Statesboro High School Bands

Welcome to the Online Home of the Statesboro High School Band!!

On these pages, you'll find a wealth of information about the organization, its personnel, and operations. We're working to keep these pages as up-to-date as possible, and hope that you'll find it a useful source of information about our band program.

We've organized our site to make it easy to find the information you need. Simply select any of the main sections using the large logo banner above. Any of the buttons below our band logo will take you to the pertinent section of the site; clicking the band logo itself brings you right back here! Take a few minutes to explore what each section contains.

If you're enrolled in a band class at Statesboro High, you should have been issued a username and password which allows you to enter the "band only" section of our website. Once inside, you'll find course materials, sheet music, recordings, and even an online community where you can leave messages and chat with other band members. The two white logo buttons at the top right are website administration links - these are reserved for technical personnel. Please feel free to explore our site and learn more about the our band and the people who make it possible.

Everything is always very much under construction - we're constantly working to make improvements, add more information, and bring as much information to you as possible - so check back often.

Band Camp Information ***UPDATED***

You should have already received a mailout from the school with details about Band Camp and a calendar for the remainder of 2009. Please read your packet carefully!!

If you plan on marching and haven't received your packet, please E-Mail Mr. Ferguson (or call the school) ASAP!!

Please remember that ALL STUDENTS registered for Band Classes for 1st Semester are required to attend Band Camp and all after school Marching Activities as part of your grade for the class! Check your schedule!

MUSIC is NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE. We are still working on logins for Freshmen and new members. All CHARMS logins are active and ready to go for ALL members.

NOTE: We have moved AGAIN!! We will now have rehearsals at William James Middle School.

ALL REHEARSALS will take place at WJMS. A huge "Thank You" goes out to Principal Mike Yawn and Band Director Melvin Hamilton for generously allowing us to use their facilities!

Please Enter WJMS using the dropoff entrance. Follow the path around to the left and dropoff / park in the Faculty Parking lot near the athletic fields and Gymnasium. We will be practicing in the Exploratory classrooms and on the Soccer Field.

We realize that this causes an inconvenience and longer drive time for some of our students. We made this additional move to avoid problems with logistics and rehearsal space that were beyond our control. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caaused. If you anticipate difficulty getting a ride to camp, please let a staff member know. We are attempting to arrange student / parent carpools to lessen the burden on everyone. Please be patient with us during this difficult transition. Once our facility at the new SHS building is completed, we know you won't be disappointed! We're very excited about beginning this new chapter for our band program.

Dress comfortably in shorts, light colors, and Tennis Shoes (no sandals, flip-flops, boots, bare feet, or dress shoes). We recommend that you bring sunscreen (Sport / Sweatproof SPF 30 or above) and a Water Cooler / Jug with your name written on it in permanent marker. If you hate gnats, bring a dryer sheet - this really works, and often works better than OFF! or other bug sprays. I prefer Snuggle (it seems to keep the gnats away the best!).

The parent meeting will be held in the Mill Creek Elementary Multi-Purpose Room on July 21 at 7 PM.

We will reschedule our exhibition performance for a later date. Stay tuned!

Michael Jackson dies at age 50 (June 25, 2009)

In a tragic turn of events, the "King of Pop," Michael Jackson, died today of heart failure. There are features on all of the major news networks and websites celbrating Jackson's life and career. Very few artists are as celebrated as Jackson; few have enjoyed the international success and critical acclaim that his albums have seen. Michael Jackson is widely viewed as the "father of the modern music video," as his videos for singles from Thriller and subsequent albums often featured plots and rehearsed acting scenes that not only showcased the music, but also told a story. Dance moves, wardrobe, styles, and a myriad of musical firsts punctuated his entire career. Despite a troubled personal life, Jackson also remained a philanthropist throughout his career - his efforts through programs such as "Heal the World" and messages included in his music and music videos brought topics into public view, bringing a sense of awareness and responsibility along with his usual style of entertainment.

Thriller 25 cover

Last year's marching program featured music celebrating the 25th anniversary of the release of Michael Jackson's Thriller album - which still holds the world record as the best selling album of all time. It was evident from the popularity of our show with audiences of all ages that Jackson's music is truly classic - music which stands the test of time. I thoroughly enjoyed writing and arranging the program, and our musicians enjoyed performing it to enthusiastic crowds across the state.

