Fenton Marching Band Letter #1 2026
Marching Band information for our rehearsals in June!
Dear Band Parents, Guardians, Students, and Families!
Welcome to the 2026-2027 Marching Bison Band! We are very excited to get under way with another year of exhilarating music and pageantry with the Fenton High School community. PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU AND YOUR STUDENT THOROUGHLY READ THIS ENTIRE LETTER as there is important information that pertains to your student.
Your student’s participation in the FHS Marching Band will not only provide another opportunity for them to perform, but make them a lifelong appreciator and listener of live music. They will also get an experience of friends, music, fun, memories, and achievement that they will never forget. The marching band consists of students who choose to be in the Fenton High School Marching Bison Band. I know that all of the students, new and seasoned, are good enough to participate in this ensemble!
Parents and students, please check out the documents and videos below that are tailored just for you.
I look forward to visiting with you in person soon. As always, I am just an email away.
Sincerely,
Garett A George
he/him/his
Director of Bands
Fenton High School
1000 W Green Street
Bensenville, Illinois, 60106
O: 630.860.4944
C: 929.322.4944
F: 630.787.4093
Keys to successful Marching Band Season
Marching Band is the school's largest "group project," for which you are a part of. Together we will use our skills and energy to enhance the Friday Night Lights experience, support our athletic teams, energize the student body, and make our loved ones proud! Just ask the senior class of 2026...they'll tell you that the days can be long, but the years fly by. We ask that you do a few things to help this group project be successful:
- Show up and be on time. It doesn't matter what you play or how amazing you are. This is the ultimate group activity. We can't move forward without you. Remember, "to be early is to be on time. On time is late. Late is...." well, you know the answer 😄
- Make great choices. Choose your words and actions carefully, inside and outside of band.
- Keep things in perspective. What may seem like a big deal after a long day may not after some rest and food. Keep your eye on the prize!
- Remember that you are important. It doesn't matter what you play or how many years you've been in band, we believe that you are important and we want you to have a great experience. Do what we ask and give it your best!
Where Do We Begin?
We start with our first rehearsals together on June 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24 and July 1 6-8:30 PM in the Fenton Band Room. All of these practices are on Wednesday!
At these rehearsals, students will receive all pregame and halftime show music available at the time. All music and information can be found in Marching Band Google Classroom, THIS FOLDER, and on the Marching Bison website . The code for the Marching Band Google Classroom is: jxjl4e2. Students can access the folder from anywhere, this website, and classroom (with a Fenton email address) for extra copies of music and part assignments throughout the summer.
Our spirit day for Wednesday, June 3rd will be Orange & Blue!. Additionally, we will be going outside and doing some marching fundamentals, so students should wear gym shoes and comfortable clothing. All students who turned their forms in by the due date will get the t-shirt with the above design at the first rehearsal. The rest of our spirit days will be announced at our first rehearsal.
Incoming freshmen students without Fenton login credentials should access the necessary information from the folder or website. We will get your chrome book and login credentials for you at the first rehearsal.
Students should come prepared with an instrument in good working condition, reeds, mouthpieces, mallets, and a pencil. Students will receive a folder at the first rehearsal. Students in need of a school owned instrument should contact Mr. George at least two days BEFORE this rehearsal so we can make arrangements for you.
All FHS Band, Color Guard, and incoming freshmen students who have committed to the Marching Band must attend these rehearsals. We understand and expect high school students to be involved with other activities; however, we feel confident that with communication, we should be able to work out any conflicts that may arise. Students who have conflicts will need to work those out with Mr. George at least 48 hours in advance. Please note: transportation and work are not excused absences! If a student needs help with transportation, please contact Mr. George.
EVERY ABSENCE AFFECTS THE ENTIRE GROUP! Do these rehearsals affect your grade? The band? Your success? Yes! By choosing to be in the marching band, you have committed yourself to a higher pursuit of excellence! The Marching Band, while volunteer, is still a part of your band grade in the fall. In addition, those who meet the commitment with 100% participation give themselves the best opportunity to start the school year with a feeling of success and accomplishment. In addition, your attendance and effort helps you earn your band letter. This is unique to Marching Band!
We please ask that families avoid scheduling doctor appointments, physical therapy, college visits, vacations, work, or other things during Marching Band Rehearsals and camp. Thank you for understanding.
Views from Fenton's Commencement Ceremony!
Marching Bison Band Summer Dates and More!
A calendar with all of the rehearsal dates and performances will be coming soon!
Music
This year’s show title is currently called "Junkyard." It consists of three songs. They are:
- Movement 1: Wood
- Movement 2: Recycling
- Movement 3: Metal
Part assignments are posted in the "Marching Band for Students" folder, which will be on the website and in Marching Band google classroom. Copies of all music will be passed out in June once everything is ready.
We will also be learning Pregame music, which will consist of On FHS, The Star Spangled Banner, Seven Nation Army, Purple Majesty, and more. We will prepare this entertaining show for the Bensenville, Wood Dale and other communities across Chicagoland! This is also in the Marching Band for Students folder.
In addition to the music, every student should have access to the fingering charts and scales for their instrument. All of this music, is available in Google Classroom (see code above), on our Marching Band webpage, and in this folder. We will print out copies for everyone to receive on June 3rd. You can also annotate this music on Kami, a google chrome add on.
Color Guard
Color Guard assessments will happen during our June rehearsals. Students interested in participating should plan on familiarizing themselves with the instructional videos in the Color Guard Google Classroom. The link for joining that is here. Mrs. Behnke, our Color guard sponsor, will hold assessments during this time. Interested students should:
Familiarize themselves with the instructional videos (see above)
Wear comfortable athletic clothing to work on this material
Meet at the guard closet outside of the band room on June 4 at 5:00
Please email Mrs. Behnke with any questions at behnke@fenton100.org
Drumline Assessments
Percussionists will demonstrate the following exercises from the "Drumline Cook Book:"
8s
Accent grids
Double Triple
16 Note Diddles
Get Connected!
In the spirit of effective communication, we are asking that all members join Google Classroom (GC code: jxjl4e2) and that all NEW students & parents of the Marching Bison Band subscribe to Remind as soon as they read this letter for summer communication.
While we will transitoin over to Parentsquare in the fall for ALL COMMUNICATION, we will use Remind for our new members for summer communication. This is a text messaging and email app that allows subscribers to receive text alerts and reminders. This is also a great tool for parents!
For text message subscriptions: text the message @bisonband to 81010
For email message subscriptions: email bisonband@mail.remind101.com
You can also download the app. Click here for more information.
In Closing...
The 2026 Marching Bison Band season will have some new and unique performance opportunities for all of us! We will have our new MB uniforms, new props, new choreography, and a little more time for us to learn how to build our show. We are hopeful to provide the best possible music experience for all our students. Our season has one goal in mind: to develop great people and make great music!
We hope that this letter gives you some guidance as to what we need to do to make the marching season fun, rewarding and successful. If for any reason you need to speak with me, please email me at georgeg@fenton100.org or call the band extension at 630-860-4944 or our band cell phone at 929-322-4944. You may also find more information at music.fenton100.org/bands/marchingbison.
See you Wednesday, June 3 at 6:00 PM. "Great people making great music!"
Musically yours,
Garett A. George
Fenton Community High School Bands
p.s. Do you know of someone who would like to be in the Marching Band but didn’t fill out their commitment form? Please have them contact Mr. George ASAP, click here, or simply show up on Wednesday June 3rd!
Remember, you ARE good enough to be in the Marching Bison Band!
