Hudson Hawk Band Updates

The Advanced Band students on THIS LIST will be traveling to Epic Waters for the Epic Waters Music Festival. Students' fall band fees MUST be paid in full by Friday, December 5th in order to attend the trip. The list may change after Friday after we have run our financial report.

The trip itinerary can be found here. Students will need to arrive at Hudson at 8:15am on Tuesday morning, wearing their dark gray band shirt with their swimsuit underneath and pants/shorts (the water park does get pretty hot inside). Swimsuits must not be able to be removed by pulling on one string. We will return before the end of the school day and students can go home via their regular mode of transportation.

All Jazz Band students will be performing for the citizens at Ariel Point on Thursday, December 11th at 12:00pm. The students will walk to Ariel Point at the beginning of 4th period and will return in time for E lunch at 1:09pm. They will need to wear their dark gray band shirt with jeans and festive accessories for this performance.

The Beginner Band will have their first concert on Monday, December 15th at Sachse HS. They will have a required rehearsal on Thursday, December 11th in preparation for the concert. This information sheet details the uniform requirements for the concert, as well as information about the rehearsal, and concert night expectations.

We can't wait for you to hear how much they've grown this year so far - you are going to be blown away!

Our 34 students who earned a seat in the GISD All-District Band will rehearse on Friday, December 12th and Saturday, December 13th at North Garland High School and will finish their weekend with an amazing concert on Saturday afternoon. Their itinerary for the weekend can be found here. Transportation is not provided for this event. Lunch on Saturday WILL be provided for all students. Please take note of the concert uniform requirements - ALL students will wear a plain, white dress shirt (long-sleeved, button-down with a collar), black dress pants, black socks, and black dress shoes.

For our Advanced Bands Winter Concert on December 16th, students will wear our contest uniforms. Girls will be fitted for a black dress that is provided by the band, but will need to have their own close-toed, flat-soled solid black dress shoes (ballet flats are a perfect choice). Boys will need to purchase their own solid black dress pants, solid black long-sleeved button-down dress shirt, solid black dress shoes and tall black socks.

The Wind Symphony students will travel to our feeder elementary schools to present a holiday concert on Wednesday, December 17th. We will be traveling with the Hudson Choir as well. The holiday tour itinerary can be found here. Students will need to arrive at Hudson that day at 7:40am, dressed in their gray Hudson Band shirt with jeans/dark pants. They can wear long sleeves under their shirt and can add festive accessories for the occasion. They are allowed to decorate their instruments as long as the decor is removable! We will be back at school before 7th period and they will go home via their regular mode of transportation.

Our Fall Practice Challenge started on Sunday, October 12 and lasts for 9 weeks. Students who practice for 20 minutes on 50 out of the 63 days of the challenge will be invited to the Elfstavaganza party on Wednesday, December 17th (date change!!!). Parents, please initial in each box when your student practices for at least 20 minutes. Don't forget the parent signature at the top and ALL papers are due by Tuesday, December 16th to score an invite to the party!

Our fall payment deadline is coming up and we wanted to remind about it. We know talking about band fees is never anyone's favorite thing to do, but it is necessary for us to be able to provide your students with all of the opportunities and activities we have planned for them this year. Here are the dates to be aware of:

December 5th - deadline for EVERYONE'S fall band fees to be paid in full - this includes instrument usage fees for students using a school-owned instrument as well. Please check your student's Presto account to see how much is due - you can even pay online! (See the video at the bottom of this newsletter for a tutorial on how to use Presto)

If you are interested in having early access to the auditorium to choose your seat in the audience before our Winter Concerts on December 15th (Beginner Band) and December 16th (Advanced Bands), please fill out the VIP SEAT FUNDRAISER FORM.

