February 17 Update
Great job to our 7th grade band members on their performance last week at MMEA Festival in Mattawan! They performed very well and also were great representatives of Pennfield!
Below is a calendar update for the next week. Please let me know if you have any questions.
February 19-Prefestival concert for 7th, 8th, and symphonic bands. Call time is 6:30 PM and the concert will begin at 7:00 PM.
February 24-Pep Band-5:30 PM. This is the final pep band of the year. Students who did not play at the pep band on January 16 need to perform at this one to fulfill their pep band requirement
February 28-Symphonic band at MSBOA Festival. We perform at 12:50 at Charlotte High School-the call time is 10:30 AM in the band room dressed in concert black. The full agenda can be found here.
March 6-8th grade band performs at MSBOA Festival. We perform at 1:25 at Grand Ledge High School-we will leave from school that day and should return around 4:00 PM. The full agena can be found here.
March 22nd-Pennfield Band's Mattress Sale-please help us advertise the sale. Our primary job is to advertise so that we can get people in the door. The easiest way is sharing the facebook event-which can be found here.
February 10 Update
7th grade band festival information-festival will take place at 10:30 AM at Mattawan High School on Thursday, February 12. WEAR YOUR CONCERT BLACK TO SCHOOL WITH YOU THURSDAY!
If you have not returned your permission slip yet please do so by filling out this form.
Our agenda for the day can be found here
Any parents who would like to attend the performance should park in the south parking lot, and will not have to check in at the office, but will be restricted to the auditorium. It will be a great morning of music making!
February 6 Update
Happy Friday everyone! Below are some updates in timeline order for band events that are upcoming.
February 12-7th grade band performance at the mmea festival in Mattawan. Agendas can be found here. Please turn in your permission if you have not already
February 13-winter carnival pep band-mandatory for all symphonic band members. 5:30 Report time
February 16-Disney trip meeting-this is for any 7th, 8th, 9th, or 10th graders interested in the trip. Please try and have an adult present for you-6:30 PM in the high school band room.
February 19-pre festival concert for grades 7, 8, and symphonic bands. 7:00 PM at high school auditorium-please report at 6:30.
February 24-Pep band for symphonic band members. If you did not play at the January pep band you need to play at this one to fulfill your pep band requirement. This is the last pep band of the year.
February 28-symphonic band festival performance at Charlotte High School-agenda can be found here
March 6-8th grade band festival performance at Grand Ledge High School-agenda can be found here
March 22-Band Mattress Sale Fundraiser for ALL BANDS-please watch your email for updates. This is an opportunity to make money for your band account-which helps pay for band trips and other events. Please join our facebook event by clicking here by joining our band can make some money even if you do not plan on attending the event.
May 7-symphonic band spring concert
May 27-High School Graduation-symphonic band performs
May 28-6th, 7th, and 8th grade spring band concert
January 26 update
Happy snow week continued! I hope everyone is safe. Below are some dates that are coming up. The full symphonic band printable calendar can be found here and the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade calendar can be found here.
January 27 (tomorrow)-pep band for symphonic band members-report at 5:30. Students need to play 2 of 3 in addition to the mandatory February 13th game. Report time is 5:30. Please note-if school is cancelled there will be no pep band regardless if the game is played or not
February 12-7th grade performance at MMEA Band Festival. 10:30-10:55 at Mattawan High School. Timing for buses and other details will be finalized this week once we return to school.
February 13-winter carnival pep band-mandatory for ALL symphonic band members
February 16th-6:30 PM-Disney Trip initial meeting-this is for 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th graders. Please have at minimum one adult attend if you are remotely interested in the 2027 Disney trip. Lots of important information will be shared including information about when payments will begin.
February 19-Pre-festival concert-7:00 PM at PHS Auditorium-this features the 7th, 8th, and symphonic bands.
February 24-Pep band-5:30 PM-this is the final pep band of the year.
8th grade and symphonic band festival times should be announced sometime this week. I will update this post when they are released.
January 8 update
Happy New Year! The google calendar linked above has been completely updated for all performances.
Symphonic Band
A hard copy of the performances has been handed out and is linked here Click the tab "January Update" to view the upcoming events.
