THE Houston Band

Hello, Houston Band family,

Camps are a mission-critical element of our marching season. We typically learn about a third of our stand tunes and a third of our field show during camp weeks, so it's important that everyone attends and works hard!

Equally important from an operational perspective is our dues. Our first band payment ($250) is due August 15th this year. We encourage everyone that is able to pay the first payment (or both!) during the ice cream social this year by check, which will be in the band room this Sunday. Attendance to that event is mandatory!

Lastly, we have a kickoff fundraiser this year, the Paramount Fundraising Calendar. Here is an example calendar. Each student will get their own calendar webpage link from me this week, and the goal is to fill every square on your individualized calendar with a donation. I chose to donate $4 in the example calendar, so the 4th "date" is now filled. If everyone fills up the first 10 days of their calendar, the band will raise $5,500. If everyone fills in the first 20 days of their calendar, the band will raise $22,000. If everyone fills their entire calendar, the band will raise $50,000+! We are asking that everyone does their best to at least the first 20 days, and there will be prize drawings for students that fill the entire calendar, as well as prizes for the first student to fill the calendar.

Please read all of the announcements very carefully! If you're ever feeling overwhelmed keeping track of band events, remember that our calendar is typically set a year in advance. Check it out, and add it to your Google Calendar/iCalendar!

With excitement and gratitude,

Mr. C

It’s not too late to join the band! If you have a friend that regrets not signing up (freshman through senior!), they can reach out to me and attend camp. They will probably be an “alternate” this marching season if they do that, so if their worry was marching, that’s not going to be as big a problem! They will still learn with us and attend all events, but they will not be performers in the field show. New students should reach out the Friday before full camp begins. kevin.carpenter@gmsdk12.org

Note that "call time" is fully ready to go with instrument out, not pulling into the school parking lot.

Percussion & Guard July Camp (July 14-19)

8:40am - Staff arrives

9:00am - CALL TIME - Start of day

11:30am - Dismiss for lunch (off campus or packed lunch)

12:30pm - Arrive for afternoon block

4:00pm - Dismiss

4:15pm - Staff leaves

Full Band Camp (July 21-26*)

7:00am - Staff arrives

7:30am - CALL TIME - Sectional stretch

7:45am - Basics block

8:30am - Drill

11:30am - Lunch

12:30pm - Sectional time OR drill

1:30pm - Divisional rehearsal

2:45pm - Full rehearsal

4:30pm - Dismiss

5:00pm - Staff leaves

* Saturday schedule dependent on weather

Summer Full Rehearsals (July 29 & 31)

2:45pm - Staff arrives

3:00pm - CALL TIME - Divisional rehearsals

4:15pm - Full ensemble rehearsal (inside/outside dependent on weather)

6:00pm - Dismiss

6:15pm - Staff leaves

Full Band Mini Camp (September 13) - Tentative times dependent on weather/temperatures

8:00am - Staff arrives

8:30am - CALL TIME - Sectional stretch

8:45am - Basics block

9:30am - Full rehearsal (inside/outside determined by weather)

12:00pm - Lunch

1:00pm - Full rehearsal (inside/outside determined by weather)

4:30pm - Dismiss

4:45pm - Staff leaves

We still need volunteers to help make camp run smoothly, especially for first-aid! If you are available during camp weeks, please sign up to volunteer in the first aid tent, serving lunch, or helping in some other way. Let us know you’re coming by filling out the volunteer form.

https://forms.gle/Wvyy41YRBpo8hAni9

Please do not just scroll past this form. Take a moment to find something you can help with this school year. As our band grows, so does our need for our exceptional community to rally around it.

Our band dues will not be raised moving into this year. Last year, we reduced band dues by $225 to make band as accessible as possible to all students. It's important to participate in our year-round fundraisers to supplement that cost. If fundraising is NOT your thing, please strongly consider just writing a check for $225 (or donating that amount online) to offset what students will typically fundraise over the year if they fully participate in everything.

Total mandatory dues: $500 (two payments of $250, one due on August 15th and the other due on September 15th)

Total booster requested donation: $225 (or full participation in fundraisers) by the end of the year

If you are unable to pay dues on time (or in full), please reach out to Mr. Carpenter immediately. We will do everything we can to fundraise, provide scholarships, etc. Band is an expensive activity, and these funds are necessary for travel, staffing, instruments, repair, show design, concert music, and much more. Our dues are lower than many other municipal band in the area, and we are incredibly proud of that.

You can pay via check at our Ice Cream Social on Sunday (preferred), via check any Friday of the school year, or via card on SchoolCashOnline as soon as that system is set up for the school year.

