Good morning band faMily. I hope this message finds you well and enjoying summertime. We are eagerly awaiting the weeks ahead with time spent doing band things again. The rooms are prepared, music is written, music is being copied, and directors are ready to see their students.
This is a long message post with lots of information. PLEASE READ EVERYTHING.
I want to post our upcoming rehearsal schedule again. It is in a thread titled July Rehearsal Schedule posted in June, but here is a reminder.
JULY REHEARSAL SCHEDULE *These rehearsals are mandatory for everyone who is not on vacation. In other words if you are in town students must be here.
Monday, July 13
8-11:00am Woodwinds/Percussion
1:00-4:00pm Brass and Aux
7pm ROOKIE RULES – Freshman student and parent Zoom
Wednesday, July 15
1-4pm Aux
Thursday, July 16
8-11:00am Woodwinds/Percussion
1:00-4:00pm Brass
6:30-8:30pm ALL musicians
Monday, July 20
8-11:00am Woodwinds/Percussion
1:00-4:00pm Brass and Aux
Thursday, July 23
8-11:00am Woodwinds/Percussion
1:00-4:00pm Brass and Aux
6:30-8:30pm ALL musicians
Monday, July 27
8-11:00am Woodwinds/Percussion
1:00-4:00pm Brass and Aux
Thursday, July 30
8-11:00am Woodwinds/Percussion
1:00-4:00pm Brass and Aux
6:30-8:30pm ALL musicians
BAND CAMP *These rehearsals are mandatory for everyone!
Monday, August 3, Institute Day, No rehearsals
Tuesday, August 4, 6pm-9pm
Wednesday, August 5, 8-11am, 2pm-5pm
Thursday, August 6, 8-11am, 6pm-9pm
Friday, August 7, 8-11am
SCHOOL STARTS
Monday, August 10
*I wanted to make sure everyone understands our attendance policy. During the July summer rehearsals, we need everyone to be there. They are just as important, and maybe this year even more important than any rehearsal. All rehearsals at anytime should be attended. HOWEVER, these rehearsals are during a three week period which i understand vacations have been planned after my announcement of camp in August. If you are on vacation that week, then go on vacation and don’t think twice. But everyone else needs to be at these rehearsals. With a very short band camp all rehearsals are of the utmost importance.
*Band camp is mandatory. You must be here. It was originally the first week of school so no parents should have planned a vacation during August. It shouldn’t be a conflict.
The biggest piece of real life advice I can give a students is to “show up” and do the work. 80% of all problems are solved if you just show up and do what you are told. Not just band, but in life.
Big News: the directors have decided that wind and percussion students will not be wearing band uniforms in 2020 season. It seems to be a nation wide “universal” thought among band directors that uniform wearing is both a safety and financial decision that isn’t worth the risk. We have had many discussions/zoom meetings and many directors have already made the change. After speaking with administrators we moved forward with that decision. The band uniform in 2020 for winds and percussion will be a dry fit polo with the Mband monogrammed (like directors shirts), a monogrammed Mband ball cap, and we are even looking into sun face shields for all band members that also have the Mband logo screen printed on them. We will use the fees we raise for dry cleaning our uniforms and put that toward our new clothing.
Rational for band not using band uniforms: Fitting students into uniforms this year would simply be a risk for the adults and students we feel is unnecessary. We were having a hard time coming up with a safety protocol solution we felt good about. The kids in band uniforms simply sweat a very large amount. When we are done wearing these uniforms, they hang in the band room until they are cleaned or worn again. This just didn’t seem like a good idea knowing what we know. We would need to clean the uniforms after every wearing. This is not what we normally do. This would more than double the price of dry cleaning. For your information, dry cleaning all our uniforms is very expensive.
BAND FEE UPDATE for 2020.
$250 —Marching band fee (normally $325), $100 concert band fee (normally $125). This is a savings of $100 for all families. I Hope this helps you during these difficult times. We will be searching every way possible to save money this year.
Information about quarantine and positive testing:
Obviously if a child tests positive for covid, they immediately go into quarantine. A child may return to school at the point they get a negative test result.
If a student is EXPOSED to covid, especially in the home or close relative, they are also quarantined for two weeks from the time of the exposure. Parents, we will need your help with this by contacting us immediately to let us know. We will not be upset AT ALL, we all want to be safe. EXAMPLE 1: An uncle who visited for dinner tested positive and unknowingly exposed everyone in the house. That child from that day will quarantine for two weeks. EXAMPLE 2: A parent or sibling tested positive obviously exposing everyone in the home. The student may return to school two weeks after exposure IF they quarantine from the sibling or parent. At this time students who were exposed do not need a negative test to return to school, they simply need two weeks of quarantine from positive individual and need to show no symptoms.
I know that is a lot to digest, but we all must understand and work together. The directors are 100% ALL IN and will follow these protocols to the T. We will always air on side of safety and there has never been a time where safety is more important than right now. We will need all your help to make these guidelines work and keep our students AND entire families safe.
Thinking out loud:
We still have over a month before school starts. In my lifetime, I have never had information change so quickly that is so important. What we think now will almost not be what it is in August. Like you, we are so tired and worn out from constant depressing news. What is NOT depressing is music making and the Muscle Shoals band. Whatever capacity we get to be together is going to be possibly more wonderful than before. Not because we play better march better spin better or twirl better, but because we now understand more than ever how important we are to each other. The kids need us, we need the kids, and we all need band. This year will be from the Heart for sure and I am going to cherish every moment we have.
