Outline of New Student Information

Required Spring Dates

All spring rehearsals take place in the AHS Band Hall

Check back later for Spring 2024 dates!

Registration Day

Registration day is (TBD for 2024!) and concludes with a meeting for ALL parents and students in the AHS performing arts center. On this day you will turn in the required forms for band, pay for fair share and instrument fees to Anderson Band, pay for game day meals and merchandise to ABBA (the parent booster group), find out how to volunteer, and meet other parents who can help answer any questions you have. We’ll get you started off right and with all the information you need to help your student be successful. If paying by check, bring more than 1 check – fair share and instrument rentals fees go to Anderson HS Band (the school’s account), and merchandise and game day meals will be made out to ABBA.

Summer Band Camp

Check back later for 2024 dates and times! Below is the information from 2023;

Monday, July 24th through Friday, July 28th, 8 am to 5 pm daily (lunch break from noon to 1 pm)
Monday, July 31st through Friday, August 4th, 8 am to 5 pm daily (lunch break from noon to 1 pm)
Monday, August 7th through Wednesday, August 9th, NO BAND CAMP due to teacher training
Thursday, August 10th, 8 am to 5 pm (lunch break from noon to 1 pm
Friday, August 11th, 8 am to noon (half day camp outside)

*Friday, August 4th is Midnight Madness, which is when the football team is allowed to practice in full pads. Anderson has a big event planned and the band plays an important part of the program. Students will be allowed to go Flamingoing from 5-9 pm, have a pizza party/games from 9-10pm then perform for Midnight Madness. Students will be released around midnight.

What is band camp? Band camp is when band and guard members practice for the upcoming marching season. They also learn stand tunes that are played during football games. 

What do students need to do before the start of band camp? First, get a sports physical. If you cannot get a physical at your child’s doctor’s office, you can get them at these clinics. We need students to be healthy coming into this–and it’s a UIL requirement for participation. Drink lots of water and get moving outside to become accustomed to the weather. 

It’s my student’s first year in band. What do we need to do on the first day? Eat a good breakfast, bring lots of water, a lunch, and some snacks, and bring or get dinner if the section is going to flamingo neighborhoods in the evening. 

Band camp starts in the student parking lot off Steck/Mesa. Look for our band trailer. Students must be ready to go at 8 am, so you need to drop them off about 10-15 minutes beforehand to set up. If they need to get instruments from the band hall (percussion and bigger brass instruments), go to the band hall first to get the instrument, and then go to the parking lot.

During camp, they will play games, practice with their section, start learning the marching show, learn football stand tunes, etc. They’ve got a full schedule every day, so missing 1 or 2 days at band camp puts students behind on learning. 

What do they wear to band camp? Wear clothing to stay cool. That means the following:

  • athletic shorts
  • white shirts/tank tops
  • athletic running/walking shoes with good socks
  • sunscreen
  • a hat
  • sunglasses 

Other items they must have every day are their water jug (ABBA supplies them) and a smartphone (fully charged) to learn the drill. Let a director know if having a smartphone at rehearsals is an issue. 

What can students do at lunch? Most students bring their lunch and eat inside and outside around the band hall area. Others go home if they live nearby.

Students may also walk to Hillcrest Baptist Church right behind Anderson off Steck for lunch. Hillcrest Church loves the Anderson Band! They open their gym so students can have a place to eat their lunch and cool off. Volunteers there will refill students’ water jugs with ice and water. On Wednesdays, they offer pizza and snacks for $1 each (cash only). 

What time does band camp end? It ends at 5 pm if your child is not flamingo-ing that evening. The pick-up location is at the band hall off of Cima Serena (the parking lot is one way, so make sure to enter only by Cima Serena & Mesa–do not enter the parking lot at the end near the band hall).

Fair Share

What is fair share? Fair Share is the ‘band fees’ required for all band students enrolled in concert band, marching band, and dance guard. Fair share for your child this year covers but is not limited to: uniform fees, show shirt, competition meals, dance guard and band costuming, charter bus and school bus expenses for competitions, football game snacks and bottled waters, registration fees, marching show licensing… it’s a long list.

Why do I have to pay fair share? I never paid it when I was in high school band. The amount of funding we receive from the district gets smaller and smaller each year. The district provides only about 25 percent of what we need to maintain a top-notch band program. We must fundraise the rest of it. 

The students want to belong to a top-tier marching program and that requires music arrangers, props designers, visual designers, master class instructors, etc. 

Anderson is in a very competitive district for many activities – sports, speech & debate, robotics – they all require time commitment and funds. Band is the largest student group so we must have a fair share to maintain our high level of excellence. However, please note that it is the policy of our band program to never deny participation if finances are an issue. Please speak to Ms. Lee if payment is ever a problem. Anderson’s band staff works diligently to keep this cost low while providing a very fine musical experience (with quite a bit of variety) for our students.

Flamingo 101: Anderson Trojan Band and Guard

What’s Flamingo? Flamingo is the name of our largest fundraiser. It was started in the late 1990s as both a team-building activity as well as a way to pick up some extra donations and it has grown ever since. Students placed flamingos in people’s yards and asked for donations to “get rid of them.” During those first few years, students raised only a few thousand dollars. In 2022, students raised more than $70,000! 

What’s our Flamingo goal this year? Our goal this year is $70,000+. Ms. Lee is trying to keep our fair share as low as possible, but as we all know, prices have risen dramatically in the past 2 years. We need to raise more money than ever to maintain a top-notch band program. Each section has a goal to reach. If each student raises at least $400, we will meet our goal. 

