July 30, 2023 Band Notes

Upcoming Events  

Monday, July 31

• Band Camp 9-9pm; MHS 
• See BAND CAMP GUIDEBOOK 2023 for details

Tuesday, Aug 1

• Band Camp 9-9pm; MHS (Section Day)
• Pay $575 Rose Trip Payment #4 via  Bob Rogers Travel

Wednesday, Aug 2

• Band Camp 9-9pm; MHS 

Thursday, Aug 3

• Band Camp 9-9pm; MHS 

Friday, Aug 4

• Band Camp 9-9pm; MHS 

Saturday, Aug 5

• Band Camp 1-9pm; MHS
• Rose Parade Spirit Wear Orders Due

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

Parent To Do Checklist For This Week

1. Pay $575 Rose Trip Payment #4 via  Bob Rogers Travel; Due August 1
2. Order Rose Parade Spirit Wear by Aug. 5th
3. Band Aids - Complete Safe School Training and make sure your CPR certification is still valid.
4. All Members - Complete Miami University Waiver to participate in Team Building Event on 8/7/23
5. Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors- place your black marching band shoes in your green garment back.
6. Order white undergarments (Please see information below)

NEW INFORMATION

Thanks For Attending Tuesday’s Booster Meeting

THANK YOU to everyone that was able to make it to the booster meeting this past Tuesday.  If you were unable to make it, please see the link to the slides below and the link to the organizational chart from the Committees section that shows who to contact if you have specific questions. 

July 25th Booster Meeting Slides: Click Here

Booster Organizational Chart: Click Here

Thank You To The Love Like JJ Foundation!

Special thanks to Kristen Day and the Love Like JJ Foundation for providing our band kids with a special cool treat this past Wednesday.  Kristen noticed how hard our kids were working in the hot sun and wanted to provide them with Italian Ice.  The Love Like JJ Foundation spreads love through random acts of kindness. In case you don’t know what the Love Like JJ Foundation is, you can go to this link for more information. We are so grateful to the foundation for choosing our band to bestow kindness upon.  Our band students enjoyed the wonderful treat and were very touched by the generosity of Kristen and the foundation.

Attention Sophomores Through Seniors:

Please bring in your black marching band shoes and place them in your green garment bag this week!  Thank you for helping the uniform crew with this task. Freshmen shoes will be coming soon.

Uniform Undergarments For Instrumentalists

This year, the Mason Marching Band will be using two sets of formal uniforms:  Classic Black and Competition White.  You will need to make sure your student has two sets of undergarments:

Black Uniforms - Tight Fitting/Compression style Black top (can be sleeveless or long sleeve) and black compression style shorts or pants. 

White Uniforms - VERY IMPORTANT!  MUST BE ALL WHITE WITH ALL WHITE UNDERWEAR AND CONTAIN NO PRINT OR LOGOS!  All undergarments must be tight fitting and PANTS MUST GO ALL OF THE WAY TO THE ANKLE!  SHIRTS MUST BE SLEEVELESS! We highly recommend a synthetic material vs. cotton as synthetics handle sweat and moisture much better than cotton.  CLICK HERE for more information and links to suggested items to buy.  You do not have to buy these, these are just examples of what you can buy.  You can purchase the undergarments anywhere you wish as long as they meet the requirements.  Any uniform related questions should be directed to Emmy Weiss at uniforms@masonbandboosters.com.

Socks will be provided by the Uniform committee for both sets of uniforms so you do not need to buy socks!

For information on Color Guard uniform undergarments, please see Erica’s weekly update email for more information on what to purchase for this year’s color guard uniforms.

Tag Day Was A Huge Success!

We could not be more thrilled about how successful Tag Day was this year!  It was so wonderful to go out into the community and feel the love and support so many have for our marching band.  We are very thankful to our neighbors, friends, and family who generously donated to our program.  Your donations help us to ensure we are able to continue to provide our students with an exceptional music education and offer incredible experiences to them that will create memories of a lifetime. As of this moment, we have collected over $45,000.00 and we are still counting.  It is not too late to donate! Our friends and family campaign begins today through the month of August.   HERE is a sample letter students can use to reach out to family members. Donations can be made HERE. All donations made during the week of 7/30 - 8/5 will be added to team totals.

A fundraiser of this magnitude is not possible without the help of many individuals.  Special thanks to the parent drivers, setup and support helpers, and our wonderful students who continue to impress us everyday.  And to our incredible leaders in this effort, Rebecca Synan and Nancy Wagner, you once again organized a flawless, fantastic, and fun fundraiser to benefit our kids.  We are incredibly thankful for you both!!

Comet Cupboard Service Project-Extended To Tomorrow

The timeframe to donate items to the Comet Cupboard has been extended to tomorrow. Thank you to all of our amazing band students and families who have helped our fellow Comets in need so far!  The most needed items are granola bars, cereal bars, canned pasta, Pop Tarts and ramen noodles. Other food items are always welcome, but please consider that they will be used by families with limited resources. For example, canned food should be a pop top whenever possible as not everyone has a can opener. Thanks again for your generosity in caring for our community.

