RHHS Marching Band Update #5
Hello RHHS Marching Band! This is Marching Band Update #5. If you need to see any of the previous updates, please visit the “Marching Band stuff” Google folder at https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/15lU94EZZrdnUjH7jH6sM0lYziiW2iiNo?usp=sharing. In this email I will:
*answer some questions that have been posed by students
*help you to be sure that you are up-to-date with tasks and preparation
*give some information about Marching Band Camp and performances
*offer a few words to student leaders and to Band parents
I would like to begin by answering a couple of excellent questions that have come up:
question: Why do you mention “commitment” so much?
answer: Your commitment is a PROMISE. It is your WORD. It means a lot to me because your willingness (and mine as well) to make a commitment is the foundation for a relationship built on trust and integrity, and that goes a long way when we are trying to make music together. It says a lot about the person (not necessarily the musician) that you are, and it makes for a meaningful and productive four years together in the Band program! In this case, specifically, it allowed me to begin work on your show four weeks ago, and to put the finishing touches on it over the next week. Without your commitment, I would not be able to write drill for this fall’s production.
question: Should I be stressing out about memorization?
answer: Band at RHHS is not about stressing out. MUSIC shouldn’t be about stressing out. I do not want you to stress about anything, and I hope that you will talk to me at any point that you feel uneasy. Memorization is certainly important, because you will be very anxious to put the music with the drill, once we have learned it. We do not read music while we are marching, because it is not safe - you need to use your eyes to see what is going on around you. Having said that, I will admit (once again…) that I am not very good at memorizing things. This is why I feel confident with the suggestions that I have given you - playing though your music at least once per day, keeping a schedule for learning/memorizing, using foot-tapping or marking time, taking your music to your private lessons, and playing along with the recording. I can also tell you (and I think that my older students will agree) that, as long as you prepare in the ways I have suggested, the memorization will come a lot more quickly once we start playing together and learning drill. You’ll see……
OK, so let’s do a check-in. Here is what you have already completed:
*You are finding time on your instrument every day, and you have learned all of your music. You have memorized “RHHS Tuning Sequence,” “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and “Go Hawks Go.” The three field pieces need to be memorized by August 22nd, so I am hoping that you are well into that process by now.
*Marching Percussionists have learned “HawkWalk” and are finishing up with memorization.
*You have completed Google Forms #1 and #2. A number of you got confused between the two forms and have not completed the second one. There are TWO Google Forms.
*You have committed to the rehearsal and performance schedule (and have placed those dates on your family calendar), and you have committed to keeping Band in your schedule for this school year. THANK YOU!
*You have updated Charms.
*Athletes should have sent me their practice schedule for August 15th - August 26th. I am still missing details for field hockey, soccer, and JV football. If I do not hear from you about these schedules, I can only assume that you are NOT participating and that we have no conflicts to resolve.
Here are some Band Camp details:
*Each day will begin with music rehearsal in the Band Room from 4:00 until 5:45. We MUST begin at 4:00, so you will need to be set up and warmed up by that time. Please feel free to arrive as early as 3:30 if you wish! Attendance will be taken by section leaders at 4:00.
*Stationary members will be dismissed at 5:45, when marching members break for dinner. Those eating dinner must bring their own food.
*Marching members will begin outdoor rehearsal at 6:15 each day. You will need the following at EVERY rehearsal:
sneakers (no flip-flops, sandals, etc.)
comfortable pants with pockets
a bottle of cold water
your instrument and music
You will be issued a coordinate sheet and a bag of chips for marking drill sets on the first day, and these will also be needed throughout our Camp.
*Every Marching Band member will need to be fitted for a uniform. Our uniform team will be contacting you soon about options for taking care of this.
*Music needs to be in plastic page protectors and in a 1/2-inch (no larger please) 3-ring binder, clearly labelled with the student’s name and instrument. Please place your music in plastic page protectors in the following order:
warm-up music: Tuning Sequence
pregame music: Go Hawks Go, The Star-Spangled Banner
halftime music: Topaz, Hawaii Five-O, Tonight
stands music: Let’s Groove, Forget You, FBG, Laugh In, Generic Fanfare
postgame music: Alma Mater
drum cadence (drums only): HawkWalk
I will send one final email next week with some markings for you to place in your music. This will need to be done before we are together on day 1.
Looking ahead to performance days….you will need a pair of compression shorts to wear under your uniform. There are no restrictions on color or anything, so please get whatever is comfortable and affordable.
Student leaders - I have updated the leadership list with specific Marching Band responsibilities. Please check it out on the Google drive when you have a chance.
Parents - please consider supporting the AMAZING group of kids. What we will accomplish together is challenging - it requires focus, patience, enthusiasm, and heart. Your Boosters will be relying on you to assist with the things that need to happen in order for me to be an effective teacher. Most importantly, though, I am asking you to PLEASE be at our performances to cheer us on. There is nothing more inspirational to us than to hear our fans supporting us from the bleachers! It’s fun, too, because Band Parents are tons of fun, just like their kids. 😊 I would also like to mention that you are welcome to stop by our rehearsals as well. We appreciate a supportive audience any time we can get it!
Finally, thank you so much to all of the parents and students who helped out with the MASCB fundraiser last weekend. Everything went very smoothly, the visiting musicians raved about their delicious lunches, and we made a good profit for the Band Boosters!
As always, please let me know if I can help with anything.
Musically,
Mr. B.
