Band Notes | Mason Bands

Upcoming Events

Monday, August 17

Marching Band: BR/WW/PR Only Rehearsal (No CG) : 3-6pm; MHS

Tuesday, August 18

Full Band: 6-9pm; MHS
Parent Booster Meeting: 7-8pm; MHS Auditorium

Wednesday, August 19

Marching Band: Color Guard: 6-9pm; MHS

Thursday, August 20

Marching Band: Brass and Woodwinds: 3-6pm; MHS
Marching Band: Percussion: 6-9pm; MHS

Friday, August 22

Full Band: 3-6pm; MHS

Saturday, August 23

Classic Uniform Fittings: 9:00am-12:30pm; Guitar Room
Full Band: 1pm-9pm; MHS

On-campus dinner break 4:30-5:30pm

Future planned events can be found on the updated band calendar: Mason Band Calendar.

Parent To Do Checklist For This Week

Attend the General Booster Meeting Tuesday, August 18 at 7pm in the auditorium or via Zoom link.
Senior Families - Complete the form for Senior Night by Friday, September 18.
Order mums from our Fall Mum Sale by August 31.

NEW INFORMATION

August Booster Meeting - Save the Date

Our next general Booster Meeting will be on Tuesday, August 18, at 7pm in the auditorium. This will be an important meeting with a lot of key information. There will also be a Zoom meeting link if you can’t join in person.

Comet Cupboard Thank you!

We’re so grateful to everyone who supported the Mason Band’s service project for the Comet Cupboard! Thanks to your generosity, we were able to gather pantry items to help support our fellow Comets in need. It’s always inspiring to see our band family come together to make a meaningful impact in our community. Your kindness truly makes a difference—thank you again for being a part of this effort!

Fall Mum Sale

Support the Mason Bands with beautiful Fall Mums.

Celebrate the season while supporting our talented students. Your support truly makes a difference and we are deeply grateful for every order. Thank you for investing in our students and helping the Mason Bands continue to thrive.

We encourage all band families to Copy/Paste the message below and TEXT or EMAIL to at least 10+ family and friends. We appreciate your help supporting Mason Bands and keeping our fees as low as possible for families! CLICK HERE FOR SAMPLE EMAIL/TEXT MESSAGE

*The link above also has info for those who want to donate, but are not local or interested in flowers!

Pickup will be the morning of Saturday, September 26 outside the Performing Arts entrance at the Mason Middle School.

https://form.jotform.com/Masonbands/FallMumSale

Should you have any questions, please feel free to send an email to flowersale@masonbandboosters.com.

Marching Band 101 for Parents

New to Marching Band and have questions about what your student is doing or learning? Have you watched rehearsal and wondered how it all works? Each week in Marching Band 101 in Band Notes you’ll learn a little something new.

Dots are a visual representation of marcher’s position and movement within the show. The Dot is both a starting point and arrival point.

Measures are a way to organize music dependent on the time signature. They are a segment of time corresponding to a specific number of beats.

During rehearsal you might hear Mr Sleppy say something like, “Set 44-49. Set.” A Set is a way to combine musical and visual phrases (Dots and Measures). For each announced Set the student knows where they need to be both on the field and within the music.

As the season goes on you’ll see and hear a lot of acronyms used when discussing competitions. The Mason Bands website contains a helpful Glossary of Acronyms. Check it out!

Calling All Grade 10-12 Parents!

We are looking for one parent from each section to serve as a friendly face and point of contact for new band parents as parent section ambassador. It is a simple and easy way to help build our Mason Band community and to ensure parents new to the program have a familiar and knowledge point of contact for quick questions. This is a LOW-COMMITMENT role. All it requires is a willingness to be friendly and to answer quick questions via text or email. If this sounds like something you’d like to do, please reach out to vp-membership@masonbandboosters.com

Uniform Fittings 9-11th grade Instrumentalists

If you missed fittings last week, we have one last chance for your marcher to get fitted for their classic band uniform on Saturday, August 22 from 9am - 12:30 pm. Marchers should wear/bring undergarments or tight clothing for a proper fitting.

