Percussion and Color Guard Information for Summer

BHS Band Percussion & Color Guard Students and Parents:  We should already know about the summer schedule but I wanted to send it out as a reminder and to be sure you’ve got it marked down and to include some important notes so students are best prepared to start these summer practices.  Dennis already posted this in the FB group.  Please read this thoroughly.

We are very excited about this year’s percussion & color guard sections.  The talent level is steadily increasing because of everyone’s hard work and we plan on challenging all the students to raise the bar even higher this season.

Please go join the “BHS Percussion” or the “BHS Color Guard” Facebook groups, respectively.  We use these private groups to communicate day-to-day info to our section throughout the year and to complete “homework” assignments.  You can set up the group to send you notifications when something is posted.  It is simply an easy and effective forum housed on a social media platform.

Please remember – the band’s absentee policy for summer practices is such that a student can miss up to 3 of these summer practices (if needed, not just because) for valid reasons including things like planned family vacation, church camp, family emergency.  It is of the utmost importance that students/parents communicate their necessary absence well beforehand and are present at every other meeting time.  The subsequent two weeks of camp July 9-13 and 16-20 are mandatory and cannot be missed.  Please let Mr. Souder and/or staff know if your student is going to be absent for any of these dates. 

It should go without saying that attendance is crucial to the success of the group.  That’s because everyone’s position in this ensemble matters and the design of choreography and drill only works with each spot filled.

What Members Need To Bring:

Items with an asterisk are contingent on whether you are Percussion or Color Guard

breathable summer clothing
tennis shoes
hat or visor
towel / cool-down rag
sunscreen
gallon water cooler (for brief but frequent water breaks)
*music binder (with sheet protectors, music, and notebook paper)
*pencil
*highlighter (for all bass drummers)
*drumsticks and/or mallets (provided)
*Practice pad (for Battery kids)
*Flag/rifle/ any equipment that has been disseminated

If anyone has any questions regarding anything I’ve covered, or something I didn’t mention, please feel free to contact me.  That’s another helpful thing about the Facebook groups – we can remind each other about little things.

I hope everyone has a great summer and we’re looking forward to what we can accomplish this Summer and Fall!

SCHEDULES BELOW:

All  practices dates/times are on our calendar page. Click to view.

Color Guard will meet 9 AM – 1 PM every Tuesday and Thursday, June 5 – June 3.  

Battery and Front Ensemble broken down below:

The dates/times for battery might look a little confusing so here’s another way to think of it.

Basses practice from 9am-1pm on All Tuesday rehearsals
and from 12pm-4pm on All Thursday rehearsals

Snares and Quads will practice from 12pm-4pm on All Tuesday rehearsals
and from 9am-1pm on All Thursday rehearsals.

This overlapping schedule will allow much more sub-sectional time where we can give our students more individualized instructions, and by alternating the days, both groups will get to enjoy the morning rehearsal block where the heat isn’t so exhausting.

Jacob Souder
Director of Bands
Buckhorn High School
256-851-3300 ext. 21142