Happy 2021! We apologize for not making any updates in a bit. We hope that you had a fantastic holiday and we are looking forward to a wonderful new year. If you happened to miss it, we were able to share a holiday concert virtually at the end of last semester and hope you enjoy the students hard work. Through having class outside when weather permitted, sectional work, new classroom set ups, these students have met any and all challenges with ease and have been able to grow as musicians. We could not be more proud if how they have worked! Thank you for your continued support of these amazing young musicians. 

It's that time again! The annual garbage bag sale has begun. Students have received their order forms and the shop is open to make purchases online through the dcband.org website. The bags are $25 per case and come in 3 size choices(13 gal, 33 gal, 55 gal). All orders are due by February 5th. The bags are made to order and are estimated to be ready the end of February or first of March. As soon as we have a delivery date, we will be sure to share. Pick up will be at the DCHS band room. 

Please remember to make sure students have all materials needed to have a well working instrument. Clarinets and saxophones need reeds, brass need valve oil and slide grease. Also, please reference the cleaning videos located on dcband.org to help keep the instrument at its best. Brass do not need frequent baths. Once every month or two is plenty unless you have been sick. 

We look forward to sharing more music videos with you soon and are making plans for a public outdoor performance this spring! More details to come. 

See you soon!

The welcome back zone has morphed back into that everyday feel. It has been fantastic seeing all the students and hearing them play. In the last few weeks first notes have been played, the marching show is getting polished, and lots of knowledge checks(dust the cobwebs off of those brains) have been heard from all over. Be on the look out for some upcoming videos featuring these hard workers making music!

A few reminders. Please log in to Google Classroom with your student to sign off on the 2020 band handbook. The handbooks are virtual sign now and we hope that this can be something that can continue in the future. Band fees are due now. Please check the handbook for more information on that and if you have any questions or concerns, please just let us know. 

The annual fruit sale is just around the corner. This sale helps us purchase new music, materials, instruments, make repairs, and more. Please watch for materials to be coming home in a couple weeks. 

Marching band, please be keeping an eye on the future. The first game will be here soon and we can't wait!

Until next time, have a great day, keep practicing, keep smiling, and we will see you soon!

Parents,

This calendar year has brought many changes and challenges to us all.  We are re-imagining how we have school, how we ride buses, and even how we do band during a pandemic.  The students have already been very fluid and adapting to the changes that have had to be made.  Some of those changes are now affecting how we deal with travel during the football season.

Under the recommendation of Dr. Voccio with the Dade County Health Department, at the current moment, the DC Marching Wolverines will not be traveling to the away football games.  This decision is based on the information that the areas we would be traveling to have a higher rate of community spread of COVID-19 than we have in Dade County.  The band students would be potentially sitting in the midst of hundreds of people for several hours while at the games.

As things develop, this decision may be changed/modified as we see infection rates in the surrounding counties change.  If anything does change, we will inform students and parents and adjust our schedule accordingly.

We are currently working on some live streamed and socially distanced community performances for our students over the next few weeks.  We want them to be able to showcase their hard work for the community and their families.  Below is the current schedule of games that the Marching Wolverines will be performing for.  Additional performance dates/times will be sent out as soon as we can lock in those events.

We are looking forward to having students back and playing again!!!! The DC Marching Band is open to any student in 8th grade through high school.

If you are planning on being a part of the 2020 DC Marching Band, please fill out and submit the form below before July 13th.  This will allow us to place and order on t-shirts before band camp. The marching band fee for the 2020 season will be $75.00 per student.

Below are the dates and times for marching band camp.  Camp is shortened this year due to current restrictions in place.

July 22 - 24: 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Everyone
July 27 - 29: 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Everyone
July 30: 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Everyone (Pictures)

There are some restrictions that we must follow during this time:

Each student is required to have their own personal water bottle (gallon minimum recommended). No use of water fountains or shared water coolers is allowed. Each student should have their water bottle clearly labeled with their name. DO NOT share water bottles. We will be outside the entire time each day, barring weather issues.

Students will not be able to store equipment in the band room overnight. Exceptions to this will be for sousaphones and percussion instruments due to size.

Students will be required to have their temperature checked and answer 4 questions each day prior to being admitted to the rehearsals.

Students and staff should arrive dressed for practice. There will not be changing facilities available.

Students should plan to leave campus immediately after the end of the activity

Any student who wishes to wear a mask, will be allowed to.

When outdoors, students should maintain a minimum of 6 feet distance from one another. If we are rehearsing indoors, students should maintain a minimum of 10 feet distance from one another.


