This information has been put together by a group of parents who spent a large portion of their students’ freshman year in various stages of confusion, being completely overwhelmed. Many hours were spent together watching practices and performances, waiting to pick up kids, following yellow school buses and asking lots of questions.

What we know: Field Show/Marching/Parade/Pep is different from any other activity in which your student may have been involved. It’s a world unto itself with its own language, rules and etiquette.

As first-time Field Show/Marching/Parade/Pep, we had no idea what to expect. Now as “veteran” band parents, we have a few suggestions and pointers to pass on to other parents. Okay, here we go....

1. Your Student CAN Handle It

“My child will learn to manage time? You’ve got to be kidding?!?”

Time management will be the most important tool that your student will acquire upon becoming a member of the BLHS band program.

Your student will learn how to:

• keep a schedule

• be punctual

• set priorities

A detailed schedule will be distributed to all band students. It will list most things your student will be required to attend.

Being a member of the Bonney Lake High School (BLHS) Band Program will bring your student an interesting and fulfilling educational experience. The kids all work hard and experience many triumphs, as well as disappointments; two things that will prepare them for the real world after high school. They’ll also have a lot of fun along the way and make many good friends.

2. Time Commitment

“It seems like my student lives in the band room!”

Without a doubt, band is a big time commitment. There are rehearsals at least two or three times a week, football and basketball games, competitions and parades on the weekends. Time management is the key to your student’s success. (Having such a busy schedule is actually a benefit — Band students don’t have time to get into trouble!)

3. Rehearsals

“Does my student really have to be there for every rehearsal?”

Rehearsals during Field Show/Marching/Parade/Pep season are vital. One absent member will disrupt rehearsal for all members of the band. To be able to put the best possible musical product on the field, the director and staff need for all members of the band to be present during all scheduled rehearsals. (Please see the BLHS Band Student Handbook for the consequences of missed rehearsals.) Management of a band this size is a monumental task and it becomes next to impossible if members of the band are absent. Please help your student make every effort to be there and on time.

4. Parent Involvement

“What can I do to help my student?”

There’s a saying: “Parent Involvement = A Successful Band Program”. This is so true! Getting involved in the band program will give you the opportunity to share with your child the last four years of school (prior to college). These years go so fast and are rarely enjoyed by many parents. Your student will most likely claim to “rather not have you around” (this is normal), but most parents actually learn that, in reality, the students appreciate parent involvement and your student will thank you in the future.

BLHS is fortunate to have a dedicated Band Director and a great staff. The band parents are needed to support the director, to help with the details of uniform fittings, fundraising, chaperoning, feeding and watering a group of this size, and much more as well.

The BLHS Band Program needs our parent group in order to function. It is for this reason that we urge you to get involved. Grandparents, siblings, or any member of your family can get involved and make a difference. The PBA (Panther Band Alliance) is a great way to meet the parents and the kids your student will be spending so much time with for the next few years. The easiest way to volunteer is to attend the monthly PBA Booster meetings where you’ll learn more about the program, when, where and how you can help.

5. The PBA - Panther Band Alliance

“Wait....do I have to join a club or something?”

We are the PBA (Panther Band Alliance), a designated group within the Panther Parent Pride (a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization). That’s our ‘official’ name, but it’s easier to think of us as the BLHS Band Boosters! Who are we? You! Any parent or guardian of a Panther Band student.

You don’t have to volunteer for anything or even attend every meeting. However, if you come to meetings, you might discover things that your student has never mentioned like upcoming trips, events and fundraisers (that help pay for trips). And the Band Director gives a report at every meeting, so you’ll know what’s going on.

The PBA meetings are held, on average, at least one evening a month in the band room (or other prior designated space). A Board of Directors is voted on every spring. They are a dedicated group of band parents who spend a lot of time and energy helping to ensure the success of the BLHS band program. They are just like you: busy people with families, jobs, homes, etc. Your help and support is vital to the success of this program and greatly appreciated.

6. A YEAR AT A GLANCE

A snippet/overview of a typical BLHS Band “PERFORMANCE” year

SUMMER: Sumner-Bonney Lake School District Summer Marching Band ~ June through July

Keep playing, marching and meeting new friends! There are fun trips and parades where we are seen by tens of thousands of people in the Puget Sound area. Parents volunteer to bring popsicles at the end of rehearsals. A family BBQ and awards dinner at Loyalty Park in Sumner typically closes out the Summer Band season.

TRANSITION BACK TO SCHOOL: August

Band Camp, Uniform Fitting, Showcase, Convocation, Pep Preparation, and more!!

FALL: September through early November

What is a “field show”? The band plays music (usually 3-4 songs) while moving around the field into and out of different formations. Props are used and the Color Guard performs to bring the whole show together. During this season there are several parades as well. The Panther Field Show Band always participates in the Puyallup Fair Opening Day Parade, and enjoys a scone and a ride or two afterwards. SBLSD hosts our own Sunset Festival of Bands Field Show Competition in October at Sunset Chev Stadium. Performing at football games adds to the school spirit at home games. We also perform in the Auburn Vets Day Parade.

WINTER: November through February

There is a Fwinter Concert in November for Wind Bands, Percussion Ensemble, and Jazz Bands. Santa Parades in Puyallup, Sumner & Enumclaw are followed by Basketball Pep Band season, an enjoyable time for the band. Then we dive into our Chamber Unit for Solo-Ensemble + Jazz Combos for a unique concert at the end of January. A few of the performances are mandatory, and a few are optional, but the students have such a good time that many choose to attend just for the fun of it. 

SPRING: March through June

We are now in the heart of Festival Season, where we put on a Festival Preview Concert, and attend Wind Band & Drumline Festivals/Competitions. We then work on spring parade material (mostly Daffodil and maybe another). Finally, there’s a Spring Finale Concert that has been nicknamed “the crying concert” because it hits home that our senior band students will be graduating and moving on in their lives.

