​Please check the Music Performance and Events Calendar for the latest updates.

Hello Music Parents

Welcome to the new school year!  We look forward to a great year in the Music Department at Handsworth Secondary. 

Here is some information to help you navigate the music program.​

 HMPA is the organization for parents of students in the Handsworth Band and Strings programs. It operates under the umbrella of the Handsworth Parent Advisory Council (HPAC) and its aims are:

• ​Join us at our next HMPA meeting​
  

• Bake some goodies for our next performance​

• Fill a current volunteer opening​

• Find out more about HMPA. Contact Mr. David Bradshaw at dbradshaw@sd44.ca or Mr. Sab Kabok at skabok@sd44.ca.
  

• Handsworth Music Parent Volunteer Forms 
  

​

Teachers:

Our band teacher is Mr. David Bradshaw.  Mr. Bradshaw teaches all of our concert bands, jazz bands and the Handsworth Choir.  Our strings teacher is Mr. Sab Kabok.  Mr. Kabok teaches all of the Handsworth strings ensembles and also teaches in a number of elementary schools in the Handsworth family of schools.

Contact information:

David Bradshaw                dbradshaw@sd44.ca

Sab Kabok                          skabok@sd44.ca

​

Concerts

We have a variety of concerts throughout the year.  Our concerts in the fall and spring are spread over three nights with each group playing on one of the three nights.  Our big fundraising concert of the year, Sweet Music, is held in early December and is the only concert in which all of our groups perform.  In February/March, we have a series of concerts where each type of group (Concert bands, Strings and Jazz bands) has its own concert.  In total, you can expect your student to participate in 4 major school concerts each year.  All students are expected to attend every concert where they are scheduled to play.  Please see the Handsworth Music Concert Calendar which is on the Handsworth website (Parents section – Handsworth Music Parents Association).

Concerts are held at the school or at local venues.  For most concerts, entry is by donation.

At our concerts, parents help out in a variety of ways – greeting guests, donating baking for the refreshment table, helping with student supervision etc. Once again we are going to use SignUpGenius to assist us with concert organization.

Festivals

Many groups will participate in at least one festival over the course of the year.  Some groups go on a weekend trip, others do not.  It varies from year to year.  There is a major trip alternating years for senior students.  During the 2023-2024 Spring Break our senior students travelled to Portugal and Spain.​

Concert Attire

Each student will receive a vest from the school as part of their uniform.  Students are expected to take care of their vest and return it at the end of the year. 

Each student is required to provide their own pair of black dress pants, black dress socks (long enough that no skin shows when the student is sitting down) and black dress shoes.   Students are also required to provide a long-sleeved dress shirt with a collar and cuffs.  For the junior groups, this shirt is white and for Senior Winds, Senior Jazz and Chamber Strings, the shirt is black.  The goal is a uniform, professional look for all groups.

Handsworth Music Parents - Annual General Meeting TBD

All Handsworth Music Parents Welcome!

​​The HMPA exists to help support the music program through volunteering, raising money and participating actively in the music program.  We meet about five times per year, usually on a Monday evening. As a parent of a music student, you are automatically a member of the HMPA. Even if you don't have a lot of time, helping out at concert or taking on one responsibility makes a big difference.​

Fundraising

We do several types of fundraising to support the music program.  Our most profitable fundraising events are our semi-annual bottle drives (more information below).  We collect bottles and other refundable containers from the neighbourhood and turn them into money.  Bottle drives are held in October and April.  All students are expected to participate for part of the day.  Parents are also needed to help out during the day, especially with driving the routes and collecting the bottles.

We also have our Sweet Music fundraising concert where we have a popular bake sale, raffle, 50/50 draw and other fundraising opportunities.  ​

Funds raised are used to support the music program in several ways, including purchasing large, hard-to-rent instruments, music stands, traveling cases and uniforms etc.