Untitled Document

The practice and competition schedule can be found on the Calendar page of this website. Practice begins about two weeks before school starts. Band Camp consists of 6 to 12 hour days during which the main parts of the year’s program are learned. From the time school begins through October, students are busy Tuesday and Thursday evenings, possibly some Wednesdays after school, most of the day every Saturday, and a few Friday evenings to perform at home football games. It is a lot of work, but the kids enjoy being busy and a part of the “band family.” With some time management, it IS possible to also get good grades and participate in sports! Attendance is mandatory and essential. Sickness, injury, or a death in the family may be excused with a message before rehearsal and a note upon return.
Students should arrive 15 minutes early so they are totally ready to begin at the scheduled start time. Especially during hot weather, wear suitable clothing and shoes (no sandals) and bring plenty of water (eg., a gallon container to leave on the sidelines for breaks).
To make transporting the kids back and forth less time-consuming, consider joining a carpool. Volunteering at band camp in July is a great way to meet other parents!
Marching band practices sometimes run late and your student often won’t be ready to leave until 15 minutes after practice. Perfection takes time. Parents are welcome to come early and watch the last few minutes. It’s a good time to see what they are working on, and is another great way to meet other parents.
For everyone’s safety, please do not park along the curb in front of the practice lot (teacher lot) when picking students up after rehearsal.
Contests normally occur every Saturday. The early ones (invitationals) provide competition experience. Later contests determine which bands go on to higher level competitions.
We participate in ISSMA Open (as opposed to Scholastic or Festival) Class B. Classes A, B, C, and D are determined solely on school size. We have also done the Bands of America and Mid-State Band Assoc. prelims and finals at the end of the season.
The ISSMA marching band competition begins with Regionals in October. At Regionals, the top 10 scoring bands in each region qualify for the Semi-State contest. Thus, there are twenty bands at the Semi-State contest – 10 from the northern Region and 10 from the southern Region. The 10 highest-scoring bands at Semi-State qualify for the State Finals which are held at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Family and friends should come to as many Marching Band contests as they can. It’s fascinating to see the band and the show evolve. As time goes on, parts are added to the program and the formations become more clear. Look for the (traditionally very loud) North cheering section in the stands near the center of the field at the left 40 yard line.
Family members do have to drive themselves and pay admission to attend competitions. It’s fun to watch the other bands, but it is common for spectators to come and go, rather than sit through the whole thing. Schedules are very strict and things run on time; allow time to park and walk to the bleachers. There is normally some kind of food for sale.
Watching from a high or low vantage point brings a whole new perspective.
Detailed itineraries for each competition are emailed to the band listserv a few days beforehand — usually by Thursday. Sometimes the buses leave North very early in the morning, other times not so early, depending on when North performs. Return times can also vary widely. If you are interested in the schedule at the contest site or, later, the results, check inbands.com.
Meals are provided for the students before or after the performance, served by some very generous volunteers. See the week’s itinerary for confirmation. Parents may be asked to send water, desserts, etc.
Store-purchased and packaged food ONLY is allowed on the buses if the kids want to bring something for the ride.
Don’t worry if the bus is late returning from a band contest—arrival times are always estimates.
When waiting for the Marching Band to get back, don’t park in the circle drive, the buses have to pull in there.
Parents are welcome to watch the video of the day’s performance with the band in the band room when they return.

Students should arrive 15 minutes early so they are totally ready to begin at the scheduled start time. Especially during hot weather, wear suitable clothing and shoes (no sandals) and bring plenty of water (eg., a gallon container to leave on the sidelines for breaks).

To make transporting the kids back and forth less time-consuming, consider joining a carpool. Volunteering at band camp in July is a great way to meet other parents!

For everyone’s safety, please do not park along the curb in front of the practice lot (teacher lot) when picking students up after rehearsal.

Contests normally occur every Saturday. The early ones (invitationals) provide competition experience. Later contests determine which bands go on to higher level competitions.

We participate in ISSMA Open (as opposed to Scholastic or Festival) Class B. Classes A, B, C, and D are determined solely on school size. We have also done the Bands of America and Mid-State Band Assoc. prelims and finals at the end of the season.

Watching from a high or low vantage point brings a whole new perspective.

Meals are provided for the students before or after the performance, served by some very generous volunteers. See the week’s itinerary for confirmation. Parents may be asked to send water, desserts, etc.

Store-purchased and packaged food ONLY is allowed on the buses if the kids want to bring something for the ride.

Don’t worry if the bus is late returning from a band contest—arrival times are always estimates.

When waiting for the Marching Band to get back, don’t park in the circle drive, the buses have to pull in there.

Parents are welcome to watch the video of the day’s performance with the band in the band room when they return.