September 20, 2026 Band Notes

Upcoming Events

Monday, September 21

• Full Band: 3-6pm; MHS

Tuesday, September 22

• Full Band: 6-9pm; MHS

Wednesday, September 23

• Full Band: 6-9pm; MHS

Thursday, September 24

• Wind Symphony Rehearsal: 2:45-4:45pm; MHS Band Room

Friday, September 25

• Full Band: 3-5pm; MHS
• Dinner provided (Feed the Band) - see menu below
• Homecoming Football Game vs. Hamilton: 6:00pm to approximately 9:30pm (see typical schedule below)
• Note: Any timing updates will be sent through Parent Remind. Details on how to set up parent Remind can be found HERE.

Saturday, September 26

• No Rehearsal - Enjoy Homecoming!

• Mums Pickup: 8:30am-1pm; MMS Performing Arts Entrance

Sunday, September 27

• Individual Portrait and Pano/Section Photo orders due

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

Parent To Do Checklist For This Week

1. Purchase car raffle tickets 2026 Car Raffle Ticket Order Form, and spread the word about this fundraiser.
2. Sign up for individual portraits or purchase your group photos!
3. Pick up your mums on Saturday from 8:30am-1pm in front of MMS performing arts entrance!
4. Mason Invitational Activities:
   • Sponsor A Trophy -  As the hosting school it is important to have our students/band boosters present the trophies to the competing schools. Please consider having your child represent Mason and congratulate our visitors. 
   • Sign up in Booster Hub to volunteer at the Invitational.  We need every band family to help make the event GREAT! 
   • Sign up to donate a dish/dessert for Hospitality and/or sign up in Booster Hub to donate baked goods for the Bake Sale.

NEW INFORMATION

A Fiery First Ride! 

Congratulations to the William Mason High School Marching Band on an incredible first competition of the season at the MSBA Lakota West Competition on Saturday! The band was named Grand Champion, earned 1st Place in Class AAAAA, and received all caption awards in their class. What an amazing way to kick off the competition season!

A huge thank you to everyone who traveled with the band and helped make the trip successful and run smoothly from start to finish! As always, these opportunities would not be possible without the support of so many. We are incredibly thankful for our Pit Crew, Uniform Crew, Color Guard Crew, Chaperones, Band Aids, Photo Corps, Staff, and everyone who came out to watch and cheer for the band from the stands.

What a fantastic first competition—congratulations, Fire Horse! 🔥🐎

Check out pictures on SmugMug.   

Homecoming Football Game This Friday Night!

Feed the Band

All students will be offered food every FOOTBALL FRIDAY compliments of our sponsors and/or the Mason Band Boosters!

This Friday’s HOCO Menu will be sponsored by the Mason Band Boosters and catered by: 

McAlister’s Deli-7622 Cox Lane, West Chester, Ohio 45069

The Menu* will be as follows:

Regular/Nut Free: Mac & Cheese Bar with breadcrumbs, parmesan and green onion topping. Includes choice of additional toppings: Chili, Bacon, Broccoli, and Jalapeños. Lays Chips. Choice of fruit. Rice Krispie Treat.

Vegetarian/Halal: Mac & Cheese Bar with breadcrumbs, parmesan and green onion topping. Includes choice of additional toppings: Veggie Chili, Broccoli, and Jalapeños. Lays Chips. Choice of fruit. Nabisco cookie.

Gluten Free/Vegan/Dairy Free: Spud Bar: fresh baked potato with choice of toppings: broccoli, Jalapeños, green onion. Optional cheese/sour cream/butter toppings available for those who are able to have dairy. Boulder Canyon Chips. Choice of fruit. MadeGood Granola Mini’s.**

**Dietary Restrictions & Allergies Dietary designations are for informational purposes only and are not a guarantee of safety for individual dietary needs. Families are responsible for referring to restaurant nutrition and allergen information, determining what is appropriate for their student and making alternate arrangements as needed. 

The special diet foods are ONLY for those who have declared a special dietary need as we only have a limited number of those meals.  Everyone else is expected to eat the Regular Diet meal.  Likewise, those that have declared a special diet are expected to eat their special diet offering. Thank you for your cooperation! 

*If the menu does not meet your dietary preferences or needs, you always have the option of having food dropped off or packing your own dinner! 

