Mission Statement
"To create an engaging and exciting comprehensive music journey that is based on a high respect for what we do and who we are as an ensemble, high standards of musical excellence and knowledge, and self-assessment. The result will be an ensemble of students who rehearse and perform to their absolute best because they realize and desire to perform to their impressive potential."
BGMS Music Program News
August 16, 2021
This is Mr. Olds, the Music Teacher at Baechtel Grove Middle School. I am greatly looking forward to teaching music in-person this year and hearing students learn and play the beautiful music they make. I am writing to communicate that this school year will be looking somewhat different for the BGMS Bands. Due to reasons beyond my control and current Covid and masking protocols, wind instruments will unfortunately not be an option for students to play in a class setting who have signed up for Band. I understand that this comes as a surprise and a disappointment to many (including myself), as many of us anticipated the lifting of Covid restrictions in the near future. However, students who have signed up for Band this year will be learning and applying most of the same musical concepts that they would normally learn in traditional Wind Band, to percussion instruments. Students will continue to learn how to read and perform rhythms and pitches (both individually and in groups) for an audience, on non-pitched and pitched percussion instruments. Students will also learn other skills such as analyzing their playing for improvement purposes, performing multi-rhythmic and multi-phonic percussion music in groups, and creating next steps for their learning goals.
At this time, I am unable to determine if we will be able to host public concerts; but given the performing nature of Band Class, I would like to resume public concerts as soon as possible. I am looking forward to a productive and enjoyable year of learning and music with all music students, and although we are not able to resume Band Class with wind instruments yet, we will still have the same productive and enjoyable musical learning experience on percussion instruments as we would with wind instruments. I am looking forward to the music that we will create this year!
Sincerely,
Mr. Olds
BGMS Music
chrisolds@willitsunified.com
Would you like to be part of the BGMS Band Program for 2021-2022?
Step 1: Read the BGMS Band Information Sheet
(Wind Instrument & Concert norms will resume once Covid safety protocols are lifted)
Download the BGMS Band Program Information Sheet 2021-2022 - English
Descargue la hoja de información del programa BGMS Band - Español
Step 2: Sign in to your Willits Unified Google Account and Complete the following BGMS Band Pre-Enrollment Online Form
BGMS Band Pre-Enrollment Form 2021-2022 - English
Formulario de preinscripción BGMS Band 2021-2022 - Español
What is the BGMS Band Program?
June 4, 2021
A big “Thank You” to Blosser Lane’s Principal Ms. Runberg and Teachers Ms. Arkelian, Ms. Johnson, Ms. Stoll, Ms. Simonis, Ms. Hanson, Ms. Smith, and Ms. Katie who made yesterday’s BGMS Band Promotional Presentations at Blosser Lane Elementary School a great success! It was greatly enjoyable to meet your wonderful students, introduce the BGMS Band Program, and show them the instruments that they will have the opportunity to play; I can’t wait to have them as students! Thank you all for supporting our students, their potential, and the BGMS Band Program. Keep shining your light for students and for each other; you are so awesome!
Warmly,
Chris Olds
BGMS Music
October 18, 2019
Congratulations to the Baechtel Grove Middle School 8th Grade Band and the Willits High School Concert Band for another incredible Pep Band performance tonight at the WHS Home Football Game! Your sound and musicianship is adding such an exciting layer to the WHS football games. You make me very proud of you with your sense of ownership of who we are and what we do as musicians. Keep up your impressive standard!
Sincerely,
Mr. Olds
September 20, 2019
Congratulations to the Baechtel Grove Middle School 8th Grade Band and the Willits High School Concert Band for their spectacular Pep Band performance tonight at the WHS Home Football Game. There has not been a bigger Pep Band that sounded that full in many years! I am very proud of your sound and how professionally you represented our schools’ Music Programs. Keep up your beautiful music and high standard for what you do!
Our next Pep Band Performance will be at next week’s WHS Homecoming Game on Friday, October 11th. Come out to hear this great sounding band and support our growing Music Program! See you there!
September 15, 2019
The BGMS 8th Grade Band will be combining with the WHS Band, starting this Friday to form a 41-member Pep Band for WHS Varsity Home Games. This will be the largest band that has played at these events in over 6 years! Our first performance is this Friday, September 20th, starting at around 7:30pm. Come out and support our town's growing Music Program, our Band, the WHS Football Teams, and our community! See you there!
May 17, 2019
Congratulations to all BGMS Band Members, Soloists, and Duetists for your outstanding performances at our End-of-Year Concert. Many of you have practiced very much and worked very hard on your music this year, and I am very proud of you and the level of musicianship that you brought to your performance. Your tone and balance were amazing, and you are communicating styles and ideas through your playing that was absolutely beautiful to hear and it warmed my heart.
