POPE BAND - Audition and enrollment information
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The year 2023 rings in a significant milestone in your life as you begin preparing to transition to Pope High School. Our goal is to ease your transition and provide all the pertinent information you would need to continue your course of study in Music. The Pope High School Band is a thriving program servicing 3 Concert Bands, 2 Jazz Bands, Marching Band, AP Music Theory, and Chamber Ensembles. We are excited to welcome you into our family and hope the information provided will assist you as you begin preparing for your registration process.
Please do not hesitate to reach out should you have any questions throughout the audition or enrollment process. Mr. Bo Sodders, Director of Bands - matthew.sodders@cobbk12.org Mr. Joshua Rudolph, Associate Director of Bands - joshua.rudolph@cobbk12.org |
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Mr. SODDERS |
MR. RUDOLPH |
Why band? |
PBPA PRESIDENTS |
BAND PARENTS |
JOIN THE FUN! |
POPE BAND COURSE OFFERINGS
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BAND CLASSES
Concert Band The focus of this group is development of skills with emphasis on fundamentals. The concert band will participate in all concerts and the GMEA Large Group Performance Evaluations. Students are highly encouraged to audition for District Honor Band / All-State Band. Private lessons are strongly encouraged. Wind Symphony & Symphonic Band Considered the first & second performing ensembles. In order to be in these groups, students must demonstrate the highest level of musical maturity, technical proficiency, and commitment to rehearsal and practice time. Students must seriously pursue individual goals on their instrument as well as working toward ensemble goals. Auditioning for District Honor Band/All-State Band is expected. Private lessons are strongly encouraged. 
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EXTRA CURRICULAR ENSEMBLES
Marching Band The Marching Band is the largest performing group at Pope High School. The band performs at all varsity football games, several competitions, and parades. The marching band season is from July-October. Jazz Band The Jazz Band & Swingphonic Band is an ensemble that meets after school once a week at the completion of the marching band season. Both jazz ensembles perform at the District 12 Jazz LGPE. Percussion Ensemble The Percussion Ensemble meets in the Winter/Spring and regularly participate in the Lassiter Percussion Symposium and PASIC. The percussion ensemble is open to all percussionists. Color Guard / Winter Guard The Color Guard program performs with the marching band throughout the fall and additionally puts on a winter guard show in the months of December-April. |
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CONCERT BANDS
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WINTER GUARD
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MONTAGE
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DEDICATION
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RISING 9th GRADER enrollment guide
Prior to Registration, what should I do?
*After your spring audition, you will be placed into an ability-based band, thus, you will sign-up for a generic ‘band’ class.
The Day of Registration
You will receive an emailed google form link from Pope HS to select your TOP 5 Electives on the dates listed above. There will be 5 drop down selections in which you will rank your elective registration. You should register for band by selecting BAND as your #1 Elective Choice in the Drop-Down Menu. This will ensure that we can properly place you into an ability-based ensemble. Elective’s are filled by class rank (Juniors – Sophomores – Freshman – 8th Grade), thus if classes are full, they will go further down your elective list until there is an open seat. There are no seat limits in Band.
- Review the Pope HS Elective Registration FAQ Sheet
- Review the Freshman Course Catalog
- Review the Elective Choices
*After your spring audition, you will be placed into an ability-based band, thus, you will sign-up for a generic ‘band’ class.
The Day of Registration
You will receive an emailed google form link from Pope HS to select your TOP 5 Electives on the dates listed above. There will be 5 drop down selections in which you will rank your elective registration. You should register for band by selecting BAND as your #1 Elective Choice in the Drop-Down Menu. This will ensure that we can properly place you into an ability-based ensemble. Elective’s are filled by class rank (Juniors – Sophomores – Freshman – 8th Grade), thus if classes are full, they will go further down your elective list until there is an open seat. There are no seat limits in Band.
Sample schedule
*You will notice below that band is in the 1st period scheduling spot for each year of high school.
*World Geography is an elective and not a graduation requirement.
*World Geography is an elective and not a graduation requirement.
STEp 1 - band registration
Current 8th Graders - Elective Registration
Follow all steps in the Pope Band registration process at your respective middle school and high school.
FEBRUARY 19 - MARCH 3 - ELECTIVE REGISTRATION WINDOW
Follow all steps in the Pope Band registration process at your respective middle school and high school.
FEBRUARY 19 - MARCH 3 - ELECTIVE REGISTRATION WINDOW
Current 9-11th Graders - Elective Registration
Students will receive a Google Form link to select their electives for the 2023-2024 school year.
FEBRUARY 19 - MARCH 3 - ELECTIVE REGISTRATION WINDOW
Students will receive a Google Form link to select their electives for the 2023-2024 school year.
FEBRUARY 19 - MARCH 3 - ELECTIVE REGISTRATION WINDOW
STEP 2 - BAND AUDITION INFORMATION
Audition Requirements
Audition Submission
Audition Dates
- Major Scales (as many as you can play in 3-minutes) \ link below
- Submitted via FlipGrid
- Chromatic Scale \ link below
- Submitted via FlipGrid
- Etude (Lyrical & Technical) \ link below
Audition Submission
- Students will submit Major Scales and Chromatic Scale via FlipGrid. (info. below)
- Students will play their Etudes live with a director during their respective class periods.
Audition Dates
- High School
- March 23 - 29 during your band class.
- Middle School
- Monday, March 27 - Wednesday, March 29 during your respective class period.