Band Camp, Week #3

This week is the 3rd week of Band Camp! Please take the time to read the BAND CAMP GUIDEBOOK 2023 for tons of info related to camp, including specific rehearsal times, theme days, and more!

WEEK 3 SCHEDULE

For the most current Band Schedule please go to the Mason Band Calendar

ARRIVAL AND DROP OFF ****Please Read****

We will use our typical drop off procedure in which students who drive should park in the Music Lot, and students who are being dropped off should be dropped off in the Bus Circle. Students should then check in with their Section Leader. Please remember the Music Lot traffic travels in one direction (see below).  During pick-up, please park in a spot if you can, or pull all the way up past the music entrance so other parents can pick up their student as well.   Please be aware of all the students in the lot at dismissal time. For this reason, we ask that you DRIVE SLOWLY AND CAUTIOUSLY. We also ask that you do not go into the bus circle for pick up or during practice. This is both for the safety of the students and because there are often instruments, flags, and other equipment on the ground that could be difficult to see. You may also use the parking lot on the other side of the bus circle opposite the band lot. We kindly ask that you refrain from parking in any spots blocked off with cones. Handicapped spots are reserved for those with a handicap permit. Thank you for helping us keep our kids safe!

LUNCH & DINNER MONDAY-FRIDAY

• Lunch break: 12:00pm-12:45pm each day and food is not provided. Students should pack a lunch or make arrangements to have food dropped off. These are long and physically taxing days, so make great choices on the food you eat!
• Dinner break:  Students should leave campus during the 4pm-6pm dinner break.

DINNER SATURDAY

• BYO Dinner 4:30-5:30 on campus.

BE PREPARED

Hydration and healthy meals are an essential part of students having a successful Band Camp. Be sure to have a gallon water bottle each day!!! Come to school with it filled. We have a refill station located outside the Small Commons Door. Students should also have items to manage being outside for extended periods of time (sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, athletic shoes). Be sure to have your name tag and lanyard!

2nd Week of Band Camp Photos - Check Them Out!

Our amazing Photo Corps have already been at work capturing images for the 2023-2024 Marching Band Season. These photos are available for you to view/download for free from our SmugMug Site here. Check out these recent galleries: 

• History Night
• Skit Night
• Band Camp Week 2
• Tag Day

If you need the password, send an email to smugmug@masonbandboosters.com

New Events Added To The Band Calendar 

Band Pano and Section Photos- Saturday, Aug 19, 2023

Senior Night/Family Showcase- Friday Oct. 13, 2023

REMINDERS

Mental Wellness and Team Building Day - Monday, August 7, 2023

On Monday, August 7, 2023, Mason Band, in partnership with the Langbein Family, will be hosting a Mental Wellness and Team Building Day for our students at the High School.  We did a similar event last year and based on feedback from student surveys, we are shortening the day so that each student is only there ½  of the day and can spend the  rest of the day doing what they please.  Students will be split into groups as follows and Groups 1&2 will be in the morning session and Groups 3&4 will be in the afternoon session. 

IMPORTANT!  IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE, EACH PARENT/STUDENT MUST COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING MIAMI UNIVERSITY WAIVER!  

Miami University Permission/Waiver  - Sign and Upload HERE 

• Only ONE Parent Signature required.  
• Please be sure to sign Page 1 AND Page two where indicated.  
• Parent signature is most important.  
• PLEASE BE SURE STUDENT’S NAME IS NOTED IN THE MINOR PARTICIPANT PORTION OF THE FORM!  
• If the student is 18 years or older, they may sign the form themselves.

Student Groupings:

Each session will begin with a 45 minute 1N5 Wellness Wheel introduction for ALL NEW MARCHING BAND MEMBERS ONLY!  Then students will proceed to their first rotation along with veterans.  They will do 80-90 minutes of team building activities with the Miami University Recreation Team and 80-90 minutes with 1N5 learning valuable strategies for managing stress and maintaining mental wellness during this extended Marching Band Season.

We would like to thank 1N5 and Miami University for their partnership for this event. Special thanks to the Langbein Family for establishing the Jacob Langbein Memorial Fund in honor of their son and Mason Band Alumni, Jacob Langbein, who passed away in 2021.

If you have any questions, please email Shannon Wielinga at travel@masonbandboosters.com.

Optional: Rose Parade Spirit Wear Available

Rose Parade Spirit Wear is available for purchase from OCD Unlimited. Spirit Wear is available to students, family and friends and is able to be personalized. Ordering spirit wear is COMPLETELY OPTIONAL. Go to https://ocdunlimitedinc.com/masonmarchingband to preview the items and for ordering instructions. Communication about your order will start on 8/1/23. Orders must be placed by Saturday, August 5, 2023 at midnight.

Marching Band Next Steps - Registration Guide

Marching Band Registration Guide

This linked guide below is a comprehensive guide on all of the remaining steps required for both Marching Band and the Rose Parade Trip. 

2023 Marching Band Registration Guide

Next Up

• August 1, Pay $575 Rose Trip Payment #4 via  Bob Rogers Travel

Please contact medicalsecretary@masonbandboosters.com with any questions regarding medications or physicals.  If you have any questions regarding fees, please email Mr. Sleppy at sleppyj@masonohioschools.com.