2013 Marching Band Thread

[Katy Belle]

I bet the super regionals are fun! We only go to a regular regional in Ohio.

I have never been to this, but did plan to go this year. We have Fall Break Thurs-Sun, so we were planning to spend 3 nights. Now the Band Director says there is a MANDATORY football game Thursday night. So the bus will leave Friday morning and return Sunday. Probably zero sightseeing while there. Bummer. Not sure I will go.

 

[m&m's mom]

That's right about where our fees are as well. Freshman year was a good chunk higher, for the stuff like garment bags, water jugs, etc. that goes through all 4 years. Well, theoretically -- I think my DS has spent his hard-earned money on two more water jugs, to replace ones he has lost or broken.

I'm really kind of surprised our fees aren't higher -- Between the shiny custom 18-wheeler, the U-Haul trucks for props and such, and the something like 9 buses it takes to transport the band and CG anywhere, I would think those costs alone would make our fees higher. Not to mention the stuff like uniforms, food at away games, competition fees, etc.! I know they do make a lot by hosting several big band and CG competitions, and do some smaller fundraisers throughout the year, but I don't see how it's enough. I have no idea if the district kicks in anything.


Pembo ~ How neat to have all three kids in the same concert! And congrats to your oldest on the solo!

I am just going to say our fees are higher than what you are paying.

Totally forgot about this -- I know there are other band folks here in Texas, and I wanted to pass along the info for the TX Bands website (www.txbands.com). Most of the forums are about the band members themselves, but it's a great place to read about upcoming competitions in the state, other bands' shows, etc. And the owner of the site was nice enough to set up a "band parents" forum for me, but no one knows about it, lol. So if any of you fellow Texas band parents want to come discuss specific TX band stuff, I'd love some company.

http://www.txbands.com/forums/index.php?/forum/60-band-parents/

Thanks so much. You were the most informative in years past for TX band info.
DD's band is doing "Charmed" this year".
Since this is a non-state year for us, the kids are going to Indianapolis for Grand Nationals.
It's so tough since it's been over 100 degrees last few days. I just don't see how they do it.

 

[Gina]

Thanks so much. You were the most informative in years past for TX band info.
DD's band is doing "Charmed" this year".
Since this is a non-state year for us, the kids are going to Indianapolis for Grand Nationals.
It's so tough since it's been over 100 degrees last few days. I just don't see how they do it.

Aw, thanks, I'm glad I could help! Maybe you can help me with a mystery... On our event list there is a competition on Oct. 26 in San Antonio. We have never gone to San Antonio except for State. I don't see anything on the UIL calendar, and we already have some regional BOA thing on the 5th. I know y'all are in a different part of the state, but S.A. is far from us too -- do you know anything about a competition that day?? DS and I are really scratching our heads.

I'm with you on the heat -- I don't know how these kids do it either. And with the High Pressure of Death secured over most of the state, it's supposed to be even hotter this week. I feel for them!!

 

[Pembo]

Please send some of that Texas heat to Ohio - it's barely 70 here today. I would love some hot weather!

 

[Gina]

Please send some of that Texas heat to Ohio - it's barely 70 here today. I would love some hot weather!

LOL... I just told DS what you posted, and after the shock wore off he said, "Tell her she can have it. ALL of it. Including the 100% humidity. And no returns."

I'm still trying to wrap my head around it being 70 in August somewhere... we have a good 3 months before that's even a possibility!!

 

[m&m's mom]

Aw, thanks, I'm glad I could help! Maybe you can help me with a mystery... On our event list there is a competition on Oct. 26 in San Antonio. We have never gone to San Antonio except for State. I don't see anything on the UIL calendar, and we already have some regional BOA thing on the 5th. I know y'all are in a different part of the state, but S.A. is far from us too -- do you know anything about a competition that day?? DS and I are really scratching our heads.

I'm with you on the heat -- I don't know how these kids do it either. And with the High Pressure of Death secured over most of the state, it's supposed to be even hotter this week. I feel for them!!

I don't see anything; we are at Duncanville that day for just a "local" contest.
I saw 104 and 105 on the weekly forecast. UGH!

 

[Pembo]

LOL... I just told DS what you posted, and after the shock wore off he said, "Tell her she can have it. ALL of it. Including the 100% humidity. And no returns."

I'm still trying to wrap my head around it being 70 in August somewhere... we have a good 3 months before that's even a possibility!!

I'd take it! It's usually NOT that cold here but we've had a weird summer. One week we hit the 90's and that was the week we were out of town. lol It has been beautiful weather for band camp, low 70's partly sunny. Last year it was 90 and sunny every day.

