Recently, the OCHS band students submitted online auditions for the 2021 District XIII Honor Band. This year, OCHS had 44 students that were selected to be a part of the Honor Band. Usually, these students would get together with the other students from across our district over a weekend to collaborate, and then they end the weekend with a concert for their families and communities. As with everything else, the Coronavirus has put a damper on this years normal events, however, it does not take away form these students AMAZING accomplishments. Additionally, 11 of these students have earned an All-State audition based on their scores! Our Fine Arts students continue to meet the challenges faced by the restrictions of COVID-19 head-on and continue to excel in their arts!

Please help us congratulate the following students. If you know them, or see them, please give them a heartfelt congratulations for their perseverance, determination, and accomplishments!

*Denotes students who also earned an All-State audition.

Flute

Linzey Herndon - 1st chair concert band 

Oboe

Autumn Morgante - 3rd chair symphonic band 

Emma Harlan - 2nd chair concert band 

Clarinet

*Terri Jones - 7th chair symphonic band

Brody Collier - 16th chair symphonic band

Lauren Basala - 18th chair symphonic band 

Nathaniel Johnson - 6th chair concert band 

Kayla Crawford - 10th chair concert band 

Ethan Hall - 11th chair concert band 

Seth Duncan - 12th chair concert band 

Bass Clarinet

*Shane Lillard - 1st chair symphonic band

Alto Saxophone

*Peyton Courtney - 1st chair symphonic band

Natalie Bullock - 3rd chair symphonic band 

Tenor Saxophone

Johnathan Leitz - 2nd chair concert band 

Bari Saxophone

*Kai Callahan - 1st chair symphonic band

Lucius Rivera - 2nd chair concert band 

Trumpet

Ainsley Simmons - 8th chair symphonic band 

Lucy Babcock - 10th chair symphonic band 

Billy Wright - 1st chair concert band 

Maggie Thomas - 4th chair concert band 

Angelina Smith - 6th chair concert band

Riley Truong - 8th chair concert band 

French Horn

*Hailee Perdue - 2nd chair symphonic band

*Stephen Manchee - 3rd chair symphonic band

*Jasmine Hunsberger - 5th chair symphonic band

Zach Ernst - 8th chair symphonic band 

Trombone

*Maggie Russell - 2nd chair symphonic band

Tyler Saunders - 5th chair symphonic band 

Landon Williams - 3rd chair concert band 

Will Markey - 4th chair concert band 

Virginia McGlothlin - 5th chair concert band 

Euphonium

Jasmine Humphries - 3rd chair symphonic band 

Brennan Hall - 4th chair symphonic band 

Jason Escobar - 1st chair concert band 

Christian Grooms - 3rd chair concert band 

Tuba

*Dominic Ramos - 3rd chair symphonic band

Jonah Medas - 1st chair concert band 

Percussion

*Aiden Koehler - 1st chair symphonic band

Elly Newman - 4th chair symphonic band 

*Ainsley Boyd - 5th chair symphonic band

Evan Grayson - 6th chair symphonic band 

Travis Williams - 4th chair concert band 

John Mason Vines - 7th chair concert band 

Bobby Russell - 8th chair concert band

January Fine Arts Student Spotlight - ART

Morayo Ajibulu

OCHS - Sophomore

Fine Arts Program & Focus:

Visual Arts - Drawing

What does your art mean to you?

"Art means a lot to me because it is a way to express myself by drawing and coloring. It is soothing process and I always enjoy looking at the finished project."

Favorite opportunity given by participating in your arts program:

"The Fine Arts Program at OCHS gave me an opportunity to improve my creative thinking in ways that I have not been able to do before. My favorite part about this program was creating my own self portrait; it was fun studying my features and using bright colors to create a finished product."

Post graduation plans:

"I plan to go to college to study health sciences and I will also take more art classes to keep improving my skills."

