performed nationally with the Boulder Philharmonic, Cheyenne Symphony, Fort Collins Symphony, Greeley Philharmonic, Owensboro Symphony, the Irving, Plano, and San Angelo Symphonies, Dallas Wind Symphony, North Charleston Pops, Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado, and at the Colorado Music Festival.

Dr. Meredith earned the Doctor of Musical Arts in trumpet performance from the University of North Texas. He earned the Masters of Music degree from the University of North Texas. He earned and Bachelor of Music Education and Music Performance degrees from the University of Northern Colorado.

Dr. Meredith can be heard on the CD "Chamber Music of Jennifer Higdon" featuring the premiere recording of her "Trumpet Songs" ("Trumpets can sing, too, and trumpeter Scott Meredith does just that, displaying a gorgeous tone and sense of phrasing." Fanfare Magazine). He can also be heard on the "Teaching Music through Performance in Band" series as well as numerous recordings with the University of North Texas Wind Symphony under the direction of Eugene Corporon as part of the "Klavier Wind Project" including: Convergence, UFO: Music of Michael Daugherty, Time Pieces, Recollections, Symphonic Excursions, Escapades, Carmina Burana, Hemispheres, Allegories, and Retrospectives.

In his spare time Dr. Meredith enjoys watching movies (especially Star Wars!!), exploring Washington on his bike, and hanging out with his wife Tamara and daughter Kat.

Dr. Meredith is a Bach Artist for the Conn Selmer Co.

Biographies written by Mr Thomas & Dr Meredith.

Compliments to the Band!

The bands LOVE to hear how you like their performances. Please take a short moment to drop them some encouragement. Click this URL and give some props. It's easy and it's free. 

Here's some ideas for you to start with.  :)

Thank you!

Huge thank you to our Band Booster volunteers and board members. You have made such a huge difference to our students, and community. THANK YOU! 

So much appreciation is also due to our stage manager Kyle Ricks, custodial team, administrators, and our Sakai & Woodward band director, Mr Paul Meehan - love ya, buddy! 

Enjoy the show!