2011 Marching Band Season post--already....

[jen0610]

Ok, that makes sense. I would still want to stay at least through Semi's and even into finals to watch all of the other bands. It is WELL worth watching--especially the top bands like Avon, Broken Arrow, Marion Catholic, etc. We do very well around here (we haven't lost a local competition in over 5 years). and at the St. Louis regional but these bands are a whole step above that too. Just something to think about for the trip, especially since you are so close!!

Avon marches ISSMA here in IN, using them for tune ups for BoA. They are consistantly the top band here in class A. Carmel, who has done strictly BoA for awhile, is going to compete in ISSMA this year. For the longest time, Carmel was the band to beat in our class. It will be interesting to see them back in the mix for ISSMA.

 

[golfgal]

Band camp for us starts on August 15th! Before I continue, let me say this-we are in a small, poor town that has almost no arts funding. We have one director who teaches Band (the concert and marching band are the same thing), Choir, and Guitar classes. We do not travel to competition (except for maybe one), and we only march at parades and football games. This is my first year in marching band, so I'm pretty darn excited I don't think we really have a 'show' per se-no costumes (just uniforms), no real theme, no dance team. We have a flag squad, but that's it. The football coaches almost kicked us out of the games because apparently we bore the crowd with the same music. Well, if they could provide the funding for more music...

We're more of a sports town, although I can't stand them. Music is pretty overlooked, and I'd say we are very lucky to have a program at this point...doesn't mean we don't kick some major butt, though!



Just pointing that out...Lol!



That's the SIZE of us. 30 people. We're small!

There is one band that I look forward to seeing every year. They have MAYBE 30 kids, if that, but the kids have a blast and put on a good show. One year they did Paul Simon's music--they had one trumpet player that could really make that trumpet scream so when they played Call Me Al-the crowd really go into it. They are usually the crowd favorite at any show they attend. They just play fun music and have a blast.

 

[golfgal]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xT9A85qhRWk

BTW--this is my ALL TIME favorite marching band show of any band--this is Broken Arrow's 2006 show "Aqua". They won nationals with this show. It's just amazing.

Last year they did "Zo"--a take off on the Wizard of Oz. Love this one too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Vd8TS-x0lQ

 

[golfgal]

Avon marches ISSMA here in IN, using them for tune ups for BoA. They are consistantly the top band here in class A. Carmel, who has done strictly BoA for awhile, is going to compete in ISSMA this year. For the longest time, Carmel was the band to beat in our class. It will be interesting to see them back in the mix for ISSMA.

Carmel is good too-they have some interesting shows and they are a very clean marching band.

 

[bombygriz]

Well, according to my teacher, we actually DO have a theme for our show-and this year, it's KISS. I'm playing quads, so I'm not sure how that'll go, but I did play bass drum in the parades we did at the end of the year.

Let's put this into perspective-There are three drummers. Myself on quads, a freshman on snare (because he's played a lot longer than I have), and another freshman on bass.

 

[m&m's mom]

Oh my you guys are making me nervous!
DD's band has over 300 members and has been the state 5A champions for the last few years. It is quite the operation.
Y'all know so much more than I do. I did get multiple emails and packets that have quite a lot info in them as far as the schedule, cost, supplies etc. There was a 1 page 2 sided sheet on just how to wash the uniforms
I was thinking "Well, geez, I am going to send this right to the dry cleaners when it says 'DO NOT DRY CLEAN'". Dang it!
Fortunately my mom read it- seemes to understand what in the world all those instructions meant so.... she is taking the uniform anytime it needs to be washed.
I have a question though. I was very surprised to read a special note to parents that we are not to discuss the band on any public forum (let's just pretend I am not here ). Apparently since DD's school wins so much they are targets of not nice comments from others. Anyone ever heard of a request like that??

 

[AtlantaSue]

Hello! New Band-Parent, here. We live in a rural area, and my oldest daughter is starting high school this fall. She played the oboe in MS, which is apparently not a marching instrument, so has transitioned to the bass drum and is just today finishing up 2 weeks of band camp. I think the band is made of maybe 100 or so students--plus the Flag Corps.

Neither my husband nor myself were in the band in HS, so it's all new to us--but rather exciting!! I'm so looking forward to "Parent Night" tonight, to see a sneak peak of the show, entitled "American Rock" (gonna hear American Pie, Rock and Roll All Night, American Band..) I was not super involved during the MS years, (as a Band-Parent, that is...) but am jumping in w/ both feet now. I was up every morning and there every afternoon during camp to Notarize Medical Forms...