The funds raised will help us pay for the Wind Symphony's transportation costs for their Music for All performance. If you would like early access to the auditorium (at 5:30pm to choose your seats before doors open to the general public at 5:50pm for the Beginner Band concert on December 15th or at 6:00pm to choose seats before doors open at 6:20pm for the Advanced Bands concert on December 16th), fill out the form above. Tickets for VIP seating are $10 for each seat, and are limited to the first 100 seats sold for each concert.

If you are one of the first 100 seats sold, you will have early entry through a separate door (communicated at a later date) and will be able to choose your seat early. You will only be allowed entry once your whole party has arrived. This form will be closed for seat reservations once we have sold 100 seats. Your Presto account will be charged within 72 hours for the number of seats you are reserving and the seats MUST be paid for before 12:00pm on the day of the concert.

Confirmation of your VIP seating purchase will be emailed to the address you input on the form. You MUST show the booster club volunteer at the door your confirmation email for admission.

The booster club is doing a tamale fundraiser to help raise funds for our Wind Symphony trip to Indianapolis for the Music for All National Festival. Place your order using this form. These are delicious, handmade tamales that will make any holiday gathering delicious!

Order Deadline: Friday, December 12, 2025 at midnight and must be pre-paid (see payment options below). NO REFUNDS

Payment Options:

• Cash
• Zelle (treasurer@hudsonband.org)

Pickup: Thursday, December 18, 2025 from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Location: Hudson Band Hall

Tamales: $22 per dozen

• Chicken with red chile sauce (not spicy)
• Pork with red chile sauce (not spicy)
• Cheese with jalapeños

Green Salsa: $8 per container (16 ounces)

It’s never too late to get a jump-start on reaching out to corporate band sponsors! This year we have multiple levels of band sponsorships so potential donors can decide how they would like to support our band. Corporate sponsors in any of the five sponsorship levels will have their business logo included on our band website and in concert programs the entire school year. Please help us by reaching out to businesses in your life and sharing the flier below. Feel free to contact us at fundraising@hudsonband.org if you have any questions because we're excited about fundraising and the opportunities we want to provide our students this year!

December

• 9 - Advanced Bands Epic Waters Festival (8:15am-3:30pm)
• 11 - Beginner Band after school rehearsal @ Hudson Band Hall (4:15-5:30pm)
• 12-13 - GISD All-District Band Clinic/Concert for qualifying WS & HB students @ Lakeview

Centennial HS (time TBA)

• 15 - Beginner Band Holiday Concert @ Sachse HS (stay after school - perform @ 6:00pm)
• 16 - Advanced Bands Holiday Concert @ Sachse HS (6:00pm)
• 17 - Wind Symphony Holiday Elementary Tour @ Sewell, Lister, & Armstrong
• 17 - Elfstravaganza for students who completed the Fall Practice Challenge (DATE CHANGE!)
• 17 - Hat Creek Burger spirit night fundraiser
• 18 - Tamale fundraiser pickup - 6-8pm in the HMS Band Hall

Spring Semester Events

January

• 20 - Side-by-Side rehearsals for all Advanced Band students at Sachse HS (during the school day)
• 24 - All-Region Clinic/Concert for students who earned a seat in the TMEA Region 3 All-Region Band

Music for All offers Friends and Family packages for anyone who wants to attend our performance in Indianapolis, but isn't an official trip chaperone. The package options can be seen on this document. The band will be doing package 3A and staying Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday nights. If you choose any of these packages, you will have meals with the band and will be granted access to any activities we are doing as part of our MFA package. All packages include a ticket to the banquet/gala on Saturday night, a very special celebration for all of the students who perform at MFA. Transportation and parking are not included in the packages and will be the responsibility of the family. There is NO extra space on the band bus.

MFA also offers a hotel only package, for $300 per night. We do not yet know which hotel we will be staying at, but our first choice was the JW Marriott.

All of the packages open for Families & Friends open on December 15th and we will be able to tell you by then which hotel the band has been placed at.

If you are a parent of a student attending the Music for All trip and you would like to help us serve on a Fundraising Committee specifically for this trip, please fill out this form ASAP. We have more fundraiser ideas, but need help putting them into action. We will take all the help we can get!