Any questions can be directed to our Feed the Band Chair, Annie Baxter at feedtheband@masonbandboosters.com  

Tickets

A reminder to our new families, tickets are required for anyone who wishes to enter the stadium to watch the game (and the band’s pregame and half-time performances).  

Information on tickets for all Mason sporting events can be found HERE. Tickets can be purchased directly HERE the week of the game or by using the HomeTown ticketing app (select:  William Mason High School).

Mason Bands Football Primer--Key Things to Know

1. Students rehearse right after school and do not have time to leave campus. They should have their regular rehearsal gear and filled water bottle with them to keep hydrated throughout the evening on long Friday game nights. 
2. Students should bring both rehearsal and performance clothes (either summer uniform or what they wear under their uniform) to school on Friday. Directors will communicate in advance what uniform students will wear at the game. This week they will be wearing the summer uniform.
3. Students are not allowed to leave campus for dinner. The Band Boosters provides dinner for students on Friday nights between rehearsal and game time. You may bring dinner to your student at 5:00 pm if you wish. Each week the dinner plan will be shared in the Sunday Band Notes. 
4. The Band plays in front of the Beacon building before they enter the stands. If you want to see that, stay outside the football stadium at the entrance and then enter after they play the fight song,
5. Parents not working to support the band at the game, have to purchase tickets to enter Beacon Stadium. Please see above for information on how to purchase tickets.
6. Students will stay with the band through halftime performance and then have third quarter off to visit friends, family and the concession stand! Students need to bring money if they want anything at the concession stand. Students cannot leave the stadium during third quarter. They will be bringing their personal water bottles up with them for the game.
7. Students will return to the End Zone for the 4th quarter.
8. Parents pick-up students at the High School after they have changed. Students will need time to put away all instruments and equipment and ensure their uniforms are properly put away.

If you have questions about Friday, feel free to contact Tyler Buckner at  vp-studentexperience@masonbandboosters.com

Typical Friday Night Home Schedule - All Times are Approximate

Mason Invitational October 10th

On Saturday, October 10th we are hosting the Mason Invitational Competition. This event gives bands in the area, as well as our own kiddos, the opportunity to showcase all of their hard work and for our visiting bands a chance to get some feedback on their show. It truly takes a village to make this wonderful opportunity happen for our young musicians. We cannot pull off an event of this magnitude without the help of every single band family. As a gentle reminder, each family agreed at the beginning of the year to work at least one shift of the Invitational as outlined in the Marching Band Handbook.

As the hosting school, and just like any hosting event at your home, we need to provide sustenance and volunteer time for our visitors. Please consider signing up to bring something AND to greet our guests at one of several volunteer opportunities. 

Volunteer opportunities are now in Booster Hub.  - Over the next week additional volunteer roles will be added for band guides and water stations.

Booster Hub has been updated with donations needed for Bake Sale. 

The Hospitality donation sign up can be found here. - Hospitality feeds visiting bus drivers and band directors, as well as the judges. Help us keep our reputation as a welcoming host.

Sponsor a Trophy

We have 40 trophies that need sponsors!

Sponsors will have their names announced as their trophy is presented to its band. Your student may join us on the field to present the trophy or you can opt for it to be presented by a booster member. Please fill out the Trophy Sponsorship form. This is a great opportunity to show students from all the bands that their hard work is acknowledged and celebrated!

If you have any questions regarding the competition, please contact our competitions team at competitions@masonbandboosters.com. Thanks for your help in making the Mason Invitational a fun and successful event!

Buckeye Invitational Travel Waiver

We're headed to Columbus for the OMEA Buckeye Invitational on Saturday, October 3rd. After a long day of performing, the best way to get everyone home is together, so we strongly encourage all students to ride the bus home. It's the simplest option, and it keeps our band family together from the first note to the last.

We know that occasionally a family truly needs to pick up their student. If that's you, a transportation waiver must be completed in advance. The form must be completed by 11:59 PM on Sunday, September 27, 2026.

• Waiver form: 2026 Buckeye Invitational Transportation Waiver
• Pick-up time: 10:15 PM on 10/3
• Pick-up location: Ohio Stadium, 411 Woody Hayes Drive, Columbus, OH 43210
• Required: Both the caregiver AND the student must join the 2026 Buckeye Invitational Remind group by texting @2026bucke to 81010. All waiver families will get their updates there.

Any other arrangements must be approved by Mr. Jackson at jacksonav@masonohioschools.com. For the latest itinerary, check masonbands.com.