Anyway-I feel like I have so much to learn, but am really looking forward to it all, and just wanted to officially join in on y'alls thread. Would appreciate any and all input/comments/advice from other percussion moms or band moms in general...am a little nervous about all these older boys she is befriending!!
~Sue

 

[Gina]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xT9A85qhRWk

BTW--this is my ALL TIME favorite marching band show of any band--this is Broken Arrow's 2006 show "Aqua". They won nationals with this show. It's just amazing.

That seriously was amazing. WOW. I can't wait to show my son this one! They were so fluid and synchronized, and the music was beautiful. I can see why they won awards!!

 

[mickeymo]

Oh my you guys are making me nervous!
DD's band has over 300 members and has been the state 5A champions for the last few years. It is quite the operation.

I have a question though. I was very surprised to read a special note to parents that we are not to discuss the band on any public forum (let's just pretend I am not here ). Apparently since DD's school wins so much they are targets of not nice comments from others. Anyone ever heard of a request like that??

Since we're pretending you aren't here - I'll pretend I didn't tell you how much I enjoy watching your daughter's band perform! Hopefully, they will make the trip down to Houston for BOA this year.

 

[klj27]

Oh my you guys are making me nervous!
DD's band has over 300 members and has been the state 5A champions for the last few years. It is quite the operation.
Y'all know so much more than I do. I did get multiple emails and packets that have quite a lot info in them as far as the schedule, cost, supplies etc. There was a 1 page 2 sided sheet on just how to wash the uniforms
I was thinking "Well, geez, I am going to send this right to the dry cleaners when it says 'DO NOT DRY CLEAN'". Dang it!
Fortunately my mom read it- seemes to understand what in the world all those instructions meant so.... she is taking the uniform anytime it needs to be washed.
I have a question though. I was very surprised to read a special note to parents that we are not to discuss the band on any public forum (let's just pretend I am not here ). Apparently since DD's school wins so much they are targets of not nice comments from others. Anyone ever heard of a request like that??

I think my friend's niece marches in your band! We were hoping they would come to Grand Nationals this year so we could see them in person. I think they were there two years ago and she was happy to see her perform.

 

[golfgal]

Oh my you guys are making me nervous!
DD's band has over 300 members and has been the state 5A champions for the last few years. It is quite the operation.
Y'all know so much more than I do. I did get multiple emails and packets that have quite a lot info in them as far as the schedule, cost, supplies etc. There was a 1 page 2 sided sheet on just how to wash the uniforms
I was thinking "Well, geez, I am going to send this right to the dry cleaners when it says 'DO NOT DRY CLEAN'". Dang it!
Fortunately my mom read it- seemes to understand what in the world all those instructions meant so.... she is taking the uniform anytime it needs to be washed.
I have a question though. I was very surprised to read a special note to parents that we are not to discuss the band on any public forum (let's just pretend I am not here ). Apparently since DD's school wins so much they are targets of not nice comments from others. Anyone ever heard of a request like that??

Yes, something like you are saying is usually ok-they don't want you giving details about the show, etc. They pay a lot of money for their shows to be written, etc. and don't want to give out any "trade secrets". It's pretty typical with top bands. Our band is the same way.

Our uniforms are dry clean only . Often the kids will get dirt on their knees from various movements on the field. For those we are to let them dry and use a stiff brush to brush off the dirt. It works pretty well. They have a colar liner that is washable that helps keep the collar clean and they HAVE to wear a t-shirt with sleeves under their uniform.

The hardest part is getting the pants to "fit". There shouldn't be any break in the pants (bends when they touch the shoes). I see a LOT of bands that have their pants like they would hem for regular pants and they will lose points for that. You want the top of the pants to not touch the top of the shoes, but not be too short either.

Now having said that--OMG OUR SHOW IS SOOOOO COOL this year . Picked the kids up from camp, they do a parent preview. They have the opener "done" (it's still pretty messy) and OMG !!!!!! I can hardly wait to see the rest.

That seriously was amazing. WOW. I can't wait to show my son this one! They were so fluid and synchronized, and the music was beautiful. I can see why they won awards!!

They have a HUGE band program-500 kids march at home and in parades. If you see the kids standing on the sidelines, those are the "extras". They have VERY specific guidelines for your build, height, etc. for their colorguard. They march mainly junior and seniors in their shows-their freshmen and sophomores perform at home so they get practice. Like I said, bands at that level are another class to themselves. People here wonder why we do so "bad" at BOA (we usually place top 5 or 6 out of 50+ bands)--this is why.

