High School Marching Band General Information
The 2024 Marching Season is on the horizon. Make sure you are ready to go! Read all items below (including drop down tabs and menus) so that you can stay up to date with information, rehearsals, and payment deadlines. General Dates for the fall are available on the Website Calendar. Specific times and locations will be added to High School drop down menus as dates approach.
Fees & Forms
All registration fees and scheduled trip payments must be paid in full by the time Pre-Band Begins.
All physicals must be completed and turned in before percussion camp/pre-band begins.
All medical release forms must be turned in before percussion camp/pre-band begins.
Students that have not done these things WILL NOT be allowed to rehearse in the summer and/or when school begins.
Forms must be handed in person or sent in a scanned PDF format. Do not send forms in JPG (picture) format. A list showing the status of physicals and medical releases as of July 20th is available HERE. Medical release forms were filled out and turned in at registration in May. If a student still needs to turn in a medical release, that form can be downloaded HERE. If a person still needs to turn in a physical, that form can be downloaded HERE. All fees and payment information can be found on the Band Parent Website.
Registration Fees, Payments for the BOA trip to Indianapolis, and Fees from the previous year must all be paid. Students will not be allowed to attend summer practices or pre-band rehearsals, and run the risk of not being in band once school begins if all fees are not paid in full once rehearsals begin.
Marching Band Uniforms and Fittings
Remember that students have two separate uniforms for the marching season. The regular marching band uniform which is used for football games and the show performance costume which is used on contest days. All students (grades 9-12) have already been measured/fitting for the show performance costume (that took place in May at Physical Registration). Seniors and Juniors have also been fitted for the regular marching band uniform (that also took place in May at Registration). Fittings for the regular marching band uniform for Sophomores and Freshman (and anyone who missed earlier fittings) will take place in July. Uniform Fitting for Sophomores will be on Saturday, July 20th and Uniform Fitting for Freshman will be on Saturday, July 27th. A complete schedule is available on the band website. Sophomore fitting is the second column and Freshman Fitting is the third colum. Click HERE to see the Uniform Fitting Schedules.
Music Memory Tests
Music memory tests will be over full band warm-ups, the fight song, the star spangled banner, the alma mater, as well as contest music. Memory tests for the warm-ups, fight song, banner, and the alma mater will begin during pre-band rehearsals in late July. Specific days and times will be announced at the beginning of pre-band. Students need to make sure and have this material learned and memorized correctly for the first day of rehearsal. Music memory tests will continue throughout the semester on the show music used for contests and possibly the music used for parades later in the marching season.
Stand Tunes
Stand tunes have been selected. This year's set includes tunes we have used in the past and some new ones. Tunes already in the flip folder are Bad Guy, Word Up, Insects, Pretty Fly, Jungle Boogie, The Race, Talk To Me Dance With Me, The Hey Song, What I Like About You, Shake It Off, Mic Drop, Uptown Funk, Call Me, Kung Fu Fighting, Hey Baby!, Frankenstein, You Really Got Me, Play That Funky Music, Blinding Lights, Levitating, and You Dropped A Bomb On Me. Also included in the flip folder are the standards - the Fight Song, National Anthem, Alma Mater, and all the Go Big J Stuff.
Brass Players and Tuners
All brass players must have a tuner with contact microphone for marching season. They will be utilized for indoor sectionals and indoor full band rehearsals. Tuners can be purchased at area music stores or online. Phone apps will not be utilized during rehearsals. See Links below for examples:
Korg TM60C Combo Tuner Metronome with Contact Microphone, White
Korg TM-60 Tuner and Metronome Combo with Clip on Microphone, Red
Tuners with contact microphone may also be utilized in concert band season for individual tuning during rehearsals.
Woodwind Players and Reeds
All clarinets and saxophones will be required to use synthetic reeds for marching season. This is to help unify and strengthen the sound of the woodwind section, as well as establish better consistency in various outdoor environments. Synthetic reeds are initially more expensive, but each student should only need two or three for the entire marching season. If students are responsible and take proper care of them, two reeds will last the entire marching season. A large supply of reeds has been ordered so that students do not have to go to a store and individually purchase them. Once the reeds have arrived, they will be checked out to students in rehearsal and their trip account charged for the cost. At that point, only synthetic reeds will be used for marching season. Specific information regarding care and maintenance will be shared with students at rehearsal. Reeds that are lost or damaged will be replaced at the cost of the student. Students should still bring regular cane reeds to rehearsals until synthetic reeds have been passed out.
