Welcome to the BTWHS Band Family!

(this page updated 8/07/2024)

Want to join the BTWHS Band? Do this:

Please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/pigmsJ9UrB1WmHMJ8

Afterward please send Mr. Michael Young an email ([email protected]) and include the following information:

  • Student’s first & last name
  • Student’s district ID number
  • Parent/guardian first and last name
  • Parent/guardian phone number

Already in? Here are some things you need to know:

Rehearsals & Attendance

Band is both a group sport and a performing art. Students that miss rehearsals not only miss out on their own instruction but also impact the learning experience of the students in attendance. It is extremely important that students are present at every rehearsal so we can all make progress together!
Our Google Calendar is the easiest to update with changes – you can find it here: goo.gl/PpUoYZ. It is updated through the end of the 2024-25 school year.
If your student is in the section required for a session and the student is in town, they should be present at that session. We plan camps and rehearsals to be efficient – we can’t be GREAT if we have to reteach folks that aren’t willing to put in the work.
If you know your student will be absent/tardy to a rehearsal or performance, please fill out this form: bit.ly/2425bratform. Excused absences and tardies are tracked with this form. We appreciate an email to let us know a student is ill, but we are not able to keep up with that across 4 instructors!
Student grades are negatively affected when they are unexcused absent or tardy. Please stay on top of rehearsal dates!

Fees

There is a monetary obligation to participating in the program. You can get all the info you need about fees and payments here in this document.

Volunteer Training Meetings:

Every adult (21 years or older only) that plans to chaperone, work in concessions to get their $100 concession fee waived, or work on the equipment crew is REQUIRED to attend one of the 3 scheduled training meetings in person. We’ll discuss expectations we have for volunteers and students, and then go over policies and procedures of signing up, where to report, clocking in, etc.

There are too many adults involved in our organization to explain this one-on-one. Please sign up for the meeting you plan to attend by clicking on the link next to that date and entering your name, cell #, and email address:

  • Friday, 8/16 5-6:30pm (at the end of marching band camp):
  • Saturday, 8/17 8:30-10:00am (during Saturday camp):
  • Tuesday, 8/20 6-7:30pm (at the end of rehearsal):

ONCE SCHOOL STARTS:

First Week of School:

 This is where things get really fun.  Every rehearsal is required of every marching band student.  Students’ attendance is reflected in a participation grade in their band class.  Unexcused absences will result in lower grades.

Students must bring a change of clothes (including shoes) for marching rehearsals.  They must bring an insulated water jug (similar to this one, preferably) to drink from that can be refilled at our water station.  We recommend sending sunscreen and a snack to eat between school letting out and practice beginning. EVERY STUDENT SHOULD EAT BREAKFAST AND LUNCH EVERY DAY OF REHEARSAL.

