American Eagles Marching Band Frequently Asked Questions


What is the Marching Band?
What is Color Guard?
What is the BPO?
What is Band Camp?
How long is the marching season?
How much of the student’s time does it take?
What about schedule conflicts?
What does the student need beside an instrument?
What do Color Guard students need?
What competitions and events do they participate in?
What is a typical competition day like?
What do students need to bring to competitions?
When and where does the band rehearse?
How does band affect grades?
How much does marching band cost?
Will the students be required to do fundraising?
Where do band parents get information about upcoming events?
What does being in Marching Band and Color Guard mean to the students?
What kind of music do they play?
Can I be in both Marching Band and other ensembles?

What is the Marching Band?

The Marching Band is an award-winning musical ensemble consisting of students from grades 9 through 12. The Band performs frequently in the community, at football and basketball games, and at band reviews/parades and field show competitions.

This class is designed for students who play a band instrument and are interested in the total range of band music and activities. Students will improve instrumental skills as well as acquire skills in precision teamwork, body carriage, musicianship, and showmanship. This course counts as P.E. credit towards graduation. Members selected for color guard and majorette must enroll. Attendance at rehearsals and performances is required.

We march, we play music, we have a great time performing and making friends

We are active in the summer with rehearsals, performances, and band camp (August). Band camp attendance is essential for the success of the band.
We compete throughout northern California in parade and field shows and have gone to music festivals at Disneyland, Marine World, Hawaii, and New York (in the spring of 2007).

We raise money to travel and be able to purchase necessary music and instruments (One bus leaving Fremont will cost us $45 an hour, plus $2 per mile. A typical all-day trip will cost over $1,000.)

Music class scheduling.
Marching Band is 7th period in the Fall (5 units P.E. credit), followed by Jazz Ensemble 7th period in the Spring (5 units V&P Arts credit). Classes meet W/F, for 2 hour-blocks.
Concert Band is a full-year course, recommended for grade 9 (10 units V&P Arts credit). Students should sign up for both Concert and Marching Band.
More experienced students, grade 10 and above, will be placed in Symphonic Band, after passing an audition. This is a full-year course (10 units V&P Arts credit). Students who pass the audition should sign up for both Symphonic and Marching Band.
Students will automatically be enrolled in Jazz Ensemble in the spring. If there are schedule changes at the semester, the most recent district & school policy is to allow students to drop 7th period Jazz Ensemble only if they have 7 classes. This would reduce their schedule to 6 classes. Students who only have 6 classes and plan on dropping Jazz Ensemble would need to go into another music class, such as choir, at the beginning of the second semester.

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What is Color Guard?

Color Guard is an attached unit of the American Eagles Marching Band whose members represent the music visually, with various flags, sabers, rifles, or other props.

Color Guard members are required to attend all mandatory Marching Band functions and class sessions. A performance calendar, including 3 or more football games at TAK, parades, and field show/parade competitions, will be distributed as soon as it is available. The marching “season” lasts from August until mid-December, with many Saturdays committed to band activities. The class itself runs the entire 1st semester. After December, students may continue by creating a Winter Guard Show for performance during Winter. Winter Guard is an optional, separate activity.

Is there an audition required to join the band?

No one is turned away from band as we welcome everyone. A placement audition is held for the percussion section.  A clinic and audition is used for the Color Guard.

Do you have to know how to march to be in the band?

NO! Marching experience is not required of anyone interested in becoming a member of the band. We understand that there is no marching in junior high school. We train you on marching technique at band camp.

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What is the BPO?

As an organized booster club, the parents in the American High School Band Parents Organization serve as responsible adults on band trips, plan and implement concert setup and logistics, distribute uniforms, and provide much-needed financial assistance for music and equipment purchase, just to name a few duties. The Band Parents Organization provides support for the entire music program at American High. Membership is free and open to all. Meetings start at 7:30pm, the 2nd Tuesday of each month, in the Faculty Commons.

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What is Band Camp?

Band Camp at American is the time when all the members, old and new, of the band and color guard get together to learn how to march, play, and perform the music for the upcoming season’s field show and parade.

At camp, students meet new friends, learn marching and playing fundamentals, start learning the field show and parade routine, and have a concentrated time for music, with no outside distractions. The students form friendships with each other, at all grade levels, making them feel welcome before summer ends and high school starts.

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How long is the marching season?

The class lasts the entire fall semester, but the marching season starts with band camp in August and typically lasts until the Oakland Holiday Parade, in December. Our last field show competition typically occurs mid-November.

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How much of the student’s time does it take?

Class meets Wednesdays and Fridays, for 2 hours, 16 minutes per session. In addition, there are hour-long sectionals, ranging from at least once to three times per month, depending on the progress of the section. Football game performances are typically in the evening. We usually perform at three home football games, including Homecoming. Saturdays are devoted to performances and competitions. See the calendar for the latest information.
 
Although marching band is a time-consuming activity, students can also balance music with other academic subjects by budgeting their time. The most successful students have been the ones who developed the ability to prioritize and plan ahead, so that they can finish all of their necessary schoolwork and contribute uniquely to the band and guard.

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What about schedule conflicts?

Early communication with the band director is essential to work out possible schedule conflicts. Students in the past have been able to participate in both band and outside activities such as scouts, Chinese school, outside bands, drum corps, and sports such as soccer, freshmen football, swimming, water polo, track and field, badminton, basketball, cross country, etc.

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What does the student need beside an instrument?

A positive attitude and willingness to learn are always welcome. Larger instruments and equipment are provided by the music department. The marching uniform is also provided. Each student must purchase marching shoes. Typically, this is a one-time fee. Students will have the opportunity to try on marching shoes at the uniform fitting in August so that the correct size can be ordered for them. Marching gloves also need to be purchased, and can be done so, at the uniform fitting.