Thank you for helping us keep our travel day smooth and safe. We can't wait to see you all in Columbus!

REMINDERS

Picture Yourself in a Brand New Audi!!!!

This HOT 2026 Audi Q3 could be yours! 

Mason Band Boosters is thrilled to announce we will once again be partnering with Audi Cincinnati East for our 2026 Car Raffle. A HUGE thank you to them for the donation! We are very excited! 

This fundraiser is a very important one for our organization as it helps provide some much needed funds to help with the expenses of our program as well as allows us to reach outside of our band family and community to help raise funds!

We Need Each And Every Family To Help Reach Our Goal Of Selling 4,000 Tickets And To Give Away This Fabulous Vehicle Or A Cash Prize!  

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW NOW

Raffle Period - Raffle runs NOW until November 6th at 5pm OR until 4,000 tickets are sold...whichever comes first!

Drawing - Saturday, November 7th, 2026 at the MSBA AAAAA Championships, hosted at Mason. Need not be present to win!

Prizes - 

• Grand Prize -  2026 Audi Q3 or a cash prize!
• 2nd Place Prize - $1000 cash  
• 3rd Place Prize - $500 Cash

Car Raffle Rules And Regulations - Please Click Here for complete Car Raffle rules and regulations. Must be 18 years of age or older and a Resident of Ohio to purchase or be named on the ticket.

Ticket Prices - 1 ticket-$25 or 5 for $100 (to same individual)

• Note: If purchasing a bundle, all tickets in the bundle must have the same name, address and phone number with them.      

Ticket Purchases - Tickets can be purchased two ways:

1. Online via the 2026 Car Raffle Ticket Order Form
2. In person at home football games and the Mason Invitational

Band Family Sales - We are NOT distributing paper tickets to band families this year, but we are still asking each family to sell (or buy) at least 13 tickets to help make this a successful fundraiser.

• Please share the link and QR code with family and friends. Feel free to share it via social media as well.

Information regarding the Car Raffle can be found on our website here. 

Questions? - Please direct those to carraffle@masonbandboosters.com.

Volunteers Still Needed for Mums Pickup

Mums orders will be distributed on Saturday, September 26 8:30am-1pm outside the Performing Arts entrance in front of the Middle School.

We still need volunteers for the second shift to help distribute them to families and then clean up afterwards. If you are able to help that morning, please sign up in BoosterHub.

Competition Subcommittee Leads Needed

The competition committee is in need of your help!  We are looking for subcommittee leads to handle several different areas for the Mason Invitational on 10/10 and the MSBA Championship on 11/7. 

Competitions are an important fundraiser for the boosters, but most importantly provide a high quality competition experience for the many bands and students we host.  Subcommittee leads are vital to making sure we continue our reputation as one of the best marching band competitions in the area. Please note that shadow positions will learn the ropes from current leads who have seniors, with the shadow taking over the role next year.  

Areas with Shadowing Needs:

• Band Check-In/Band Guides/Water Station 
• Programs
• Awards/Trophies
• Spectator Parking
• Shout out/Candy Grams
• Ushers

Please email the competition committee at competitions@masonbandboosters.com for more information.

Grand Nationals Hotel Update

We know families are eager for hotel information for Grand Nationals. The BOA Housing Bureau has not yet released our hotel assignment, and this timing is entirely outside our control. We will share hotel details with all families as soon as they are released.

Please note: The final Student Experience Fee will not be sent out until hotel confirmation is received.

If you have other Grand Nationals questions in the meantime, please reach out to travel@masonbandboosters.com.

Schedule Individual Portraits!

Don’t miss your chance to order your group section photos or the full band photo! Also, you can schedule an appointment YOUR marcher for an individual portrait in show costume! The main portrait day will be Tuesday, September 29. There will be a very few appointments Wednesday, September 30 for those who have conflicts Tuesday. Please SIGN UP ON TUESDAY unless you let me know you had a conflict and needed a Wednesday appointment.

Deadline to sign up is Sunday, September 27!

https://www.jotform.com/form/242605969700158

Panoramic Full Band and Section Photo Orders 

Order by September 27!

These photos will be taken October 2, prior to celebrating Senior Night! Unlike individual portraits, you don’t need an appointment, so everybody should be in the full band photo and one of the sectional photos.

Most of our students spend the season forming tight bonds with their section, so they really cherish these mementos.

