Return to flip book view

Guide book New MemberKlein CainBand

Welcome to band!

Why marching band?Marching band provides an avenue for students to expressthemselves creatively while fostering invaluable life skills.Through rigorous rehearsals and precision-drivenperformances, students learn the importance of dedication,teamwork, and time management. Marching bandcultivates a sense of belonging and camaraderie among itsmembers, forging friendships that often endure beyond thefield or stage. The Klein Cain band is excited that you are starting yourjourney with us! This guidebook will assist in answeringyour initial questions. We know that you will have morequestions as the year we progress. We encourage you tojoin us at band 101 and band socials to partner with otherparents.

Band CampAs a new band member, band camp is a pivotal experiencewithin the marching band. For freshmen, it marks the transitionfrom the middle school to high school experience. Band camp is a journey filled with long days of practice, intenseworkouts, and bonding activities. It's a time when friendshipsare forged through and where individuals learn the truemeaning of teamwork and dedication. Long days are a guarantee. As parents, we will encourage themand make sure that thay are present for every day of practice.As students, we will be fully present and will embrace theadventure. You will be tired, but it will be worth it! Band Camp EssentialsStudents will rehearse inside and outside during band camp.Hydration is key both leading up to and during the duration ofcamp. It is also important to become acclimated to being outsideleading into the July camp.Quality- supportive shoes, white tees, sunscreen, sunglasses arecrucial. Invest in a water jug and bring it daily! Mini Camps,Summer Sectionals,& Summer BandMini Camps occur during the end of May- beginning of June.Attendance is expected. Sectionals will occur over Summerbreak and will be planned by section leaders. A competitiveband has high attendance at summer sectionals. Summer bandcamp in late July through August. Please do not plan vacationsduring these weeks as attendance is expected.

The start of the school year brings the start of marchingseason. This is a busy time filled with rehearsals, footballgames, and competitions. Each competition and halftimeshow represents an opportunity for the band to showcasetheir hard work and passion. Per UIL, students may not practice more than 8 hours perweek. Expect to rehearse a few hours M,T, Th, Fr with afootball game occurring weekly during the season as well.There will be weeks when we will have a Friday night gameand a Saturday competition. Competition days start early(around 6 AM) and we return to Cain late at night (around11 PM). Yes, it is tiring! But it is also fun, and exciting, andwhere your student will create lasting memories!Parent involvement for these events means the world toour band students. Be present in the stands! They loveseeing Cain parents cheering for them as they take thefield at both games and competitions!Marching Season

FootballFootballFootball GamesGamesGamesOn game days, students will not go home. They will stay for practice, dinner, and will travel tothe game together by bus. The evening is spentplaying stand music as well as performing duringhalf time. Students are picked up from Cain afterreturning from the game and putting away allequipment (approx 11 PM). Parent support is greatlyneeded on game days in the areas of Storm Chasers,hospitality, chaperones, and uniforms. We also need parent support in the stands!

Marching CompetitionsCompetitions days are long days. We have a very early start to ourday (6 AM). Students rehearse and then travel together to thecompetition. The day has 2 components- prelims and finals. It isalways our goal to make it to finals.This means that the band willperform twice. It also means that our day will end around 11 PM. Parent support is greatly needed at competitions in the areas ofStorm Chasers, hospitality, chaperones, and uniforms. We also need parent support in the stands!

Uniform Basics To keep our uniforms inTo keep our uniforms inTo keep our uniforms intop shape, we need parenttop shape, we need parenttop shape, we need parentvolunteers to washvolunteers to washvolunteers to washuniforms during theuniforms during theuniforms during theseason. This is a greatseason. This is a greatseason. This is a greatway to help from home!way to help from home!way to help from home! The school-provided marching band uniform includes Pants (also know as Bibs),a Jacket with attached Hip Skirt, a Hat (two pieces: hat band, hat wrap), and twoGauntlets (worn around the wrists). Students are provided with a garment bagand hat box to store these items. Only the school-provided uniform pieces listedabove are stored in the garment bag and hat box. Student’s shoes, socks, gloves, music, flip folders, etc should be taken home bythe student after every performance.Additional items are purchased by the students, including marching shoes,gloves, a dry fit shirt and black shorts. These are ordered on Registration Dayduring Band Camp.The Pants and Jacket/Hip Skirt are washed regularly throughout the marchingseason by members of the Uniform Committee. Parent volunteers will takehome 10-12 uniforms to wash after a football game or contest and return themto the band hall before the next performance. The uniforms are easy to wash ina home washing machine and dryer. If you are interested in joining the UniformCommittee, email uniforms@cainband.org.

The Parent Band FamilyAs you can imagine, it takes a lot of volunteers tomake our Band successful. The Cain band relies onthe help from parent volunteers to help the band.We encourage you to reach out and be part of theband parent family! Our board members and/ or committee leads canhelp you find your niche so that your time andtalents have the greatest impact on our program. While the band is perfecting their shows, we arebehind the scenes raising the funds necessary toprovide everything they need. We are also fittinguniforms, ordering meals, driving trucks andchaperoning trips. It is a group effort and we needyou to make it happen!The Chaperone, Storm Chaser and Uniform teamneed the most support during the marchingseason. Other teams are more seasonal but canalways benefit from parent support. There is aplace for everyone!

