2014 Marching Band thread

[marcyinPA]

My son is a freshman, and this is our first experience with Marching Band. He attends a small school, with small band (about 40 kids). His first parade is tomorrow. He brought his uniform home from school yesterday. It smells! The tag on the pants say that they are 100% polyester and are machine washable. The jacket says dry clean only. There is a removable band around the neck of the jacket (it snaps in) that was incredibly yellowed, so I removed it and am hand washing it.

Whose responsibility is it typically to have the uniforms washed, and how often/when, etc.?

We just got brand new uniforms, and as per the manufacturer, they are to be dry cleaned as infrequently as possible. They are made of wool felt and were handmade in London- and are really handsome- but really heavy and hot!! You can imagine how stinky they can get. But we were told to just air them out... We actually have a wonderful seamstress/ uniform lady who takes care of every single alteration for 300 members. She also makes kilts for our bagpipe corps and jumpers for the majorettes. We pay a uniform fee that goes towards dry cleaning at the end of the year, but there were times (when we had the old uniforms) that they needed to be dry cleaned more often- like after my oldests trip to Hawaii- and that was our responsibility to take and pay.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

We just got brand new uniforms, and as per the manufacturer, they are to be dry cleaned as infrequently as possible.

I know we were told to dry clean them only if absolutely necessary. As far as I know, nothing in the uniform can be hand washed. If the bibbers get muddy, we are supposed to let them dry and then we can actually flake the mud off by hand.

Usually our parent organization gets they dry cleaned over the summer.

 

[Happy Snowman]

My son is a freshman, and this is our first experience with Marching Band. He attends a small school, with small band (about 40 kids). His first parade is tomorrow. He brought his uniform home from school yesterday. It smells! The tag on the pants say that they are 100% polyester and are machine washable. The jacket says dry clean only. There is a removable band around the neck of the jacket (it snaps in) that was incredibly yellowed, so I removed it and am hand washing it.

Whose responsibility is it typically to have the uniforms washed, and how often/when, etc.?

Our kids' band had the uniforms dry cleaned at the end of each season. They had a deal with a local cleaner and everyone paid $10. In season, we would spot clean as necessary. The collar guard was machine washable so I would soak it in Oxyclean, scrub with a stiff brush and wash, but let it air dry. They gave everyone pretty detailed instructions how to care for uniforms. Biggest thing was to not let them sit in the garment bags. If you can hang the uniform outside for a while an let it air out, that should help some. Ask about getting it professionally cleaned--top and bottoms.

 

[Happy Snowman]

Thanks Flightless for guiding me over to this thread. Without being too redundant, I have a sophomore percussionist. Snare during marching season, and you name it during concert season (the percussion section rotates).

Our band is very large (300 this year) and has a tremendous amount of community and parental support. The operating budget for the band parents association is huge.

They offer several fund raisers every year- many being monthly. Probably the biggest is the monthly hoagie sales. If you sell hoagies, you go to the school cafeteria at 6 am on a Saturday morning and make hoagies. You don't leave until the last hoagie is made. The band has been doing this sale for YEARS- like 40 or more? They buy all of the meats/veggies/rolls from local suppliers and have a very loyal fan base . We also sell Matey's pizzas bi- monthly (these are frozen pizzas you bake at home- locally made. Great sellers at $6 each). We sell fall mums, Christmas wreaths, poinsettias and cemetery logs, and spring flowers- all from a local greenhouse. These are also great sellers because they are things most people buy anyway. We sell Gertude Hawk chocolate, Ninnymuggins candles, Uncle Paul's pierogies, pies at Thanksgiving and Easter, discount cards that offer discounts at local establishments for a years' time ($10 each). That's all I can think of right now.

During trip years, they add more fundraisers in. We marched in the Rose Parade this past January- that trip ended up being $2500 per student. We personally fundraised about 1/3 of it. Had there been no fundraisers, getting him to Pasadena would have been tough.

Flightless Duck- curious as to where your daughter is going to college- and good for her for joining band! I could not talk my son into the band at KU. He wanted no part of it- and hasn't played his trumpet since May 2013

Our kids' band has done the Rose Parade too....that is so much more fundraising. They had something new almost weekly. They did get significant donations from many local companies and the school district finally put some money into the band with new uniforms and some funds for the trip, otherwise the band is self supporting. It was a great experience but the work leading up to it...oy...I'm glad we won't have to worry about ever doing that again and we can happily watch them on TV in the future. They have already been asked to come back so they will be going back the next time their cycle hits, 3 years I think?

 

[marcyinPA]

Our kids' band has done the Rose Parade too....that is so much more fundraising. They had something new almost weekly. They did get significant donations from many local companies and the school district finally put some money into the band with new uniforms and some funds for the trip, otherwise the band is self supporting. It was a great experience but the work leading up to it...oy...I'm glad we won't have to worry about ever doing that again and we can happily watch them on TV in the future. They have already been asked to come back so they will be going back the next time their cycle hits, 3 years I think?

It's a pricey trip for sure but it was so worth it. They were invited five years ago too, but I didn't have kids in band then. My DS was a freshman, and I marched in the Rose Parade as a Freshman too- many years ago- with the rival HS band to my DS's HS. That made it extra special for our family. 31 years ago to the day

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Preview night was Wednesday. They started a new tradition this year where the parent booster club buys the students "tour shirts" with the name of the show on the front and schedule on the back. They worse their tour shirts for preview night instead of their uniforms.

They went through the whole show, and then went through part of a song with parents following the students.

They also didn't wear their uniforms because they did the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge after the show. Parents got to dump the water.

No school today because of the Labor Day weekend, but the first football game of the year is today, at home.

 

[MouseLover]

Mickeyluver37--- (page 1)

Our Color Guard performs only at halftime/pregame/post game/parades. During the game, she plays clarinet in the stands with band. We do not have Winter Guard here but she sure would love to!

 

[Southernmiss]

Second game of the season last night. Both home games. Football team is 2 and 0. Band is doing well. Last night was rainy, but held off for the game. Kids are still marching in shorts and band shirts--heat index is still over 95 at half-time.

Dh and I worked the visitor's concession stand last night (concession stands are a band fundraiser). So we didn't get to watch the show, but dss said they were not happy with the performance. So better to get a bad run out of the way before contests!

Our band parents are wonderful. We all bring food and a dad smokes meat. We feed the police and EMTs, too. Even if we're too busy to eat that night, we make a plate and bring it home. Was a great breakfast this morning!

 

[Octoberbeauty]

Joining in again this year. My son is a Sophomore and is playing the euphonium this year. We kick into gear next week with a Rivalry bash Thursday night and our first game on Friday night. I can't wait!

 

[Monykalyn]

No school yesterday but first football game (and a winner!) Band performed in band shirts and shorts-ended up with pleasant weather after being 90+heat index all week!
Show is "If the shoe fits..." and it looks good this year! The kids do a waltz in one of the movements. Can't wait to see it with all the movements and color Guard full costume!

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Football team had its first home game of the year, and won. We were leading by a lot during the first half but the other team came back in the second half.

There was a player on the visiting team that was seriously injured. He wasn't even moving. They had to take him out on a stretcher. I hate seeing that. Poor kid.

The band did well in their halftime show. You can tell it's still a work in progress.

Band director asked for practice Monday morning.

 

[Katy Belle]

Yay Band! Our first football game is next Friday. The band will perform for the first time there! Home game!

They practice Thursday nights from 6-9. I watched the end, so got to see a run through. They only have about 3 minutes down. It's going to be great, but it's got a long way to go!

Watching two sons, in two different sections, is hard! Add in the girlfriend in Color Guard and it's really hard.! As time goes on I will be able to watch the whole show, but now I'm focused on my own kiddos!

 

[Kimberlyann11]

First performance Friday night for us too. Home football game.

We have a new director this year and instead of the usual working on basics and then working on the drill, he pounded the drill into them at band camp and is now polishing. To my untrained eye, it's very good. It seems to be working out as now we can do our whole show at the football games, but still have plenty of time before festival to make it pretty. We're a show band so we don't have to worry about competitions - just festival.

Our show is "City on Fire" and our songs are:

Light 'em Up by Fallout Boy
Scream and Shout - Will I Am and Britney
Mad World - Tears for Fears
Pompeii - Bastille

Our director wrote the arrangement of Mad World himself and said it was a huge job. It has an awesome saxophone solo that is going to blow everyone away.

Looking forward to a great season!

 

[marcyinPA]

First game for us last night. Our football team got trounced. It was embarrassing. Thank goodness for our band! As always, they looked and sounded great!!

 

[momof1princess]

Our first game was Thursday night-the first game of the season is always Thursday night. We didn't get to bed until 11:30pm. Needless to say, DD16, who usually goes to bed at 10:00pm, was dragging yesterday morning. She came home from school and went straight to bed...lol.

The band has shrunk, again. Looks to be about 35-36 kids, including colorguard and majorettes. Very sad. They had 115 members about 10-12 years ago.

We're still running both concession stands at home football games; however, it's getting so difficult to get band parents to help, I suspect the athletic boosters will be taking them over within the next 2-3 years.

 

[KiminChicago]

Our first home game was last Friday. On my way home from work I get a text message from DS. Apparently the drum majors' capes went missing and he wanted to know if I could stop and buy red and blue "shiny" cloth to make replacement capes.

When I get home, DD (poms) tells me that she cannot find her blue Spanx and she needs a pair for under her uniform. So out I go to buy material and replacement Spanx. Fortunately, there are still blue pairs at the dance studio, and I find a simple pattern for a cape. It was actually a Disney Simplicity pattern for a Snow White costume but I just needed the lined cape (I modified it slightly so that the cape would be reversible). After cutting out all of the red pieces Thursday evening, I realized that there was no way I was going to finish the capes without some serious changes to my plans for Friday.

I had told my boss that I would be working from home on Friday so that I could get out to the game, but Friday morning I let him know that I was going to be using paid time off instead. Then I called my mom (my usual partner in crime whenever there is heavy duty crafting or sewing to be done). With my mom's help, we were almost done by the time the kids had to report to the field, but I was literally sewing on the last hook and eye closure in the parking lot of the school.

It was raining during the sophomore game but by the time the Varsity game started, it was just misting. So I got to see my daughter dance and my son conduct the band as drum major (and the capes looked great). Apparently our half time show this year is "Journey to Chargerland" and is a compilation of Journey's greatest hits. Best part is that we won both games and our varsity team is now 2-0.

 

[Mickeyluver37]

Our first home game was last Friday. On my way home from work I get a text message from DS. Apparently the drum majors' capes went missing and he wanted to know if I could stop and buy red and blue "shiny" cloth to make replacement capes.

When I get home, DD (poms) tells me that she cannot find her blue Spanx and she needs a pair for under her uniform. So out I go to buy material and replacement Spanx. Fortunately, there are still blue pairs at the dance studio, and I find a simple pattern for a cape. It was actually a Disney Simplicity pattern for a Snow White costume but I just needed the lined cape (I modified it slightly so that the cape would be reversible). After cutting out all of the red pieces Thursday evening, I realized that there was no way I was going to finish the capes without some serious changes to my plans for Friday.

I had told my boss that I would be working from home on Friday so that I could get out to the game, but Friday morning I let him know that I was going to be using paid time off instead. Then I called my mom (my usual partner in crime whenever there is heavy duty crafting or sewing to be done). With my mom's help, we were almost done by the time the kids had to report to the field, but I was literally sewing on the last hook and eye closure in the parking lot of the school.

It was raining during the sophomore game but by the time the Varsity game started, it was just misting. So I got to see my daughter dance and my son conduct the band as drum major (and the capes looked great). Apparently our half time show this year is "Journey to Chargerland" and is a compilation of Journey's greatest hits. Best part is that we won both games and our varsity team is now 2-0.

Wow! I think you deserve to wear one of those capes, Supermom! That was so awesome that you pulled that off with such little time.

We had our first home games this past Friday as well. Only the first movement of the show was done, and costumes aren't in, so it will be interesting to see the show transform as the season goes on. DS is on JV, who unfortunately lost, and it was in the 90's for his entire game, right in the direct sunlight on the metal bleachers. It was awful, especially since I came straight from work in my black pants. It was much cooler for the varsity game, and they slaughtered the other team. Not sure what happened with JV there.

 

[lovegrumpy]

We had are first game this past Friday man it was so hot and muggy. The parents are not impressed with the show at all. They are not done so hopefully it well get better.

 

[Katy Belle]

Our first game was Friday! We won! The band looked, and sounded great. Fun was had by all! My Freshman loved every moment! My Jr had fun too, but it was not AS exciting for him.

DH and I worked concessions 3rd, 4th quarters and clean up. Wow, was it busy! We ran out of pizza, pretzels, chili, pickles, popcorn, and jalapeños!

I helped with uniform fitting on Saturday. We managed to get 101 kids outfitted for the season! It went so smoothly! It was fun to meet the newbies, and to see the oldies!

This Friday is an away game. DH and I might drive ourselves. Not feeling up to a bus ride!

Go Band!

 

[mom2kazkids]

New to this thread, I have a freshman who is in his first year of marching band. The bummer of it is they decided to replace the field with astroturf right before school started so they will not be performing at the first two home games as the games have been moved off site. His first game to march at will be Oct 3 and his last Oct 10.

The exciting thing about band it he will be marching down Main Street USA on January 24, I was not selected to chaparone, but that is OK my DD and I will fly down for the weekend to see the band, leaving him to ride the nice bus for over 24 hours. It will be our second trip in like 7 weeks as we are going as a family from Nov 29 to Dec 4 then returning Jan 23 to 26.