2025-26 Foothill High School Music Programās Newsletter
Announcements:
What a delight to hear the spectacular musical pieces performed by our hard working students in their winter concerts this past week! Huge thanks to Mr. Fagundes and Mr. Nishimori for preparing our students musically! We appreciate their skills, dedication, and hard work!
The holidays are upon us and the warm feeling of family and holiday celebrations offsets the chill in the air. We will take a couple of weeks away from our newsletter in the last weeks of December. Please look for the next Falcon Beat in early January. All family and friends of music are invited to purchase tickets to the Pasta & Crab adult dinner on Fri., January 23rd. Tickets will be limited (based on seating availability) and pre-sold for the event. The evening will include a sit down fresh crab & pasta dinner, a veggie option for our vegetarians, a no-host wine and beer bar, live jazz music, a silent auction, a dessert dash, and more!
We wish you and you and your family a very restful break together.
We will see you all in 2026!
Warm musical regards, Cheryl Goebel
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šA Moment to Brag:
Mr. Fagundes was chosen by the VFW- Veterans of Foreign Wars, Pleasanton Post, as their choice for Teacher of the Year this past week! A well deserved award! Congratulations!
Five FHS strings students made it to CODA- California Orchestra Directors Association Honors Festival at UOP last weekend!
From Our Honors Symphony Orchestra:
Alexander Chang (11 grade Cello, 3 years of CODA)
Nicole Guan (11 grade Viola, 2 years of CODA)
Samantha Wong (11 grade Viola, 3 years of CODA)
From Our String Orchestra:
Sophie Changfan (11 grade Violin, 1st year of CODA)
Meghna Yamarthy (10 grade Violin, 1st year of CODA)
AND
Two FHS Strings Students made All State Orchestra in January:
Samantha Wong (11 grade Viola)
Nicole Guan (11 grade Viola)
AND
Two FHS Brass Students Made All State Band in January:
Elinor Cooper (10 grade French Horn)
Eashan Khedkar (9 grade French Horn)
We are so proud of our directors and all of our students!
Well done, Foothill! š
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šļø Important Dates:
1/23 (Fri) Crab & Pasta Dinner Annual Booster (Adult Only) Dinner:
- **Save the date for an evening of music, food and fun together.Ā **
- Buy your ticketsĀ before January 13, 2026
- **Held at the Veteranās Hall!Ā **
- Honors Jazz & Jazz B perform; other small jazz, brass or string quartets/ensembles welcome to perform by advanced request to Mr. Nishimori
2/12 (Thr) PUSD Jazz concert
- Honors Jazz performing with AVHS
- Call time TBA
- Concert begins at 7pm
2/14 (Sat) Campana Jazz Festival
- Honors Jazz, Jazz B, Jazz Combo – Performance times TBA
3/11 (Wed) Sonoma State Band and Orchestra
- Honors Symphony Orchestra @ 3:00pm
- Honors Wind Ensemble @ 6:00pm
š„ Marching Band and Color Guard
Winter Guard season is starting up! If you are planning on joining Winter Guard, please fill out the Google Form below. Filling out the form does not guarantee your participation, but it will help us gather interest and compile a list of students who would like to join. SIGN UP HERE! It is important that you attend these clinics, as they will be very informative and will help the staff determine who is participating. Clinic Dates:December 16th, 18th, 5:30ā6:30pm
šµ Fundraising
**Some exciting numbers to share! **
Daveās Hot Chicken Dine Out Event raised over $195
The Surf & Turf Sale raised $1700
The Popcorn Sale raised $2200
Our program depends on your support for events like those listed above AND your Student Share Donations, we are at 50 percent donated thus far. We are making progress and it shows!
Please reach out to Steve Haney, our VP of Fundraising, at Fundraising@foohillmusic.org with any questions, contacts, or ideas!
š Treasurer of Student Accounts Information
Getting monthly reminders for your Student Share Donation? Pay what you can as you go. Installment Plans are Available. Our program DEPENDS on this money to function. Your voluntary Student Share donation is how your family supports your studentās music goals and ensures they get the best music program possible. Please strive to meet or exceed the requested amounts, but any amount helps.
There are four easy ways to make your Student Share donation:
1) Write a**** check. Then give it to your student to drop in the locked band box in the band room.
2) Pay with**** PayPal (https://paypal.com/). Use your PayPal account (or set one up if you donāt have one) to pay your Student Share in the app. Here is how it works: open the PayPal app, click the menu in the upper left corner, scroll down to Donate and tap, search for Foothill Band Boosters and select it, click the Donate button and select the Other category, input your studentās Student Share amount (see table below*), follow the payment instructions and you’re done!
3) Pay with**** CutTime (https://app.gocuttime.com/). CutTime is the Foothill Band Boosters management platform. Just login with your CutTime account, click below your students name, then click on the Payments link at the bottom of the list. Click on the green button that says āMake a Paymentā, click the amount to pay, then fill in your debit or credit card information and submit the payment.