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

After School Rehearsals - The DC Marching Band will be rehearsing after school on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 3:30 to 5:15. This is subject to change based on the school release time.

Uniforms - Students will need khaki color shorts AND pants for the season and black socks. The shorts/pants should follow school dress code and are not allowed to have holes. If a belt is worn (optional), it must be black. A band t-shirt will be provided to each student. Shirts will be tucked in. Hair must be fixed in a way that it is removed from the face (pony tail, braids, clips, BLACK headband, etc.). The only jewelry allowed will be stud earrings and watches.

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Reminder that all band functions that were scheduled during the times of school closure will not take place. We will move any applicable student activity that can be moved to online platforms such as Google Classroom or Zoom.

The DMS concert scheduled for March 31st and the DCHS and Jazz Band concert scheduled for April 30th will be canceled and moved if possible. Drum Major auditions scheduled for April 28th will be moved to a later date, as well as Color Guard auditions. We will post the rescheduled dates as soon as we can lock those in.

​DCHS student leadership classes for next year's officer and section leader positions will be moved online through Google Classroom. Any student interested in those need to check the DCHS and Color Guard Google Classrooms later today for more information.

Per GMEA, at this point, this year's Solo and Ensemble event on April 25th has been canceled.  If they can reschedule the event, I will update everyone on that as soon as possible.

All other dates for the remainder of the school year are fluid at this point. We will hold those events at the scheduled dates if at all possible. We will try to be as sensitive as possible to other events being held, but please understand that there will most likely be numerous events vying for time in a short amount of time after we return to school.

​We hope that everyone is staying safe and healthy! Know that we miss all of you and can't wait to be back in the band room with you making music!!!!

Between the weather(where is Frosty!) and all the exciting stuff happening in band, I keep hearing the Magician from Frosty when he is Busy, Busy, Busy. Let's get right to it.

Happening this week! Thursday the garbage bags will be delivered to be sorted. The company is needing to deliver them in two separate deliveries. The first at 1pm and the next at 3pm. We would really appreciate any help. Garbage bags will be available for pick up from the DCHS band room on Friday from 7am to 7pm and help passing out orders would be fantastic. All orders need to be picked up by Friday!

Friday is also the reward party for students who sold 10+ cases of fruit or garbage bags. It will begin directly after school and go until 7pm at DCHS. There will be pizza, junk food, games, epic hide and go seek, and a mega nerf war. Please bring your own items. We will have a limited quantity for students to borrow who do not have any. 

Coming Soon!

The Mattress Sale is Saturday, March 7 at DCHS from 10am-5pm in the commons area. Students are not required to attend, but any person who purchases that mentions a student, that student will receive credit. 

The 6th grade band has been working hard on preparing for their spring concert. We cannot wait for you to hear them. The 7th/8th band and the DCHS band are preparing for their GMEA LGPE evaluations. This is a major performance for these ensembles. We would love for you to come with us to support them while they perform for judges that will critique their performance.  Letters went home Monday and are due back by Friday for this event. More info located in the letters.  The letter is also attached in the previous blog post. 

In the event of a digital learning day, please encourage students to practice. We have shared many different ways for students to practice, even if they do not have their instrument. Practice makes perfect!

Spring Concerts are quickly approaching. Please be sure to encourage students to practice so they can perform with confidence. All dates located on the calendar. 

 We can see the light! January, the month that just won't go away, is almost over! 
EVERYONE - The garbage bag sale ends on Tuesday, Feb. 4. Orders are estimated to be in around the 18th. As soon as we have a confirmation, we will send that info out asap! Remember, each student that sells 10 cases in invited to the party held on Feb. 28 and for every case sold, the student earns $1 to their account in band. 

The Mattress sale is coming back! Students were given materials on it this week. The sale is on March 7th. This is a great opportunity for the students to earn great rewards and to help the band prepare for the future. 

Speaking of the future.......we are looking forward to planning a trip for the DC Bands coming Fall 2021. We were able to help many students march in the Chicago Thanksgiving Parade from fundraising and amazing donations and are hoping to do the same for this coming trip......is that Lady Liberty I see?? More details coming soon.....

DMS Students - Please get all forms turned in. We have reminded students and also made multiple copies. 
Students are bringing home practice logs. These are to be filled out through this 9 weeks. We are encouraging students to practice anything they have! While there are things that performs need to practice to improve, simply practicing what you enjoy can make a huge difference. The class with the most logged time will get a party. The Student with the most practice time logged in each class will earn a free Dollywood ticket!