Sign up for a fitting appointment on BoosterHub.

Returning marchers - please bring in your black marching shoes.

Fittings will be in the high school in the guitar room - enter band doors, walk straight down the hall, and we will be in a room on the left. Please contact the Uniform Crew at uniforms@masonbandboosters.com if you have any questions.

Note: There will be one additional fitting for all instrumentalists in the fall after competition uniforms are in.

REMINDERS

Band Locker Information

CLICK HERE- LOCKER INFORMATION

Please read the attached document for information about your band locker for this school year. All students in marching band (including color guard) and concert band have been assigned a locker. You may begin using your locker this week, so that you can store anything needed for the marching band rehearsals after school days. You can visit the band storage room on your way to first bell in the mornings, and in the afternoons after your sixth or seventh bell class. Please check the link in the document above for your assigned locker. There is also a google form to submit any locker issues you might have.

Senior/Family Night

Attention Seniors and Senior Families: The William Mason High School Marching Band senior night is one of the most looked forward to and special events we do throughout the year. We want to honor our seniors and their families for their dedication to our program. In the midst of our planning, we need to collect a little information from our seniors so they can be honored accordingly!

Please fill out this form 2026 Mason Marching Band Senior Night Information with the names of those planning to escort your student during the on-field recognition of seniors. Traditionally, escorts have included: parents, step-parents, guardians, siblings, and/or grandparents. We will need the list of all those escorting the student - including phonetic spelling. Please submit this information NO LATER THAN Friday, September 18, 2026.

The 2026 Senior Night/Family Showcase will take place on Friday, October 2nd. Below you will find the tentative schedule for the night for your planning purposes. Thanks so much for your help!

Please contact Kaja Harper at seniors@masonbandboosters.com with any questions.

October 2nd Schedule
3:00-6:00pm	Rehearsal
6:00pm	Senior Dinner (Senior Students & Staff Only in MHS Small Commons)
6:00pm	Underclassmen Dinner (MHS Large Commons)
7:15pm	Stadium Open For Seating
8:00pm	Performance/Senior Presentation On Field

Secret Buddy

Secret buddy is a fun and completely optional way for your child to spread a little happiness while giving (and receiving) treats. Students will “gift” their secret buddy snacks/treats and drinks throughout the season on selected dates - see below. Information was shared with students this past week; the sign-up form was directly issued to students. If your child is interested, they should complete the Google sign up form by Sunday, August 16th. Students will be paired up with a buddy. Data submitted on the sign up form by your child’s buddy will be shared in order for your student to find out more about snack/treat preferences and any allergies or dietary concerns. Buddy information will be shared to students via email no later than August 28th.

If your child wants to be a buddy, please make sure they take good care of their buddy!

Also, it’s more fun to try to keep your identity secret until Grand Nationals.

There will be 8 Secret Buddy exchanges this season:

Sep 04 - Friday Home Football Game
Sep 18 - Friday Home Football Game
Sep 25 - Friday Home Football Game (HOCO)
Oct 02 - Friday Full Band 3-6pm Rehearsal (day before Ohio Buckeye Invitational)
Oct 10 - Saturday Mason Band Invitational
Oct 23 - Friday Home Football Game
Nov 07 - Saturday MSBA Championship
Nov 13 - Friday BOA Grand Nationals

Any questions, please reach out to vp-studentexperience@masonbandboosters.com

Grand National Tickets on Sale Now

Tickets for Grand Nationals went on sale Monday, August 10. Click here for the BOA/Music For All page.

Preliminaries

Grand Nationals is a bigger event than Regionals. There are two days of Preliminary competition on Thursday and Friday, each with separate tickets. Mason will perform on Thursday, November 12, so that is the day you would purchase ticket for if you plan to attend. Our performance time has not been confirmed yet. Prelims tickets are General Admission, so you do not need to purchase these until you are sure you are attending.

