We did it! We made it to May! Ready. Set. Go! There is a lot happening in the band world right now. Here goes:
Tonight (May 3) 6pm New Marcher Meeting     
                           7pm Booster Meeting     
                           Both held in the DCHS Band Room. We are actively searching for people willing to 

Tuesday (May4)  Jazz Band rehearsal until 4:15 DCHS Band Room

Thursday (May 6)  Drum Line and Drum Major practice immediately after school until 5pm

Monday ( May 10) Drum Major Auditions

Tuesday (May 11) Spring Concert!!!! DCHS Magic Morgan Stadium. DMS Bands Concert 6pm(report 5:30)
                              Jazz Band Concert 7pm with DCHS to follow with special guests.....the 8th grade band                                      performing with the DCHS Band. Please see previous blog post for more details. 

Thursday (May 13) Rain date for the Spring Concert 

Tuesday (May 18) Band Banquet 6pm Jenkins Park Bring a chair or blanket, a snack, and lets celebrate the                                      hard work accomplished this year together. 

Friday (May 21) DCHS Band performs for Medal of Honor Recipient Sammy Davis. Stay tuned for a                                           Livestream link in the coming days. You do not want to miss this!

We will have a new marcher meeting on Monday, May 3rd in the DCHS auditorium for any current 7th grade through high school student that has not been a part of the marching band before.  ALL color guard members should be present for this meeting as well to be sized for their uniforms for next season.

Below is a copy of the letter that went out to current 7th grade students today.

Can you believe we have already made it to spring? With spring typically comes the annual spring concerts and we are excited to announce that they are back! On May 11 we will be having a Spring Concert in the DCHS Magic Morgan Stadium. The DMS bands will perform at 6pm and the Jazz band and DCHS band will perform at 7pm. All are welcome and encouraged to socially distance in the stadium. Students need to report(that means instrument ready to play and student all the way to their report location) by 5:30. DMS students wear their DMS DC Band maroon shirt with blue jeans and the DCHS students wear the Uniform maroon shirt and blue jeans. There is a weather date set for May 13 in the case of inclement weather at the same times. We cannot wait!!

Spring break is a great time to clean instruments. Please see our instrument cleaning video page located on the website for helpful tips. Keeping an instrument clean not only keeps it in it's best playing condition, but it also helps it sound its best. Have fresh reeds, grease, oil, cleaning cloths(old shirts are great) to be ready to perform your best. 

Students recently gained a new program they can use flat.io. This is a music notation software that lets them create their own music! With this we can explore counting and writing rhythms, creating melodies, learn how dynamics and articulations change how a note sounds and so much more. This program links to their Google Classroom as well. Students also have access to Smartmusic.com. Here they can practice along with pieces they are working on in class, learn new music, work on tuning and tempo and more. Smart Music is like having a teacher at home! Please encourage your student to use this when practicing. It will help so much!  Please always encourage practice time. Just 10 minutes 5 days a week can help a student improve dramatically. Pretty outside? Practice outside! Need some quiet? Practice with Smart Music using headphones and silent practice. There are so many ways you can practice that will make you the best you can be! 

Thank you so much for all of your support with the fundraising. Your support helped us with so much getting much needed materials and preparing for the future. We do have extras incase you know someone who forgot to order. 

We cannot wait to see you soon. In the meantime, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and right here on the blog. 

Parents,

We have started a new process this semester for students (and you!) to keep up with what is happening in class each day.  The students have been receiving a sheet each week titled Weekly Assignments. 

This sheet contains several items for students:

• The top section will change weekly depending on what we are focusing on.  It may be a specific rhythm that the students need to count, new notes we are covering, or terms they need to review.
• The middle section contains two things:
  • A list of items that we will be covering in class each day.  Students need to be practicing a day ahead (i.e. - Practice Tuesday's material on Monday night).
  • The upcoming tests that the students will be doing.  Currently, this list is scheduled out 3 weeks in advance so students are aware of what is coming up and can practice ahead.
• The bottom section is announcements of any upcoming items of information that students and parents need to know.

The goal of the Weekly Assignment sheets is to keep students and parents informed of what is coming up and to help focus student practice time during the week.  You can access the Weekly Assignment sheets by visiting the Weekly Assignments tab on the menu at the top of the page.  In addition to the Weekly Assignment sheets, you can also find a copy of the rubrics that will be used to grade student playing performances.

Can you believe that we are already almost a whole month through 2021? There is also only one week left in the annual garbage bag sale. Let's make this the best sale ever! 

We would like to take a minute and remind everyone of some of the fantastic resources that we have for band students. We have begun to give students Weekly  Assignment Sheets that work as a weekly syllabus for them to know what they will be doing and what to practice. Each student has a custom made notebook and DMS students also have their Measures of Success books. These are great resources for fingering charts(how to play notes and read notes), musical terms, songs to practice, how to read music sheets, and much more. The website, dcband.org also has links for the notebook to view online and a link for the Measures of Success book online that they can even play along with. Smartmusic.com is a fantastic resource all Dade County band students received for free this year. This is like a private teacher for free at home! Need to practice for a test, it is there. Want to learn a new song, boom, there. Need to know if you are playing correctly, turn on the mic and it will assess what you play and give feedback on what to improve on. Really, I cannot express how amazing this website is! And free this year! Students have already used it at school and can log in at home. We are already working on new music for concerts and just this week were able to purchase some great new pieces for each group(thank you fruit sale!). 

In short, there is a lot happening in band and we hope you can encourage your band student to practice at home. Maybe have a concert at home! Students thrive when they are able to share their accomplishments. 

Please be sure to watch our Facebook page, Dade County Bands for up to date information(also linked on the home page of dcband.org if you do not use Facebook but would like updates). We also have an informal private page, Dade County Band Geeks, where we allow students to share with one another and communicate. 

Garbage bags due next Friday, Feb. 5 by 3pm. 

Stay well and we will see you soon!

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!