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What do Color Guard students need?

Color Guard uniforms must be purchased by each member, depending on the field show and parade music selected for the season. Uniform shoes and accessories will also need to be purchased.

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What competitions and events do they participate in?

Typically, the Marching Band performs in local parades, high school band days at local college football games, home football games, and all-day-long band reviews and field show competitions. In the past, the band has been asked to perform at community events, such as the 50th anniversary of Fremont, the annual Candlelighters Halloween Parade, Niles Festival of Lights Parade, grand openings of various local businesses, and even a memorial for a well-loved administrator.

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What is a typical competition day like?

A typical competition day begins in the 5 or 6am hour. All members meet at the school, dressed for parade competition. The truck and busses are loaded, and the caravan heads to the competition destination. Once at the competition site, the truck and busses are unloaded and last-minute preparations take place. The band and color guard warms up and then competes in parade. After the parade, students change out of uniform, relax, eat food prepared by the BPO, rehearse for field show competition, and then attend the parade awards ceremony. Afterwards, there is a recap, perhaps another rehearsal, and then preparation for the field show competition, which takes place in the evening. After the field competition, students change out of uniform and respectfully watch the remaining shows. At the end of the field competition, there is another awards ceremony and the return trip home.

Parents, families, and friends (such as alumni) are encouraged to attend these events to support and cheer on the students.

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What do students need to bring to competitions?

Each schedule has a detailed list of what is needed for each competition. Besides their instrument and complete uniform (including black socks and marching shoes), it is helpful to bring along their band shirt, a change of pants or shorts, a light jacket, other shoes, musical accessories such as reeds or sticks, money for food or souvenirs, and a blanket for when the nights get chilly.

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When and where does the band rehearse?

Classes meet Wednesdays and Fridays, 2:45-5:01pm. Sectionals are scheduled outside of these times.

Rehearsals take place on the softball field adjacent to the parking lot. Parade rehearsal occurs in the parking lot or on the track. Music rehearsal can occur in the band room or in the rotunda, depending on the weather.

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How does band affect grades?

In The Arts: An Essential Ingredient in Education, J. Buchen Milley states that “research shows that when arts are included in the student’s curriculum, reading, writing, and math scores improve.” Like all arts, music has a profound effect on the academic success of the student. Band offers an understanding and practice of many disciplines other than the technique required to play the instrument. In An Evaluation of the Achievement in Reading and Arithmetic of Pupils in Elementary School Classes, author B. Friedman sates, “Music students always out-perform non-music students on achievement tests in reading and math. Because of their study of music, their skills are better at reading, anticipating, memory, listening, forecasting, recall, and concentration.”

The network of experienced students one meets in the band can help with other academic classes. The saying goes, “If you want the job to get done, give to a busy person.” Throughout life, we must juggle various activities, whether it is work, school, family, hobbies, or other interests. Students who learn to balance and prioritize their time commitments end up being more successful later in life. Time and again, we have seen students take themselves out of performances or entire seasons, only to hear later that they did not use their free time any more wisely than when they were in band. Band should not be the only or first reason grades suffer, if a student takes the time to get organized. Being in an active group gives the students the opportunity to learn how to balance school, extra-curricular activities, and other interests.

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How much does marching band cost?

The band receives no funding from the school or school district to cover transportation to performances, uniforms, entry fees, or instrument purchases. Due to the rising costs in transportation, band expenses, unfortunately, include:

$30    band camp fee - for the band t-shirt (at American) & meal money for the end-of-camp barbecue, Cupertino, Foothill& Fairfield trips
$25    band uniform use fee - due when students pick up their uniform
$32    marching band shoes (one time fee for new band students)
  $2    marching band gloves
$40    instructional staff
$50    transportation fee for busses to performances - due by October 31st
$50    transportation fee to be fundraised - due by December 1st
    
Understandably, the costs could create a burden for parents. In order to cover these costs, students will be strongly encouraged to earn the money through various fund raisers such as car washes, pizza nights, candy sales, and the parade-a-thon, where students get pledges in order to raise money. We plan on working with the Fremont Festival of the Arts this summer, to help raise money for the music program and lower costs for the students. Other fund raisers will occur during the year.

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Will the students be required to do fundraising?

Each marching band member is expected to raise their fair share. There are many opportunities throughout the year to raise money to cover costs.

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Where do band parents get information about upcoming events?

The website (www.americanband.rocks.it) is updated often, with schedules posted online, for the convenience of parents. Students receive the same information, in hardcopy form, along with permission slips, which are also scanned and posted online. Join the Yahoo group, by sending an e-mail to ahs_bpo-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

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What does being in Marching Band and Color Guard mean to the students?

For many, band becomes a second family, where there is a support system in place to help students deal with the stresses of high school life. Younger students receive help and wisdom from older members. Older members receive the opportunity to mentor a younger student, offering guidance and support.

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What kind of music do they play?

Each season, the marching band chooses a march and a field show theme. In addition, there are other pieces handed out for pep bands and high school band days.

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Can I be in both Marching Band and other ensembles?

Many students participate in marching band and a concert band. In the spring, jazz ensemble class is offered 7th period. Students are strongly encouraged to take a concert band (Concert Band for freshmen and other less experienced musicians and Symphonic Band for older musicians, usually by audition) in addition to Marching Band, as this will increase their musicianship exponentially. Past experience has shown that students who only participate in Marching Band (or only a concert band) tend to show slower signs of musical growth than their peers who participate in two ensembles.

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