2013 Marching Band Thread

[PrincessKsMom]

DC was a lot of fun but the kids didn't really enjoy marching. They were the smallest band there (total 48 kids, including 12 or 13 color guard members) and were marching behind one of the bigger bands. They were told not to play until the band in front finished playing and by that time they were a block away from the reviewing stand. And when my mom watched it online and I watched it on a repeat, they cut to a commercial just as our kids were approaching the reviewing stand. You can barely make out there white/yellow flags before they cut to a commercial. Then Trace Atkins was directly behind them so you they got cut.

We had beautiful weather and enjoyed the parade very much. So much for their big break.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Who's kids marched in a Memorial Day parade today?

Our band doesn't march in parades after the end of the football season. But there was a select set of brass players at the Memorial Day service at one of the local cemeteries on Sunday.

 

[piperdown]

We're going to Disneyland!!

At least the kiddo will be going. The spring trip was announced at the booster meeting last night. DD is very excited.

Lots of fundraising between now and then. Don't think we can afford for us to chaperone, but happy for DD.

 

[luvmyfam444]

What fundraisers are ya'll doing this year? Which ones have you had the most success with?

 

[luvmyfam444]

Oh my gosh!!!! Awful! What trips do you go on??

Our fee is only $ 400 I think then if its trip year more $ then.

 

[Priorityonecb]

We are going to three competitions where we will be staying overnight one or two nights. Every competition though requires 3 charter busses, and those are so expensive! We have a competition every single week of the season.

 

[Priorityonecb]

Fundraisers...oh how I hate them! Let's see. We do Scrips, sell citrus fruit at Christmas and butter braids in the spring.

Our local place for concerts/Cirque/basketball/hockey games...we have a stand there where parents can work and then they divide up the profits. This seems very profitable to the parents (about $50 per shift towards their fees), but I barely see my band kid during the season anyway, I wouldn't want to be away from her even more to do that.

We are raffeling off a new car this year as a fundraiser. This one we actually are participating in. We have sold 10 tickets, which knocks $100 off our fees.

To the general fund, we do spirit nights at local restaurants, sell tshirts and things at football games, concessions at various school events and booths at local events where the kids are performing in parades and such.

 

[marcyinPA]

Band camp starts August 5 here. We have had 2 optional July practices already which my DS 14 has attended, but the big push will be band camp. Our fundraising will kick into full gear at the end of August with the Fall mum sale. We sell anything and everything! We have also been making payments of almost $400 a month for the Rose Parade trip. Coming up with the money every month has been stressful.

 

[luvmyfam444]

Fundraisers...oh how I hate them! Let's see. We do Scrips, sell citrus fruit at Christmas and butter braids in the spring.

Our local place for concerts/Cirque/basketball/hockey games...we have a stand there where parents can work and then they divide up the profits. This seems very profitable to the parents (about $50 per shift towards their fees), but I barely see my band kid during the season anyway, I wouldn't want to be away from her even more to do that.

We are raffeling off a new car this year as a fundraiser. This one we actually are participating in. We have sold 10 tickets, which knocks $100 off our fees.

To the general fund, we do spirit nights at local restaurants, sell tshirts and things at football games, concessions at various school events and booths at local events where the kids are performing in parades and such.

What are scrips & butter braids? Will u share ur vendor for fruit? Dh did fruit when he was in band & said it did really well.

 

[luvmyfam444]

Band camp starts August 5 here. We have had 2 optional July practices already which my DS 14 has attended, but the big push will be band camp. Our fundraising will kick into full gear at the end of August with the Fall mum sale. We sell anything and everything! We have also been making payments of almost $400 a month for the Rose Parade trip. Coming up with the money every month has been stressful.

$400 a month!?!?? Whats the total???
I know thats quite stressful! Glad we arent good enough to be chosen for a parade like that.

 

[luvmyfam444]

We started once a week practice @ end of June. Not mandatory...but you have to report in if not there. band camp for starts Mon. And its all day for guard. 10a-9p with 1hr for lunch & 30mins for supper.

 

[Pembo]

We have a steak fry in Sept, fruit sale in Nov, and Night at the Races in Feb. The kids usually sell pizza dough or something too.