These photos are traditionally passed out at the awards ceremony to celebrate a great season.

https://www.jotform.com/form/242605969700158

Parent Section Ambassadors 

Section Parent Ambassadors are a friendly point of contact for quick questions via text or email and help new parents feel connected to the Mason Band community.

Freshmen parents should have received an email with their Section Parent Ambassador contact information. For any questions, please reach out to  vp-membership@masonbandboosters.com.

Buckeye Invitational

Saturday, October 3, 2026

Ohio Stadium, The Ohio State University

411 Woody Hayes Dr, Columbus, OH 43210

Travel waivers

• Waiver form: 2026 Buckeye Invitational Transportation Waiver
• Pick-up time: 10:15 PM on 10/3
• Pick-up location: Ohio Stadium, 411 Woody Hayes Drive, Columbus, OH 43210
• Required: Both the caregiver AND the student must join the 2026 Buckeye Invitational Remind group by texting @2026bucke to 81010. All waiver families will get their updates there.

More information

tbdbitl.osu.edu/events/buckeye-invitational-info for additional info and to access online ticket sales.  Pre-ordered tickets can be picked up at Ohio Stadium Will Call (Gate 5, northwest corner of stadium).. Tickets are $20 online or $25 at the gate. 

For any other questions, email travel@masonbandboosters.com.

Social Media Reminder

A Quick But Important Reminder:
To protect the integrity and impact of our show, please do not post any videos of the band, props, competition uniforms, or show art on public platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter just yet. This is essential both for maintaining competitive fairness and respecting copyright guidelines.

We want judges and audiences to experience the full effect of the show live, just as it’s meant to be seen—for the very first time on the competition field.

That said, feel free to record personal videos and privately share them with only close family through direct messages or unlisted links.

Thank you for supporting our amazing students and helping us make this season unforgettable!

Sponsorship

Know a company that would like to see their name and logo on the band’s semi trucks, t-shirts, website, and programs? All while helping our amazing band program continue to thrive?

We are always looking for new sponsors!  We cannot do all the wonderful things we do as an organization without the generous support of our sponsors. 

If you own, work for, or know of a business or person who may be interested in sponsoring our program, please forward their contact info to our Sponsorship committee - Jennifer Rodway at sponsorship@masonbandboosters.com. We are a 501c Non-profit and happy to talk to anyone. 

You can also find more information our our website.

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. This is now past due.  

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.

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.  Signed-up students will now 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 are six remaining Secret Buddy exchanges this season:

• 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.

Medical Secretary Notes

A FEW REMINDERS:

1. As we progress through the season, please speak with your students about alerting our Care Support Team if they have needs. Our Chaperones and Band Aids are at most practices and ready to help. The safety and health of our students is our number one priority, but we can only help out with issues we know about. Please assure them that we are here to help! 
2. 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 by email: MedicalSecretary -
1. Current Medication Drop Off Times – Please sign up on Booster Hub for a time!
1. OMEA Buckeye Invitational: 10/3/26
1. Tuesday 9/29/26 5:30-6:30 at practice–Booster Hub is live! 
1. Sign Up HERE
2. BOA GRAND NATIONALS: travel 11/12 - 11/15
1. date/time TBD, watch Band Notes and BoosterHub for sign-ups
3. 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.  Click Here to access our Medication Policy (i.e. blank DMS forms and upload instructions)

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.

Instrumentalist Lookbook

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

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

Informational Coffee Talks

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

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, 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!

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.

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:

• Due October 1:
• Student Experience Fee #3, to Mason Band Boosters
• Invoice will be sent out via email from: quickbooks@notification.intuit.com
• 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
• Instrumentalists
• Color Guard
• 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
• Student Experience Fee #2, $400 to Mason Band Boosters
• Invoices were sent on 8/16 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
• Complete Student Care Forms
• HWBP: Health And Wellbeing Profile
• SCP: Student Care Plan and Upload SCP Electronically
• DMS: Dispensing Medication at School and Upload DMS Electronically
• Accept BoosterHub Invite (new families)

Other Marching Band Documents: 

• New Member Meeting Slides 2026
• New Member Meeting Handout 2026
• MB 2026 ATTENDANCE POLICY
• MB 2026 FINANCIAL AGREEMENT & REFUND POLICY
• MB 2026 PARENT VOLUNTEER EXPECTATIONS
• MB 2026 Code of Conduct
• MB 2026 Grading Policy
• MB 2026 Travel Policy
• MB 2026 Registration and Data Use Policy

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.