 

[marcyinPA]

I find all of this competition talk fascinating! Our band is really awesome, and world renowned, but we don't compete in the kind of shows you are all talking about. We aren't a "show" band. We do field shows though. We don't have color guard, but we do have majorettes. We also have bag pipes, which is pretty unusual for a HS band I think. This year, we are marching 250, made up of all grades 9-12. I was going to post a youtube of their field show my DS16's freshman year, but I realized that it's only half of the show. I think my DH ran out of battery. The best part of the show cut off...when they do Rule Britannia, which is the theme song of the band, and is so powerful that it makes me all fuzzy inside when I hear it! lol

I watched that youtube video that you posted (golfgal I think) of Broken Arrow, and I was mesmerized. Watching them in person must be quite an experience!!

 

[golfgal]

I find all of this competition talk fascinating! Our band is really awesome, and world renowned, but we don't compete in the kind of shows you are all talking about. We aren't a "show" band. We do field shows though. We don't have color guard, but we do have majorettes. We also have bag pipes, which is pretty unusual for a HS band I think. This year, we are marching 250, made up of all grades 9-12. I was going to post a youtube of their field show my DS16's freshman year, but I realized that it's only half of the show. I think my DH ran out of battery. The best part of the show cut off...when they do Rule Britannia, which is the theme song of the band, and is so powerful that it makes me all fuzzy inside when I hear it! lol

I watched that youtube video that you posted (golfgal I think) of Broken Arrow, and I was mesmerized. Watching them in person must be quite an experience!!

They are amazing. I look forward to seeing their show every year. Even just watching them take the field and the confidence the kids portray--they just KNOW they are good and it makes a huge difference. You see other bands come on to the field like timid mice and I think that is reflected in their performance as well. It is intimidating walking into a huge football stadium with 10,000 people watching when you are used to maybe a couple thousand. Now, for the Texas bands that get 50,000 at their home football games, it's more of a let down

 

[mrsklamc]

During BA's 'ZO' show my friend kept referring to the 'freaky monkey things' and I kept saying 'flying monkeys' and finally it dawned on me...."Have you not seen "The Wizard of Oz"??!?!?

Anyway...that's probably not as humorous to the rest of the world. I just saw that Drumline on stage will be at the Murat Nov 9 & 10- I've seen that show and it's actually very good.

The sad part I think for a HS marching band is that the BEST museum in Indy, for any age is The Children's Museum, and 1) It's expensive and 2) Teens will probably revolt because it's called a 'Children's' Museum. But it's really good for any age.

 

[KiminChicago]

Band camp starts at 9am tomorrow and my DS is a freshman going into the marching band this year. At his school, most of the freshmen start in a lower level band and don't go into marching band until sophomore year, so this is a big honor. However, yesterday while I was at a baby shower for my niece, one of DS's fellow Boy Scouts called to tell him that they decided to do a 50 mile bike trek tomorrow!

Before I got home, DS had already emailed the band director to ask if it would be possible for him to MISS HIS FIRST DAY OF BAND CAMP .

I've told him and told him that 1) if I were the band director I'd seriously question his commitment and 2) if it were me, I'd assume that I would have plenty of other opportunities to do a bike trek but only one chance to make a good first impression. He refuses to listen and is determined to go biking.

He did get a response from the band director and she told him that they were going to go over the fundamentals of marching tomorrow, along with handing out lyres, costumes, etc., and working on some of the cadences. She said that it's going to be difficult for him to catch up if he misses tomorrow. She also said that she'll work with him, but she won't hold the rest of the band back while waiting for him to catch up. Which I tried to tell my DS meant that she didn't want to tell him no outright, but that it would be a really, really bad move on his part to miss band camp tomorrow.

He's 14 and thinks he knows everything, so unfortunately, DH says the only thing we can do is let him go and if he ends up falling flat on his face at band camp on Tuesday, perhaps he'll finally accept that sometimes we are smarter than he is. I just wish DS wasn't quite so independent and stubborn!

 

[golfgal]

Band camp starts at 9am tomorrow and my DS is a freshman going into the marching band this year. At his school, most of the freshmen start in a lower level band and don't go into marching band until sophomore year, so this is a big honor. However, yesterday while I was at a baby shower for my niece, one of DS's fellow Boy Scouts called to tell him that they decided to do a 50 mile bike trek tomorrow!

Before I got home, DS had already emailed the band director to ask if it would be possible for him to MISS HIS FIRST DAY OF BAND CAMP .

I've told him and told him that 1) if I were the band director I'd seriously question his commitment and 2) if it were me, I'd assume that I would have plenty of other opportunities to do a bike trek but only one chance to make a good first impression. He refuses to listen and is determined to go biking.