 OCHS Fine Arts Graduate Showcase

Please enjoy the Graduate Showcase from former OCHS students who have kept making their art by clicking on the attached link! We are so proud of them for continuing to work during this difficult time to share their talents with others. We are so happy to share it with you!

Please enjoy!

OCHS Graduate Showcase Virtual Concert Link: https://youtu.be/bQjS3K6S9tI

January Fine Arts Student Spotlight - BAND

Kai Callahan

OCHS - Freshman

Fine Arts Program & Focus:

Band - Woodwind

 What does your art mean to you?

"Music to me is a way of expressing yourself without speaking. It's fun, including, and it makes me happy when I succeed."

Favorite opportunity given by participating in your arts program:

"My favorite opportunity is the ability to better myself and to make new friends in the program. I like to have the challenge of a hard piece to play, and I think that the community has made me a better, more rounded person."

Post graduation plans:

"After high school, I plan to go to college for writing. I will likely still participate in band, but it wouldn't be my major. Still, I want to continue incorporating my instrument into my life, and I look forward to what the future holds for me in that realm."

Merry Christmas!  Please enjoy our virtual winter concert.

Join the Orange County High School Band, Choir and Art Programs as they showcase their talents on Tuesday, December 22nd at 7:00 PM. The students and Program Directors have been working hard to share their art with you!

As with the Fall Concert, the link will be made available the night of the event here at ochsfab.org.

Plan to join us and enjoy the talents of our amazing students!

December Fine Arts Student Spotlight

Trevor Longerbeam

OCHS Sophomore

Fine Arts Program & Focus:

Band - Percussion

What does your art mean to you?

"Music is a way to express oneself that goes far beyond words. A true master of melody and rhythm can weave pieces that can amplify emotion and inspire greatness. Music is an expression of the heart and is guided by the mind."

Favorite opportunity given by participating in your arts program:

"My favorite opportunity given to me by the Fine Arts Program would be the enhanced ability to define and express myself."

Post graduation plans:

" After High School my plans shift to college and software development; however, I will continue to keep music as a part of my life and continue to hone my skills"

Over the last few weeks students from all over the South Central Region of Virginia, which stretches from Richmond to Bristol, have submitted their audition tapes with the hopes of being named a member of the 2020 Senior Regional Orchestra.  This year, Senior Maggie Russell (Trombone) and Sophomore Hailee Perdue (French Horn) were both honored with this selection.  Congratulations to Maggie and Hailee on this incredible accomplishment.

Please view this performance in fullscreen.

Thank you for your support!

#WEAREOC

Orange County Band Members, Parents, and Staff,

I hope this message finds you well...seriously. That’s typically one of those cliches we casually throw up there at the top of an email just to get the pleasantries out of the way before we get to business, but I genuinely hope you and your families are well. I have found an abundance of opportunity to contemplate and reflect over the last few months, as I am sure you have found the same. I’ve found that my thoughts are consistently occupied with our student musicians, our fantastic band parents, and our talented and dedicated instructional staff. I wonder how you’re doing and how you’ve decided to occupy your time. I wonder if you’re well; physically and emotionally. I also have spent a great deal of time and energy trying to put the pieces together for a logical and practical return to live rehearsals, trying to lay the groundwork for the start of the 2020 OCHS marching band season.

Currently, I have more questions than answers, but I wanted to be in touch with what information I do have so that we can all start making plans to move ahead together. While nothing has been absolutely confirmed yet, it is starting to look like we will be permitted to assemble in small groups starting as early as next week. Our rehearsals will be held in accordance with all safety protocols and guidelines set forth by Orange County Public Schools, the State of Virginia, and the Virginia High School League. The following precautions and protocols can be expected when our students return to OCHS for marching band rehearsal:

● Six feet of spacing will be maintained at all times ● All rehearsals will take place outdoors ● Occupancy will be limited to 10 students per rehearsal ● Students will not be permitted to enter the building before, during, or after rehearsals ● Instructional staff, guard members, and percussionists will be required to wear masks at all times ● Wind players will be asked to wear masks as they enter and exit the designated rehearsal space ● There will absolutely no sharing of equipment, instruments, water bottles, etc. ● Water stations will not be provided (students should bring their own water bottles)

While making music remains the driving force behind our return to campus, student safety has become the mission. I have worked very closely with our activity director and school administration to ensure that every precaution has been taken in order to create the safest possible learning environment possible for both our students and our staff. As we work toward the start of the school year, the safety precautions and guidelines listed above are non-negotiable and will remain in place until amendments are recommended from the appropriate state agencies.



PARTICIPATION SURVEY​ ​(link below) Those planning on participating with the 2020 OCHS Marching Band should complete and submit the participation survey as soon as possible. While there is not a formal “commitment form” being distributed this year, your response to this survey will be interpreted as your intent to join us for the 2020 season. Please provide as much information as possible so we can plan accordingly for the coming weeks.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScX_pQzqkqRexn7CNMIujWq6kxVl57_LizJD3g999 CAQKOs3Q/viewform


Rehearsal Schedule With ever evolving information and circumstances changing almost daily, I think our best bet is to proceed with our focus on the immediate future. I have been given the start date of MONDAY, JULY 20th and our plans are to begin rehearsals the following day. Currently, we are looking at seven 3 hour sessions throughout the week allowing for small groups/sections to come in and start working on warm up material and marching fundamentals. It is our hope to generate a schedule that allows each member of the ensemble to attend two sessions a week. The rehearsal sessions are listed below:

Tuesday Evenings 5pm - 8pm Thursday Evenings 5pm - 8pm Friday Afternoons 1pm - 4pm Friday Evenings 5pm - 8pm Saturday Mornings 9am - 12pm Saturday Afternoons 1pm - 4pm Saturday Evenings 5pm - 8pm

Once information has been collected through the participation survey, we will generate a schedule that can be repeated weekly. We are trying to take everything into account; transportation, instrument needs, etc. However, should you have a question or concern that has not yet been addressed, please be in touch with me as soon as possible.



Competitions, Football Games, Parades, Public Performances As I stated in the previous section, I don’t feel like we have enough information to address the demands of these types of gatherings. Of course, it is our goal to share our production with the community as well as gain feedback from adjudication panels. I have been in correspondence with many professionals across the Commonwealth to discuss potential avenues for marching performances and state assessment. When that time comes and we have the resources to participate safely, our standards will be as high as ever and we plan to continue to contribute to the impressive Orange County reputation.
The 2020 Show​ “Class of 2021” Our staff has reached out to our senior class and opened the floor for their ideas and feedback. We have decided to piece together a show that features musical selections from our senior band and color guard members. This year’s show will be by our seniors and for our seniors. A few musical selections have already been made and the composition process is underway. More than anything, with the likelihood that competitive opportunities will be limited this year, we are making it a priority to create a memorable and enjoyable season on the marching field.



Final Thoughts I would like to thank everyone for their patience and their perseverance. As with most challenging times, it is difficult to find solace amidst the turmoil. However, I encourage you to stay focused on the great joy and immense pride that comes with overcoming adversity. How will it feel at the end of a successful season when we can all share a moment of great accomplishment and say to one another, “We did it...and we did it together.” This season is going to be special and I am so looking forward to seeing each of you again very soon. All the best to you and your families. Be safe and stay strong.




With great love, Tommy Doss

Due to current events regarding the Coronavirus and the potential spread, the OCHS Fine Arts Boosters will be cancelling the Prom Boutique that was scheduled for Saturday, March 21, 2020.

Please be advised that we are going to be doing this event yearly so, as you are spring cleaning and have any dresses, shoes and accessories that you would like to donate, please contact Carissa Grayson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will be happy to arrange to pick them up to store for next season.