As a reminder, you should be making monthly payments toward the MFA trip in Presto until February. Students and chaperones who are attending the trip have been charged each month's payment in Presto. The payment schedule is as follows:

September 15

October 15

November 17

December 15

January 15

February 13

Thank you so much for staying on top of these payments!

Wind Symphony Parents - the Music for All Kick-off Recording is ready to be viewed. This video takes the place of the meeting that MFA had originally scheduled in August. This video actually features some of our current Wind Symphony students, but also explains what exactly the National Festival is, what makes it special, and answers a lot of questions you may have. Our MFA contract is currently getting its final approval from Dr. Wong, but will be sent out to all of you by the end of this week, before the first trip payment is due on September 15th. You'll have about 10 days to make your decision, sign a contract, and submit the first payment.

You can find all of the Beginner Band supply lists for each instrument on our band website. They're found on the handouts page, where there's also a list of our recommended music stores that can help you rent instrument or purchase necessary supplies. Don't wait to get your supplies ordered - it takes a few days for the stores to fill the orders and you don't want your student to miss out on the first sounds of the year with their class!

Much like the beginner band year, as students continue with band there are new/different/extra supplies that will be needed. Many of these are the same supplies that we requested for this past year, so if your student will be an 8th grader, they likely already have these supplies. Please make sure your student has these supplies when we start school. The supplies on the list have been linked to Amazon to try and make it super easy for you - just add to cart and check out!

As you are doing your back-to-school shopping, if you feel inclined to donate any items to the HMS Band, we do have an Amazon wishlist for our classroom. We are so grateful for any and all donations we receive, as well as just your support! Other items that we use frequently and would gladly accept any donations of are paper plates, bottled water (8oz bottles are wasted less than 16oz bottles), and reams of copy paper.

If you missed our parent meeting presentations on August 21, you can find them below.

Beginner Band Presentation
Advanced Bands Presentation
Wind Symphony Presentation
There are many links within the presentations. Please click through things and let us know if you have any questions.

The BEST investment you can make for your student's musical education is with PRIVATE LESSONS! We have the most wonderful group of private teachers around who are dedicated to providing quality one-on-one instruction to our students. Most of our teachers have been working with our students already this summer at our camps and have already told me how much they are enjoying getting to know your students. To sign your student up for private lessons, fill out this enrollment form and get it back to us ASAP. The teachers will schedule students as soon as they receive their enrollment form, so be first to get the most desired lesson time! Private lessons are $25 each week, payable directly to the private teacher. If you would like to contact the private teacher for your student's instrument, you can find all of our teachers' contact information on this page.

Starting the 2nd day of school, our procedures are as follows:

Morning Drop-off

The back door #11 (exterior band hall door) will open at 7:40am. Students may come in and drop off their instrument in their band locker. From 7:45-8:15am, students will be required to exit the exterior band hall door, walk around to the front of the school, and enter near the bike racks to sit in the cafeteria. After 8:15am, students will be allowed to leave the band hall and go inside the building to either the cafeteria or gym to wait to be released to 1st period. The only students allowed to stay in the band hall are band aides, students who have a morning sectional that day, or students who have a private lesson. On Monday mornings ONLY, the band hall will be open to all students for practice from 7:45am-8:40am.

**Students who are caught loitering outside of the band hall (exterior or interior door), will receive a warning the first time, a parent contact the 2nd time, a detention the 3rd time, and an office referral the 4th time. Student's placement in the band program will be in jeopardy if they reach a 4th time.**

Afternoon Pick-up

Band students are allowed and encouraged to come down to the band hall after school to pick up their instrument/binder and take them home to practice. Students will receive a sticker to place on the back of their student ID to identify them as band students. Parents can pick up band students at the back of the school (where the traffic is typically better anyway) outside of door #11. YOU MUST STOP IN THE LEFT LANE, WAIT FOR YOUR STUDENT TO LOAD THE CAR, AND ONLY USE THE RIGHT LANE AS A DRIVE THROUGH. Parents who repeatedly use the right lane to stop and pick up their student will not be allowed to continue using the back exit! Please be patient and cautious during drop-off and pick-up. STUDENT SAFETY IS OUR TOP PRIORITY!