There are 4 pep band performances on the calendar. Students need to attend 3 of the 4-all band members are required to attend the winter carnival game on February 13 as one of their 3 required games.
Festival dates should be announced in the next week or so.
8th Grade Band
7th Grade Band
Our performance calendar is linked here
Our performance at the MMEA festival will be either February 11 or 12 at Mattawan High School-that date and time should be announced any day now
We are currently also working on rounding out our instrumentation with several students learning new instruments
6th Grade Band
We are picking up where we left off from our December concert; we are currently working on refining our sound as well as learning a new note and soon a new rhythm
We are beginning the process of rounding out our instrumentation to add more instruments to our band. If your student is interested in learning one of these instruments please email me. Not everyone will be switching to a new instrument as the sections we are adding are smaller sections in a band.
Our next concert is May 28.
EXCITING NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The school board as approved a trip for the high school band to Walt Disneyworld in Orlando Florida for the 2027-2028 school year! The current 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th graders are the grades that will have the opportunity to make this trip. More details will be coming soon-there will be an informational meeting within the next month to give specifics to everyone. I am very excited to share this amazing experience with our students. If you have any early questions now please feel free to email me.
December 10 Update
Great concert last night 6th grade and symphonic band members! We are very proud of you!!!
Symphonic Band-remember our first pep band is this Friday. The call time is be ready in the band room to play at 5:30-we will begin a quick warm up then, and then head to the gym to play during both the girls and boys basketball games. Dress is casual, anything Pennfield is great.
Symphonic Band Members-please fill this out ASAP.
December 3 Update
The concert for the 6th grade band and high school symphonic band is next Tuesday, December 9th at 7:00 PM. Below are the details for each band.
Band students should arrive at 6:30 PM.
6th grade band students should report to the band room.
High School Symphonic Band Students should report to the choir room.
Concert Dress for the concert is black and only black.
The performance order is as follows
After the concert we must strike the stage. High School Band members are required to rack their chair and stand. Anyone who is willing to move some equipment back to the band room is welcome-thank you in advance!
6th Grade Band members-the flyer I handed out in class can be found by clicking here
The morning of the concert the 6th grade band members will be having a dress rehearsal during 1st and 2nd hours at the high school. At the conclusion of this rehearsal students will leave their instruments in the designated locations as well as their music. That way all needed materials are at the high school already for the concert. Students will take their materials home with them after the concert ends.
Next week also begins high school basketball pep band! Before the holiday break we will be performing at the following games:
December 12
December 16
December 18
Exact times will be announced in the next few days, but arrival time will be around 6:00 PM. Students are required to perform at 2 of the 3 games.
Finally-GREAT JOB 7TH AND 8TH GRADERS AT YOUR CONCERT PRIOR TO THANKSGIVING!!!! Your hard work definitely showed onstage!
November 12 Update-CONCERT INFORMATION
Concerts are approaching fast! We are looking forward to showcasing our music with everyone! For concerts we wear black and only black-please plan accordingly. Each band's concert date and time is below:
7th and 8th Grade Band-November 20-7:00 PM. Please arrive to the high school at 6:30 so we can assemble and warm up prior to the concert.
6th Grade and High School Symphonic Band-December 9-7:00 PM. More details will be shared in a couple of weeks.
High School Marching/Symphonic Band-your calendar has been updated-please click here for a printable version. Click on the tab at the bottom that says "Winter Update" for the latest version.
Marching Band-the Battle Creek Holiday Parade is November 22-you can find our agenda by clicking here
We are event 121 in the parde.
October 20 Update
Marching Band
For senior showcase here is the timeline for tomorrow evening (Monday the 20th)
6:00 PM-arrive to the band room, change into full uniform and warm up
6:45ish-begin march down to football field
7:00 PM-senior showcase begins after we march in. We will recognize all our senior band members on the track beforehand. Family members of senior band members should meet us near the entry gate to the track as we march in.
After the recognition of the seniors the band will perform the show for everyone in attendance. Please feel free to stay and take any pictures you like.
7:30ish-Senior Band night concludes. Band members should return their instrument to the band room and hang their uniform up properly so it's ready for Friday's final home game
Please send me any questions you may have. Thank you all for supporting the band this marching season
Our Final home game is this Friday. The call time is 5:30 in the band room and the game begins at 7:00 PM. We will be performing with the 8th Grade band.
