• Dear students and families,

    Welcome to the 一本道 Bucks High School East Bands! Our program is strongly committed to a tradition of excellence and meaningful educational experiences. We look forward to many, many great rehearsals and performances together. While the performances are important public exhibitions of our hard work together, the real takeaways from the band experience are the life lessons and friendships built upon our shared experiences.

    Performing with our ensembles requires dedication and perseverance. The challenges of executing the physical, intellectual, and emotional challenges presented in our literature and experiences will push every member of the band program to grow in ways they never thought possible.

    Performing with our ensembles requires commitment to an idea bigger than the individual. Successful ensemble performance requires the individual to remain incessantly vigilant and create art collaboratively. Not only does successful ensemble performance require humility, it requires trustworthiness, responsibility and accountability. When it is time to play the accompaniment, we submit to the melody and do our very best to show that the support they need is unquestionably present. When it is time to play the melody or most important lines, and everyone gets that turn, it is essential that every individual rise to the top, own their role, and make a meaningful statement.

    The benefits of music performance are often considered intangible or difficult to put into words. But the experience of performing in our bands goes far beyond the physical skill of playing the instrument or spinning a flag, and it goes far beyond the challenges of decoding the musical notation on a page. Performing in our bands will develop the character traits considered most necessary in the modern world. Determination, cooperation, collaboration, responsibility, accountability, and good old grit. Mistakes will be made, and they are the best lessons from which we learn.

    Most importantly, these lessons are learned while sharing our time with some of our closest friends. While not our only friends, our peers in the band are sharing the same commitment to the fundamental principles of success. We endure the challenging rehearsals together, and we celebrate together at the pinnacle of performance. We travel together, toil together, laugh together, and cheer together.

    I encourage you to read over the handbook carefully. Learn about our program and seek ways to get involved. In music, you’ll always find that the return on your investment is always positive. Communication is essential. We will always do our best to communicate our expectations and schedule well in advance and I invite students and families to communicate freely in return. Whether the communication is with experienced veterans, parents, the staff or myself, we welcome questions as a natural part of everyone’s growth and happiness.

    With appreciation for your commitment,

    Jason Morehouse

    Director of Bands

    一本道 Bucks HS East