PLEASE READ OUR MONTHLY SMORES! Most of the answers to questions we receive regularly are already in the Smore. We take a lot of time to try and keep you informed as much as possible. Please do your part by reading ALL of the information.

With a band program our size, it is important to follow a chain of command. If you have a question or an issue, please start by contacting the teacher of your student's class:

Mrs. Becker - Wind Symphony (Varsity), Beginner Flute, Oboe, Bassoon, Clarinet, Saxophone

Mr. Clark - Honors Band (Non-Varsity), Beginner Trumpet, French Horn, Euphonium

Ms. Ball - Symphonic Band (Sub Non-Varsity), Beginner Trombone, Tuba

Mrs. Manaois - Advanced Band Percussion

Mr. Tucker - Beginner Percussion

If your child's teacher cannot help, they will help connect you with the person who can!

The best way to contact the band directors is through email. Please know that we team-teach our classes and each of us only has one 45-minute conference period each day. If you haven't received a response to your message within 48 hours, please message us again. We all strive to respond within 24 hours, but that isn't always realistic.

We have turned off notifications on Parent Square and the Band App in an effort to disconnect from work while we are not at school. Through the Band App, you will have many parents who can chime in and help answer your questions there. We have a lot of families who are on their 3rd and 4th child in our program and who are great at helping answer questions.

We are all setting boundaries to leave work at work (as much as possible), so we can be more present for our families at home. We will not be responding to emails on weekends/holidays. We spend many extra hours and days with your students, who we love, but our families must come first. Thank you so much for your understanding and for showing us grace as we put these boundaries in place.

The BAND app is the quickest way for us to communicate with you and we use it often. You can sign up for the BAND app by clicking on the link for the group you wish to join: ALL Band Parents & Students, 25-26 Beginner Band, Symphonic Band, Honors Band, Wind Symphony, Jazz Band, Parents ONLY. We will send reminders about upcoming concerts, when practice records are due, sectionals, etc. Please sign up for this wonderful service!

This year we will be using a fine arts management program called Presto (the same program we used last year for our returning families). This program allows us to keep track of band finances, inventory, music library, uniforms, communicate with members, and much more. On Friday, August 15th, all new parents and students will receive a welcome email from Presto with details on how to log in. You will be able to see upcoming events, outstanding balances, make online payments, keep track of your student's school-owned uniforms and inventory, etc. This system works very well for our unique program needs and we hope you'll take the time to explore the program and watch the quick video tutorial below.

All band students will be issued a band locker on the first day of school. Band lockers are for storing band instruments and band binders during the school day. We expect all students to take home both their binder and their instrument EVERY DAY because consistent practice is the best way to improve on an instrument. We do have combination locks available to students who request one, but we do not initially issue locks with the lockers. We HIGHLY RECOMMEND students to keep their locker locked all the time. Students are welcome to bring their own locks, however, they are REQUIRED to either share the combination with the band directors or give us a copy of the key. We do our very best to keep things safe, but the best way you can help yourself is to lock your locker and LABEL ALL OF YOUR BAND SUPPLIES! I purchased THIS LOCK for my own child to use for ease of use and time constraints at the beginning and end of class.

Heather Becker - Director

Chris Clark - Assistant Director

Rachel Ball - Assistant Director

Sue Manaois - Percussion Director

Garrett Tucker - Sachse Cluster Percussion Director

Website: www.hudsonband.org

Phone: 972-675-3070 ext. 52218
Facebook: facebook.com/hudsonmsband

Instagram: instagram.com/hudsonhawkband