8th Grade Band
The 8th grade band will be performing with the marching band Friday night at the final home game. They will be performing during pregame, the stands at the first half, and halftime. Students may stay for the entire game with us if they choose. A full itinerary can be found here.
Our concert is on November 20 at the high school auditorium
7th Grade Band
We are beginning our percussion tryouts this week. After they are concluded we will begin with a few other instrument tryouts to round out our instrumentation.
Our concert is on November 20 at the high school auditorium
6th Grade Band
We have finished up our first playing check on #5-students may submit a redo whenever they like.
We are working towards our next playing check on #15. The google classroom assignment has been created for anyone who chooses to submit a video.
Our concert is on December 9 at the high school.
October 19-Marching Band Senior Showcase update
Great job yesterday at festival band members! Thank you to everyone who came out to Jackson to support the band. More importantly-thank you to all the band members and families for pivoting to the new schedule with such short notice. The band did a wonderful job at festival yesterday!
October 17 Update-Marching Band
Hello marching band members and families! Unfortunately due to the weather, the marching band festival has been changed to earlier in the day. After further consideration of a number of changing factors we have made the decision to continue with our participation. Arrival time to the high school is now 11:00 AM. We will depart at 11:45 AM for Jackson Northwest. Our performance time is 2:15 PM. I am anticipating returning around 4:30 PM, but please understand that is an estimate.
I understand this is very short notice so if you have a conflict with the new time please email me ASAP. We will be accommodating. Our entire itinerary is linked below. If you have any questions please feel free to email me back or talk to me during the 3rd quarter tonight at the game. If you know you have a conflict with tomorrow's schedule please email me so that I am aware. I appreciate your help on this matter.
I am extremely sorry for the late notice and all of the changes. Thank you for your understanding. ~Mr. Cavis
Itinerary
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wLTMPaA7Jh2WOjqsaU3rYfMzXq_RFY-weHUwkNNnHfY/edit?usp=sharing
October 9 Update
Parent teacher conferences are NEXT WEEK on Tuesday and Wednesday. I will be at the middle school from 12:00-6:00 on Wednesday and the high school from 3:00-6:00 on Thursday. My calendar sign up can be found by clicking here
Please consult the concert calendar page for all performance and rehearsal dates for band.
The band boosters need concession stand help at football games. If you are willing to help them out please sign up here
Marching Band
We have a busy couple of weeks coming up. Here are the events:
October 13-evening rehearsal 6:00-8:30. This is our LAST evening rehearsal of the season. We need everyone present as it is our last big rehearsal before festival.
October 17-Homefootball game. Call time is in the band room at 5:30. FULL UNIFORM including white shoes, black socks, and glovs (will be distributed next week)
October 18-marching band festival. Agenda can be found here
October 20-Senior Showcase. The performance will begin at 7:00 PM in the stadium. Call time is 6:00 PM
October 24-Final home football game. Full Uniform. Call time is 5:30 PM in FULL UNIFORM. We will be performing with the 8th grade band at this game.
8th Grade Band
October 24-We will be performing with the marching band at the game. Call time is 5:30 in the band room. Dress is weather appropriate Pennfield apparel. More details including music will be coming.
November 20-First concert of the year. 7:00 PM in the auditorium. Call time is 6:30. Dress is CONCERT BLACK-please begin finding your concert black attire.
7th Grade Band
6th Grade Band
Students are beginning their first playing check on Monday. They will be playing Page 5, Song # 5. Students may submit a recording of their playing check via google classroom before Monday's class begins. All playing checks must be completed by Monday at 7:25 AM.
Students should be coming to band class every day with the following items: instrument, folder (with band book, rhythm of the day sheet, and any other music handout in it), pencil, and chromebook.
December 9-First concert of the year. 7:00 PM in the auditorium. Call time is 6:30. Dress is CONCERT BLACK-please begin finding your concert black attire.
September 29 Update
Please consult the concert calendar page for all performance and rehearsal dates for band.
