 Join our Crescendo Club to support all our Vocal and Instrumental Programs this year! We are already in full gear supporting the Marching Band. If you want to support our Marching Band - Donate Here! Come enjoy the halftime show at the upcoming Home Football Games:
Friday, September 4 - 6pm Friday, October 2 - 6pm Saturday, October 10 - Homecoming - Parade - 9am, Game -12pm Friday, October 23 - Future Marching Eagles Night for Middle & Elem Age kids - 6pm Friday, October 30 - 6pm It’s time for Friends of Music’s annual Bingo Fundraiser on February 28, 2026! This is our largest - and most fun! - fundraising event of the year, and we need your help. We are looking for donations to help us create our prize baskets. Please take a look at the various ways you can donate below.
Sign Up Genius [we're looking for new items or unused items you may have on hand]: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0848AAA82AA2F8CF8-54204382-fombingo Amazon wish list [gets sent directly to our Bingo Coordinator]: https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/BWIZKWF9D7GX?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_ggr-subnav-share_NKA5WKC2CXHFTE1CJAKC&language=en-US Direct Donation via Zeffy [will be used to purchase items]: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/donate-chs-fom-bingo We are collecting donations until Friday, February 13th. You can bring items in to your director or the main office. Please have items labeled as "Friends of Music Bingo Donation". VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: We will be sending out a sign up for volunteers for the night of, but in the meantime we need help collecting donations in our community from local businesses and restaurants. We have a list of places that have donated in the past that you can reach out or we'd love if you're able to reach out to new places for donations as well. If you are interested in helping, please reach out to Megan Benedict, our Bingo Coordinator, at [email protected]. More information about the event itself will be coming out in the next few weeks, but for now, mark your calendars! UPDATE: Unfortunately due to weather the performance today has been canceled. Thank you to all that supported us and planned to attend. Final stop... Midwest Clinic, Chicago! Best of luck to our musicians. You have worked so hard. We are very proud of you. Please join us at this special concert in celebration of the incredible dedication and talent of our Wind Ensemble students! This is your only chance to see their inspiring program, the day before they depart for the Midwest Clinic in Chicago. Sunday, December 14th @ 2:00pm Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, University of Maryland Joined by special guests and under the direction of David Matchim, we hope you’ll join us in sending our students off with a full house and enthusiastic support as they represent CHS, Maryland and HCPSS on the worldwide stage. Tickets Tickets are FREE, but please reserve your spot: Required Registration  The CHS music program continues to grow thanks to the hard work of our students and directors—and the generosity of families who believe in the power of music education. To keep providing meaningful musical experiences, we’ve identified several priority areas where additional support can make an immediate impact. If you’re able to contribute, we invite you to explore this year’s Wish List. As always, CHS Friends of Music is a 501(c)(3) organization, and all donations are tax-deductible.
Instrument Repairs & Additions With daily use across multiple ensembles, our instruments require regular care. Donations in this area help us complete essential repairs and invest in upgraded instruments so students can continue learning and performing at their best. Music Purchases & Licensing Each group relies on a wide range of music throughout the year. Your support helps us expand our library with new sheet music and ensures we can cover licensing costs for concerts and performances. Clinics, Workshops & Guest Musicians Working with professional musicians and conductors offers students a valuable window into advanced musicianship. Contributions help us bring in experts for masterclasses, workshops, and special rehearsals that elevate student learning. Every contribution—large or small—directly supports our young musicians. Thank you for helping us create meaningful opportunities for students across band, choir, and orchestra. Together, we can ensure the CHS music program continues to thrive. Dinner & Show: Spaghetti Dinner before CHS Performing Arts Winter Showcase Dec 4th ♫ Come share a meal with family and friends before the fantastic performance of CHS Performing Arts Winter Showcase! Money raised from this event will benefit Centennial High School Wind Ensemble's Midwest Clinic Performance in Chicago. All tickets to the Spaghetti Dinner include pasta with your choice of meat or red (vegetarian) sauce, salad, garlic bread, and drinks. Catering by Squisito Restaurant. Gluten-free pasta is available. Tickets are pre-sale only and will not be available at the door. Proceeds from the Spaghetti Dinner will directly support the CHS Wind Ensemble’s upcoming trip to The Midwest Clinic in Chicago, the largest international music education conference in the world. With over 17,000 attendees each year, this event represents the highest honor a high school band can receive—only five ensembles nationwide are invited annually. In December 2025, our students will perform a 60-minute program of new and traditional music, showcasing their talent on an international stage. Funds raised will help cover essential costs such as new instruments, travel expenses for guest conductors, programs, and formal attire for our musicians. Purchase tickets here: www.centennialmusic.org/tickets.html Thank you for your support. ♫  Dinner & Show: Spaghetti Dinner before Sherwood Performance Nov 15th ♫ Come share a meal with family and friends before the fantastic performance of CHS Skyward Theatre's Sherwood! Money raised from this event will benefit Centennial High School Wind Ensemble's Midwest Clinic Performance in Chicago. All tickets to the Spaghetti Dinner include pasta with your choice of meat or red (vegetarian) sauce, salad, garlic bread, and drinks. Catering by Squisito Restaurant. Gluten-free pasta is available. Tickets are pre-sale only and will not be available at the door. Proceeds from the Spaghetti Dinner will directly support the CHS Wind Ensemble’s upcoming trip to The Midwest Clinic in Chicago, the largest international music education conference in the world. With over 17,000 attendees each year, this event represents the highest honor a high school band can receive—only five ensembles nationwide are invited annually. In December 2025, our students will perform a 60-minute program of new and traditional music, showcasing their talent on an international stage. Funds raised will help cover essential costs such as new instruments, travel expenses for guest conductors, programs, and formal attire for our musicians. Purchase tickets here: www.centennialmusic.org/tickets.html Thank you for your support. ♫   Whether you’re looking for information on upcoming performances, the latest news from Friends of Music, or details on how you can get involved as a volunteer, our website has it all. The CHS Music website, your one-stop resource for everything happening in our vibrant music community. We encourage you to explore the site and discover how you can support our talented students and the music programs that make CHS so special. Visit today and stay connected with all the exciting events and opportunities throughout the year! And don't forget to become a member of our Crescendo Club. Thank you to our families that have already made this yearly donation. Your support funds cover costs like sheet music, instruments and repairs, accompanists, guest artists and much more! Upcoming Events Don’t miss the chance to experience the incredible talent of our student musicians—come enjoy captivating performances from our choir, band, orchestra, jazz, and marching band ensembles!