Stay cool all of my HOT band friends.

 

[beavismom]

Aw, thanks, I'm glad I could help! Maybe you can help me with a mystery... On our event list there is a competition on Oct. 26 in San Antonio. We have never gone to San Antonio except for State. I don't see anything on the UIL calendar, and we already have some regional BOA thing on the 5th. I know y'all are in a different part of the state, but S.A. is far from us too -- do you know anything about a competition that day?? DS and I are really scratching our heads.

I'm with you on the heat -- I don't know how these kids do it either. And with the High Pressure of Death secured over most of the state, it's supposed to be even hotter this week. I feel for them!!

BOA San Antonio is the following weekend. Maybe they got the dates mixed up?

 

[marcyinPA]

Band camp starts for my DS14 today. He is waiting for his ride right now. They go from 8-1 and 7-9:30 pm this week. Next week is 8-2. The weather is perfect- 70's, sunny, low humidity. He is excited to start, but it is weird for me that my DS18 is done!

The band is just over 300 this year, with 30 sousaphones!!! That is a lot of sousaphones! We have parent preview night this Friday night. Can't wait to see how far they have gotten. It always amazes me what they accomplish in a week.

 

[jen0610]

Jen - did you start band camp without a director? When will they hire? When does school start? That is crazy that the director quit this late. In Ohio, they have to resign by July according to the contract.

No director, just the assistant director, who is not an employee of FWCS as a teacher. We also have our color guard director. According to the e-mail they sent out the 26th, they were hoping to do interviews last week and that they would have someone hired by the end of last week. The issue, if we have one, is going to be if the person they hire isn't already a FWCS employee. That could delay everything. They did say, that they will tell the kids frist, then send out an e-mail to the parents.

School starts the 19th and our first performance is at our home opener for football on the 23rd and the first competition is Sept 7th.

Ya, the super short notice really, really sucks. But I guess when Broken Arrow wants you, you kick everything else to the curb (except for your DCI commitments) and go running. I don't know if there is some claus in the contract or not, but I am sure FWCS will never see him again.

What circuit dies everyone compete in? Who is going to grand nationals this year?

We compete msba and will go to a BOA regional and grand nationals.

We do ISSMA and we were scheduled to do a BOA this year, but with the director issue who knows at this point. We have been told that the schedule could change.

LOL... I just told DS what you posted, and after the shock wore off he said, "Tell her she can have it. ALL of it. Including the 100% humidity. And no returns."

I'm still trying to wrap my head around it being 70 in August somewhere... we have a good 3 months before that's even a possibility!!

It was a nice cool 52 at 8 this morning. High today is 76. Wed is forecasted as the hottest day this week calling for a high of 84.

My brother just moved back to this area after being in FL for the last 17 years. He posted yesterday, that it was nuts for be 60 in Aug, with a picture of his fireplace going. I told him it was IN just welcoming him back home.

 

[beavismom]

I really hope none of the Texas band kids are reading this thread! These super cool temps will have them packing their bags and moving north. It is not yet 8am here and already 80 degrees, heading to 102 before the day is over. Who knows what the heat index will be.

Hope everyone is off to a great start. We are waiting to get our marching placements this week, then things really get exciting.

 

[marcyinPA]

I really hope none of the Texas band kids are reading this thread! These super cool temps will have them packing their bags and moving north. It is not yet 8am here and already 80 degrees, heading to 102 before the day is over. Who knows what the heat index will be.

Hope everyone is off to a great start. We are waiting to get our marching placements this week, then things really get exciting.

Lol....I will say that the 70's in August is unseasonably cool in PA. We are usually in the 80-90 range and humid. We are really enjoying this weather!!!

 

[Gina]

I really hope none of the Texas band kids are reading this thread! These super cool temps will have them packing their bags and moving north. It is not yet 8am here and already 80 degrees, heading to 102 before the day is over. Who knows what the heat index will be.

The worst thing about this sort of heat is that heat stress is cumulative on the body. And with our lows not even going below 80, you just never really cool off. But I keep telling myself that it all evens out... and 4-5 months from now when people are snowed in up to their eyeballs, while we're outside bbq-ing in shorts, I won't feel so jealous anymore.

They do make the band kids drink water like every 5 minutes, and I got DS a Frogg Togg to wrap around his neck/head during breaks. Those things are a-ma-zing... I would never survive August/September/October football games without my pretty pink one! If they only made a maroon one to match our team colors, it would be perfect.

Ya, the super short notice really, really sucks. But I guess when Broken Arrow wants you, you kick everything else to the curb (except for your DCI commitments) and go running. I don't know if there is some claus in the contract or not, but I am sure FWCS will never see him again.

