Parent Information
Marching Band 101
Welcome to the Cherokee Marching Band season! For those of you who are new to marching band - you are in for a treat! The Marching Band Season can seem overwhelming at times, but it can also be one of the most rewarding things your child (and you) can participate in at Cherokee.
Marching Band consists of Performances and Competitions. Performances are at home and away football games (usually on Friday nights), parades, pep rallies, etc. Competitions are usually on Saturdays—some are local, some are not. Parents generally attend both the performances and competitions whenever possible.
At home football games, the band performs their annual show at half time. At away football games parents will sit in the competitors stands, and our band performs facing the home team's stands about 15-20 minutes prior to the start of the game. During the games (home and away) the band plays music in the stands to keep the crowd going. Each time Cherokee scores, the band traditionally plays “Gospel John”.
Band members do NOT go home from school on Fridays when there are football games. The Boosters provide dinner (i.e. pizza, Chick-Fil-A) on home game days (parents will be asked to donate snacks, fruit, cases of water, etc.) On away game days, band members should bring a packed dinner to school with them. They can also bring money for concessions as they have a break from performing during the entire 3rdquarter at both home and away games. The Boosters also provide "3rd Quarter Snack" for our band as well as the opposing team's band at home games. This snack consists of bottled water and individual bags of treats.
At competitions, the Cherokee band boosters tend to wear Cherokee orange or tour shirts. Buses always transport the kids, so parents either carpool for long distance competitions or drive themselves for the more local events. The competitions are what these kids are working hard for, so they want parental support at these events!
Each week of Marching Band Season, Mr. Stowman, via the Band Boosters, will email an itinerary for that Friday and/or Saturday that will include times for reporting to school, practicing, breaks, travel, and others. The Saturday itineraries will include Cherokee's rough performance time for that week's competition. Our band could be scheduled to perform at 10am or at 10pm—each competition is different. Sometimes we won’t know our time slot until late the night before, but they are typically published by Wednesday of that week. However, the time slot we are given in advance is only an estimate so plan to arrive at least 45 minutes before our time slot to allow for parking, purchasing tickets, findings seats, etc.
Competitions have entrance fees—usually about $10. In addition, students will often bring money to buy a snack after their performance. Tickets can be purchased in advance from the band boosters or at the gate at the competition.
Even if parents are present at a competition, band members must ride to and from competitions on the bus provided. When they arrive back at Cherokee after competitions they are to help unload instruments, have a post competition meeting, and hang up their uniforms prior to heading home. Some of these nights can get late!
At competitions you will see things like air grams and candy grams sold. Air grams are typically about $1 and are simply messages that you've written to your student that the event announcer reads over the loud speaker as the band marches onto the field. Usually you will hear things like “have a great competition John” or just silly inside jokes. You write the message, so feel free to get creative! Candy grams are just that—candy that you can buy, write a message that is then attached to the candy, and is delivered to your child after they compete. They are also typically about $1.
Now—the only thing you have left to do…at competitions the announcer will say… “Drum major, is the band ready? and as a Cherokee parent it is your obligation to yell back --- THEY’RE ALWAYS READY!!!!
What is Expected of Parents….
Now that you know what to expect, what is expected of you?
All Cherokee Band parents are expected to attend monthly meetings, participate in a minimum of 2 band events and 2 band fundraisers throughout the entire year. The requirements are consistent with every other booster organization in Cherokee. WE CAN’T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU and YOU WILL GET MORE OUT OF THIS THAN YOU GIVE!! This is a terrific way to be involved in your child’s life as they become young adults!
MARCHING BAND GLOSSARY
Air Grams – personalized PA announcements/fundraisers that parents and friends may purchase at competitions to support band members- these are read over the PA just before the band performs
Band Camp – a week + of intense daily Marching Band practice
Battery – Marching Band percussion section that carries drums and marches; is comprised of snare drums, bass drums, and tenors.
Bibbers – Marching Band pants; part of the standard uniform; provided by the band
Candy Grams – candy and accompanying personalized notes that can be purchased at competitions to send to band members for after their performance (fundraiser for host band)
Caption Awards – various awards a marching band can win at competitions, such as “Best Visual” and “Best Music.”
Class–Open schools tend to be the more competitive schools within the group. A are less experienced.
Color Guard – see Guard.
Competitions (aka Comps) – held on Saturdays or Sundays, band will compete against multiple other schools.
Dot Sheets – printed sheets that show students where to march during each song
Drill – the steps and positions that make up the Marching Band show.