 Friends of Music General Meeting October 8 @ 7:30pm - Choir Room We invite you to join us for the October Friends of Music general meeting! It’s a great opportunity to hear about all the incredible things FOM does to support our music programs, meet other dedicated parents, and learn how you can get involved. Whether you’re new to the program or a returning volunteer, your support is vital, and we’d love to see you there! Our meeting will follow the PTSA meeting starting at 6pm. Volunteers: We need your help! Get involved and make a difference by volunteering at concerts, marching band performances, and FOM fundraisers—your support helps our music programs thrive and creates unforgettable experiences for our students! Join us by helping out at our concerts. We are looking for parents to greet audience members at each of our concerts. This is a great way to meet other CHS families. Upcoming Fundraisers Support our music programs by participating in our upcoming fundraisers—Midwest DoubleGood Popcorn Sale, Greg’s Driving School partnership, and Crescendo Club—every purchase and donation helps our music program thrive! The Midwest Clinic Fundraisers Centennial High School’s Wind Ensemble has been invited to perform at the 79th Midwest Clinic, International Band and Orchestra Conference this December. The Midwest Conference hosts over 18,000 attendees and is the highest recognition a high school band can receive. “It is one of the largest music-education focused gatherings in the world and offers professional development opportunities.” Centennial High School’s Wind Ensemble will be one of only four Maryland High School bands to participate in the 79-year history of the conference. We are seeking financial support to help with some of the expenses for the performance in Chicago. We need to fund concerts throughout the Fall to ready our performers, pay guest artists’ fees and expenses, produce programs, provide sweatshirts and bow ties or scarves for our performers, etc. Help support our musicians through ongoing fundraisers this Fall.
 Greg’s Driving School Earn money for music programs when you register for classes with Greg’s Driving School! Enter CENTENNIAL into the fundraising code at registration and a portion will be donated to FOM.  September 26, 2025 to September 30, 2025 Who loves popcorn?? Who loves helping our amazing band raise money for their Midwest trip?? Good, us too!! You can click on the link below to make a purchase in our "General Donation" fund - all money raised goes to help offset the expenses associated with the Midwest trip. If you have a student participating in Midwest, you can shop from their pop up store as well. https://popup.doublegood.com/s/9bh0p7u6 Maryland Winds kicks off the 2025-26 season with music from legendary composers—both new and old. This program runs the gamut from Copland, Elgar, Giannini, Respighi and Sousa to stars of today: Stamp, Giroux and Sadler. Come and support the Centennial HS band students as they will perform Vaughn Williams’ Sea Songs, and also join with Maryland Winds in the powerful The Pines of the Appian Way by Ottorino Respighi.
Timothy J. Holtan, Artistic Director of Maryland Winds and retired U.S. Army Colonel, will lead the ensemble in concert at Centennial High School on September 24, 2025. A champion of music education, Holtan will also guest conduct the CHS Wind Ensemble at The Midwest Clinic, directing Sousa’s classic “The White Rose March.” September 24 @ 7:30 p.m. Centennial High School 4300 Centennial Lane Ellicott City, MD 21042 Tickets - available at marylandwinds.com Saturday, September 27, 2025 Come see our Marching Eagles at the Homecoming Parade and Halftime Show. PARADE: 10:15 AM – 11:15 AM We would love families and students to come out and watch us on the parade route-bring your chairs! Parade Route:
CHS Varsity Football Game vs Poolesville: 12 PM Catch the spirit with our Cheerleaders, and watch the spectacular halftime show by the Marching Eagles:2025 show "Star Wars" that features music from the Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens.  |