What do students do at Flamingo? Right after band camp ends at 5 pm, students either bring their dinner to eat, have dinner dropped off at the band hall, or go out to eat dinner. Then they all reconvene at the band hall around 5:30 pm and go out in groups. Each section goes into the community to request donations. They plant flamingos, serenade homeowners, laugh, talk about the show, etc. It’s done entirely by the students during the evenings of band camp. 

Do students have to participate in Flamingo? They’re highly encouraged to participate. Each student is a valuable member of their section. This is not only a fundraising event, but just as importantly, it’s also a time for students in the section to have fun and bond with each other. Sections go out only twice a week. Check with the Flamingo flock leader if your child has to miss it. 

What time does Flamingo end? On days that sections go out, they return to the band hall by 9 pm. Students who are not flock leaders are free to head home at that time. The flock leaders stay back to count money and give it to the ABBA parent coordinators. 

Can my child Flamingo on the weekends? Only virtually! Weekends are for concentrating on online efforts. We ask the students to email, share via social media, call or talk to friends, family, neighbors, etc. about Flamingo. Students should never take money home overnight from flamingo-ing, so the only in-person days are Mondays-Thursdays. 

What can parents do to help?

  • Drive the students! Parents pick up the students at the band hall, drop them off at one location, take them to the next location (usually just a few blocks away), repeat and then drop them off at the band hall by 9 pm. It’s very simple and you get to know these fantastic kids. And since this is a student-led fundraising event, we ask parents to have a lot of flexibility and patience. Let your student know if you’re willing to drive. The flock leaders usually ask students if they plan to help flamingo that week but many don’t know the headcount until the day itself. Then the leaders ask around for drivers. You may be asked to drive the day before or even at 5:50 pm on the day of Flamingo. 
  • If you drive a section or if students come by your house, they will love you forever if you treat them to a snack or something cold. Drivers have provided cold water bottles or Gatorade so students can replenish as they go. Homeowners sometimes hand out drinks or ice cream. It’s optional but the kids are very grateful.

How can we help get more donations?

  • Talk/text/email your friends and neighbors about donating! Post on social media about the fundraiser. Ask your neighbors if they would donate if students came to their house. Last year, a band parent got the addresses of their friends and neighbors who would donate if a section came by. The students were so happy to knock on the doors of a few people whom they knew would donate rather than knocking on many doors of people who ignored them. 
  • Ask family for donations! Email aunts, uncles, and cousins. Have your child call grandparents who would be so happy to hear from the grandkids that they’ll give generously.
  • Do you have a business? Your business donation can qualify as a sponsorship! Contact trojanbandparent@gmail.com for more sponsorship information.
  • Make your donation double! Does your workplace have a matching program? Please use it! We’ve had families donate through company portals or turn in receipts to their corporate matching program. One band family pooled money from their friends and family to give Anderson one check. The parent then sent in the receipt to their company’s gift-matching program, and in turn, Anderson Band received a matching donation.

Remember, all donations during Flamingo are tax-deductible!

Attendance

For the time being, assume that any Thursday night through Saturday in the fall might include band activities. These start with the first weekend of the school year and continue through the first weekend in November. Keep in mind that not every weekend will have a band event, so check the calendar. Students have Weekend 1 free if they want to attend ACL Fest.

There are 2 Saturday practices this year:
– August 19 at either Anderson or Kelly Reeves Stadium, 4-10 pm
– September 23, location TBA, 5-9 pm

Having all members in attendance is vital to the success of our program. This isn’t like a sports team where we can simply substitute a player. If a student must miss a rehearsal or even a performance, it affects other students around them. In a perfect world, everyone would be at everything. However, since we know emergencies pop up from time to time, any and all absences must be communicated with a director via the absence form in order to be considered excused.

Schedule during the school year

We have two morning and two evening rehearsals each week. We do not exceed 8 hours of time outside of the school day per week. This is a UIL policy. 
Mondays: 8-10:30 am, 5-8 pm
Wednesdays: 8-10:30 am, 5-7 pm (guard only)
Thursdays: 5-8 pm (move to Friday if we have Thursday game)

Always check the calendar in the Band App or have your student message a member in their section when in doubt!

Instruments

All students are expected to provide their own equipment in some manner whether that is by owning, renting from a music store, or renting from the school. Below is our instrumentation for marching band.

Woodwinds: Flutes, clarinets, and alto saxophones are not provided. Bass clarinets and tenor and baritone saxophones are provided to specific students based on ensemble needs. Please speak with Mr. Cleveland if providing your own instrument is an issue. If you play oboe or bassoon, please speak with a band director before making a choice for marching season.

Brass: Trumpets, mellophones (marching french horns), marching baritones (all trombone and euphonium players play this), and sousaphones (tubas) are provided, but there is a $25 user fee to help offset the cost of cleaning and maintenance.

Percussion: provided along with a $50 fee on top of fair share. This money goes toward mallets, sticks, and instrument maintenance. More details to be discussed at camps.

Dance Guard: provided along with a $25 fee on top of fair share. This money goes toward equipment purchasing and maintenance. There may be other equipment needed as directed by the guard staff.

BAND App and Social Media

Throughout the year we use an app called BAND to provide the most up-to-date information for our students and parents. Each Sunday Ms. Lee publishes the band blast with information for the week. Our sections use it to communicate specific info such as section gatherings. We may also use it when the weather affects rehearsals or performances. Either way, all students and parents should download the app on their phones. After creating your account on the BAND website (please use your first and last name as your username), join our main page here and parents can join the parent page here.

Our boosters maintain both a Facebook and Instagram page. Check them out!