Drum Major(s) – student leaders of the band who conduct, help run practices, and represent the band at
school and competitions. The guard is led by the guard captain and assistant.
Drumline – see Battery
Flags – flags used by the Guard during a Marching Band show, designed each year to fit theme.
Front – see Pit
Group - Bands are placed in competition groups according to the size of the band.
Guard – a group of students who add color and style to marching-band performances through dance, flags, weapons and other props
Guard Costume - outfit designed each year to reflect band theme, and sewn to fit individual color guard members
Home Show (aka Home Comp) – The competition hosted by Cherokee each year- parents are expected to volunteer
Horn Line – all instrumentalists except for drumline and pit
Instructor – personnel hired to help out with various sections of the band, as in clarinet instructor or drumline instructor.
Leadership – all captains, section leaders, drum majors, etc
Low Brass – trombones, euphoniums, sousaphones, tubas, bari saxes, and baritones
Percussion - Pit and battery/drumline taken together
Pit – Marching Band percussion section that does not march (plays on the sidelines), comprised of instruments such as tympani, xylophones, gongs, etc.
Pit Crew – parent volunteers are needed to help move props and instruments on and off the field each week
Podium – raised platform upon which conductors stand
Prop Bus – A retrofitted school bus and/or trailer that transports the props to each competition
Regionals – competition for region championship
Rifles – fake rifles the Guard uses in a Marching Band show. (They’re heavy!)
Run-through – practicing the Marching Band show from beginning to end without stopping.
Sabers – fake swords the Guard uses in a Marching Band show.
Section Leader – band student who is in charge of a Marching Band instrument section; such as “woodwinds section leader.”
Soli - When a section has a feature in the show and plays together
Stands’ Tunes/Music – the music played in the bleachers at football games
States – competition for state championship
Tenor (drums) – set of 4 connected drums carried by member of the battery.
TOB – Tournament of Bands provides an opportunity for competitive and exhibition marching bands to perform throughout our nine-state region.
Tour Shirt - t-shirt designed specifically with the theme of the year’s show and the competition dates
Towers – parents who volunteer to tow the golf cart used for towing pit instruments or the instrument trailer with the instruments
Trailer – carries the instruments for each away game and competition
Uniforms - tops annually designed for show theme, bibbers. Black socks and tour shirt should be worn underneath.
Woodwinds – clarinets, saxophones, flutes, piccolos
Welcome to the Cherokee Marching Band season! For those of you who are new to marching band - you are in for a treat! The Marching Band Season can seem overwhelming at times, but it can also be one of the most rewarding things your child (and you) can participate in at Cherokee.
Marching Band consists of Performances and Competitions. Performances are at home and away football games (usually on Friday nights), parades, pep rallies, etc. Competitions are usually on Saturdays—some are local, some are not. Parents generally attend both the performances and competitions whenever possible.
At home football games, the band performs their annual show at half time. At away football games parents will sit in the competitors stands, and our band performs facing the home team's stands about 15-20 minutes prior to the start of the game. During the games (home and away) the band plays music in the stands to keep the crowd going. Each time Cherokee scores, the band traditionally plays “Gospel John”.
Band members do NOT go home from school on Fridays when there are football games. The Boosters provide dinner (i.e. pizza, Chick-Fil-A) on home game days (parents will be asked to donate snacks, fruit, cases of water, etc.) On away game days, band members should bring a packed dinner to school with them. They can also bring money for concessions as they have a break from performing during the entire 3rdquarter at both home and away games. The Boosters also provide "3rd Quarter Snack" for our band as well as the opposing team's band at home games. This snack consists of bottled water and individual bags of treats.
At competitions, the Cherokee band boosters tend to wear Cherokee orange or tour shirts. Buses always transport the kids, so parents either carpool for long distance competitions or drive themselves for the more local events. The competitions are what these kids are working hard for, so they want parental support at these events!
Each week of Marching Band Season, Mr. Stowman, via the Band Boosters, will email an itinerary for that Friday and/or Saturday that will include times for reporting to school, practicing, breaks, travel, and others. The Saturday itineraries will include Cherokee's rough performance time for that week's competition. Our band could be scheduled to perform at 10am or at 10pm—each competition is different. Sometimes we won’t know our time slot until late the night before, but they are typically published by Wednesday of that week. However, the time slot we are given in advance is only an estimate so plan to arrive at least 45 minutes before our time slot to allow for parking, purchasing tickets, findings seats, etc.
Competitions have entrance fees—usually about $10. In addition, students will often bring money to buy a snack after their performance. Tickets can be purchased in advance from the band boosters or at the gate at the competition.