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AUDITION MATERIALS
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MAJOR SCALES
Students should prepare as many major scales, with as many octaves as possible, in a 3-minute FlipGrid time limit. Scales should played in the GMEA All-State Band pattern as printed on your scales sheet. Submit your scales on FlipGrid.
CHROMATIC SCALE
Students should prepare their chromatic scale, as printed on the GMEA All-State Band pattern. This will be a separately recorded scale from your major scales and submitted on FlipGrid.
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ETUDE
Students should prepare the etudes below, to the best of their abilities, for a placement in our ability based bands (Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Wind Symphony). These etudes will be performed live in front of a Pope HS Band Director.
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STEP 3 - SCALE SUBMISSION IN FLIPGRID
Brass & Woodwinds & Percussion: Students will record themselves playing their major scales / arpeggios and chromatic scale and submit into FlipGrid. Below is the classroom Join Codes for FlipGrid. Please submit your scales in the appropriate folder.
FLIPGRID CLASSROOM JOIN CODE: e3a8e0ff | https://flip.com/e3a8e0ff
SCALE DUE DATE: MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2023
STEP 4 - ETUDE
High School Students - Etudes will be performed live in class March 23 - 27, 2023
Middle School Students - Etudes will be performed live, Monday, March 27 - Wednesday, March 29, during your respective band class.
*Middle School students may also submit their etudes via FlipGrid in the "Middle School Etudes" folder.
*Middle School students may also submit their etudes via FlipGrid in the "Middle School Etudes" folder.
Your audition is complete!Congratulations! You've submitted all required materials to complete your 2023-2024 Pope Band Audition! We look forward to having you a part of the Pope Band Family!
Shortly after Spring Break, we will release the rosters for the 2023-2024 band classes. Rosters will be posted to the Pope Band website. |
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WHAT'S NEXT?
- Be on the lookout from email correspondences through the Pope Band Booster Association on upcoming events!
- Marching Band Informational Meeting - date forthcoming
- We will host a Marching Band Information Meeting to give you all the exciting details about the 2023 season!
- Pope Band & Marching Band Registration - date forthcoming
- This registration date is hosted by the Pope Band Parents Association and allows our organization to collect all required materials, forms, fees, etc... for participation in the Pope HS Band Program. More details will be communicated in the near future.
- Marching Band Informational Meeting - date forthcoming
- GET INVOLVED! We welcome all new & old families to be an integral part in your child's music education experience. Please consider the many volunteer opportunities within the Pope Band Parent Association. This organization truly takes a village! CHECK THESE OPPORTUNITIES HERE!
band calendar
The band calendar can be found under the "DATES" tab at the top of the website and is currently updated through May 2024!
Please use this calendar when planning personal schedules for potential conflicts with band concerts, rehearsals, etc...
Please use this calendar when planning personal schedules for potential conflicts with band concerts, rehearsals, etc...
school owned instruments vs. personal instruments
In high school, students are highly recommended to begin "stepping" up their instruments to an intermediate/professional model. Many students "fight" their beginning 6th grade instruments in high school because of their limited capabilities. We equate your 6th grade starting instruments to a bike with training wheels, and the more advance you become, we take off these wheels to better facilitate the capabilities of the bike. This equally is essential in musical instruments. Please never hesitate to contact us when you begin this buying process.
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The following instruments are supplied through the Pope Band program:
Piccolo (selected students) Bass Clarinet (students should supply their own mouthpiece, ligature, and reeds) Tenor Saxophone (students should supply their own mouthpiece, ligature, and reeds) Baritone Saxophone (students should supply their own mouthpiece, ligature, and reeds) French Horn (students should supply their own mouthpiece) Mellophone (marching instrument, students should supply their own mouthpiece) Trombone (marching instrument, students should supply their own mouthpiece) Euphonium (students should supply their own mouthpiece) Baritone (marching instrument, students should supply their own mouthpiece) Tuba (students should supply their own mouthpiece) Sousaphone (marching instrument, students should supply their own mouthpiece) |
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Student leadership opportunities in pope band
The Pope Band offers several ways in which you will gain leadership experience! Annually, the Pope Band offers a leadership clinic in the spring in which any student is able to attend to learn effective leadership habits and skills within the Pope Band and beyond.
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Marching Band Leadership Positions
Drum Majors Section Leaders Logistics Team Prop Crew Music Librarians General Council |
Concert Band Leadership Roles
Principal Players Band Librarians Community Outreach Pope Band Recycling Shop with a Greyhound East Cobber Parade |
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musical wanderlust
The Pope Band is a well traveled band program, using music as our vehicle to travel the world! We can't wait to continue this tradition with YOU!
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London New Years Day Parade
Children's Hospital of Atlanta Christmas Parade New York City Carnegie Hall Performance Waikiki Thanksgiving Parade Cotton Bowl Parade Bands of America Regional and Grand National Championships Disney's "High School Musical" performance at the Fox Theatre Winter Guard International World Championships Percussion Arts Society Conference 
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Approximated costs |
Honor ensembles |
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Concert Band: $175.00
Marching Band: $1,015.00 (Concert fee included in cost) Jazz Band: $75.00 Winter Guard: ~$500.00 
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Students must be enrolled in the Pope High School Band Program to participate in outside honor ensembles. We highly encourage our students to become active in the plethora of available ensembles:
GMEA District 12 Honor Band (highest number of students in CCSD) GMEA All-State Band and Orchestra (2nd highest number in the state) Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra (AYSO) Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony (AYSW) Metro-Atlanta Youth Wind Ensemble (MAYWE) Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO) Georgia Youth Symphony Orchestra (GYSO) Emory Youth Symphony Orchestra (EYSO) Tuba Christmas |