Semi-Finals

Mason hopes to perform a second time in the Semi-Finals on Saturday, November 14 during the day. Our performance time on that day is typically late morning or afternoon, but we will not know for sure until late the night before. There are some reserved seat tickets available for Semi-Finals, or you can purchase General Admission.

Finals

Based on the results of the Semi-Finals, bands have the opportunity to perform in the Finals on Saturday evening November 14 (yes, the same day as Semis). If we make Finals, we will not know our performance time until late afternoon that day. Finals tickets are all reserved seats and typically sell out, so if you plan to attend we encourage you to purchase your tickets as soon as possible. However, there is no guarantee that Mason will be in the Finals.

Prelims - Thursday, 11/12/2026 - Mason performs - General Admission tickets.

Prelims - Friday, 11/13/2026 - Mason does NOT perform this day - General Admission tickets.

Semis - Saturday, 11/14/2026 - Mason Semis performance time TBD (announced Friday evening) - Reserved or General Admission tickets.

Finals - Saturday, 11/14/2026 - Mason performance NOT guaranteed. Performance and time slot contingent on score in Semi-Finals and results. Reserved tickets only (likely to sell out).

Hotels

***Pro Tip*** If you plan to stay in downtown Indianapolis at any point during the weekend, we highly recommend you make reservations/plans for accommodations now to ensure you have a place to stay.

You may also elect to stay in a hotel outside of downtown (there are plenty available, even in November) and park in a day lot near the stadium. There are several lots a few blocks away that typically charge $20 per day.

Jacob Langbein Foundation Fundraiser

The Jacob Langbein Foundation is selling stadium seat chairs. Proceeds from the sales will go towards Mental Health training and support to the Mason Marching Band, as well as other bands in our area as the foundation expands its mission to support the mental health of marching band students in the area.

Link to Purchase: https://cap-tivatingcreations513.com/products/mason-stadium-chairs

About the Jacob Langbein Foundation:
Jacob Langbein was a member of the class of 2017 and a proud member of the Mason bands. Band was a bright spot and helped Jake thru a tough time with depression and mental health issues while in high school. In 2021 Jake died by suicide. At that time the Langbein family partnered with Mason bands and started providing funds for mental health training for students and staff, paid to send a school psychologist/mental health advocate with the band to the Rose Parade and also provided scholarships to help students with marching band fees. The Jacob Langbein memorial Foundation has now been created to extend the reach beyond Mason bands and help other bands with providing mental health training and support to their students and staff, all while continuing the partnership originally stated with Mason bands. We appreciate the continued support of Mason families and friends as we continue to help stop the stigma of mental health one student at a time.

Dine and Donate

Don’t miss our next dine and donate opportunity - it will be delicious! Stop by Menchie's Frozen Yogurt on Tylersville Rd on Wednesday, September 16, 2026 from 4pm to 9pm, with the band receiving 15% of sales. The flyer must be shown at time of order (either on a phone or printed).

Medical Secretary Notes

As we approach the football game and travel part of the season–a few reminders:

Our “Feed the Band” team is working to arrange what will be fed to our students prior to games. To that end, if your student has a food allergy (anaphylactic or not) OR food preference (vegetarian, Halal, etc.) please make sure you have submitted a Health and Well-Being Profile for your student. Click Here to fill out the form. This is the only way we know what foods not to serve them. If you can’t remember if you submitted one or not, please email Sally at medicalsecretary@masonbandboosters.com
Per school policy, students may not have any medications in their possession while participating in band (while at school or traveling) unless a DMS with ‘self-carry’ form has been turned in. All medications go through our Medical Secretary and need to be dropped off by a parent by arranging a time with Sally McDonald, our Medical Secretary.
You can continue to submit Medication forms as the need arises. Please think ahead to get them filled out by your doctor and submitted prior to our travel dates. Our Band Aid team is here to serve all students who will need medications while traveling. Medication drop off times will be posted prior to trips. Click Here to access our Medication Policy (i.e. blank DMS forms and upload instructions).

