Marching Band Survival Guide Tips and guidelines to help a new member of the Amador Valley Marching Band and Color Guard Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................. 1 Band Do’s and Don’ts ................................................. 2 What You Need to Succeed ......................................... 4 Mapping It Out ............................................................ 5 Drink Up and Eat Up .................................................. 6 Decoding the Drum Majors ......................................... 8 The Field is Alive with the Sound of Music ................ 12 Looking the Part ......................................................... 15 Colorguard .................................................................. 16 Cool and Calm at Competitions .................................. 18 What Does Band Mean to You? ................................. 20 Age Old Advice .......................................................... 22 Mr. Grantham Favorites ............................................ 24 FAQ ............................................................................ 25 Glossary ..................................................................... 27 Thank you to all the Amador Band members, past and present, who contributed to this guide. Your help was greatly appreciated! Tess Kenny April, 2014 The first step, the first set, the first show, the first season--all milestones that make marching band an experience to remember. While all new members of band deserve to experience these adventures on their own, they also deserve a bit of guidance. Sometimes, a new experience can be daunting. You don’t know what is going to happen, who you are going to meet, or how much you will learn. Although everyone jumps into this program with some level of uncertainty and excitement, you also take a leap of faith, hoping you will do your best and work harder than ever. This book will help you take that leap of faith knowing the ins and outs of band, and what it takes to succeed. Whether you want to know all about band camp, or the exhilaration of your first competition, this book will help you take your first step, know your first set, perform your first show, and love your first season. 1 Band Do’s Use please and thank you. (This will get you far not only in band, but in life) Be confident--everyone is just as nervous as you are! Don't worry about looking dorky at practice; the sunburns aren't worth it. Try your hardest--that is all anyone expects. Show up on time and ready to go. Have a good attitude! Relax and have fun! (If you aren’t having fun, it isn’t worth it!) Try new things (band council, winter percussion/guard, drum major, honor bands, or wind ensemble); you get what you give! Play loud (especially if you play clarinet!) Wear thick-soled sports shoes. Always ask questions, even if you think it's a dumb question. More often than not, someone will have the same one! Always pay attention to staff when they are giving advice and directions. Listen to your section leader. Come with a smile! Be a good sport! 2 Band Don’ts Do not wear white socks to band practice! If you have two instruments, do not use your concert instrument for marching band! Do not wear shoes without support! The turf burns right through. Don't argue with upperclassmen (even if you think they're wrong). There's a difference between suggesting something and questioning their judgment. Make sure to find the balance. Do not wear jeans to band practice. Do not lock your knees for a long period of time while you are standing. Don’t walk into your house without shaking out the turf in your shoes. Do not expect your parents to be responsible for your equipment or schedule. You need to be on top of things—it is your activity! Do not be late. And remember, to be early is to be on time. 3 What You Need to Succeed Always have a hat, even if you feel like you're too cool for one. It’s good to have the option. People do faint! It is not a myth! Bring a towel to cover your instrument on hot days! You have probably heard that it gets hot during band camp. The temperature is regularly over 100o, so be prepared. Even at the smallest chance of rain, bring extra clothes and a rain jacket. Even in the summer, bring layers in case it gets cold. It will get cold once the sun goes down. Sunscreen! Always bring a pencil. Better yet, bring a bunch of pencils for those who forget; you will make many friends! Later in the season, bring gloves. Sunglasses! A band binder with all of your warm-ups and music. Chapstick! Extra reeds or valve oil. 4 Mapping it Out Sometimes you may need some guidance getting around Amador’s campus, so this map can be your key to being where you need to be at all times. 5 Drink up YOU MUST HAVE WATER. GET A WATER COOLER—at least ½ gallon size. Do not drink too much water at one time. Space it out so that you don’t feel sick during practice. During the breaks that are given to you, drink water even if you don’t feel like you need to. Hydration is key! Bring iced water--it will melt throughout the day and become a refreshing drink in the afternoon. 6 Eat up Always eat a healthy meal with a lot of protein before any band practice. Practice in the sun with an empty stomach could easily tire you out and make you feel fatigued. If you bring snacks, either bring a lot or hide them, because people will take them from you! Try an organized potluck with your friends! They are super fun and an easy way to get a good mixture of food. Breakfast: Foods that include a lot of proteins, grains, fruits or vegetables. Lunch: You may not want to eat TOO much at lunch or else you will feel sick. You can choose to go off campus to eat lunch, but know that you have a limited time to rest and take a break. Eat things like protein bars or trail mix that will keep you energized for the rest of the day. DO NOT DRINK SODA! Dinner: The same tips that were mentioned for lunch apply to dinner. You typically have a longer break at dinner time, and you can choose to go home. Use this time to eat a good, healthy meal. Rest! The evenings are when you get tired, and you need all the energy you can get. 7 Decoding the Drum Majors You are used to sitting down and watching the conductor, but marching at the same time is a whole new skill. As long as you take a step each time the drum majors finish moving in a direction, you can stay on time. The diagrams on the following pages will give you a preview of what you will be seeing on the field. 8 9 10 11 The Field is Alive with the Sound of Music Do not wait to start learning your music! Sooner is always better than later—start over the summer, before band camp. Always, always, always have your dot book! “Your dot book is your life.” Always have your dot book filled out and up-to-date. Have the page number, number of counts for that set, your dot, and a copy of your music for that set in your dot book-- STORE IT IN A PLACE WHERE IT WON’T GET RUINED OR LOST. Practice at home! Marking time with your music will really benefit you. Write your sets and step outs in your music. This will not only help your marching, but your playing, too. DO NOT leave memorizing the football game music to the last minute! These seem easy to memorize but starting earlier rather than later is highly recommended. Playing in front of your section leaders may seem scary at first, but they just want to help you. Be confident and have fun. You can do your playing tests with a buddy. This makes the situation less stressful. Separate the music into sections. This makes memorizing easier to accomplish and less overwhelming. 12 Drill tells you where your dot (place on the field) is at all times. Below is an example of a page of drill showing everyone’s dots. 13 Marking your music is an important part of marching band. Below is an example of how your entire music binder should look. 14 Looking the Part A large part of band is not only playing and marching your best, but looking your best. The band uniforms unify us and make us look like “the sea of purple” that we really are. Below is an example of what you will be wearing throughout your time in the band program. Here are some things you will want to remember regarding your uniform: Keep your hair out of your face and off the back of your neck. (This applies to girls AND boys!) Put the gauntlets together before you give them back to the people collecting them. Be respectful to the band. Do not swear, show any personal displays of affection, or run while in uniform. 15 A Day in the Life of A Colorguard Member Tuesday/Thursday: After school, most people stay and walk to either Safeway or Subway. Some stay in the band room to hang out or work on homework, and some go home to prepare for practice. If you stay at school, always remember to bring your practice bag which should include: Water Snacks Money A change of clothes (no jeans!) Gym shoes Sunscreen Gloves On Tuesdays, practice starts at 5. On Thursdays, practice starts at 6. Most Saturday practices are from 10 A.M. to 6 P.M. with a lunch break. Tuesday practices are always with the band, and Mr. Grantham, the band director, values punctuality, so always be at attendance block by 4:54 or earlier.