7th-12th Band - 
Concert Camp is next week (see letter that came home.....there are extras if lost...) on Friday and Saturday. This is an amazing opportunity for our students with many professional musicians coming to work with them. Concert Camp helps prepare students for the upcoming Concert Festival in March when they will go perform and be scored on their performances. We know they will do great!

As always, if you have an questions, please give us a holler. We are always happy to help in any way. Thank you for allowing your student to be a part of band! #bandrocks #bandgeeksruletheworld 

Starting this week, DMS students can log their practice for a chance to win a FREE ticket to Dollywood when the band travels in May.  Practice logs will need to be signed off by parents each week for time to count.

Jazz band begins today(Tuesday, Jan 21)! Any student in 7-12 grade bands are invited to participate. Rehearsals are from 3:15-4:20 on Tuesdays in the DCHS band room. 

Practice recordings have been uploaded for most songs students are working on in class. Listening and even playing along are encouraged! There is also a link for them to practice with their class book which can be a great help. 

Don't forget to sell those trash bags! All orders due on Students that sell 10 cases each get to attend the party on Feb. 28. 

The Second Mattress Sale will be March 7th at DCHS. This was a tremendous success last year! Be sure to pass the word to all those ready to buy new mattresses this year. More details to come.

It's time for the annual garbage bag sale! Please look for your student to bring home their materials in the next couple of days. Remember, you can order online through the website store.

All classes have received new music in the last week. Encourage them to practice! Practice really does make perfect and also helps build confidence in playing. Practice recordings will be uploaded shortly as another means to help practice. 

Please remember that Solo/Ensemble letters are due back soon if your student chooses to participate(not required, but so much fun). The Concert Camp letter that went home to 7-12 is also due back. This is a required event for those grades. It is such an amazing opportunity to watch students grow as musicians when clinicians come in to help focus in on individual sections. 

Don't forget to check and see if your student needs more valve oil, cork/slide grease, reeds, etc. Now is a great time to restock. Also consider getting cleaning supplies to give your instrument a good cleaning(youtube has many great tutorials on cleaning) during sick season. We do keep germicidal spray, but nothing compares to a proper cleaning. 

Please be sure to check back often for any updates. We hope you have a wonderful start to the new year! 

Hello December! Attached are the letters going home to students today about the fruit delivery and the upcoming concerts. The fruit will be available for pick up starting at 7 am on Wednesday and everything needs to be picked up by 7pm. The fruit will be in the DCHS Band room this year. Please drive to the right side of the high school and pull up to the overhang. 

The DMS Christmas Concert will be Tuesday, December 10th in the DCHS auditorium at 7pm. The students have been working really hard and are excited to share some holiday spirit. Concert attire is black.

The DMS Bands will perform for their school on Wednesday, December 11th in the DMS gym at 1:25. Please let students dress in tacky Christmas clothes. 

The Christmas Parade is December 14th. Marching Band students will wear tacky Christmas attire and are encouraged to include lights. 

The DCHS Christmas Concert will be Tuesday, December 17th in the DCHS auditorium at 7pm. Great holiday music and the traditional final performance of the Marching Band field show. Concert attire is black.

Please help encourage students to practice at home. Class time is rehearsal time and gives them a chance to work their parts together and to fine tune their skills. Home practice gives them the chance to learn their parts and improve individually. Even 10 minutes can make a tremendous impact on their playing abilities. 

Thank you so much for the amazing support to the program. Music is a wonderful window to the world and watching the students grow daily in their abilities is amazing. See you at the concerts!
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We are off to a fantastic start to the year. The beginning band is working hard on their fundamentals. They will thrive on encouragement and would love to show you what they have learned so far. Mary had a Little Lamb sounded great today! the 7th/8th grade bands have been working on reviewing and are getting ready to get everyone hyped up by learning their Pep Tunes. The DCHS Band is gearing up for their first ever Live Stream Concert.  Keep your eyes and ears open for more details to come. The Marching Wolverines have been hard at work and can't wait to show off what they have added to the half-time show for Friday! 

7th-12th grade students will be bringing home a letter today for GMEA and UGA Honor bands. Both are very different events, but are wonderful opportunities for the students. 

Please make sure you are signed up for our class Reminds (codes located on the home page of dcband.org). Follow us on Twitter @DadeCoBands and on Facebook at Dade County Bands.

Below is some great information for keeping instruments clean and students free of illness.