If you haven’t started spending time outside, it is almost too late. You need to spend an increased amount of time outside every day leading up to camp. You do not need to run a 5K or anything; this time outside is just to get your body used to the temperature. Do some summer work, read a book, or take a walk outside each and every day. Our goal is to spend 4-6 hours (depending on temperature and weather) outside every day of camp. If you’re used to spending 0 hours outside each day, that is a VERY challenging adjustment to make!

Bring the following to band camp to supplement our meals. This helps us keep costs and logistics down, and students are always very hungry after spending all morning outside!

Freshmen: individually wrapped chips

Sophomores: individually wrapped desserts

Juniors: individually wrapped desserts

Seniors: 12+oz water bottles or Gatorades

Anyone that’s able: Fresh fruit brought in each morning to camp would be very helpful!

Please bring the following to camp:

• Big water bottle (half gallon+ preferred)
• Hat
• Lightweight clothing (including a change if desired for the afternoon—not mandatory)
• Snacks
• Instrument
• Poncho (disposable or reusable)
• Sunscreen (high SPF!)
• Bug spray
• Athletic shoes
• Chapstick
• Beach towel
• Deodorant (NOT Axe/other body sprays)
• Sunglasses
• Flip folder for music
• Lawn chair for breaks
• A great attitude and growth mindset!

Please do NOT bring the following to camp:

• Highly scented perfume or cologne (many students have allergies, and it can make rehearsal hard for them to be nearby)
• Sugary drinks (soda, juice, etc.) unless necessary for blood sugar levels
• Anything against normal school rules (examples of “oops I didn’t know” that we’ve gotten in the past are water guns and utility tools)
• A negative attitude

We will have a showcase performance on Saturday July 26th! We have two plans for this, and we will let you know which as soon as we can (likely mid-week during camp).

Plan A (Good weather): We will have a full morning rehearsal block, dismiss at 11:30am for lunch on your own (pack a lunch if that’s not possible), and be back at 1pm for the 1:30pm preview performance.

Plan B (Bad weather/too hot): We will meet for a brief morning rehearsal and have a preview performance at 11am either outside or in the gym.

If you or someone you know would like to sponsor our band next year, we have a few different tiers of booster sponsorships we're excited to introduce! Please reach out to me for more info if you're interested in these tax-deductible sponsorships. Anonymous sponsorships are also available if desired!

$10,000 - Platinum - Season Sponsor (1 spot) - As a token of appreciation: Name or company name on all concert programs, read as the primary sponsor at all football games while introducing the band, posted on website, and given a certificate of appreciation at our Band Banquet (plus 8 seats at the banquet if desired).

$5,000 - Gold - Season Sponsor (3 spots) - As a token of appreciation: Name or company name on all concert programs, read at all football games while introducing the band, posted on website, and given a certificate of appreciation at our Band Banquet (plus 4 seats at the banquet if desired).

$3,000 - Silver - Cycle Sponsor (3 spots) - By supporting the costs roughly associated with one of our three cycles of concert band, you can be a Cycle Sponsor. As a token of appreciation: At the culminating concert of that cycle, name or company on concert programs and verbally announced as that concert's sponsor. Included on website.

$1,000 - Bronze - Friend of the Band (unlimited spots) - As a token of appreciation: Name or company name included in all digital concert programs on a list of "friends of the band."

$500 - "Give the Gift of Band" - The equivalent of one student's band dues. Doing this can offset the costs of a student whose family may not be able to afford their band dues. Name or company name included in all digital concert programs.

Please note, students that miss rehearsals and performances without prior approval will be penalized with grade deductions. All you have to do is give us as MUCH heads up as possible, emailing me the reason for missing and (when relevant) a doctor's note. Please note that the closer we get to a date, the less likely exemption will be granted. Give us time to plan for other students' success when sending us your reasonable conflicts due to health, religion, family emergencies, etc.

Please look ahead in our calendar when scheduling routine doctor or dental care. Your appointment may have been scheduled for six months, but our calendar has been set for 18 months. If you have an immovable appointment, let me know ASAP, not the day before. The former will be exempt, and the latter will not.

Thank you for your understanding and commitment to our band's success!

It is extremely important to plan ahead for ACT dates when you are in band, as we often have Saturday events outside of our scheduling control. The ACT dates with no conflicts are (2025) June 14, July 12, September 6, October 18, (2026) April 11 for most students, June 13, and July 11.