The band boosters need concession stand help at football games. If you are willing to help them out please sign up here
Marching Band
This week is homecoming! Friday we will perform at both the parade and the football game. The schedule for Friday is as follows:
4:00 PM-students should report to the band room no later than now. Be sure to have eaten something before the parade so your body is well hydrated. I will remain the band room after school if students simply want to stay.
4:15 PM-walk over to parade lineup-dress for parade is black band camp shirt, comfortable shorts/pants (it's supposed to be warm) and comfortable shoes of their choice-ABSOLUTELY NO SANDALS OR CROCS.
5:30 (or after parade has finished)-return to band room. Change into full uniform include white shoes and black socks. If you want to have someone bring you food that's perfectly fine but students cannot leave campus as timing is tight.
6:30-Leave for football stadium
6:45-Pregame performance
7:00-Kickoff! Halftime timing is dependent on the pace of the game as is the ending of the game. The band will stay for the entire game (the 3rd quarter will be a break for the band). We will march back to the band room to put equipment away and hang uniforms. Students will be dismissed after this.
Festival is Saturday October 18. Our agenda can be found here
A HUGE thank you to Mr. Bethea and all the band members for their flexibility last Friday in my absence as I was with my wife for her surgery. I really appreciate everyone stepping up!
8th Grade Band
We are currently preparing for our November 20 concert. We have our 2nd playing check on Lexington March this week.
The 8th grade band will perform with the high school marching band at the final football game of the year on October 24. More details will come next week.
7th Grade Band
6th Grade Band
September 21 Marching Band Only Update
We have rehearsal Monday from 6:00-8:30. Anyone who has NOT been fitted for uniform needs to come to the band room beginning at 5:00 to be fitted. We will practice rain or shine. If it is only slightly raining we will go outside like we would at a football game or festival. Report to the band room first for exact rehearsal details.
Our next game is Friday! Report time is 5:30 at the band room and change into uniforms. A few uniform reminders:
All Band Members Must have solid white shoes and solid black socks that go above the ankle.
Long hair must be pulled up in the hat so be sure to bring hair ties if you need them
Gloves have been ordered-we will wear them if they arrive. The first pair is free; if you loose your pair you must purchase a replacement pair for $5.
We will be staying the entire game and marching band afterwards. The band will have the 3rd quarter off to relax before returning to pump up the crowd for the 4th quarter.
The show has come a long ways since the opening game-I'm very excited for everyone to see the progress!
If you are attending the WMU Band Day on Saturday be sure to take your instrument and all your uniform parts home with you Friday after the game; you will NOT be able to get them Saturday morning.
September 18 Update
All Bands-the calendar page has been updated! Concerts and festivals have been added. Hard copies will be given out in class today and tomorrow.
High School Calendar
Middle School Calendar
Marching Band
We have rehearsal Monday from 6:00-8:30 in the stadium. Anyone who has not been fit for uniform needs to arrive at 5:00 PM so that you can be fit.
Next week we have a football game. Call time is 5:30 in the band room. This game we will perform in FULL UNIFORM. Be sure to have your SOLID WHITE SHOES and SOLID BLACK SOCKS that go above the ankle.
The calendar additions include the senior showcase, marching band festival date (time will be up shortly), and holiday parade. Basketball pep band will be added very soon.
8th Grade Band
7th Grade Band
6th Grade Band
Please send me any questions you may have.
September 5 Mini Update
Marching Band Update
We have rehearsal next Monday from 6:00-8:30. Please be at the stadium by 6:00 so we can begin on time.
If you are interestred in attending the WMU band day please sign up-the links and information are below in last week's TWIB. It will fill up so if you want to participate please do not hesitate.
Enjoy your weekend!!
August 28 Update
WMU Marching Band Day Information.
WMU Band day is Saturday September 27! The game is atThis is an OPTIONAL, but highly encouraged event. The link to sign up and pay to attend is here. They normally limit it to the first 500 paid registrations so if you want to perform I would sign up ASAP.
A couple of band day facts. Students who sign up will rehearse, march to the stadium, perform at halftime and participate in all the pageantry that is a college football gameday. There will NOT be a bus to band day; anyone attending will need to provide their own transportation to and from WMU. Anyone non-band member who wants to attend the game to watch will need to purchase a ticket to the game. There is a parent information page here with more specifics about band day.