2024-2025 Reed Prices (Updated prices 7/24)
Bb Clarinets - $33.00
Bass Clarinets - $41.00
Soprano Sax - $34.00
Alto Saxes - $34.00
Tenor Saxes - $38.00
Bari Saxes - $40.00
The first set of reeds will be passed out during pre-band. The second set of reeds will be passed out at the end of September, as contest nears. If a student loses or breaks a reed, reeds can be purchased individually from Mr. Gartner/Mr. Hillock. Payment can be made with cash, check, or use trip account funds if money is available.
After marching season is completed, regular cane reeds will be used for concert season. Synthetic reeds will not be allowed for concert season.
Marching Contests
Marching contests are all day events. The majority of our contests are on Saturdays. Contest days usually include a light rehearsal in the morning, loading and departure to contest site, as well as prelim and finals performances. Check website calendar for spedific dates. Students are expected to be at everything listed on the itinerary and should not plan to do anything else on those days.
Bands Of America Marching Championships
The Trojan Pride has a rich history of competing in BOA Marching Events - being a consistent Regional and Super-Regional finalist for the past decade. This year the band will travel to the Regional Marching Contest in Propser, TX and to Grand Nationals in Indianapolis.
Current information for the Prosper BOA Regional is available HERE.
Current Information for Grand Nationals is available HERE.
Chaperone Information
Parents wishing to serve as chaperones for the BOA trip will be required to go through the application process with the Jenks Band Parents Organization. Information, applications, and deadlines will be available beginning in July.
Summer and Pre-Band Rehearsals
Color guard practices are the second full week in June and the first full week in July. Information and practice schedule were included in the fall colorguard member packet.
Percussion Camp will start on July 15th.
Full Band Rehearsals will begin the last full week in July (22nd). Rehearsals are 8am-12pm and 5pm-9pm, Monday through Friday for the first two weeks, and then 5-9pm begining August 5th. Pre-Band Rehearsal Schedule information is available HERE.
Marching Band School Rehearsal Schedule
Once school begins, regular rehearsals are at the stadium each morning from 7:30-9:45am.
The Track is also available every morning and may be used for split rehearsals and/or sectionals on designated days. Most of the time, the band rehearses together at the stadium, but there is the potential to have rehearsals at two different facilities at the same time. When that is the case, information is shared with students, written on the board prior to rehearsal, and/or posted on the website as time allows.
Evening Rehearsals are usually once a week on Thursday nights from 5:30-8:15 PM at stadium. On Fridays when the game is away, the band also has evening rehearsals at the stadium. Dates are indicated on the website calender and reminders will be sent each week via eNewletter.
Post Marching Season
Once the final marching contest is finished, the Trojan Pride normally begins to transition into concert, honor band, and solo & ensemble seasons. This year, with Grand Nationals, marching season will continue through the middle of November. At that point, morning rehearsals will be spent in preparation for the Holiday Concert and the Kiwanis Christmas Parade. As usual, the band will attend all remaining playoff games but will not perform at halftime.
Concert Band Auditions may take place in mid-October, the same week of NCDA Auditions, or early November. Auditions will be done via recording individual auditions and may take place during school and/or after school. An audition schedule will be added in late September or early October. Results will be posted sometime in November and Concert Season will begin Monday, November 18th.
High School Band Handbook
Handbooks are passed out on the first day of school. The handbook provides information, expectations, and policies for students in the band program for the school year. Several pages will require signatures of both the student and the parents. Students/Parents may refer to this year's handbook as a source of information. Policies are subject to change for the 2024-25 school year. Click HERE to see current handbooks.
Trip Fund Policy
The Trojan Pride is one of the top programs in the country. In order to provide a significant learning experiences for our students and aspire to achieve & maintain a high level of excellence, the band takes trips to competitions and festivals on a regular basis. Moving instruments and 250 people across the country is a significant undertaking. The band has more monies flowing through its accounts yearly than any other campus organization. To help ensure that these monies are handled properly the Board has developed the Trip Fund Policy.
It is important for parents and students to fully understand how money is managed in the band program. The Trip Fund Policy and other Jenks Band Parent Policies can be found HERE. Please take the time to read through and have a working knowledge of procedures and policies.
Stay Connected
Make sure you are signed up for the HS eNewsletter and follow us on Facebook so you can receive the latest information and be a part of these events, activities, and campaigns.
In general - information from directors will be posted on this (the band) website. Information from parents will be posted on the band parent website. If there is a need for a last minute change or quick communication from directors, information will be sent out via students leaders, posted on the band website, and posted on the band facebook page.
For more information, families should refer to the high school band handbook and trip fund policy. Students and parents who have questions about this may also email Mr. Hillock.
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