4) Pay with**** FutureFund (āāhttps://foothill.futurefund.com/). FutureFund is the PUSD sponsored platform that you signed up for when you registered your student for the school year. Just login to the site, click the Store button at the top of the webpage, click on the Band Boosters oval button below the page title, then select the Donation square designated for your students ensemble. Select your donation amount, fill in your students name, click Add To Cart, then proceed with the checkout process.
*When using PayPal, here are the Student Share donation amounts for each ensemble to insert in the āOtherā field:
- Fall Marching Band & Color Guard Students: $900
- Wind Ensemble Students: $225
- Concert & Symphonic Band Students: $150
- Orchestra Students: $100
- Jazz Ensemble A and B Students: $200
- Winter Guard Students: $900
- Winter Percussion Students: $900
Please reach out to Monica Fey, our Treasurer of Student Accounts, at treasurer.student@foothillmusic.org with any questions, contacts, or ideas!
šø Photography & Media (aka the Band Click – Thanks Alex & Kristine!) ššš
What a parade! You all brought so much holiday cheer to downtown. Thank you for sharing the holiday spirit with our community. Below youāll find a Flickr album and a video of the Holiday Parade from various viewpoints. Weāve also included photos from Honors Jazz A at NCBA in Merced. Great job Honors Jazz A in representing Foothill!
2025 FHS Holiday Parade (Right, Left, Aerial View) (KA, MA)
Flickr Albums:
2025.12.06 Pleasanton holiday Parade (AO)
2025.12.09 Ensemble Wind & Symphonic (AO)
- Photographs of all Band events can be found onĀ Flickr
- Videos will be uploaded to ourĀ Youtube PlaylistĀ for each performance.
Please note that most videos will be marked private, and are unsearchable on the platform until the band season is over.
Calling all parents of Ensemble Bands (Honors Jazz A, Jazz B, Honors Symphony Orchestra, String Orchestra, Honors Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Concert Band), Winter Guard, and Winter Percussion. We see you already taking videos/photos of your teenās performances from the audience. Would you be willing to share them with their classmates and our FHS music community? No prior experience is needed, just a love for watching your teen perform with friends. If youād like to join our Media Team and help represent your studentās band/ensemble/orchestra/winter group, please contact: photography@foothillmusic.org or join our group chat via the Band app!
Again, you donāt need a fancy camera to take great Photos or Videosā¦ the best ones are taken close up – with a cellphone!
š Parent and Guardian Volunteering
š£ Interested in leading our merchandising efforts? We are looking for a volunteer to step into the role of Merchandising Leadāa position that’s not only incredibly fun but also a fantastic way to get involved with the band program and support our amazing students. If you’re interested or want more information, please reach out to Richa Malik (merchandise@foothillmusic.org) or call/text: 484-686-6369!
š£Other Band Booster Immediate Volunteer Needs:
- Communication LeadĀ – OPEN contact Mauli Desai:Ā communications@foothillmusic.org
- Merchandise Sales, contact Richa Malik:Ā merchandise@foothillmusic.org
- TruckersĀ – We need helpers to transport & move equipment at competitions andĀ away performances. Please contact Peter Goebel atĀ logistics@foothillmusic.org
Executive Board Positions needed for 2026-27
- Student Treasurer
- Communications Lead
- Secretary
š£ Check the Kick Off Meeting Slide Show This is updated regularly and has many important links and specifics for band students and families.
š£ Stay informed by reading these weekly newsletters, installing the Band app, and visiting our Foothill music program website! Please install the Band app (iPhone or Android). This is the best way to get fast and live communications from our band program community!
š All Band and Orchestra Concert Attire
Students in String Orchestra, Honors Symphony Orchestra, Concert, Symphonic & Honors Wind Ensemble will need concert attire for performances this year.
Tuxedo: Black Tuxedo, Black Bowtie and cummerbund (or vest), White shirt (wing collar is a good choice), Long black socks, Black dress shoes (pants will need to be hemmed) Tuxedo Link OR ANY tuxedo works fine – MUST BE ALL BLACK with a WHITE SHIRT
Concert Dress: Long black dress, Black dress shoes (dress will need to be hemmed) Dress Link
- Students may choose EITHER option
- Plan ahead for ordering, delivery, and alterations!
Concert Attire is required for all performances.
Jazz Attire is per the directorās request (varies from the above concert attire): Dark Colors; Long ties only; Coats for everyone wearing a collared shirt and tie; Dark Color Shoes/Black (NO WHITE SOLES); tall Black socks; Shirt should be either white, or dark.
Thatās it for The Falcon Beat this week ā thank you for your energy, time, and support in making Foothill Music thrive. Go Falcons! š¦
Email: president@foothillmusic.org to change or add contact information to our distribution list.