Kids have had mandatory practices on Wed since July 10. Mine were on vacation this past week and it was excused ONLY because we told the director before school was out. Band camp starts on July 28th - 1 -9pm, then 29th-2nd from 8 am - 9 pm with lunch and dinner included. Blech - not as excited this year.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

We have a new director, new choreographer, new guard coaches...everything is different this year. Practice are once a week for 3 hours. Band camp is at the end of August, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. with lunch and dinner breaks. So fair their only request was $25 toward a tshirt, water and snacks during band camp. We'll see how much this year costs. Since we don't have any big trips, it's shouldn't be expensive at all.

 

[marcyinPA]

$400 a month!?!?? Whats the total???
I know thats quite stressful! Glad we arent good enough to be chosen for a parade like that.

$2700 per student, all inclusive. It is a lot, but an experience of a lifetime. I actually marched in it in 1983 as a freshman, and I still remember that feeling of lining up and marching that long route with all of those people!

(the $400 a month can be paid outright, or fundraised, or a little of both. We continued to fundraise all last year with my DS18 who was a senior, and they rolled his account over to my younger one. We were lucky we were able to do that, having an outgoing sibling. So far, I have only had to make a direct payment of $600. We fundraised the other half. We have a few more payments to go until we are done )

 

[Kimberlyann11]

Band banquet is tonight. DD is excited because she is getting her varsity letter. Pre-camp starts tomorrow - practice from 5-9 Mon-Thur and 3-5 on Friday. Band camp starts Sunday-Saturday. It's actual sleep-away camp at a beautiful camp about two hours from here. The kids have a great time.

They are opening their show with Queen's Bicycle Race. Every person I have told who's from my generation starts singing "Bicycle! Bicycle!" when I tell them that. That's their hardest number. It switches from 4/4 to 3/4 a few times in the middle. That blows DD's mind. "I don't even know how to march in 3/4!!"

 

[lovegrumpy]

Preband camp starts Aug 5 from 1-6. Full camp starts Aug 12 8-6. My ds can't wait for camp to start. Not sure about fundraiser this year because no trip has been talked about yet. I would love to Disney again.

 

[Ciciwoowoo]

Joining in!

Our band started practice every Tuesday, the week after school got out. We will resume 5 days a week, 7 hours a day the first week of August.

Band fees are: $500 for band, $400 for band camp, and $835 for our Disney trip this year.

We are raffling off a new Cadillac ATS this year. It is our first year doing this, and we are learning from the experience. I hope we are successful enough to raise some decent money for the band and at least cut out the $500 fee next year!

Our band is pretty small...haven't got final numbers yet, but I'm guessing we are right around 50 members.

It is an interesting experience, but my son loves it! I can't complain because he has made some great friends and all the exercise is great for him!

He is a tuba player, btw!

 

[klj27]

We had preband camp last week (8-5 M-F) and the kids left for away camp tonight. We will pick them up on Friday evening. It is my daughter's (guard) senior year and my son's freshman year. When they get home they have another week of 8-5 and then a week of 5-9 before school starts.

I was surprised to hear an FJM commercial on the radio this week. It was talking about how designing marching band uniforms is not like it used to be and now they have to be designed to dance in. Our show this year involves a lot of dance and it made me laugh.

 

[lovegrumpy]

Joining in!

Our band started practice every Tuesday, the week after school got out. We will resume 5 days a week, 7 hours a day the first week of August.

Band fees are: $500 for band, $400 for band camp, and $835 for our Disney trip this year.

We are raffling off a new Cadillac ATS this year. It is our first year doing this, and we are learning from the experience. I hope we are successful enough to raise some decent money for the band and at least cut out the $500 fee next year!

Our band is pretty small...haven't got final numbers yet, but I'm guessing we are right around 50 members.

It is an interesting experience, but my son loves it! I can't complain because he has made some great friends and all the exercise is great for him!

He is a tuba player, btw!

My son is also a tuba player and he says its a lot of work.

 

[Gina]

Band camp for DS starts next Tuesday. All day, every day, until school starts at the end of August. His last band camp... which he is not at *all* sad about, lol. He says that is the one thing he's glad this'll be the last of. I don't blame him, with the heat index this week being a good 104-107, and who knows how much worse on that blacktop. Otherwise, he is being surprisingly sentimental over his Senior year now... Maybe I'm contagious, heh.

We just got word last week that the band director has been bumped up to Director of Fine Arts for the entire district, so the band will have a new director this year. Should be interesting... A lot of kids (and a lot of parents!) are not shedding any tears over this, lol. We'll see what happens!

Between DS's final band camp starting on Tuesday and his application to A&M going in on Wednesday, next week brings a lot of milestones!