That is more than enough dates to take the ACT an adequate number of times. Missing a band event for the ACT is NOT excused. We understand the inconvenience of not having these dates available, but all of these Saturdays are outside of our scheduling control. Our ACT date conflicts this year are: December 13 (Holiday Parade), February 14 (All West), and April 11 (for All State Students only). Please plan accordingly.

If you are interested in private lessons, please reach out! We are happy to recommend teachers for students of all levels at any budget. The time to start preparing for regional honors ensembles (All West/ All State/ Memphis/ etc.) is NOW, not just the two weeks leading up to those events.

Mr. Sims has created a list of some practice resources for students. If you have any additional resources that have been helpful for you, please feel free to share them!

• The Woodwind Fingering Guide
• "Fingering Chart by Tremolo" on iOS
• PlayScore 2
• Sight Reading Factory (see Mr. C for activation instructions at the start of band camp)
• MusicRacer.com (note that there are strobing lights in this game)

Additionally, students have reported having improved outcomes utilizing the Tonic App. I've heard comparisons to the popular running app Strava, but for music. Parents, please feel free to explore this option for your young musician but be advised that there is a social media element to this app.

Our 2026 Spring Trip will be to UNIVERSAL STUDIOS! This trip is optional and not included in band dues. Due to a very busy Q4 this year, we will be traveling to sunny Orlando at the END OF JANUARY, which is a beautiful time of year in central Florida. Typically, band trips costs about $1,000. Charter buses, hotels, and theme parks are all getting more and more expensive. Most students save up money (from birthdays, holidays, mowing lawns, working jobs, etc.) to go (or at least offset parent costs!), and the time to start doing that is now!

We will be hosting open practice time after school Monday-Thursday AND every school day 7:00am-7:45am. The road to All West participation starts now, with a little bit of growth every day! We hope to see as many students as possible fill the band room each morning and evening to improve their craft.

Please encourage your young musicians to pick a day each week to come practice with myself, Mr. Sims, and others on our incredibly talented band staff. Thank you!

Students can request lesson time with Mr. Sims or Mr. Carpenter after school! We are here to help you get better at your instrument!

If you have a friend, neighbor, family member, or ANYONE else in your life in 4th or 5th grade within GMSD, let them know about the transformative experience band has been in your students' lives. If you know an 8th grader that wants to be in a great band but doesn't live in Germantown, let them know about our academies. We are so excited to continue building our program's numbers back to sustainable levels, but that takes work from everyone. Thank you for helping with that work!

If anyone has ANY questions about band at any level, I'm more than happy to field those questions.

Find upcoming dates for performances, events, and one-off rehearsals below. Note that regular rehearsals are Tuesdays and Thursdays, with sectionals on Mondays.

You can always find our full calendar (including Google and iCal integration links) here: https://www.thehoustonband.com/calendar

Upcoming Dates

• 7/14/25-7/19/25 - Percussion and Guard Camps
  
• 7/21/25-7/26/25 - Full Band Camp
• 7/29/25 - SUMMER REHEARSAL (3-6pm)
• 7/31/25 - SUMMER REHEARSAL (3-6pm)
• 8/7/25 - Rehearsals begin (sectionals Mon 3-4:30, full rehearsals Tues/Thurs 3-4:45)
• 8/29/25 - Football v. Whitehaven
• 9/13/25 - Marching Band Mini Camp (all day)
• 9/27/25 - Contest #1 (TBD)
• 10/4/25 - Contest #2 (Champions @ Collierville)
• 10/10/25 - Football v. Arlington
• 10/25/25 - Recording Session (@ HHS)
• 10/30/25 - Football v. Collierville
• 11/1/25 - Contest #3 (Bandmasters @ Liberty Bowl)
• 11/7/25 (and following Fridays through November) - Potential Playoff Football
• 11/8/25 - Recording Session Rain Date (@ HHS)
• 11/11/25 - Holiday concert rehearsals begin (Tuesdays Concert Band, Thursdays Wind Ensemble)
• 11/22/25 - WTSBOA All West Auditions
• 12/11/25 - Holiday Concert (@ HHS, 6pm)
• 1/8/26 - After school rehearsals begin for CPA cycle (Tuesdays or Thursdays, depending on ensemble)
• 1/28/26 to 2/1/26- Spring Trip - Universal Studios!!
• 2/12/26-2/14/26 - WTSBOA All West Clinic
• 2/21/26 - CPA/Festival Mini Camp (@ HHS, all day)
• 3/12/26 OR 3/13/26 - WTSBOA Concert Performance Assessment
• 4/9/26-4/12/25 - TnMEA All State Clinic and Conference
• 5/5/26 - Tentative Band Concert (dependent on GPAC)
• 5/8/26 - Graduation

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