September 6, 2026 Band Notes

Upcoming Events

Monday, September 7

• Happy Labor Day!

Tuesday, September 8

• Full Band: 6-9pm; MHS
• Coffee Talk: 7-8pm; MHS Staff Dining Room

Wednesday, September 9

• Wind Symphony Full Ensemble: 2:45-4:45pm; MHS Band Room
• Color Guard: 6-9pm; MHS

Thursday, September 10

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

Friday, September 11

• Full Band: 6-9pm; MHS

Saturday, September 12

• Full Band: 1pm-9pm; MHS

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

Parent To Do Checklist For This Week

1. Order Fire Horse Tour Shirts by Tuesday, September 8.
1. Reminder: Each student will receive one cotton t-shirt as part of their consumables fee.
2. Senior Families
1. Complete the form for Senior Night Information by September 18. 
2. Please fill out the Senior Spotlight Note to be placed in the Invitational Competition Program. These are due by September 11. 
3. Click here to Sponsor a Trophy at the Mason Invitational (Oct. 10th) by September 19.
4. Purchase car raffle tickets, and spread the word about this fundraiser.
5. Get on the list if you want to be notified when portrait sign ups are live!

NEW INFORMATION

Fire Horse Tour Shirt Orders Are Live!

2026 Fire Horse Tour Shirts are now available to order on Friday Threads! Click here to see the options and order.

The order window closes on Tuesday, September 8 at 11:59pm. THERE WILL NOT BE ANOTHER CHANCE TO ORDER!

Additional Information:

• The shirt will not look like the picture - the actual design remains a secret until the students get the shirts.
• Each band and guard student will receive one cotton T-shirt as part of their consumables fee, which will be delivered to them at school.
• Any shirts for parents, family members, or friends, and any additional shirts your student wants would need to be ordered directly from Friday Threads.
• Options include:
• Short- or long-sleeve cotton shirt
• Short- or long-sleeve drifit shirt
• Hooded long-sleeve t-shirt
• Crew neck fleece
• Hooded fleece
• You can have your order shipped to you or opt to pick it up at the store when it is ready.
• Keep in mind that shirts will not be ready until right before the Lakota West Invitational, so if you have it shipped you likely won't receive it in time.

For any questions, please reach out to shirts@masonbandboosters.com.

Sponsor a Trophy

If you or a family member would like to join us on the field to present a trophy at the Mason Invitational please fill out the Trophy Sponsorship form. All submissions must be completed by September 19, 2026.

Watch for Portrait Days flash sign-ups!

Competitions start very early this year, but we don't know when the uniforms are coming. We want to get the individual portraits done while the uniforms are still fresh, so we will schedule as soon as our dedicated U-crew can get the uniforms fitted. That means we may have a very short window to sign up for portraits once uniforms are on the way.

The main portrait day will be on a Tuesday, with a few appointments Wednesday for those who have conflicts Tuesday. Possible dates include Sept. 22-23, Sept. 29-30, and Oct. 6-7.

Make sure you don't miss out! Submit this form using the email you check most often to be notified by email as soon as the sign ups go live!

More information on products coming soon!

Upcoming Schedule Change - Homecoming

Recently the MHS Homecoming Committee made changes to the Homecoming Week Events. The Homecoming Parade has changed into a Homecoming Festival that will utilize much of the outside spaces at MHS. Because of this change, marching band rehearsal needed to change days which affects the Wind Symphony Dress Rehearsal. While we avoid calendar changes as much as possible, this change was necessary to allow students to be prepared for all of the band events, and allow students to participate in Homecoming events that week. All of the changes below are now reflected on the Mason Bands Website Calendar as well. 

Wind Symphony Dress Rehearsal - Adjusted to Thursday, Sept 24th 2:45-4:45pm (Originally Wed, Sept 23rd)

Marching Band Rehearsal - Adjusted to Wednesday, Sept 23rd 6:00-9:00pm (Originally Thurs, Sept 24th) 

Marching Band Homecoming Parade - No longer exists (since the format has changed to a festival). Students are welcome to attend and enjoy the festival on their own Thursday evening if they’d like!

Parent Section Ambassadors Still Needed

We need one 10–12 parent from each of these sections—flute, low brass, and trumpet—to serve as a Parent Section Ambassador for new band families.

