Marching Band FAQ

Northstars Marching Band

Question: How do I sign up my child for Marching Band?

Answer: It is important to understand that Marching Band is not an extra-curricular activity. Rather, it is a co-curricular component of your concert band class. As such, all students who are registered for a concert band are members of the marching band. While some students may need to “try-out” for a particular instrument (such as Drumline), all you need to do is attend all band camps, rehearsals, performances, and (obviously) be registered for a concert band. Marching band is "built in."

Color Guard members are selected during try-outs each spring. Color guard is an extra-curricular activity that performs with the marching band.

Question: What is “Band Camp” and why do we have it?

Our first half time performance of the season is usually after the third day of school. It is simply impossible to learn a half time show in three days. Therefore, students in marching band will attend several sessions before classes begin, and these are known as “band camp” obligations.

At the end of your 8th grade year will receive an informational packet at your final spring concert. Students who require a school-owned instrument (for example, sousaphone, french horn, baritone and percussion) will receive instructions on how to take care of these needs. You will also receive your marching band music. Returning students will have a separate "Mini Camp" during the last week of finals. Music for the season will be issued at that time. Students are then expected to commit the music to memory over the course of the summer.

Our full marching band camp runs for two weeks, Monday through Thursday evenings, typically starting nine days before the first day of classes. The first day of camp is Tuesday August 17th and we begin at 5:30 (please be on time, which means arriving before 5:30). Please review the calendar (link at top) for all the dates and times. Again, please do not arrive leave early/arrive late, or plan to be absent from camp obligations. Family vacations must be scheduled around all band camp obligations.

Question: What is the P.E. Exemption and how does it work?

Answer: For many years, St. Charles School District 303 has chosen to adopt the state’s recommendation to allow marching band students to be exempt from physical education classes during the fall semester if they are enrolled in a concert band class. Each student will receive the application on Tuesday August 17, 2010 at rehearsal.

Students under the P.E. Exemption are assigned to a formal study hall in place of P.E. Please note that this does not impact their band period. Students are expected to comply with all marching band rehearsals and obligations, as these physical endeavors provide the basis for the exemption. Students who have multiple absences are not only jeopardizing their band grade, but also their P.E. grade.

Question: How can you rehearse the marching band, when band classes meet separately during the day?

Answer: Concert band classes (there are six) rehearse the music separately during class. The actual field movement is rehearsed outside the school day on Thursday nights. Please review the online calendar.

Once classes have begun, the marching band has additional rehearsal obligations on most Thursday evenings from 6:30-9:30 until the end of the season. Additionally, we perform at all home games (please see the online calendar). Based on the success of the team we may perform at football playoff games as well.

Question: Do we need to purchase a marching uniform?

Answer: Well, yes and no. The school district has purchased our half-time uniforms. This includes everything the audience will see at a football game with the exception of your gloves and shoes, which you will order at the SCN registration day (you will also wear your own calf-height black dress socks).

In addition, non-football game performances require a less formal uniform that consists of an official Polo Shirt, baseball cap, all-black pants (purchase the pants at the store of your choice). You will wear your black marching shoes and black dress socks on these occasions as well.

For performances in inclement weather, SCN owns official marching band raincoats, which will be worn with your own black pants, shoes, and socks. So, in short, you will need to buy the band polo shirt, baseball cap, black marching shoes, gloves, and black dress socks. Please refer to the What to Wear page.

Question: What if my child plays an instrument that is not used for marching band?

Marching Band does not utilize the following instruments: oboe, bassoon, bass clarinet, bari sax, double french horns. Students who play these instruments in concert band have the following options: (a) Drumline (b) Color Guard or (c) another instrument on which they can demonstrate proficiency. If your child happens to OWN one of the excluded instruments and wishes to march with it please contact us first. NOTE: French Horn players will rent a mellophone, which is a marching instrument designed specifically for French Horn players.

Question: Should my child use their concert instrument outside for marching band?

The directors strongly suggest that woodwind players consider the use of a beginning-level instrument for marching band rather than using their professional model outdoors. Temperature changes and moisture are not friendly to pads and wood. Brass instruments are not as easily affected, however should the family still own the original beginning instrument it may be best to use that instead. Please note: if you utilize a second instrument for marching band, it MUST be in proper working condition, meaning all keys/slides must be in perfect working order.

French horn, baritone, tuba, and percussion students will rent school-owned marching instruments.

Question: My child wants to be in the Drumline. How do instruments get assigned?

Answer: Instruments in the Drumline include: Snare, Quad, Bass, Cymbals, and Auxilliary Percussion (Pit Percussion). Students are assessed and assignments are made by our drum instructor and band directors. There are optional summer training sessions on Tuesday and Thursdays at 1:00. Email scnmusic@gmail.com for details.

Question: How do home football games work?

Answer: The “call-time” on game nights is usually 5:30. This gives us ample time to get the students into their uniforms (no easy task, just ask the parents!), warm-up, and rehearse the half-time show. Our staff watches the clock of the JV game so that the band will arrive on time for the pregame “Clips and Claps.” This consists of many familiar rock and roll tunes and is very enjoyable.

When the warm-up clock expires, we play the School Song and the National Anthem. At that point we leave the track and take our places in the stands. It is quite a site to see an entire section of the home stands filled from top to bottom with marching band members. We have several cheers that we play during the game, and we stay in the stands until there are about five minutes remaining in the second quarter.

Our half-time show usually lasts about 9 or 10 minutes. At the conclusion of our show, students have the option of whether to go home or return to the stands for the second half (the vast majority usually stay to support the team!). Games are usually finished by 10:00 pm.

Question: What is Color Guard and how is it different from Marching Band?

Answer: The Color Guard literally provides the “color” in our half-time show. Their choreography and equipment work help the marching band to communicate the music to the audience.

Since a flag is not a musical instrument, we cannot have Color Guard members enrolled in a band class (unless they also play an instrument). All of their preparation takes place outside of the school day, and therefore the colorguard is actually an extra-curricular activity embedded into Marching Band. In every other aspect however, the members are considered to be as much a part of the marching band as any other member. Furthermore, it is possible (and in fact encouraged) for students enrolled in band to try out for the Color Guard (the most obvious candidates would be double reed players, but anyone is welcome to audition). Workshops are held each spring in order to choose members for the following season.

What is the attendance policy?

Please see the marching band attendance policy page.