Hudson Hawk Band Updates
September 2026
September Info
Practice-a-Thon Kick-Off
We have officially kicked off our 8th annual Practice-a-Thon fundraiser with a goal of raising $50,000 for our HMS Band program! Parents should have received an email on Friday, September 4th from 99Pledges with a link to your student's individual fundraiser website. When you set up your account, please include a photo of your student holding their instrument. Please share that link with family and friends, and on your social media pages. If you didn't receive that email, please contact Mr. Yett and let him know.
You can also see the band-wide fundraiser link here.
Students also received a packet with paper copies of all of the fundraiser materials. You'll find an information sheet, a business/company donation letter, list of prizes, a tally sheet to keep track of donations, and a page with receipts. Ask your company if they have a donation matching program - you can double your fundraising efforts if so! All donations are tax deductible. Donations made online will automatically receive a receipt with our Booster Club's EIN for tax purposes. Ask Mr. Yett for an official receipt for cash/check donations.
Practice-a-Thon Fundraiser Donations/Chaperones
Our 9th annual Practice-a-Thon party will take place on Friday, October 2nd from 6-10pm at Hudson MS. We need parent chaperones and snack/drink/prize donations to make the night a success. Thanks in advance for your help!
Sign-up to DONATE snacks/drinks/prizes
Business Contact Help
We have a long list of businesses we want to reach out to for sponsorships, donations, and support for the band this year. If you have some extra time on your hands and want to help us visit some local businesses, please email Mr.Yett , Tiffany Velasquez our VP of Fundraising and Heather Wilks our Band Booster President to see where you can help!
Here is a QR code link to the 99pledges page!
Sectional Schedules for Advanced Bands
Students in the Advanced Bands began their weekly before/after school sectionals the week of August 24th. Sectionals are required and grades will be given during sectionals. Please make arrangements to schedule appointments on the off days or weeks so your student does not miss these important rehearsals. Please see the link below for the sectional schedule for each band.
Required Band Handbook Forms
All band students will receive a packet with 4 required band handbook forms that need to be returned by August 28th. The 4 required forms are:
1. Handbook & Calendar Acknowledgement Form
2. Hudson Band Fees Form
3. Video, Image, and Audio Release Form
4. Field Trip Release Form
There is a link to the band handbook at the bottom of this Smore. We will also go over all of this in detail (including the required fees) at our band parent meetings on August 20th. You can find the forms here, but they will also be given to your student on Monday, August 10th in physical form.
Private Lessons Information
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 finances are the only thing keeping your student out of lessons, we do have limited scholarship money available to help. The scholarship application due date has passed but if you are still interested please contact Mr. Yett. 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.
Upcoming Events
Event Information
All Advanced Band students are required to attend MS Band Night with the SHS Band. We will travel to HBJ Stadium to be members of the SHS Band for one night. We will play with them in the stands and watch their halftime performance. The MS Band Night Itinerary can be found here.
Event Information
All Advanced Band students will perform at the 7th and 8th grade football game. The detailed itinerary can be found here. Notice that most students will get picked up from the SHS stadium, while percussion, tubas, and bari saxes will get picked up from HMS.
Event Information
All HMS Band students are invited to the Practice-a-Thon party. See above for ways to volunteer, donations needed, etc. Students will have to practice for 30 minutes during the party and will sign up for that practice time slot the week of the party.
