Winter Band Concert

Bainbridge High School Theater | December 19th, 2024 @ 7PM

This is foreshadowing.

Hello Friends and Families!

I am very proud and excited to share our Winter Band Concert with you tonight!

Our students have had a very quick turnaround since our Fall Band Concert, which was just 16 school days ago!  I think you'll be amazed by their progress in such a short amount of time.  I know I am!

This week marks the end of the first half of the year for band, and a celebratory transition into the second half.  Congrats to our marching band members for an outstanding fall season, our jazz band members for an amazing swing dance (which raised over $9,000 for the band just a few days ago), and all of our honor band participants, of which there were many!  After winter break, we will begin our winter festival or contest music, dive in deep into our chamber music competitions, and start looking towards our own jazz festival (Puget Sounds), and the end of year Bellevue Jazz Festival and other end of year celebrations and performances.

Thank you for being here tonight.  Attending your child's performances is one of the best ways to show how much you care, and even if they don't say it out loud, being here means so much to our band members.  Please take a few moments at the end of the concert tonight to fill out our concert props form.  The band members love to hear which pieces were your favorites.

Now, let's begins.  Out of respect for all our band members and families, please silence your cell phones for the duration of the concert, and put them away during every ensemble's performance (we got complaints last time).

Happy Holidays to everyone, relax, and enjoy the show!

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-NW

All-NW Orchestra

All-NW Band

All-State Orchestra

All-State Concert Band

WIBC

Thunderbird & Firebird Bands

Pheonix & Sunbird Bands

UMT

BSU

PLU

Chamber Music

We have a long history of chamber music at BHS.  In fact, since 2022, BHS chamber musicians have earned 17 medals and 7 gold medals at our WMEA/WIAA State Chamber Music Contest, which includes all 400+ WIAA high schools.  Both medal counts are tops in the state.  ("We're #1!")  It's not all about winning, but it is about being interested, informed, and planning ahead from an early age.


The best way to have fun in Solo & Ensemble contest season is to participate as an underclassmen.  Prepare a piece, go to contest, observe all the best musicians in your category, and then reflect and envision yourself at a higher level next time.  Just being there is a jumpstart.  Few things are as rewarding as putting together a really nice performance as a soloist, or in a small ensemble.  You're in charge.


If you want to participate, and you haven't started yet, now is a great time to find a piece and start practicing it.  Mr Thomas can help you find something, if you need help.  Signups for our regional contest will be through a Google Form on the band website, and will take place online for most of January.  Please keep an eye out for more information after New Year's.


When the times comes, registration will happen here.

Percussion News

The Drummer's Den took four of our percussionists to Indianapolis this month for a national competition at the Percussive Arts Society Internatioal Convention (PASIC), which is a huge industry gathering of over 6,000 annual attendees.  This competition feaured 20 of the country's best high school percussion studios, and our fellas scored a 93.96, just outside the top three.  A huge congrats to:


...and Terry Marsh, who owns and opperates The Drummer's Den.  We are so proud of him and the guys.  Nice job, everyone!

Jazz News

We had an amazing Swing Dance back on December 7th, bringing in over $9,000 for the band through the BHS Band Boosters, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.  Thank you to everyone who attended the event (all 200 of you!)  Well, done students and all our committee members and booster members.  So fun.

Concert Program

Symphonic Band

Selections from SoundPower Holiday Celebrations| arr. Bill Moffit

Carol of the Bells / Greensleeves | arr. Larry Clark

Wind Ensemble

Ride | Sam Hazo

First Suite in Eb for Military Band | Gustav Holst

Sleigh Ride | Leroy Anderson

Tonight's Composers

Composer Diversity StatementI acknowledge the composer pool for this concert isn't as diverse as I would like it to be.  While each of these composers has a unique and expressive voice of their own, it is a goal of mine to play a role in righting the 100+ years of privileges and systems that have largely failed to find, encourage, or publish the voices of women and people of color.  Now, it is more important than ever to support our schools and booster programs, so we have the resources needed to invest in new curriculum from new composers

Tonight's Musicians

Jazz9

Issiah Beyer (as)

Cascade Kaseler (as)

Sebastian Ford (ts)

Stella Saleh (tpt)

Miles Wieland (p)

Andrew Domansky (b)

Cole Moomaw (d)

Benjamin Beckett (v)

Percussion Ensemble

SENIORS

Benjamin Beckett

Cole Moomaw

Henry Bergan

Kayla Holmberg

Liam Jurcak

Theo Oestreich

JUNIORS

Hannah Gallagher

Lillian Jackson

Matthew Borrevik

Quentin Faust

SOPHOMORES

Coral Marsh

Jackson Castillo

Julian Marsh

Meridian Benson

Vivian Flowers

FRESHMEN

Cade Heuertz

Gavin Dekker

George Vaughn Wynn

Gigi Puleo

James Bauer

Jasmine Burrows

Syriana Schaub

Symphonic Band

FLUTES

Alexis Peterson

Seneca Yates

*Bailey Kleiven

OBOE

*Callie Martin

Haven Rudnick

BASSOON

Thomas Bearden

CLARINETS

Adele Marshall

Amanda Herten

Ethan Meidell

James Blanco

Olyvia Shepard

Riley Wert

BASS CLARINET

William Hughes

SAXOPHONES

Anna Peterson (b)

Jamie Moerchen (a)

Bryton Rombach (t)

Gray Judge (t)

Lauren Blakemore (a)

Morgan Herten (t)

TRUMPETS

Austin Williams

Jake Pentzer

Jason Arul

Paxton DeJong

Pigeon Gerlek

Simon Bremer

FRENCH HORN

Lillian Wilson

*Henry Burruss

*Lillian Jackson

TROMBONE

Cayden Vander Karch

Luca LaRubbio

EUPHONIUM

Avie Bogdan

Hallam Baesman

TUBA

Zach DeFoe


* From Wind Ensemble

Wind Ensemble

FLUTES

Bailey Kleiven

Fia Wetter

Nicole Stipe

Nolan Harui

Pebbles Featherston

Sage Matteson

OBOE

Callie Martin

BASSOON

<vacant>

CLARINETS

Aubrey Wilson

Ava Olinger

Cascade Matteson

Claire Bremer

Finn Armstrong

Lucy Kooistra

BASS CLARINET

Gavin Smit

Thomas Hensley

SAXOPHONES

Issiah Beyer (a)

Miles Wieland (b)

Sebastian Ford (t)

Cascade Kaseler (a)

TRUMPETS

Dane Bowman

Elijah Treder

Giada DiMarco

Oliver Smith

Stella Saleh

Stone Dewey

Timothy Riggs

FRENCH HORNS

Caelan Fehrenbacher

Dolly Courtway

Gretchen Johnston

Henry Burruss

Lillian Jackson

TROMBONES

Atlas Montgomery

Mahalie Stackpole

EUPHONIUMS

Gail Corns

Max Ramos

TUBA

Sambela Aziz

DOUBLE BASS

Kayla Holmberg

Tonight's Conductors

Dr Drakopulos, Eleanora, and Mr T.

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. 

Mr Thomas 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.  He loves this program, and wants it to inspire generations of kind and ambitious young people from Bainbridge Island.

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

Give Some Concert Props!!

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 fast, easy, and it's free. 

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

Thank You!

A huge thank you to the BHS & BISD administrative and custodial crews, our theater faculty and staff, the rest of our district's music teachers (especially Mr Meehan!), our entire facilities and maintenance staff, our beloved BHS Band Booster Parents, and my wonderful family!