I hope all of you are aware that our first marching band trip is this Saturday, September 18th, to Nation Ford High School! Students will report to the Northwestern practice field at 8:30 Saturday morning for rehearsal. We will finish with a clinic by one of the adjudicators who will see us perform later that afternoon. This is an exhibition performance, but we will still benefit from a panel of adjudicators providing commentary for us. In many respects, this can be compared to what a scrimmage is like for a football team. The students will experience the entire process from when we arrive at a competition site until we leave. A more detailed schedule is attached to this email. Hopefully, all of you can attend, and we will have a sea of purple people cheering on the Purple Regiment!

Updates for this week:

• Nation Ford Exhibition
  • Our complete itinerary for the day is attached, as well as the show schedule in case you would like to watch any other bands throughout the day
  • Tickets will be available for purchase at the stadium
    • $10 for Adults
    • Children under 5 and teachers with a valid ID are free
• As we start our competition season, we are asking for donations of soda cans, water, individually packaged snacks, and individually packaged desserts
  • We will purchase a sandwich for all students when we travel, but these extra items will help make a complete meal!
• Parent show shirts should arrive this week. Kimberly Shaw will contact you if you placed an order.
  • If you did not order a shirt, please get in touch with Kim at [email protected]. If we have enough to place another order, we will!
• Please remember to sign up for a time slot to volunteer at the Olde English Tournament of Bands on Saturday, September 25!
  • Click here to find a list of volunteer needs, and enter the password NorthwesternHSBands when prompted.
• Ads are now for sale in the Olde English Tournament of Bands program!
  • Click here to see ads that have been printed in the past
  • Click here for information on purchasing and creating an ad for the program
  • Also, if your employer might be interested in supporting the contest, click here for details about business ads
• Please be sure your student keeps up with their work in the band and all their classes. We will have weekly recording assignments through the end of the month, so you should hear your student practicing at home!
• EVERY STUDENT NEEDS A WATER BOTTLE. We will always have water on the field so you can refill your water bottle.
  • Students also need athletic shorts, shirts, sneakers, and a hat for rehearsal.
  • Please be sure you’re eating a nutritious breakfast and lunch so you have the energy to make it through the school day and all of our rehearsals.
• Middle School Band Night has been rescheduled for Friday, October 1st. If you know a current 8th-grade band student, please encourage them to join us that evening.

I know this is a great deal of information, and there is still more we will share in the coming weeks. We will communicate future competition schedules and other pertinent information as soon as it becomes available to us, but feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you again for your support, and we hope to see you at Nation Ford this Saturday!