This is a very low-commitment role: simply be a friendly point of contact for quick questions via text or email and help new parents feel connected to the Mason Band community.

If you’re interested, please reach out to  vp-membership@masonbandboosters.com.

Marching Band 101 for Parents

Be sure to check in to Marching Band 101 next week for an overview of what to expect during competitions! 

Why is it called Color Guard?

Marching bands find their origins in military traditions. Militaries used music for keeping formation, signaling, and morale. Drums kept the pace for marching soldiers. Fifes, bugles, and trumpets were used for signaling and communication, particularly over the sounds of conflict. Regimental flags served as a focal point and source of morale for soldiers. The earliest form of Color Guard was a military detachment responsible for carrying and protecting the national and regimental flags (or “colors”) during battle. Ergo, color guard literally guarded the regiment’s colors. You can often see these types of color guards represented by the various military branches at sporting events and other occasions where the national anthem is performed. 

As the popularity and prevalence of high school and college marching bands spread, adding  artistic and creative components, color guard evolved into an art form that adds visual and artistic appeal to performances. The guard uses several props that harken back to its military origins. You will see flags, rifles and sabres twirling through the air. These days the rifles and sabres are made of a high-impact plastic rather than steel and wood. Color guard adds a beautiful layer of artistry and athleticism to the band’s performance, being an essential component of communicating the show’s story. 

Outside of the marching band season, color guard competes as a standalone activity through organizations such as Winter Guard International. 

Website Tip:

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!

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! 

Look for the car to arrive this week in the Middle School lot at the corner of Mason-Montgomery and Tylersville, as well as at the gates for our home games!  

More information is coming soon, but here is a preview of a few key details:

• We could use one additional parent to help co-chair this important fundraiser to make sure it’s a success! Please reach out to carraffle@masonbandboosters.com if interested! 
• We will need some parent volunteers to help at the raffle table during the football games and the competitions - sign-ups coming soon.
• As a band, we need to sell 4000 tickets (about 13 tickets per band/guard member) to be able to give away the car.
• Tickets will be $25 for one entry and $100 for 5.
• The drawing will be held on November 7th at MSBA Championships.

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!

Lakota West Invitational

Saturday, September 19, 2026

Lakota West High School

8940 Union Center Blvd, West Chester, OH 45069

Travel waivers

We will not be offering travel waivers for the Lakota competition due to the tight timeline and short travel distance. Any deviation from the standard travel plan requires approval from Mr. Jackson. jacksonav@masonohioschools.com

More information

lakotawestbands.org/invitational

Buckeye Invitational

Saturday, October 3, 2026

Ohio Stadium, The Ohio State University

411 Woody Hayes Dr, Columbus, OH 43210

Travel waivers

Travel waiver information will be made available after the Lakota West Invitational.

More information

tbdbitl.osu.edu/events/buckeye-invitational-info for additional info and details. Online ticket sales open in early September. Tickets can be purchased at the gate or online. Pre-ordered tickets can be picked up at Ohio Stadium Will Call. Tickets are $20 online or $25 at the gate. 

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

Social Media Reminder

What an Incredible Milestone!
We’re thrilled our first public performance of our 2026 competition show was a success! Our students have put in an incredible amount of hard work, and we couldn’t be prouder of what they’ve accomplished so far. This debut marks an exciting step forward—and we can’t wait to keep building on it!

A Quick But Important Reminder:
To protect the integrity and impact of our show, please do not post any videos or images 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. 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 fill out the Senior Spotlight Note to be placed in the Invitational Competition Program. These are due by September 11.

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 seven remaining Secret Buddy exchanges this season:

• 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.

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:

1. Our “Feed the Band” team works 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
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.
1. Current Medication Drop Off Times – Please sign up on Booster Hub for a time!
1. MSBA Lakota West Invitational: 9/19/26
1. Tuesday 9/15/26 5:30-6:30 at practice
2. Sign up via Booster Hub here:  Med Drop Off Sign Up
2. OMEA Buckeye Invitational: 10/3
1. Tuesday 9/29 5:30-6:30 at practice
3. 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 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.

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, 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!

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.

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:
• Student Experience Committees
• Fundraising Committees
• Event Committees
• Organizational Committees
• 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
• 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.