Event Information
Beginner Flute, Oboe, Bassoon, Clarinet, and Saxophone students will show off what they've been learning this year during their regular band class period. All parents are invited to come watch our class in person and experience band with your student. Be sure to come about 10 minutes early so you can check in at the front office and get your visitor badge. Make your plans to attend now - you don't want to miss out! Saxophone- 9:41-10:27am Flute- 1:43-2:29pm Clarinet-2:33-3:19pm Oboes/Bassoons- 3:23-4:10pm
Event Information
Beginner Trumpet, French Horn, Trombone, Euphonium, Tuba, and Percussion students will show off what they've been learning this year during their regular band class period. All parents are invited to come watch our class in person and experience band with your student. Be sure to come about 10 minutes early so you can check in at the front office and get your visitor badge. Make your plans to attend now - you don't want to miss out! Percussion- 8:50-9:37am Trombone- 1:43-2:29pm Tuba/Euphonium- 2:33-3:19pm Trumpet- 3:23-4:10pm
Looking Ahead
Fall Semester Events
August
- 5 Meet the Band Directors @ HMS (6-7pm)
- 20 Band Parent Meetings (Beginners @ 6:00pm, Advanced @ 7:15pm)
September
- 4 Practice-a-Thon Fundraiser Kick-off in ALL band classes
- 25 MS Band Night w/ Sachse HS @ HBJ Stadium (5-10pm)
- 28 7th/8th Grade Football Game performance for ALL Advanced Bands @ Sachse HS (5-8pm)
October
- 2 Practice-a-Thon Fundraiser @ Hudson MS (6-10pm)
- 6 Beginner Woodwind Demonstrations @ HMS (during student band class period)
- 7 Beginner Brass & Percussion Demonstrations @ HMS (during student band class period)
- 27 Advanced Bands Fall Concert @ Sachse High School (6:30pm)
- 20 7th/8th Grade Football Game performance for ALL Advanced Bands @ Sachse HS (5-8pm)
November
- 7 GISD All-District Auditions for WS & HB @ Lakeview Centennial HS (time TBA)
- 14 TMEA Region 3 All-Region Auditions for WS & HB @ Rockwall Heath HS (time TBA)
December
- 8 or 14 Advanced Bands Epic Waters Festival
- 10 Beginner Band after school rehearsal @ Hudson Band Hall (4:15-5:30pm)
- 11-12 GISD All-District Band Clinic/Concert for qualifying WS & HB students @ Lakeview
Centennial HS (time TBA)
- 15 Advanced Bands Holiday Concert @ Sachse HS (6:00pm)
- 16 Beginner Band Holiday Concert @ Sachse HS (stay after school - perform @ 6:00pm)
- 17 Wind Symphony Holiday Elementary Tour @ Sewell, Lister, & Armstrong
Fundraising Info
Band Sponsorship Opportunities
It’s never too early 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. Feel free to print this flyer about the Hudson Band and the sponsorship levels and reach out to businesses in your life. (The flier is being updated and will be added soon!) Have your student ask a band director for copies of the flier too! 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!
Advanced Bands Required Supplies
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!
Beginner Band Supply Lists
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 instruments 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!
Important Reminders
Pick Up/ Drop Off Procedures
Morning Drop-off
The back door #11 (exterior band hall door) will open at 7:45am. 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 band hall to sit in the cafeteria after dropping off their instrument. 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-8:40.
**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!
Communication Procedures
PLEASE READ OUR MONTHLY SMORES! Most of the answers to questions I 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:
Mr. Yett- Wind Symphony; Flute, Oboe, Bassoon, Clarinet, & Saxophone Beginners; Assists with Honors Band & Symphonic Band
Mr. Mucino- Honors Band; Jazz Band; Trumpet, French Horn Beginners; Jazz Band; Assists with Wind Symphony & Symphonic Band
Mr. Slaughter- Symphonic Band; Trombone, Tuba & Euphonium Beginners; Assists with Wind Symphony & Honors Band
Mrs. Manaois- Wind Symphony, Honors Band, & Symphonic Band Percussionists; Assists with Percussion Beginners
Mr. Tucker- Percussion Beginners; Assists with Wind Symphony, Honors Band, & Symphonic Band Percussionists
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.
Join the BAND App Groups
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: 26-27 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!
Presto-Assistant
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.
All new parents and students will receive an email from Presto to the email logged on skyward with details on how to log in shortly after school starts. 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 become familiar with navigating it.
Lockers & Locks
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!
About Us
Macedinio Mucino - Assistant Director
Justin Slaughter - 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