Thank you for making this gift of music a part of your life with me and your audience. You have blessed me in so many ways, and I will be forever grateful for you. I hope that you continue to enjoy and share your gift of music with others for the rest of your lives. I look forward to many more years of leading you and listening to the beautiful music you make.
Sincerely,
Mr. Olds
April 15,2019
Congratulations to the 8th Grade Band for their outstanding performance in the Music in the Park Music Festival on Saturday, April 13th. The band performed three pieces, and were rated on two of them. Both adjudicators and music teachers who observed our concert were extremely impressed and complimented the 8th Grade Band on their tone, sound, and balance for being comprised of only fifteen musicians. This was a day that has been long-awaited for me and these musicians.
Musicians, I am very impressed by your etiquette throughout the trip and performance. I am very proud of the outstanding and mature standard you have and continue to set for those around you. Keep up the excellent work!
March 24, 2019
Congratulations to 8th Grade Honor Band participants Kate Austin, Kaira Mora, Sheyla Sanchez, Alexis Zynda, Shelby Perez Bowen, and Kati Williams for your outstanding performance during last night’s 2019 Lake/Mendocino County Honor Band Concert! You all rose to an occasion in which you should take great pride only as a result of your hard work over the years! Words cannot express how proud I am of each one of you. I am looking forward to the quality of musicianship that you will bring to our band rehearsals from now until June. Keep up your fine work, musicians!
Sincerely,
Mr. Olds
February 24, 2019
Our BGMS Winter Concert was a great success! Our 6th Grade Band followed by our 7th Grade Band performed selections from our method book with a beautiful, rich concert band sound. Our 8th Grade Band followed and performed three pieces. Their first piece was our first time performing a jazz-like piece, adding the beginnings of a rhythm section: a drum set & 3 jazz guitarists from 7th Grade guitar class. Their next piece was slower, more reflective, and consisted of only 8th Grade Band members. For our final piece, Avalon, we added auditioned 7th Grade Band students to the 8th Grade Band to form a 26-member advanced band that sounded absolutely amazing! Thank you to everyone who attended our concert. Your support is what makes our BGMS Music Program thrive. And congratulations to all Musicians. I am extremely proud of your performance, and I am looking forward to our next performance together!
Here is a list of our upcoming BGMS Band Events:
March 22nd & 23rd – County Honor Band – Nominated 8th Grade Band members
April 13th – Music in the Park Music Festival in Vallejo – 8th Grade Band
May – Blosser Lane & Brookside Elementary Schools Concerts – 6th Grade Band
May – Solo & Chamber Recital & End-of-the-School-Year Concert – All Bands
June – Car Wash – All Bands
June – Promotion Ceremony 7th Grade Band Performance
September 29, 2018
Our BGMS 8th Grade Band/WHS Band combined performances as the Willits Pep Band for the WHS Varsity Home Games have been a huge success! We had a total of 27 students (10 BGMS & 17 WHS) during our first performance, which formed the largest pep band to play at a game in over 5 years! Our BGMS students are already forming positive relationships with the high school students, while having a more active musical presence in our community. We continue to receive praise from community members, parents, and staff about how great it is to have more students playing with a bigger sound at the games. Our last home game will be on Friday, October 19th. See you there!
August 17, 2018
Letter from Mr. Olds for 2018-2019
Dear Band Parents and Guardians,
During these past two years of teaching music in the Willits Unified School District, I have learned about our BGMS Music Program’s needs and how those needs tie into our community. Over the past year, I have worked on developing a vision for our music program and have sought to make the necessary connections with community members that will contribute to our BGMS Music Program’s success. This year, it is time to take all of that planning and start running with the vision I have for our school’s Music Program. And this, is when it gets really exciting! Here are the exciting events that I am adding to our BGMS Band Program this year.
September 5th – Mandatory All Band Student & Parent Meeting
September/October Pep Band – Combined 8th Grade Band with the WHS Concert Band to perform at WHS Home Football Games
December – 7th Grade Blosser Lane Concert
February 7th – Winter Concert – All Bands
March 22nd & 23rd – County Honor Band – Nominated 8th Grade Band members
April 13th – Music in the Park Music Festival in Vallejo – 8th Grade Band
May – Blosser Lane & Brookside Elementary Schools Concerts – 6th Grade Band
May – Solo & Chamber Recital & End-of-the-School-Year Concert – All Bands
June – Car Wash – All Bands
June – Promotion Ceremony 7th Grade Band Performance
As you can see, this is going to be a very fun and exciting year. I am looking forward to working with you and your young musicians! Let's have an AMAZING year!
Sincerely,
Chris Olds