Waltrip Ram Band to Washington DC! from Waltrip Ram Band on Vimeo.

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM THE WALTRIP RAM BAND!!

The Waltrip Ram Band Christmas Holiday Concert is on Wednesday, December 12th, 2013. The concert will be from 6:00pm to 9:00 pm, and it will be held in our school auditorium. We would like to invite all of our family and friends to come out and support the band, and enjoy a night of Christmas music from our symphonic and concert bands, jazz bands, and with some songs featuring our colorgaurd. After the concert we will have some refreshments in the band hall. Hope to see you there!!

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**The Ram Band was featured in our local Leader with an article on the band making its way to Washington DC!! If you haven't already read it, here is a link to the article.

Article on The Ram Band in 'The Leader'

Results of U.I.L!!!
On October 23rd, 2012, the Ram Band went to the Region 23 UIL Marching Band competition and received a superior rating division 1, with straight one's! The Ram Band family would like to say thank you to everyone who gave their support including alumni, parents, and other band staff members.

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Contest Season

Oct 12th - Game vs. Davis @ Dyer 7pm

Oct 13th - Katy (Rhodes) 9am & Blinn (Brenham) Contests 7pm

Oct 15th - Parent Meeting Band Hall 6:30pm-8pm

Oct 17th McElroy Clinic #2 2:30pm - 5:30pm

Oct 19th Game vs. North Forest @ Cowart Stadium 7pm

Oct 20th - US Bands "Conroe Showcase" @ Woodforest Bank Stadium

Oct 23th U.I.L @ Katy Rhodes Stadium 3:45pm

Oct 27th - Game vs.Wheatley @ Delmar 1pm

Oct 30th Black MS Homecoming (Pep-Band) 5pm-7pm

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REMEMBERING MR. NORM BERN:
(9/21/12)

The Waltrip Ram Band would like to send our condolences to the family of Mr. Norm Bern, who passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday night. Mr. Norm Bern served as the Assistant Band Director for the Ram Band from 1998 to 2002 and was a major supporter of the band even after his tenure.

Thank you for all you did, Mr. Bern. You will be sorely missed by all the students, co-workers, and friends whose lives you touched.

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RAM RALLY CANCELLED DUE TO CONSTRUCTION!!!!

Due to construction and trying to get the campus ready for the first day of school, we are postponing the Ram Rally, which was scheduled for Thursday, August 23, 2012. The Ram Band will still have it's last practice on Thursday from 4pm - 7:30pm, which will conclude with a brief performance for parents, friends and the community. The performance will begin at 7:00pm. Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience. The Ram Band hopes to see you at the performance on Thursday!!

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Waltrip Ram Band Summer Camp 2012

Greetings marching band members! I hope you are ready for band camp. This year’s camp is going to be a great time for students, staff, and families. Please use the following information to help you plan for the upcoming weeks. Please refer to our website and interactive Google calendar for any updates. If you have any questions please contact Mr. Espinosa or Mr. Jimenez, jespinos@houstonisd.org or ejimene6@houstonisd.org.

Camp Location

•Due to construction at Waltrip High School we will be having band camp at F.M. Black Middle School; 1575 Chantilly Lane Houston, TX 77018.

Dates and Times

•Week 1: August 1-2, 7am-3pm; Leadership Team and Drumline Only
•Week 2: August 6-7, 7am-3pm; Leadership team, new members, Drumline and Colorguard.
•Week 2: August 8-10, 7am-3pm; Leadership team, new members, Drumline and Colorguard and all veteran band members return.
•Week 3: August 13-14, 7am-3pm; All Band Members.
•Week 3: August 15-16, 12:30-6:30pm; All Band Members.
•August 17: Fish Camp (Band Participates and Performs) 7am-12pm & Band Picnic at Oak Forest Park 12pm-3pm. (All Parents and Guardians are encouraged to join us for the picnic)

What to Bring

•A sack lunch. Students will be responsible for their own lunch.•Your instrument, a pencil and/or sticks. If you do not have an instrument we will provide one. •Comfortable clothing. Shorts and t-shirts. Similar clothing to being outdoors. •Comfortable shoes and socks for marching and walking. No bare-feet, sandals or open toed shoes. (Veteran Colorguard bring footundeez)•Water bottle/cooler. Please try to avoid soft drinks. •Hats, sunglasses, lip balm and sun block (spf 50 or higher) are highly encouraged. Musically yours,

Mr. Jesse Espinosa
Director of Bands
Waltrip High School
www.waltripramband.org

WELCOME BACK!!! SUMMER BAND IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER!!!
(7/26/12)

Greetings to everyone!! I am looking forward to another great year for the Waltrip Ram Band. There are many things looking very positive for this upcoming 2012-2013 school year. We are starting fresh once again with our preparations for the marching season this fall. Our Earth, Wind & Fire show, along with special tributes, is going to be a great challenge to put on the field of competition. I am very excited to get to meet some new people at summer band camp, just like the many new band students that participated in our June Mini-Music Camp. There are some excited young musicians ready to take the torch from the old and continue our tradition of excellence. As we all know, we are embarking on untreaded waters as we move forward without our illustrious, now retired head band director, Mr. Charlie Stephens. Let it be known to you and all that we will continue to keep his spirit alive and well. Last but not least, Waltrip HS is currently under construction in many forms and fashions. The Ram Band will have to relocate at Black MS until we are cleared to enter the building and practice on our newly refurbished practice field (the student parking lot). As our building is being worked on, so is our website. Our interactive calendar is currently being updated, but the print out calendar, football schedule and marching contest schedule is ready for your perusal. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me or Mr. Jimenez via email at jespinos@houstonisd.org or ejimene6@houstonisd.org. Summer band begins Monday, August 6, 2012 at 7am at Black MS. We look forward to seeing everyone back and ready to get started. GO RAM BAND!!!!

Musically yours,

Jesse D. Espinosa, Director of Bands

PS - Incoming/Returning Band students please keep up with ongoing changes that will be posted on the Waltrip Ram Band facebook page.

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A NEW SEASON BEGINS:
(5/22/12)

At the annual Band Banquet on Friday, May 18th, this past school year was celebrated and announcements regarding the 2012-2013 season were announced. Here are the results:

Head Band Director: Jesse D. Espinosa
Asst. Band Director: Eric Jimenez
2nd Asst. Band Director: Robert Cameron

Head Drum Major: Diego Espinoza
Asst. Drum Major: Stephanie Quintero
Resv. Drum Major: Allison Ojeman
2nd Resv. Drum Major: Eduardo Gutierrez

New Marching Show: Earth, Wind, & Fire

The Ram Band looks forward to a new season of continued success while upholding the legacy established by the one and only, Charles J. Stephens!!

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GOOD SEARCH:
(5/22/12)

Don't forget to support Waltrip High School RAM Band while you're enjoying the Memorial Day holiday weekend! GoodDining donates up to 6% of your bill to our cause every time you dine at a participating restaurant. New diners can earn a $5 bonus donation if you join before May 31. http://www.goodsearch.com/gooddining.aspx?charityid=868187

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MR. STEPHENS DISCUSSES HIS CAREER:
(5/18/12)

After a 45 year career as a Music Educator, Mr. Stephens has finally been interviewed about his career and legacy: