Parent-to-Parent Marching Band Information
Welcome! You and your child are about to embark on an exciting new experience. We believe participation in marching band develops life-enhancing qualities in young people. Besides being fun, band membership teaches music appreciation, teamwork, dedication and responsibility. The purpose of the band boosters is to help our students participate fully in band activities through encouragement and support. The following information is intended to help you understand and make the most of this special time.
Band Camp — The marching band season begins during the summer months at band camp. During the two week band camp, band members learn fundamentals of marching or color guard work and begin to learn their music. Some practice time is spent with just their “section” in addition to full-band rehearsals. Instruction comes from the director, hired instructors, and upperclassmen. The many hours spent together help build camaraderie and friendships. By the end of the two weeks, part of the show is on the field!! On these days,lunch will be provided on site and there will be a supper break later in the afternoon. Band members are responsible for their own meals at supper. They will have time to go home and eat, or some students just drive or walk to nearby restaurants. Adults will be on site, so if students want to bring their meal, that’s fine as well.
Regular practices will continue for the rest of the summer weeks, and then after school. It takes many, many hours of practice to put a good show on the field.
The Show — The routine learned by the band is referred to as their “show”. It consists of the music and drill. Drill is the term for the marching and formations performed by the band. Guard members perform flag work, rifle tosses and spins and are a crucial part of the visual aspect of the show. While there will be improvement and some additions and changes in the show over the course of the season, it remains basically the same week to week.
Competitions — Many people think the purpose of marching bands is to perform at football games and parades. They do these things, but a big focus of the marching band is to compete at marching band competitions. These take place at high schools around the state. To qualify for regionals, which lead to state competition, the band must score a proficient rating of 60 or more at a KMEA- (Kentucky Music Educators Association) sanctioned regular season competition. We also compete in the Mid-States Band Association. Family and friends are encouraged to attend the competitions. They are all-day affairs, which are fun and exciting to watch. Some have just preliminary competition where our band competes only against others in their class. If the competition also has finals, the top bands from all classes then compete against each other. Preliminary awards are announced at the conclusion of the preliminary competition, and finals awards at the end of finals competition. Admission charges to regular season competitions are generally in the $5/person range. Your student will need spending money for meals. Our band attends approximately five regular competitions each season. The season concludes with a big, overall Association competition (either Mid-States or KMEA) Band competition in late October or early November.
SOHS Dragon Classic — This year we will host our very first competition at SOHS on Saturday, October 6th. This is an exciting undertaking for all band members and parents, which we hope will be a long-standing tradition for the school. The Competition Committee and subcommittees have been hard at work since January planning this event. Anyone wishing to be involved in planning and/or competition day can contact any one of the competition committee members or subcommittee members. As the season draws near, look for more information about this memorable day on our website.
The Field Commander — During practice, the band director watches and assists the band members either from the ground or observation tower. During competitions, however, he cannot be on the field. The band is led by the field commander, an upper class band member who has tried out and been selected for this position.
Classes — KMEA: School size determines the class in which a marching band competes based on the average school enrollment for the last two years.
A—Bands in the lowest 20% of school enrollment
AA—Bands in the next 20%
AAA—Bands in the middle 20%
AAAA—Bands in the second highest 20%
AAAAA—Bands in the highest 20% of school enrollments
SOHS is an AAAA school.
MID-STATES
Class is determined by band size. Currently SOHS is classed as a AA band in Mid-States.
Judges do scoring from the press box. Each band is evaluated in four areas, Music Performance, Visual Performance, General Effect Music, and General Effect Visual. The judges’ comments are taped and given to the director so that the band may listen to and learn from the comments.
Awards — The awards given may vary somewhat from one competition to the next. Awards for best guard or best percussion, may be given in addition to those for 1st, 2nd, 3rd place, etc.
Other “Stuff”
Meetings — The Band Boosters meet monthly year-round to take care of all business related to the marching band usually the second Thursday of the month at 7:00 pm. Attendance at these meetings is strongly encouraged. They normally last around one hour or less.
Costs — While participation in Marching Band is expensive, most parents and students agree it is a valuable experience worth the cost. The total cost is divided into installments spread over the marching season. Costs may vary, approximately $150 for band camp plus $550 for the marching season should be expected. These costs cover band camp, transportation to and from competitions and band events, uniform usage, instrument usage, show t-shirts for each marcher and several meals provided by our hospitality committee throughout the season. Additional expenses vary, but may include shoes, gloves, band jacket, hotel rooms for some competitions and an optional trip every other year. Various fundraising ideas are presented throughout the year to help with the expenses. Also, students may work at other jobs, baby-sitting, mowing lawns, etc. and deposit money into their band accounts.
Each student will have an individual account. Any money you fundraise will go directly into their account. Fundraised money is never refundable, by law, because it is tax-free. Money left at the end of each season may be left in the account to start building a reserve for the following year. You may receive a refund of any money paid by check (non-fundraised) if you have an overage in the account at the end of your child’s marching career.
Volunteering — Band offers many opportunities for parents to become involved. Doing so is rewarding as you get to know the kids and other parents. Don’t be afraid to jump right in! You’ll soon be as crazy about the South Oldham High School Marching Dragons as the rest of us!!
If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to ask Mr. Mac or any booster member.
The SOHS Marching Band Boosters
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