Oh wow... Broken Arrow?? Not that it makes it okay to just bolt and leave a band hanging, but for Broken Arrow I imagine our band director would have done the same thing! Hope it gets all sorted out for you guys soon.

 

[jen0610]

The worst thing about this sort of heat is that heat stress is cumulative on the body. And with our lows not even going below 80, you just never really cool off. But I keep telling myself that it all evens out... and 4-5 months from now when people are snowed in up to their eyeballs, while we're outside bbq-ing in shorts, I won't feel so jealous anymore.

They do make the band kids drink water like every 5 minutes, and I got DS a Frogg Togg to wrap around his neck/head during breaks. Those things are a-ma-zing... I would never survive August/September/October football games without my pretty pink one! If they only made a maroon one to match our team colors, it would be perfect.







Oh wow... Broken Arrow?? Not that it makes it okay to just bolt and leave a band hanging, but for Broken Arrow I imagine our band director would have done the same thing! Hope it gets all sorted out for you guys soon.

And for those of us who are die hards, no little bit of fluffy white stuff or cold wet stuff will keep us from cranking up the grill if the need for grilling is a calling. Rain or snow don't stop me, unless it's a full on down pour or a blizzard, but I have been know to be standing outside at my grill with an umbrella and wrapped up in my winter coat and scarf.

And you are correct, that I don't know many that wouldn't go a runnin if BA called. But the kids still feel like they got kicked in the stomach/slapped in the face by his actions. I think that he could have worked something out, to get them transitioned over to the new director.

 

[mrsklamc]

And for those of us who are die hards, no little bit of fluffy white stuff or cold wet stuff will keep us from cranking up the grill if the need for grilling is a calling. Rain or snow don't stop me, unless it's a full on down pour or a blizzard, but I have been know to be standing outside at my grill with an umbrella and wrapped up in my winter coat and scarf.

And you are correct, that I don't know many that wouldn't go a runnin if BA called. But the kids still feel like they got kicked in the stomach/slapped in the face by his actions. I think that he could have worked something out, to get them transitioned over to the new director.

I think it's too bad that BA would want a director who would treat his old band that way for them.

 

[camreesmom]

Joining in here with y'all.......I've got a freshman trombone player this year. They started band camp last week. It's been hot but my daughter is loving it. I don't know how she's going to feel this afternoon when she comes home since the heat index is supposed to get up to 110 today! Our kids practice from 7am - 1pm M-F until the week before school starts and they'll add in evening rehearsals also. We get off easy compared to some of y'all when it comes to fees. I think we have to pay around $65 this year.

 

[Gina]

Joining in here with y'all.......I've got a freshman trombone player this year. They started band camp last week. It's been hot but my daughter is loving it. I don't know how she's going to feel this afternoon when she comes home since the heat index is supposed to get up to 110 today! Our kids practice from 7am - 1pm M-F until the week before school starts and they'll add in evening rehearsals also. We get off easy compared to some of y'all when it comes to fees. I think we have to pay around $65 this year.

Welcome to the party! Whereabouts in Texas are you?

 

[camreesmom]

Welcome to the party! Whereabouts in Texas are you?

About 2 hours south of you ......We're in Port Lavaca, right on the coast, aka Sandcrab Nation.

 

[Gina]

About 2 hours south of you ......We're in Port Lavaca, right on the coast, aka Sandcrab Nation.

Well, maybe southwest... 2 hours south of me, or even 30-ish minutes, would be out in the Gulf of Mexico.

I love that your daughter plays trombone -- that's one of those instruments you don't see many girls playing, and it just seems cool!

What circuit do y'all compete in?

 

[camreesmom]

Well, maybe southwest... 2 hours south of me, or even 30-ish minutes, would be out in the Gulf of Mexico.

I love that your daughter plays trombone -- that's one of those instruments you don't see many girls playing, and it just seems cool!

What circuit do y'all compete in?

True....lol.....but ANYONE who knows me at all, knows that I have absolutely NO sense of direction whatsoever. I don't know how I made it without GPS!

She actually started out playing the baritone in middle school but moved to the trombone in 7th grade. And you're right, there aren't many girls playing trombone and I think she likes it that way

Not sure on circuits since this will be our first year with high school band. I was in band here MANY years ago but it was much different back then. Our band marched about 250 and we went to State every year. Our football team won maybe 1 or 2 games the entire time I was in high school! Now it's the other way around....our football team is making it to the playoffs every year and the band is a LOT smaller now. I do know that it is a State year for us but other than that, I'm still out of the loop.