The SHS Band family sends its sincerest condolences to the Jackson family. As one final "thank you" from our band, we will continue to feature several of the songs from our Thriller 25 show in the stands so that fans can continue to enjoy some of the King of Pop's best music. Band students will also be wearing their Thriller 25 shirts in tribute to Jackson on Friday, June 26.

Thanks for the music, Michael!!

Saying Goodbye....

If you've driven down Lester Road in the past few weeks, you've noticed a LOT of activity happening on campus. My high school band director told us once that you must NEVER FORGET where you've come from. In passing this tradition along to my own students, I think it's important that we remember our old facility, so that we can appreciate both the history behind our program as well as realize how fortunate we are to have such a wonderful new facility to call home. We will post pictures and updates as we see them here!

700 Hall was completely stripped and flooring removed on Thursday, June 11.
Power to the old SHS Building was permanently disconnected on Tuesday, June 16 at 12 Noon. Demolition began shortly afterwards, beginning with the 900 and 700 Wings.
First to come down was the old Black Box Theater and Agriculture Classroom / Lab area.
On June 18th, crews began demolition on 5th Hall, and removed the OLD drop-off driveway that served the old building.
Demolition of the Chorus Room continued on June 18th - 19th.
5th Hall is completely gone as of June 25th.
Demolition on 6th Hall, the Lunchroom, and 100 - 400 Halls began on June 26th.
The Band Room was finally demolished on July 13th.
As of July 16th, only a small portion of 6th hall and a small piece of the front office complex remain standing. It's almost time to say goodbye to a piece of Statesboro's History.


Just after the power was turned off...I feel sad for our old home. This is just outside the old Pre-K room near the Bus Ramp.	Crews removed landscaping and shrubbery first. Mobile Units were hauled away a few days before this shot was taken.	The Art Room receives a new SkyLight. If you look closely, you can see the "Thackston Steel" name on the steel beams. They tell our school's age!

The Black Box is gone except for ONE wall. See some of the posters left on the walls??	The roof of the Black Box sits on top of the old Lunchroom Kitchen. You can see a few broken chairs that got caught in the rubble.	All of the "STUFF" hidden under Frazier's Stage is finally revealed!

The Black Box is gone. The Chorus Room is next...see the bright walls?? The stairs you see led down into the wardrobe area. Odd without WALLS, isn't it??	The Chorus Room comes down. While watching this, I was actually singing "High School Musical" and "We Rock" in my head. In a very twisted way, it made me happy. :-)	Demolition is done for the day on 7th Hall. This is the view from C200. You can see into the old ISS Room and the Chorus Room. At the bottom right is the entrance to 700 Hall.

This was a creepy shot. See the annoucements STILL on Mrs. Muldrew's door? We used to live here just a few short weeks ago!!	This used to be the back door to the Drama Room. Odd that it was the last thing standing from Frazier's room.	5th Hall. Mr. Dawson's Room is gone. All that is left are the rooms next to the breezeway.

As the saying goes - "goodbye" is just a "hello" in disguise. Our new facility will take some getting used to. We will grow into it, and learn to use all of the new rooms, equipment, and opportunities it affords us. Please be patient as we grow! Change is hard for many people. Here are some of the most prominent changes you'll notice right away - We will add pictures as we can to show you the progress:

The Band Room is CARPETED. NO FOOD, CANDY, OR DRINK IS ALLOWED - PERIOD!!!
Our room is about 3 times the size of our old facility, and has seperate rooms for Uniforms, Auxiliary Equipment, Percussion, Library, 2 Offices, an Instrument Repair Shop, and an Instrument Storage Room.
Cameras are present at the entrances to our room and inside our storage areas to protect us from theft and vandalism.
We have an outside door with a sidewalk that leads directly to the stadium (our practice field will be built just outside these doors).
Air Conditioning and De-Humidification systems are seperate from those of other rooms.
The phone in the Band Room can only make OUTGOING calls. Our 764-3013 number is gone and will NOT be reactivated. If you need to reach the band room, you must call the school's main line.
The Fine Arts Wing is serperate from the rest of the school. The Band Room is the largest room (aside from the Auditorium), and sits at the end of the hall.
Vending machines will be installed on Fine Arts Hall to provide snacks and drinks which can be consumed in the Gallery Hall.
The AUDITORIUM is HUGE and absolutely beautiful! You're going to be amazed!! Food / Drink in Auditorium = NO WAY!!!!