2027 Travel Update

We are discussing a potential larger scale trip for the 2027 marching band season. No plans are confirmed. Given the scope being discussed, families may want to begin setting aside funds now so they're prepared if it moves forward. We'll keep everyone posted as things develop.

Instrumentalist Lookbook

Please review the 2026 Instrumentalist Lookbook for performances and competition appearance standards.

Marchers will need to wear black undergarments this year - see examples in the Lookbook link above. These undergarments need to be worn any time the classic and competition uniforms are worn for performances or competitions. This helps keep our uniforms clean and helps our marchers maintain privacy while changing.

Please contact the Uniform Crew at uniforms@masonbandboosters.com if you have any questions.

SmugMug - Band Camp Edition

Band is in session, which means our awesome Photo Corps team are also hitting the pavement to get great shots of all our students! Keep an eye on SmugMug all season long for new pics!

There are so many great shots from Band Camp, be sure to check them out!

For login instructions, see the SmugMug Information sheet in BoosterHub, or email Smugmug@masonbandboosters.com.

Informational Coffee Talks

Have questions about Marching Band? Not sure what terminology means? Lost in the sea of information and to-do’s?

This is the place for you!

All parents are invited to attend our Coffee Talk sessions that we will be holding throughout the season. These sessions are an informal opportunity to socialize with other parents and have your questions answered by seasoned band parent mentors.

Our next sessions will be:

Tuesday, September 8, 7-8pm in the Staff Dining Room
Tuesday, October 6, 7-8pm in the Staff Dining Room

To get to the Staff Dining Room, enter the building through the music wing doors at the back of the High School. Walk straight down the hallway past the Band Room entrance, and past the hallway with the trophy cases. The Staff Dining Room is on the right just past that second hallway.

Tuesdays, weather permitting, the full band rehearses in the stadium. So come attend Coffee Talk and then head over to the stadium to watch rehearsal!

Get Involved

As the largest organization at Mason High School, our band program depends on parent volunteers to provide an outstanding experience for our students! Every family is required to volunteer a minimum of 6 shifts throughout the school year, and with our wide range of opportunities, there is truly something for everyone click here to find out more.

The Band website also has more great information:

List of Committees
Detailed Descriptions:

Volunteer opportunities

Each board member and committee has a booster email address you can use to contact the chair for questions or to join the committee.

Important: In addition to the required 6 volunteer shifts, every family is expected to help with Tag Day, the Mason Invitational, and the MSBA Championships. These events are essential to the success of our program and require support from all band families.

2026 Marching Band Registration Forms Are Live

The Marching Band 2026 Registration Guide is now live!

The Registration Guide has detailed information about each step in the process.

Marching Band Registration Next Steps:

PAST DUE:

MB 2026 COMMITMENT FORM
Marching Band School Fee #1, $400 via PaySchools Central or check to Mason City Schools
Marching Band School Fee #2, $400 via PaySchools Central or check to Mason City Schools
Consumables Form and Payment

Marching Band School Fee #3, $400 via PaySchools Central or check to Mason City Schools
Student Experience Fee #1, $400 to Mason Band Boosters

Invoice were sent on 7/12 via email from: quickbooks@notification.intuit.com

FINAL FORMS

Fill out all forms - be sure to switch to 2026-2027
Upload a current physical - blank physical form

- - - Note: The 2026-2027 form is not yet available from OHSAA - the 2025-2026 form is still valid

Complete Student Care Forms

Accept BoosterHub Invite (new families)

Other Marching Band Documents:

IMPORTANT: For all payments by check - please include the student’s name and student ID and the fee you are paying on the memo line of the check. Example: “Jane Doe 987654 Band Fee 1”

School fees are available in PaySchools Central. You will find the fees under Performing Arts. Scroll to the bottom of that section and look for the ones that start with "NEXT SEASON". All three school fees are live and payable, with the due date for each listed in the name.