I was a member the Bronco Marching Band for the the 1st WMU band day in the modern era. I cannot highly encourage this enough. If you have questions please let me know.
August 26th Update
6th Grade Band Update
Welcome to band! I am very excited for you to get started! Some instruments have already arrived and we will begin our first lessons with them this week. However, instruments will NOT be allowed to go home until next Tuesday. The reason for this I want to use these first few days to make sure the students understand everything about their instrument as far as assembly, maintenance, and disassembly. This will keep them safe and prevent the from having to go to the Kalamazoo or Grand Rapids stores for repairs early on.
There is more information about obtaining an instrument on the 6th grade band tab of this web site; click here to view. If you are ready to rent your instrument from Meyer Music please click here to go to the rental page.
One thing to plan on-students will need their instrument every day. Therefore, when they bring it home to practice they must bring it back the following day. Please start planning a routine so your student does not forget their instrument.
We are going to have a great time in band this year!
August 25 Update
Marching Band Update
Here is the schedule as of now for Thursday's game. We will be wearing our band camp t-shirts and the darkest pair of shorts you currently own. Athletic shoes and socks are required.
5:30-Arrive at the band room-it will be unlocked at 5:00 PM
5:45-Warm up and Announcements
6:20-leave for field-band room will not be unlocked until we return at the conclusion of the game.
6:45-Marching Band takes the field for pregame and performs pregame show.
6:55-Perform National Anthem
7:00 PM-Kickoff!
We will be performing part of our show during halftime. Students will have the 3rd quarter off to relax, concessions are available for purchase. All band members are required to return to the students for the 4th quarter. We will play in the stands until the end of the game and then return to the band room. If you are not attending the game please pick your child up at the band room-we should be up there between 9:00 and 9:15 PM; unless the game is extremely slow moving.
August 19 Update
Seniors-your pictures are tomorrow (Wednesday the 20th). Please arrive to the uniform room and get your uniform by 4:00 PM and then head down to the football field. You need to be in full uniform at the football field by 4:30
The band boosters are working concessions for All City Soccer THIS FRIDAY. If you are able and willing please sign up for a shift-we need all the help we can get. The sign up link can be found here
Thank you for your willingness to help!
Our next evening rehearsal is this coming Monday, August 25-the first day of school. A reminder that evening rehearsals during the school year are mandatory and part of your band grade.
A reminder-our calendar can be found here and on the google calendar page.
August 14 Update
The Breakfast performance on Tuesday the 19th is CANCELLED. Thank you to everyone who volunteered to come and play-enjoy sleeping in!!!!
We have rehearsal on Monday the 18th. Rehearsal begins at 6:00 PM and ends at 8:30 PM-please do your best to be at the field by 6:00, not arriving to the band room at 6:00. We want to maximize our time on the field. Once you arrive to the band room to grab your stuff go immediately to the field-please do not wait for me to tell you to head down. If all of your items that you need are at home you actually do not even need to come to the band room-go straight to the field.
We will be sharing the field with the football team Monday evening-this is our only conflict where we need to share the field. There will be football parents coming to watch the team practice so we will have an audience; please be respectful.
Please bring a FULL water bottle to practice with you-there will not be cold water jugs provided at the football field. Remember-the water down there is warm. If you get thirsty easily bring more than one. We will be down at the field the entire rehearsal weather permitting.
The goal for Monday night is to learn the entire drill to Stayin' Alive. We will also review Grand Illusion, work on the national anthem and pregame drill, and end the night with some stand cheers.
As you can see-we have a lot to work on before our August 28 game-so please be on time and ready to go.
I can't wait to see you all again and build on our great start from band camp. Have a great weekend and see you on Monday!