  • MONDAY, 8/12 – 1st day of school!
    • No rehearsal – band room will close at 3:30
  • TUESDAY, 8/13
    • 3:30-6:00pm Music Rehearsal/Work Rehearsal
      • Required of every wind, percussion, guard, and majorette student.
      • Wind & percussion students will be indoors working on music
      • Guard & majorettes will be drilling work outside
      • Students should bring rehearsal clothes to school (light-colored athletic-style clothing, including socks and shoes). These will be stored in their band locker. Students will change clothes after the final bell and be outside ready for rehearsal by 3:30.
      • Students must bring their insulated, refillable water jug to stay hydrated.
      • Students should eat lunch that will keep their body fueled for an outdoor rehearsal. We encourage students to bring a healthy snack to eat before rehearsal begins.
  • WEDNESDAY, 8/14
    • No rehearsal – band room will close at 3:30
  • THURSDAY, 8/15
    • 3:30-6:00pm Marching Band Camp, day 1 of 3
      • Required of every wind, percussion, guard, and majorette student
      • Students should bring rehearsal clothes to school (light-colored athletic-style clothing, including socks and shoes). These will be stored in their band locker. Students will change clothes after the final bell and be outside ready for rehearsal by 3:30.
      • Students must bring their insulated, refillable water jug to stay hydrated.
      • Students should eat lunch that will keep their body fueled for an outdoor rehearsal. We encourage students to bring a healthy snack to eat before rehearsal begins.
    • 6:00pm AUGUST BAND BOOSTER MEETING (in the BTWHS Chorus Room)
      • Booster meetings are the place to learn about anything band-related: band fees, payments, fundraisers, attendance, grades, trips, concert black, rehearsals, concerts, competitions, assessments, parties, banquets, board duties, board members, committees etc. Board members, committee members, and instructors will be on hand to update everyone on our progress over the month and will be on hand to answer questions. Boosters present at meetings vote on decisions that affect all band students – make sure your voice is heard!
  • FRIDAY, 8/16
    • 3:30-6:00pm Marching Band Camp, day 2 of 3
      • Required of every wind, percussion, guard, and majorette student
      • Students should bring rehearsal clothes to school (light-colored athletic-style clothing, including socks and shoes). These will be stored in their band locker. Students will change clothes after the final bell and be outside ready for rehearsal by 3:30.
      • Students must bring their insulated, refillable water jug to stay hydrated.
      • Students should eat lunch that will keep their body fueled for an outdoor rehearsal. We encourage students to bring a healthy snack to eat before rehearsal begins.
    • 5:00-6:00PM Band Volunteer Training, 1 of 3 (in the BTWHS Chorus Room)
      • Every adult (21 or older) that plans to help our program in any capacity must attend one of the three scheduled training sessions.
      • We will discuss our policies, procedures, and expectations. We will explain all volunteer positions (including which are best for people that don’t like people!), where to park, what to wear, where to go, etc.
      • We will also pass out the District’s Volunteer Application for you to fill out and return. Every adult that volunteers with us in any capacity must fill out that application, turn it in, and pass a background check (run by the front office, not us!) in order to work with the students.
      • We will also have all copies of the annual paperwork required to participate in our program. Returning parents will be pleased to hear that the Drug Screening Consent form will be in paper form this year! We will have notaries on hand to notarize, so you can pick up your paperwork, fill it out, have it notarized, and turn it in all in one evening.
      • By the way, if you are new to the program and also a notary, please email Ms. Smith: [email protected]
  • SATURDAY, 8/17
    • 8am-8pm Marching Band Camp, day 3 of 3
      • Required of every wind, percussion, guard, and majorette student
      • Students should wear light-colored athletic-style clothing, including socks and shoes. We recommend sunscreen and a hat with a brim to carry your own shade around.
      • Students must bring their insulated, refillable water jug to stay hydrated.
      • Students must bring their instrument/equipment and music.
      • Students should bring a lunch to eat after we finish our outdoor rehearsal. BTWHS Band Alumni are sponsoring a cookout for dinner.
      • Band alumni are hoping to revive the tradition of an old school (alumni) vs. new school (current band members) kickball game!
    • 8:30-10:00am Band Volunteer Training, 2 of 3
      • Every adult (21 or older) that plans to help our program in any capacity must attend one of the three scheduled training sessions.
      • We will discuss our policies, procedures, and expectations. We will explain all volunteer positions (including which are best for people that don’t like people!), where to park, what to wear, where to go, etc.
      • We will also pass out the District’s Volunteer Application for you to fill out and return. Every adult that volunteers with us in any capacity must fill out that application, turn it in, and pass a background check (run by the front office, not us!) in order to work with the students.
      • We will also have all copies of the annual paperwork required to participate in our program. Returning parents will be pleased to hear that the Drug Screening Consent form will be in paper form this year! We will have notaries on hand to notarize, so you can pick up your paperwork, fill it out, have it notarized, and turn it in all in one evening.
      • By the way, if you are new to the program and also a notary, please email Ms. Smith: [email protected]

Second Week of School Through Mid-November:

Attendance policy is in full effect throughout the year! Marching rehearsals will continue until the 2nd week of November. We’ve moved to 2 longer rehearsals per week to try to allow room for appointments and whatnot. PLEASE schedule appointments on Mondays or Wednesdays to ensure your student is available for Tuesday/Thursday rehearsals.

  • Every Tuesday: 3:30 – 6PM Full Marching Band Rehearsal
  • Every Thursday: 3:30 – 6PM Full Marching Band Rehearsal
  • Every Monday (after Aug 26): 3:30-5:00pm – Color Guard Rehearsal
  • Color Guard Show Clean-up:
    • Saturday, September 14 9am-5pm
  • Monday MPA Rehearsal:
    • October 7: 3:30-6:00PM: FULL MARCHING BAND REHEARSAL
  • Marching MPA will be Saturday, 10/12. Please block out the entire day for now. We will not know our itinerary until they assign our performance time in mid-late September.

Food and water:

Say it with me: Every. Student. Must. Eat. Well. And. Hydrate.
When a kid gets woozy at practice the first thing they’re asked is “What did you have for lunch?” and 90% of the time the answer is some variation of “Nothing, I don’t eat lunch.” “How much water have you been drinking today?” “I had a sip of Little Susie’s water earlier.”
School breakfasts and lunches at Booker T. are free for everyone. It’s not gourmet, but it beats getting a bloody nose or scraped knee from falling out trying to follow up a 7 hour day of school with 3 hours of strenuous activity out in the heat on an empty belly. An insulated, refillable water jug will pay for itself over and over again over the course of a marching season if you consider the cost of individual water bottles – or a trip to the ER for dehydration.
You can not run a car with an empty fuel tank!

HELPFUL THINGS TO KNOW:

THE THURSDAY RULE

If your student is absent from a Thursday rehearsal, they will not be allowed to march pregame OR halftime the following Friday night.
The Thursday rule is not punishment – it is in place to ensure all students remain safe on the football field. Any student that missed Thursday rehearsal will not know what changes were made on the field. It is safer to keep them on the sidelines during pregame and halftime. This is not a punishment! This is strictly a safety issue.

