Dear Band Parent,
          As the director of the Vela Band, I’d like to personally thank you for allowing your son/daughter to be a part of the Vela Middle School Band program.  The Vela Middle School Band is statewide recognized for its commitment to excellence in Music Education. 
          As a member of the Beginning Band, your son/daughter is required to have an instrument in order to participate in the band class.  If you have not made arrangements to acquire an instrument either through a purchase or a rental, I advise you to do so as soon as possible.  The following music stores can assist you in purchasing or renting a quality instrument for your child.  

          If I can be of any assistance, do not hesitate to call the band hall.  The band hall phone number is 698-0730.
 
Sincerely,
Mario Sarmiento
Director of Bands
​msarmiento@bisd.us

A good source for finding used beginner band instruments is online through shopgoodwill.com. Just go to the website and search for the instrument that you will be playing. It is similar to an eBay auction where you place bids on the items you are interested in. Make sure the item you are bidding on is available for shipping. Some are PICK UP ONLY. Feel free to consult with one of the band directors if you are unsure about any instrument on the website. Here is a list of the instrument brands we recommend:

Woodwind: Pearl, Jupiter, Gemeinhardt, Yamaha, Emerson, Selmer, Armstrong

Brass: Conn, Holton, Blessing, Bach, Yamaha, King, Selmer, Jupiter, Bundy

Percussion: Pearl

We're excited to meet every single one of you!

Band Directors:
Mr. Sarmiento, Woodwinds
Mr. Garza, Brass
Mr. Cantu, Percussion

Congratulations to the Vela Band members that earned a spot in this year's All-Region Band! Once again, Vela lead the region with 39 chairs earned, with 4 earning the coveted "First Chair." The directors would like to congratulate every student that participated in the audition process. We are extremely proud of every single person that auditioned.

2019-2020 All-Region Band Members:

Isabella Guevara - 1st Chair Oboe
Bianca Guerra - 1st Chair Trumpet
Joshua Escobedo  - 1st Chair Trombone
Thomas Hamilton - 1st Chair Tuba

Flute: Angeles Macias, Sirena Gonzalez, Alejandra Solis, Rosa Sanchez
Oboe: Isabella Guevara
Bassoon: Joaquin Soto, Nathan Garcia
Clarinet: Christi Montiel, Ana Valadez, Kassandra Lopez, Alexander Martinez, Ramses Meza
Alto Saxophone: Fernando De La Cruz, Luis Villagomez
Tenor Saxophone: Josiah Martinez
Baritone Saxophone: Carlos Cantu
Trumpet: Bianca Guerra, Edwin Figueroa, Christian Pena, Candace Messana
Horn: Angelo Modesto, Reyli Vazquez, Julian Vargas, Benicio Gracia, Michael Lopez
Trombone: Joshua Escobedo, Hector Rodriguez, Federico Silva, Dominic Pena, Jeremy Marks
Tuba: Thomas Hamilton, Jose De La Rosa, Erick Cervantes, Kaleb Cortez
Percussion: Rene Garcia, Aldo Martinez, Mariana Ortega, Joan Cruz

We are pleased to announce that the Vela Symphonic Band has been named a National Winner in the Mark of Excellence Wind Honors competition! Congratulations to all the students that were involved! Your directors are extremely proud of your accomplishment. 

On April 17th, the Vela Symphonic Band competed at the 2019 UIL Concert & Sightreading Contest where they earned a Sweepstakes Award. All six judges awarded the band a Division 1 rating. Mr. Sarmiento and the other directors could not be prouder of the band for this major accomplishment. Way to keep that Vela Band tradition going! Bravo!