Fundraising Team- Helps raise money for the band through variousfundraisers-fundraising@cainband.org Sponsorship Team - Reach out to local businesses for sponsor support-sponsorship@cainband.org Chaperone Team - Helps chaperone students at band related eventschaperones@cainband.org Props and Storm Chaser Team - Maintains props and helps withtransportation of equipment to events- stormchasers@cainband.org Spirit Wear Team-Works on yearly spirit wear designs, ordering anddistribution of spirit wear- spiritwear@cainband.org Uniform Team -Organize and maintain uniforms. Washing team washesuniforms after games/ competitions during marching season.uniforms@cainband.org Social Team-Creates and organizes social band events-social@cainband.org Historian Team- Photographs and archives events and creates the banquetslide show- historian@cainband.orgParent Support Committee TeamsBeyond these groups, parents canBeyond these groups, parents canBeyond these groups, parents canshow weekly support by attendingshow weekly support by attendingshow weekly support by attendinggames and competitions!games and competitions!games and competitions!

President - Chris Burris- president@cainband.orgVice President -Jennifer Ramirez- vp@cainband.orgSecretary - Amanda Preston- secretary@cainband.orgTreasurer - Nikki Bartkowiak- treasurer@cainband.orgInformation is provided through the BAND app, weeklyemails, Facebook, and the charms calendar. As a newparent, the amount of information may seemoverwhelming at times. The best advice is- read, read,read all communication that is sent out! Findinganother parent to reach out to has been helpful formany freshmen parents. There will be times when youhave questions and don’t know where to find theanswers. We have all been there! Understand thoughthat directors are not immediately available to answerquestions during rehearsals or events. Staying on top ofreading notices and having another parent point ofcontact is vital as a new band parent.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)What is the time commitment for band?Per Texas State (UIL) Law, before/after school activities are only allowed topractice for 8 hours per week once school has begun. During the summer,we have a Band Camp that runs during the weeks leading into the schoolyear. These weeks are more intensive to prepare us for the marchingseason. When school starts, the band will practice after school. During themarching season there are Friday night football game commitments(performances) as well as Saturday Contests (competition) throughout theFall Semester. The marching season finishes during the first part ofNovember, and then the Band will only play at football games.Who does "Winds", "Percussion" and “Guard”refer to?"Winds refers to any student who plays an wind instrument - something youblow air through. Percussion refers to the students that play front ensemble (pit) and druminstruments. Front ensemble or pit refers to the students that playkeyboards, marimbas, vibes, and auxiliary instruments. "Battery" refers tothe students that play drums (snare, tenor, or bass). Guard refers the color guard .

Does "Band" include Color Guard?Yes! In the fall marching season, any band activity includes both musicians andcolor guard and the term "band" refers to everyone. In the spring concertseason, our musicians begin working as ensembles and our color guard beginscompetition in the winter guard season.What is the "no pass, no play" policy?"All schools must check grades for all participants at the end of the first sixweeks of the school year. From that point, grades are checked at the endof the grading period whether it is six, nine, or twelve weeks in length.Students who pass remain eligible until the end of the next grading period. This provision applies to all grading periods. It also applies to all threeschool week evaluation periods for ineligible students. Eligibility after 1stSix Weeks-A student who receives, at the end of any grading period (afterthe first six weeks of the school year), a grade below 70 in any academicclass (other than an identified advanced class) may not participate inextracurricular activities for at least three school weeks. FAQs Cont.

Do we REALLY need all this fundraising? Wheredoes the money go?Yes… we really do! Each year, KCBA donates hundreds of thousands of dollars for thingslike props for the marching shows, summer band instructors, region master classes, andmarching technicians. Funds are also used for Color Guard expenses, new instrumentsand equipment, and travel expenses like trailer upkeep and insurance costs. We knowthat fundraising isn’t everyone’s favorite thing… but it truly is necessary to allow our bandto maintain the current level of performance and success.There are fundraising activities throughout the year including:Flags- We need familes to take a couple of hours during our flag window toput out and pick up flags. This is a profitable opportunity for us thatrequires family participation.Fireworks- We need helpers twice a year to assist at an indoor fireworksstand. This fundraiser can bring in thousands if we have enoughparticipation. Vertical Raise- This direct donation fundraiser is most effective when students reach out to friends and family for support.Other fundraisers include: Chocolate Candy, Spirit Nights, Cornhole Tournament, Raise Right Fundraising

SponsorshipThe Klein Cain band relies on sponsor donations to helpmaintain our program. With very limited financialsupport from the district, sponsors are needed tocontinue to have a program of excellence.How can parents help?Parents can reach out to local businesses that youfrequent and ask for support. We have a sponsorpacket that provides all the needed details.Remember, the answer will be no 100% of the timeyou never ask! How does your sponsorship help?-supports KCBA’s 2023-2024 budget for continuedsuccess and growth throughout the marching andconcert seasons-funds instrument and equipment purchases andsupplemental instructors to support our growingprogram-provides private lesson scholarships and funding formaster classes, transportation expenses, eventparticipation fees, and other band related expenses-maintains our two trailers - transports gear to games,competitions, and concerts