7. Fundraisers

“We pay band fees... so why are there fundraisers??”

With the school district budgets shrinking yearly, more and more of the cost to run a successful band program is left to the Band Boosters. The money collected from the band students’ fees only covers a portion of the budget. Our biggest expense, by far, is transportation. For example, to move the entire band from the high school to a parade, it usually takes 3-4 buses. Depending on the location of the parade and duration of the trip, it is easy to figure that we will spend $2000-$5,000 (or more) on transportation alone, per trip.

If we opted not to have fundraising events, there would be two choices:

1. Each family would pay out of pocket for trips

2. The band would not go anywhere: no parades nor festivals nor competitions. Nothing.

8. What It's All About

“Sounds fun, but what else is in it for my student?”

• Band students score higher on SAT tests.

• It has been shown that high school music students have higher grade point averages than non-music students in the same school.

• Through involvement in group music activities on the high school level, individuals learn to support each other, maintain commitment and bond together for group goals.

9. Nuggets of Teal and Silver

Quotes from graduating BAND seniors from SBLSD

“High school is full of ups and downs; being a member of a High School Band creates an automatic support group and circle of friends that will never let you down. Traveling and participating in band events brings everyone together to form lifelong friendships and connections, all while having the chance to learn and play music.”

“Band brings people closer than any other club, sport, or activity. There is nothing like pooling 100 different people in a room together for one common passion, a love for music. It is an instant friendship. Nearly all of my best friends are in band. There is never a dull moment.”

“I will always remember the countless practice sheets we got in middle school to the countless hours of practicing with the high school band. But it was worth every hour of my time. I have been on many adventures with the band and I couldn’t ask for anything better. I wish someone would have told me how great band was and I would not have taken it for granted and not just do it just because it was an ‘Easy A’ for many years.”

“What many people don’t know is that learning to play an instrument enhances the brain’s mathematical and logical abilities. Many studies have been done on this matter, but a convincing argument can be made by simply counting the number of band students in advanced or honors classes. Conversely, how many of the AP students are in the band? TONS!”

“This program has caused me to make decisions for my future that will benefit me for years to come. Not only will band make your high school experience even more exciting, but it will give you a strong sense of belonging, one that would not be attainable through any other program, club or class available.”

“Band is the most fun thing you will ever do throughout school. It is not a class, it is a second home. Your fellow band mates will become your brothers and sisters.”

“One of the most important aspects of band is that once you become a member, it’s as if you have instantly made over one hundred friends. Band is literally like a family. We look out for one another.”

“By playing in Jazz Band, a musician’s ability and confidence increases faster than somebody who just plays in marching band. In Jazz Band, an instrumentalist, most of the time, is the only person playing their part, so they have to play each song correctly and make sure that it is heard. In marching band, there are always multiple players to each part, so not everybody has to play the music that is provided. This single aspect increases a musician’s ability faster and gives the player more confidence in playing their instrument.”

10. Overnight Trips

“An overnight band trip?! Yikes!”

Overnight band trips. It’s enough to give a parent nightmares! Our best advice to you is this: Don’t worry, they are well supervised and a lot of fun.

The sleeping arrangements are typically this: imagine a huge room - like a gymnasium in a high school. Boys on one side of the room, girls on the other. Chaperones line down the middle. There is rarely an issue, other than it takes some time for it to get quiet enough to go to sleep.

Parent chaperones are always welcome on these trips (and needed — at least 1 chaperone per 10 students). It’s a fun time to hang out with other band parents and enjoy a HUGE slumber party of 100+ kids!

11. Top Ten Hints to Save You Time & Grief

1. Email is your best friend. Make sure you are on the PBA’s email list to receive important info. & updates! Email us if you have questions - remember, we’ve all been there before and we can usually help. pbablhs@gmail.com

2. Make your student responsible for being prepared. The first time he or she forgets something will hopefully be the last! They learn to be resourceful when they have to be.

3. Network: This is how we meet each other. It is also one of the best ways to get helpful hints on band parenting from others. At booster meetings, at events, after concerts, get to know other band parents. We’re all in this together!

4. Carpool to rehearsals & events. If you find yourself following the same car to and from the high school band room, arrange for your students to share rides. Other parents are usually grateful for the chance to save time and gas by carpooling.

5. Be prepared to cheer! The band loves it when they have their own cheering section. There is a group of band parents (current & former) that sit near the band during home football & basketball games. Join us - it’s fun!!

6. Keep uniform items in the garment bag. Don’t put uniform items away in the closet or drawers when cleaned. Keep all items (socks, shoes, band shirt, deodorant, etc.) in the garment bag. Your student will save time not hunting for them each time they are needed.

7. Band uniforms are to be kept clean, hung up and stored in the garment bag when not in use. Uniforms are dry-clean only! If you feel they need an extra cleaning, let a PBA member know, but we have already built in a mid-year cleaning after the holiday parades when the uniforms are all collected and cleaned.

8. Pack a bag with snacks and a water bottle for band trips. Even if you are sending lunch/dinner money for a trip, your student will be happier if there are snacks and a drink to tide them over until the meal stops.

9. Be patient! When picking up your student from a band event (concert, field show competition, parade) there is always clean up afterwards: putting away music, instruments, stands, etc. This can take anywhere from 10-15 minutes.

One Last Word...

We know you are probably feeling very overwhelmed right about now — this is natural and normal. Things will become routine and easier as the year goes on. Your student may be feeling overwhelmed as well. It is very important that you support your student and let them know that everything will be okay. The benefits of being a member of the band will be well worth the craziness of the first few months.

Welcome to the BLHS Band Program!

We look forward to meeting you!