SUMMER BAND!!!
2024 SUMMER BAND START DATE
July, 2024
Much like high school sports teams, marching bands throughout the state must be prepared to perform from the very first day of school. In addition to preparing a great deal of music from memory, the marching band must also learn and perfect marching technique, body movement, and marching drill - individual coordinates on the football field that make up intricate, moving formations.
In order to be ready for the start of school and to be on pace to finish learning the show prior to contest season, "Summer Band" usually starts during the last week of July every year and runs through August, until the start of school.
Summer Band is approximately 2.5 weeks of all-day rehearsals, followed by one week of late afternoon rehearsals the week before school begins. Summer Band runs Monday-Friday, and all rehearsals are required for all band and color guard members. Missing rehearsals for any reason during summer band may affect a student's placement for a marching spot.
We respectfully ask that families avoid scheduling vacations and appointments during Summer Band.
DAILY SCHEDULE
A typical day of summer band looks like:
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Morning Block - Physical Conditioning, Marching & Body Technique, Marching Drill
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Lunch 11:30-1:00 - Lunch on your own (may bring from home, have lunch brought, or leave campus)
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Afternoon Block - Small Group Sectionals/Masterclasses, Large Group Sectionals, Full Band
Please consult the calendar for daily start and finish times
WHAT TO BRING
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Your instrument!!!
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Your completed physical exam!!! Bring the first day if you had it done off-campus. Please click here to visit the Physical Exams page.
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Summer music packet (available to download from home) - Please click here to visit the Music/Downloads page.
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Three sharpened pencils - ALWAYS have one in rehearsal
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$30.00 cash if you play a school-owned instrument and you have not yet checked one out from Mr. Erickson. Please click here for more information on School-Owned Instruments.
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Lunch (or have alternate plans)
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A 1/2 gallon (minimum), Igloo-style insulated water jug (see photo) - Not a water bottle or insulated cup!!!
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Beach/Shower towel for morning conditioning and to lay instrument on when outside
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A great attitude!!!
Example of acceptable
water-jug
WHAT TO WEAR
We spend every morning outside engaged in rigorous physical activity. In addition to staying hydrated, it is especially important that students wear clothing that is appropriate for the heat and humidity.
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Light-colored shirts only! No black or dark colors, please! Once we start learning marching drills, students will be required to wear plain, white t-shirts at rehearsal.
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Athletic shorts - you may wear track-style pants over your shorts if the weather happens to be cool - No jeans!!!
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Running/training shoes - This is the ONLY permissible footwear for marching rehearsal.
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Vans, Chucks, Jordans, Sandals, and Flip-Flops ARE NOT PERMITTED. Improper footwear can lead to serious injury.
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Hat & Sunglasses - any type of hat is permissible as long as it poses no distraction to the student or directors
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Sunscreen - especially on the face, shoulders, neck, nose, & ears!!!
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You may bring a change of clothes for the afternoon block if you prefer. This portion of rehearsal will be held indoors and you may wear whatever is most comfortable.
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We reserve the right to send a students home if they are not wearing the proper attire. This is for the student's safety, but will also be considered an unexcused absence.
NUTRITION, HYDRATION, & WELLNESS
(!!!READ THIS!!!)
Much like our sports teams at Dobie, marching band is a rigorous athletic activity that requires students to be outside for extended periods of time. As such, it is important that students give a great deal of attention to nutrition, hydration, and wellness so that they are at their best for each marching rehearsal and, more importantly, to avoid physical illness.
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During summer band, students should eat a light breakfast every day! Even if you are not a regular breakfast eater, your body needs fuel, and exercising on an empty stomach can cause cramping, nausea, and sickness. Please make smart food choices and avoid excessive amounts of sugar and dairy in the morning. We recommend no more than 6 oz. of dairy (milk/yogurt) with breakfast. Avoid energy drinks in the morning!
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We recommend that students begin each day of summer band with a 50/50 mixture of water and Gatorade in their water jug. Gatorade is good for replacing salt, minerals, and electrolytes while engaged in physical activity, while water is actually much better for hydration - hence the 50/50 mixture. Plain water will be fine when refilling jugs during rehearsal. Hydration is an "all the time" thing - make sure that you are drinking plenty of water outside of rehearsal hours to keep your body hydrated!!!
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Make smart food choices for meals and snacking! Avoid large amounts of sugar and junk food that will cause you to "crash" later. This is important outside of rehearsal hours as well!
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Avoid sugary drinks!!! This especially includes sodas (including diet) and energy drinks! Drink fruit juice in moderation. Sports drinks such as Gatorade contain almost as much sugar as sodas and are designed to be used while engaged in physical activity, not as a means of hydration before or after. Large amounts of sugar actually block the body's ability to absorb water, thereby making it easier to become dehydrated.
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Try to get an appropriate amount of sleep on a nightly basis! During summer band this is usually not a problem, as most students are pretty worn out at the end of the day. However, the temptation to stay up late talking, texting, gaming, etc. with friends still very much exists!