FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!
Hello, Marching Band Families!
We hope you were able to join us at the parents' meeting and see the sneak preview of "The Bard!" Here are some updates and reminders for this week, and for the season (veteran band families can skim).

This Week's Schedule
Thursday, 8/22: No AM rehearsal. First afternoon rehearsal, 5-8 pm (students should wear their rehearsal t-shirt if they have one)
Friday, 8/23: On the field, ready to practice, at 7 am SHARP

Next Week's Schedule
Monday, 8/26: Rehearsal, 7-8 am
Tuesday, 8/27: Rehearsal, 7-8 am
Wednesday, 8/28: Rehearsal, 7-8:40 am
Thursday, 8/29: Rehearsal, 7-8 am; rehearsal, 5-8 pm
Friday, 8/30: No AM rehearsal. Report to the band room before the end of A period for roll call.
  • Big Instruments load onto truck, usually right after school
  • First football game: Call time 5:45 pm on the JAMS lawn
  • After game, Big Instruments return to Samohi to unload and can be picked up there. All other students can be picked up on the JAMS lawn after the game, usually around 10:30 pm
Sunday, 9/1: Optional gig (section leaders required, other students can earn volunteer hours): Pat Cady Track Dedication, call time 9:15 am, finished by 10:30 am
Uniforms

For all comps and afternoon rehearsals, Viking Marching Band members must wear their royal-blue practice shirts along with athletic shorts/sweats and athletic shoes. For 7 am rehearsals, students should just wear comfortable clothing suitable for PE.
The navy-blue “retro” shirts — along with knee-length shorts, khakis, or jeans, and comfortable shoes — are worn for football games, pep rallies, and community events.

If your marcher does not yet have either of these shirts, they should tell their section leader.
Full uniforms are worn by all marchers at the comps . These uniforms are stored and transported along with the large instruments and never come home. Marching musicians wear black socks and Dinkles marching shoes with their uniforms. Front ensemble and color guard students will get information about dress code from their instructors.
Orders
If you would still like to buy new Dinkles shoes, contribute to borrow used Dinkles, buy a fan shirt for yourself or your student, or buy spare rehearsal shirts or football shirts for your student, use this marching band order form.

You can also donate to marching band on the above form. If you already donated, THANK YOU! If not, the suggested donation is $850 ($600 if you already donated $250 for band camp). But ANY amount is useful, and we thank you for it! All donations are tax-deductible.
Football Games

Samohi’s first home game is on Friday, August 30, at 7 pm. The Viking Marching Band plays pep songs during all Samohi home games, which are at SMC’s Corsair Field. (The band doesn't travel to away games.) For home games, students wear their navy-blue retro/football shirts and report to the JAMS lawn across from SMC on Pearl St. for warmup at 5:45.

Only once during football season does the band perform its field show at Corsair Field during halftime: Senior/Exhibition/8th Grade Night, which this year is on Friday, October 18, 2019.
Comps

Our first show of the competition season is on Saturday, October 19. On comp Saturdays, you will generally drop off your student at Samohi at 10:30 am with a packed lunch, water, and snacks; their royal-blue rehearsal shirt and shorts/leggings; and Dinkles and black socks. You will pick up your student at Samohi at around 11 pm-12 am.

Once at Samohi, students practice, eat lunch, load the truck, travel on buses to the comp, practice more on site, eat dinner (provided), walk on the field for their evening performance, watch the awards, bus back to Samohi, and unload the truck. (Yes, it's a long day!)
You will receive a “schoolbus email” a few days before each comp with the final schedule, performance time, and packing list.

We encourage you to drive out to the comps and cheer from the stands — many families do! Entrance fees vary for each venue.
Volunteering

We will need Level 2 chaperones for the competitions, plus other volunteers to help with food, uniforms, props, and more. Check the link above for more info.
UCLA Band Day
Once again, Samohi Viking Marching Band has been invited to participate in UCLA Band Day on October 5 at the Rose Bowl! For this special event, the area's top high school marching bands rehearse and then play together on the field during halftime. Band Day works a lot like a comp, in that you drop off your student at Samohi in the morning and pick them up again at night. More details to come.

If you want to purchase tickets to the UCLA game, click here. If you buy General Admission tickets, you will be free to sit in either end zone, near where the students sit. (But best views are closer to the 50-yard line!)
UCLA BAND DAY 2018
Questions? Send an email to Band Parents Association President Gavin DiMundo at samohiband@gmail.com or reach out to our VP of Marching Band, Beth Levy, at bethlevy528@hotmail.com.

See you on the field!
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