He did get a response from the band director and she told him that they were going to go over the fundamentals of marching tomorrow, along with handing out lyres, costumes, etc., and working on some of the cadences. She said that it's going to be difficult for him to catch up if he misses tomorrow. She also said that she'll work with him, but she won't hold the rest of the band back while waiting for him to catch up. Which I tried to tell my DS meant that she didn't want to tell him no outright, but that it would be a really, really bad move on his part to miss band camp tomorrow.

He's 14 and thinks he knows everything, so unfortunately, DH says the only thing we can do is let him go and if he ends up falling flat on his face at band camp on Tuesday, perhaps he'll finally accept that sometimes we are smarter than he is. I just wish DS wasn't quite so independent and stubborn!

Our band is the same, mostly soph-senior with a few select freshmen. He would NOT be allowed to miss practice for that, any practice, with our band, period. Pretty much the only allowed absences are illness and a death in the family. The summer schedule is posted late Jan/early Feb and no vacations, etc. are excused. At our house it would just be a NO, you are not going on the bike trek, end of story. You committed to being in the band, you will go to band practice.

 

[klj27]

We picked up my daughter from band camp yesterday. They performed the ballad and marched/performed the opener. I was very impressed. They are marching 30 new members and the music was really good. They rehearse Tuesday-Saturday this week from 12-9. I am looking forward to the parent show Saturday night.

 

[Pembo]

Band camp started at 1 yesterday...they already have the pregame drill done and got out 30 mins early, Yay. Today they add the music, tomorrow they start the competition show. First 13 hour day today..It's fun to see the growth the first week...

 

[jen0610]

Band camp started at 8 this morning. It's calling for a high of 94 today, so I made DS take the dark blue tshirt he had on off and but a light blue one on. He would have been melting by the lunch break.

Oh my you guys are making me nervous!
DD's band has over 300 members and has been the state 5A champions for the last few years. It is quite the operation.
Y'all know so much more than I do. I did get multiple emails and packets that have quite a lot info in them as far as the schedule, cost, supplies etc. There was a 1 page 2 sided sheet on just how to wash the uniforms
I was thinking "Well, geez, I am going to send this right to the dry cleaners when it says 'DO NOT DRY CLEAN'". Dang it!
Fortunately my mom read it- seemes to understand what in the world all those instructions meant so.... she is taking the uniform anytime it needs to be washed.
I have a question though. I was very surprised to read a special note to parents that we are not to discuss the band on any public forum (let's just pretend I am not here ). Apparently since DD's school wins so much they are targets of not nice comments from others. Anyone ever heard of a request like that??

I am so glad that as parents, we do not have to take care of the clean and up keep of the uniforms. There is a group of band moms that volunteer to take care of this for the entire band.

I find all of this competition talk fascinating! Our band is really awesome, and world renowned, but we don't compete in the kind of shows you are all talking about. We aren't a "show" band. We do field shows though. We don't have color guard, but we do have majorettes. We also have bag pipes, which is pretty unusual for a HS band I think. This year, we are marching 250, made up of all grades 9-12. I was going to post a youtube of their field show my DS16's freshman year, but I realized that it's only half of the show. I think my DH ran out of battery. The best part of the show cut off...when they do Rule Britannia, which is the theme song of the band, and is so powerful that it makes me all fuzzy inside when I hear it! lol

I watched that youtube video that you posted (golfgal I think) of Broken Arrow, and I was mesmerized. Watching them in person must be quite an experience!!

There use to be a school here in IN that had bag pipes as part of the competition shows. Anderson Highland Marching Highlanders. It was awesome to watch them and hear how they would put the pipes into their program. Also loved their uniforms, they wore kilts. They use to compete in the largest class here in ISSMA.

 

[golfgal]

Band camp started at 8 this morning. It's calling for a high of 94 today, so I made DS take the dark blue tshirt he had on off and but a light blue one on. He would have been melting by the lunch break.




I am so glad that as parents, we do not have to take care of the clean and up keep of the uniforms. There is a group of band moms that volunteer to take care of this for the entire band.




There use to be a school here in IN that had bag pipes as part of the competition shows. Anderson Highland Marching Highlanders. It was awesome to watch them and hear how they would put the pipes into their program. Also loved their uniforms, they wore kilts. They use to compete in the largest class here in ISSMA.

Good call-here the hornlines/drumline all wear white to every practice, colorguard wears a "colored" shirt (all the same each day-so one day they are in red, another day pink, etc.). It helps the directors see lines, etc. better.

We keep our uniforms all season but upkeep is pretty easy-wash the collar liner after each use, brush any dirt off if needed. Last year the kids go rained on expectantly part way through their performance and the kids' neck straps from their saxophones left a black mark on the white part of their uniforms so we had them dry cleaned to remove that. The cleaner gives us a deal-$10/uniform.