Member Information
Joining the Winds:
The Arkansas Winds Community Concert Band is committed to the community band concept, providing an opportunity for community musicians of all levels of experience to make music and improve their skills. There are no auditions and the Winds welcomes anyone high school age and older, who can read music and play a band instrument. The Winds rehearses Monday evenings from late October to early July at Farmington High School. Directions are at the end of this page. Send an email to info@arkansaswinds.org for additional information related to section needs and upcoming events. Our main mode of communication is through our listserv. The "update personnel information" link within the personnel section below will send a request to join our listserv.
Member guidelines:
Every returning and prospective member should review our member guidelines for information related to membership expectations and requirements.
Personnel:
Our personnel list is available at this link band personnel. The information there will be used to generate the band personnel in the concert program. If you need to have your information updated or added in either the program or on our listserv, use this link update personnel information. Occupation is not a job title, but a word or phrase which generically describes a profession or job. Section leaders can use the comments area on that same link to identify members who need to be removed for the current concert.
Season schedule:
The Winds schedule can be found at schedule.arkansaswinds.org
ACB Convention 2025:
The Winds have been selected to perform at the Association of Concert Bands 2025 convention convention.arkansaswinds.org.
Concert Etiquette:
1) Make sure your concert day plans are to be seated and finish with your personal warmup by the time of the group warmup. For most concerts, the warmup will be 45 minutes to an hour before the start of the concert. Our intent for the group warmup is to tune, run through some spots, remove empty seats from the setup, at least 30 minutes before the concert so we can finish before opening the doors for the audience. Refer to https://schedule.arkansaswinds.org for the group warmup times.
2) We will stand when the conductor comes out at the start of the concert and after intermission. We will follow either the first flute or first clarinet depending upon which side the conductor comes out. On the Farmington stage, that will usually be stage left, so we will follow the clarinet.
3) At the end of a piece, do not bring instruments down until the conductor brings their arms down. This is especially relevant for the end of a slow moving piece. A single person moving their instrument will distract from the moment.
4) Don't start preparing for the next piece until the applause has died down. We should have plenty of announcements between pieces to reset your music or move to another location.
5) Keep an eye on the conductor when a piece ends, in case they motion for a person, section or the entire band to stand. It's frustrating to attempt to get someone to stand and they don't respond because they are concentrating on something else. Prepare by making sure your feet are flat and the foot for your stronger leg is slightly behind the other.
6) Anytime we stand, face forward with your shoulders parallel to the stage. This means the people on the ends will turn a full 90 degrees to face forward.
7) When standing, make eye contact with someone in the audience and smile to show appreciation of the applause and let the audience know we are having fun performing.
Directions:
The band rehearses Monday evenings, 7:00pm to 9:00pm and our season typically starts in late October through late July. The Winds rehearsals are located in the Farmington High School Band Room, 42 South Double Springs Road, Farmington, Arkansas. From I-49, take the exit for US 62 West (Martin Luther King Boulevard) toward Farmington. Drive west on US 62 (Main Street) for 5.1 miles to the traffic light at Arkansas Highway 170 (South Hunter Road). Turn left (south) onto Highway 170 (Hunter Road). Continue on Highway 170 for about 1 mile through an "S" turn and the school will be on the right. Turn right(west) into the first school driveway past the Southwinds intersection. Follow the driveway around the left turn, the "Instrumental Music Room" will be through the double doors.