Dear Parent/Guardian:
We are thrilled to have your child become a member of the Smith County High School “ Pride of the Upper Cumberland” Marching Band! This long standing tradition of excellence is being continued by your child, and we are extremely excited to have them join us! With that being said, we had questions regarding fundraisers. A normal question asked is how fundraisers help our program and how the money is used. Below is a cost breakdown of our entire year
Why do we pay the $200 marching band fee?
In today’s economy, $200 may seem like a large amount of money to participate in a band program. We want our students and parents to understand that we make it a priority to keep our costs as low as possible while maintaining an enriching and competitive experience for our students. We currently charge much less than the vast majority of competitive marching bands in our area (many of whom do not even go away to camp.) Also, I saves us money each year by writing our marching show music for a cost of $0.00. Most composers charge over $1400.00 for their compositions; however, I will never do that because he want us to use the money elsewhere. Writing the show is hard and it would be easier if another composer wrote it but we save money this way!
As I compare the amount of our fees to what we pay for my child to play volleyball, softball, and attend 4-H Camp per year( $600+). For $200.00 per year, you’re getting a great deal! Also, fundraisers aside from dues helps with the cost too! Collectively, each student should pull in over $1000.00 per year with combined fundraisers AND dues. In years past, this has not been the case but we are trying to change that! The more we pull in, the greater the chance we have at going to places like Disney!
What SCHS pays for band and what fundraisers help support:
Director supplemental salaries (color guard instructor, percussion instructor, Dance Instructor, etc.)
Marching Drill
Licensing for the music Mr. McDonald composes( Meaning, we have to have permission to use songs from various artists. This is not a composer fee, this is a fee that ensures we have a right to use the song as we see fit.)
Bus Transportation for games and contests
MTSBOA/ALL-STATE/MID-STATE FEES ( to compete at mid-state and regional events, there is always a $380 fee.
Band Competition fees
Instrument repair
Props for show
Transportation costs
Props for show
Transportation costs
Food for students on special occasions like homecoming( Thankful for parents who bring items!)
What the $200 marching band fees cover depending on your area:
Band camp costs (including 3 meals a day/lodging/lifeguard)
Show/uniform/ t-shirt/marching shoes/gloves
Folders for music
Flags for show
Rifles, flag poles, tapes, crutch tips and other guard supplies
Community donations also help us with these costs; however, fundraising is our biggest funding source( ads, football programs, donations). I want all of you to understand that prices fluctuate, depending on how long we may have to wait if some of our students under perform at fundraisers. Secondly, transportation fluctuates as well as we have playoffs in unexpected places! Last, drill design price becomes difficult when kids randomly decide to quit weeks in advance. For example, if I pay $500.00 for drill design and a child quits, I must send that drill back to fix the hole that the empty space leaves on the field. This means additional cost at times. Although $200.00 covers most of these personal fees for the individual student ( uniform, repairs, etc), fundraising helps us to accomplish so much more! Most larger programs require $1000.00 for dues, all of which comes out of YOUR pocket, while the rest is fundraiser money throughout the year. I think $200.00 is a great price for the wonderful experiences that we receive. Remember, the harder we work at fundraisers, the better chances we have to go on bigger trips, and to compete at higher levels! Let’s keep working hard for what we want to accomplish!
Also, after you reach your amount for dues each year, that doesn't mean you STOP fundraising. We all still need to pull equal weight with fundraising if we hope to go on bigger trips, and have better opportunities. Remember that it takes a team to make this work! :)
Les McDonald, Ed.S
Director of Bands
Smith County High School