YOU!  A BAND PARENT IS ONE WHO IS WILLING TO INVEST TIME IN THEIR CHILD…

This starts your time investment as you listen to hours of monotonous scales or watch flag spins.  Somehow, in September you will notice a new young adult who bears a slight resemblance to the child you remember marching onto the field in a strange costume.  On this day, you will accept the investment of time and money as worthwhile, as you and your child will be rich with memories and you will recognize the growth in your child.

​

HOW PARENTS CAN HELP?

AT HOME:

• Show an interest in the music study of your child.

• Arrange a regular time for him/her to practice (a quiet place with no interruptions)

• Help the student keep a daily record of his practicing.

• Give him/her a safe place in which to keep the instrument.

• Keep the instrument in good repair with reeds, etc., in the case.

• Help him/her to be early for rehearsals and lessons.

• Make attendance a priority.

• Encourage him/her to play for others when opportunities arise, in the home, at school, church and in the community.

• Double-check behind your student

• Check email, web page, and or Facebook page updates daily

• Donating food or other items

 

Meals During School

• As any athlete should, all MB students are expected to eat a breakfast and a “GOOD” lunch once school begins on days they have after school rehearsal.

  • Students should eat school lunch or bring their own “camp-like” lunch.

    • A “vending machine” lunch will NOT suffice on days we have after school rehearsal.   

​

Dressing out for Class (at YCHS)

• Winds and percussion students should bring “dress out” clothes for band class each day. 

  • These should be regular camp clothes.

    • Battery will dress out almost every day.

    • Athletic shoes are required EVERY DAY for class.

• All Cougarettes students should bring dance black “dress out” clothes for class each day.

 

AT SCHOOL:

• Notify the teacher if he/she is to be absent or tardy for lesson, rehearsals, etc., and explain why in writing.

• Do not “hang out” in the band room before or after events unless you are on the Chaperone/Equipment list for that particular even.  Many things are taking place with 100 + bodies in a small space. 

• See that he/she takes the instrument and the music when needed at school and brings it home for individual practice.

• See that he/she stays current with classroom studies and makes up work he/she has missed.

• Visit rehearsals often

• Discuss with Band Directors anything that will help them to understand your child.

• Attend performances and parent meetings whenever possible.

• Help with parent activities, such as fundraisers.

• Assure that all Student dues are current.

• Provide private instruction

 

Student Pick-up/Parking after Rehearsals

• Student Drivers

  • Can park their car in the student parking lot from in the morning(during camp), OR will pull unto the band parking lot and park on the “perimeter” parking spaces of the lot(once school begins).

• Parent Pick-Up

  • Pick-up in the band practice lot

    • Please pull into a parking space to wait for your student.

      • DO NOT create a “pick-up” loop in the band practice lot, which blocks people that are already parked and ready to leave.

      • Enter Cat Scratch Alley from Lincoln Rd.

      • Stay on the bus loop until you get to the WIDE side entrance of the band practice lot on the left.

      • Pull into a parking space.

    • DO NOT wait for your student on the bus loop

 

8th Grade Members Arriving at the High School for after school Rehearsal

• Our 8th grade marching band members will need to ride one of the shuttle buses on days that we have after school rehearsals, or have someone bring them from YMS to YCHS.

  • Students will be notified of bus numbers.

    • 8th grade members can arrive already dressed out for rehearsal or dress immediately upon arriving to the high school.

 

Chaperone/crew/volunteer information

 

Volunteer Approval

• All volunteers wishing to serve as a chaperone will have their name turned in to the district office and will have a full background check and SLED check run.

 

It takes a village!

 

There is a place for you!  There are plenty of events, competitions, fundraisers, meetings etc. that take place when we need anywhere from 5-45 volunteers! 

 

• Lead Chaperone(s) & Chaperones

• Lead Equipment Crew & Equipment Crews

• Lead Prop Crew & Prop Crews

• Food Coordinator & Food Crews

• Fry Team Leaders and Fry Work Crews

• Miss YCHS Production Crews

• Meeting & Concert Crews

• And more!

 

Attire

If you plan to serve as a chaperone, on the equipment crew, or on the prop crew you will need to order a show shirt to wear when we are at games and/or competitions.  Show shirt orders usually take place during band camp or sometime in August.

​​

Audience Etiquette

Marching shows have become more complex.  Many bands have become competitive, whereas only a few were 15 or 20 years ago. The support for the activity is beginning to rival major sports.  Some spectators may be guilty of being inconsiderate to the performing bands and other spectators. Most of the time, this occurs only because people are not aware of the etiquette of marching competitions or concerts.  Because of this, we have outlined a few things you should and shouldn't do...

DO

• Support ALL bands & students.  The students, staff, and directors on the field have worked incredibly hard to perform for you – just as our students, staff, and directors.

 

• Observe the whole show or concert. By this we mean watch different elements. Your interest may be percussion, but you might be surprised with the rifle work the guard is doing, too. Often several things are going on at once in a given performance and you may watch the same show several times and see something new on each occasion.

 

• Respect others. Please be courteous and applaud at the end of solos, major drill moves and at the end of musical selections. Also, don't be afraid to tell a band member or band parent from another band that they did a nice job, even if you don't know them. You would be surprised how good it makes someone feel if they are told that you liked their show.

 

• Show up early. The best seat in the stadium for a band contest is on or near the 50-yard line and as high up as you can get.  Parents from the same band are encouraged to sit together to better rally support.
   

DON’T

• Talk.  It is important to realize that although it is fun to socialize with friends and family during a contest, it is rather rude to make a lot of noise during any performance including marching band performances. To put this in perspective, you wouldn't normally openly discuss what kind of week you had with a friend at a theater during a movie. Marching band contests are no different. Granted, the venues are generally outside, but the sound of voices tends to travel pretty far in the fall air and it is disruptive to someone who may want to hear a particular performance.  You might be surprised what you are missing if you paid attention to the performance on the field.

 

• Move around.  NEVER get and leave or enter the stadium during a band’s performance.  Something else you should avoid is any unnecessary movement during performances. This includes, getting up to run to the refreshment stand or the restroom during a performance. There is time for that in between every performance and each show is only about 8 minutes long.

 

• Get wrapped up in the term "competition." For what it is worth, most band members call contests "shows," because that is what they are. Scores are pretty arbitrary and can vary quite a bit from show to show. The bottom line is that everyone in every band is literally trying to perform to the best of their ability and each ensemble has something to offer the spectator. Everyone loves to win, but if the main purpose of a band becomes winning every show, they are missing the point.

 

• Make negative comments about other bands. For instance, if you don't like a particular band's uniform, be happy in the fact that you don't have to wear it and move on with your life. We all may have sat in the audience at many shows and listened to people make derogatory comments about other bands. If you have nothing nice to say, please be quiet.  You never know who could be sitting close by.

 

• Obstruct the view of others. Please avoid standing in front of people trying to watch the show. If you have a banner you wish to display, please do so from the top of the stands or in some other fashion that doesn't block the field of vision of the other spectators.

• Boo other bands or the judges. We all have been at shows where you did not agree with the results, but unfortunately, those things happen from time to time.

​

​

​