Even if parents are present at a competition, band members must ride to and from competitions on the bus provided. When they arrive back at Cherokee after competitions they are to help unload instruments, have a post competition meeting, and hang up their uniforms prior to heading home. Some of these nights can get late!
At competitions you will see things like air grams and candy grams sold. Air grams are typically about $1 and are simply messages that you've written to your student that the event announcer reads over the loud speaker as the band marches onto the field. Usually you will hear things like “have a great competition John” or just silly inside jokes. You write the message, so feel free to get creative! Candy grams are just that—candy that you can buy, write a message that is then attached to the candy, and is delivered to your child after they compete. They are also typically about $1.
Now—the only thing you have left to do…at competitions the announcer will say… “Drum major, is the band ready? and as a Cherokee parent it is your obligation to yell back --- THEY’RE ALWAYS READY!!!!
What is Expected of Parents….
Now that you know what to expect, what is expected of you?
All Cherokee Band parents are expected to attend monthly meetings, participate in a minimum of 2 band events and 2 band fundraisers throughout the entire year. The requirements are consistent with every other booster organization in Cherokee. WE CAN’T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU and YOU WILL GET MORE OUT OF THIS THAN YOU GIVE!! This is a terrific way to be involved in your child’s life as they become young adults!
MARCHING BAND GLOSSARY
Air Grams – personalized PA announcements/fundraisers that parents and friends may purchase at competitions to support band members- these are read over the PA just before the band performs
Band Camp – a week + of intense daily Marching Band practice
Battery – Marching Band percussion section that carries drums and marches; is comprised of snare drums, bass drums, and tenors.
Bibbers – Marching Band pants; part of the standard uniform; provided by the band
Candy Grams – candy and accompanying personalized notes that can be purchased at competitions to send to band members for after their performance (fundraiser for host band)
Caption Awards – various awards a marching band can win at competitions, such as “Best Visual” and “Best Music.”
Class–Open schools tend to be the more competitive schools within the group. A are less experienced.
Color Guard – see Guard.
Competitions (aka Comps) – held on Saturdays or Sundays, band will compete against multiple other schools.
Dot Sheets – printed sheets that show students where to march during each song
Drill – the steps and positions that make up the Marching Band show.
Drum Major(s) – student leaders of the band who conduct, help run practices, and represent the band at
school and competitions. The guard is led by the guard captain and assistant.
Drumline – see Battery
Flags – flags used by the Guard during a Marching Band show, designed each year to fit theme.
Front – see Pit
Group - Bands are placed in competition groups according to the size of the band.
Guard – a group of students who add color and style to marching-band performances through dance, flags, weapons and other props
Guard Costume - outfit designed each year to reflect band theme, and sewn to fit individual color guard members
Home Show (aka Home Comp) – The competition hosted by Cherokee each year- parents are expected to volunteer
Horn Line – all instrumentalists except for drumline and pit
Instructor – personnel hired to help out with various sections of the band, as in clarinet instructor or drumline instructor.
Leadership – all captains, section leaders, drum majors, etc
Low Brass – trombones, euphoniums, sousaphones, tubas, bari saxes, and baritones
Percussion - Pit and battery/drumline taken together
Pit – Marching Band percussion section that does not march (plays on the sidelines), comprised of instruments such as tympani, xylophones, gongs, etc.
Pit Crew – parent volunteers are needed to help move props and instruments on and off the field each week
Podium – raised platform upon which conductors stand
Prop Bus – A retrofitted school bus and/or trailer that transports the props to each competition
Regionals – competition for region championship
Rifles – fake rifles the Guard uses in a Marching Band show. (They’re heavy!)
Run-through – practicing the Marching Band show from beginning to end without stopping.
Sabers – fake swords the Guard uses in a Marching Band show.
Section Leader – band student who is in charge of a Marching Band instrument section; such as “woodwinds section leader.”
Soli - When a section has a feature in the show and plays together
Stands’ Tunes/Music – the music played in the bleachers at football games
States – competition for state championship
Tenor (drums) – set of 4 connected drums carried by member of the battery.
TOB – Tournament of Bands provides an opportunity for competitive and exhibition marching bands to perform throughout our nine-state region.
Tour Shirt - t-shirt designed specifically with the theme of the year’s show and the competition dates
Towers – parents who volunteer to tow the golf cart used for towing pit instruments or the instrument trailer with the instruments
Trailer – carries the instruments for each away game and competition
Uniforms - tops annually designed for show theme, bibbers. Black socks and tour shirt should be worn underneath.
Woodwinds – clarinets, saxophones, flutes, piccolos