Mr. Cavis
August 7 Update
The marching has been requested to come in and perform the national anthem (we will work on this at our next rehearsal) and fight song for the District Staff back to school breakfast on August 19th. The call time would be 7:40 AM-we would perform around 8:00 AM and then students would be dismissed. This is 100 percent VOLUNTARY-it is not a required event. If all students could fill out the google form below by Friday August 15 whether you can or cannot perform that would help us out a ton. Again, the performance is not mandatory, but appreciated. Thanks everyone-I'll have another update next week.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScsVDLFKqd-T3xkNwdxo-pJTYaLd84JrexUqTl7lTYdlqmlDw/viewform?usp=dialog
August 4 Update
Congratulations marching band members on a successful week of band camp! I hope you are all enjoying some down time after a long, hard week. Your hard work was very evident based on all the progress you made on the show throughout the week. I want to take this opportunity to thank every single one of you for being flexible and open to new ideas this week, as it was my first week as your band director. You had one of the hardest jobs a band member can have; navigating a band camp with a new director. I was in your shoes when I was senior in high school and in college-so I understand the difficult task you were given. I really appreciate you all! Thank you for making first week at Pennfield so enjoyable!
Looking ahead
Our first evening rehearsal is Monday August 18 from 6:00-8:30 PM. More details will be sent out next week. Seniors, please come to the high school at 5:00 for uniform fitting for your pictures. Pictures will be taken on August 20th.
Please be practicing your music to make it sound even better! At our next practice I would like to get all of Stayin' Alive on the field. There are videos/recordings posted on the high school band tab of the web page.
If you are interested in Jazz Band please fill out the form by clicking here. You are not making a commitment at the moment. You are helping Mr. Bethea get started by showing him what interest there is. His email should be set up next week to email him any questions. If you have a question right now you can send it to me and I will make sure he gets it and we will post responses.
the band boosters will once again be running the concession stand at fall events and need your help! If you are willing to sign to work a shift at a game-there are shifts at both JV and Varsity Football games. We need all the help we can get! Please click here to sign up for a shift. Thank you in advance!!
To all the parentes, family, and friends who came out to the band camp show thank you very much! A special thank you to everyone who helped with lunch and dinner throughout band camp. You were awesome and so very much appreciated!
I really appreciate the warm welcome to Pennfield! I can't wait to see how far the students can go this season!
Mr. Cavis
July 30 Update
Camp has been going great so far-the kids are working very hard and making a lot of great progress. I am very excited about our season and I can't wait to see how far these fine students go! A reminder about tomorrow's (Thursday July 31) schedule for camp.
Tomorrow Band Camp runs from 1:00 PM-6:30 PM. Enjoy sleeping in!!!!
We will not be serving a meal tomorrow at camp so please be sure to eat breakfast and lunch before you arrive. There will be water and snacks to keep the students sustained and hydrated.
The band will perform a demonstration performance in the stadium at 6:00 PM. Anyone can attend the performance and it is free :) The demonstration performance is not a final polished product; it is just a sample of what we learned over the 5 days. If you see the football team on the field when you arrive do not worry-they have practice from 4:00-5:30 and will clear off in time for our performance.
After the demonstration performance students will be dismissed from camp. ALL STUDENTS SHOULD TAKE THEIR INSTRUMENT HOME WITH THEM. After a couple days of recovery students should spend a little time over the next two weeks practicing up their music so we can keep improving. This is not optional-NO INSTRUMENT MAY REMAIN IN THE BAND ROOM.
Our first Monday evening rehearsal will be Monday August 18 from 6:00-8:30 in the stadium. Please make sure you are present as we have a home football game on August 28.
Thank you for a great week and more importantly for the warm welcome I have received here at Pennfield. The students and families I have met are top notch-I am very happy, honored, and excited to be a Panther!
Mr. Cavis
July 22 Update
I'm looking forward to beginning our season! Band camp begins Sunday at 6:00 PM. For clarification Band Camp is MANDATORY for marching band, and marching band is part of high school band. There has been some confusion and I wanted to make sure that everyone was on the same page.
Please note that this means we BEGIN at 6:00 PM-students need to arrive to the band room before that time. We will be doing some marching so please be sure to be dressed appropriately with PROPER SHOES AND SOCKS. if your instrument is at home please bring it with you Sunday so that it's here at school.
Please consult the camp information page to make sure you have everything you need. This includes your FLIP FOLDER and LYRE. If you know that you do not have one please send me a message so we can get you one.
From the Band Boosters:
Please join the band boosters facebook page-it can be found here They will be posting on ways you can help the band. Below is a list of items that we are asking for donation-this helps keep the cost of band camp down. Mrs. Wells will be in the cafeteria at 6:00 PM on Sunday to collect anything donated.
