Band parents to meet Thursday

Parents of eighth grade and high school band members are asked to attend the first Band Boosters meeting of the 2018-2019 school year, set for Thursday, July 19 at 6:30 p.m. in the Albany High School band hall.

Local band director John Stockdale said Tuesday that Penelope Prater has volunteered to chair the booster organization, as well as organize the football concession stand for the band.

“We’ll need as many parent volunteers from seventh grade on up through high school as we can get to help,” said Stockdale. “The concession stand is the band’s main fundraiser for the year.”

He added that band practice will begin the first week of August in the evening so that the group will be ready to perform at the Lions’ regular season football games beginning Aug. 31.

Luke McMillian, who has written the Albany band’s marching shows for the past two years, has put together a presentation based on The Firebird Suite, entitled “Rise of the Phoenix.”

However, McMillian recently moved to Houston and will not be able to teach the show to the local musicians. Stockdale has arranged for Thomas Fogelman, a retired band director from Throckmorton, to conduct the practices starting two weeks before classes begin on Aug. 16.

For more information about Thursday’s meeting or about practice times, call Stockdale at 762-5184 or at the school, 762-3974.