CLUBS/TUTORING/SPORTS

If your student is in a sport that practices the same time as band here is what we expect to happen:
The student (not their parents, their Nana, or their band director) should speak with Mr. Young and their other coach to make arrangements with BOTH to split practice time. We do this all the time and have never met a coach that will not allow it.
If your student has a club meeting, they need to 1) Fill out the BRAT form, 2) notify their section leader that they will be late, and 3) do their best to be changed out, stretched, warmed up, and wherever the band is rehearsing by 3:45.
If your student is in tutoring on a rehearsal day (we highly encourage tutoring for students that need assistance) they need to 1) Fill out the BRAT form, 2) notify their section leader that they will be late, and 3) bring a pass from their tutor when they report to the band room

Parades

There are usually 4 parades per year – since COVID that has fluctuated a little. Attendance is a grade for both the Christmas parade and Navy Day parade, and there is also a test grade for wind/percussion students in January for attending either the Veteran’s Day parade or the MLK Day parade.

  1. Pensacola Christmas Parade: This is the only parade where we march as the BTWHS Band. We will most likely be in full marching uniforms but allow students to wear a festive holiday-themed hat and deocorate themselves and/or their instrument within reason. We will all meet downtown and a specific time and location that will go out closer to time via email.
  2. Veteran’s Day Parade: This is a community marching band made up of students from all local high schools. You will wear your full field uniform and meet downtown at a specific time and location that will go out closer to time via email.
    • All BTWHS wind/percussion students must participate in either this community marching band or the community marching band at the Martin Luther King, Jr. parade in January for a grade.
  3. Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade: This is a community marching band made up of students from all local high schools. You will wear your full field uniform and meet downtown at a specific time and location that will go out closer to time via email.
    • All BTWHS wind/percussion students must participate in either this community marching band or the community marching band at the Veteran’s Day parade in November for a grade.
  4. Navy Day Parade: May 10, 2025 This is a new event and a LOT of things are up in the air for it. There will be a grade for participation for this event. We *probably* will be marching either full band or mashed up with another band. We don’t know about uniforms or music yet, either. We will send out info as soon as we receive it!

Football games

Students will report to the band room for all football games. Times will change based on game location but reporting to the band room will not.
On Fridays the band room will close between the last bell of the day and report time. All students must leave campus. You should decide with your student what they are expected to do: ride the bus home, walk to the mall with a friend, etc.
Wind & percussion students will need black socks. They’ll need tall black socks for their full field uniform and will need short black socks for their summer uniform. I recommend saving yourself some heartache and buying a large pack of each at Sam’s or BJ’s and dole them out one pair at a time.
Students will be dismissed from the band room well after the end of the football game. Please be patient. Please do not crowd the band room – it will smell like dozens of sweaty teenagers in there – waiting outside is HIGHLY recommended.

Uniforms

Summer uniforms (wind, percussion, guard, & majorettes)

  • Blue “I’m With The Band” shirt
    • All band students will receive a new band shirt every summer at no additional charge
    • Extra shirts may be purchased for $15 each
    • Students that report for a game without their band shirt will have to purchase a new one to be considered “in uniform”
  • Gray band shorts
    • All band students will receive a new pair of shorts every summer at no additional charge
    • Extra shorts may be purchased for $15 each
    • Students that report for a game without their band shorts will have to purchase a new one to be considered “in uniform”
  • Band ball cap
    • All band students will receive a new pair of shorts every summer at no additional charge
    • Extra ball caps may be purchased for $10 each
    • Students that report for a game without their ball cap will have to purchase a new one to be considered “in uniform”
  • Short black socks
    • You provide the socks!
  • Black marching shoes
    • Every wind/percussion student will receive one pair of marching shoes their first year in the program. You must order & pay for any new pairs after that.
    • Every colorguard/majorette student will purchase their own black uniform shoes based on instructions from their coach.

Fall uniform (wind, percussion)

  • Blue “I’m With The Band” shirt
  • Gray band track pants
    • Every band student will receive one pair of track pants their first year in the program. You must order & pay for any new pairs ($25 each) after that.
  • Blue band fleece
    • Every band student will receive one blue band fleece their first year in the program. You must order & pay for any new pairs ($30 each) after that.
  • Tall black socks: you must provide black socks
  • Black marching shoes
    • Every wind/percussion student will receive one pair of marching shoes their first year in the program. You must order & pay for ($45) any new pairs after that.

Full marching uniform

COLORGUARD/MAJORETTE:

  • Field uniform, all parts
    • Included in your additional $150 guard/majorette fees
  • Short black socks
  • Jazz shoes or majorette boots

WIND/PERCUSSION:

  • Base layer: band shirt, band shorts, tall black socks
  • Top layer: bibbers, jacket
  • Ball cap
  • Marching shoes

Concert Black

All wind and percussion students will need a set of “concert black” clothes for concerts that will begin in December and run all the way through May. You must provide this. Here are your options:

TOPS:

  • Solid black long sleeve, button down, collared shirt
    • Solid black tie or bow tie
    • (optional) Festive holiday tie (for December)
    • (optional) Royal blue tie/bow tie (for jazz band)
  • Solid black dress blouse with sleeves
  • Solid black floor-length or ankle-length dress with sleeves

BOTTOMS:

  • Solid black dress pants
  • Solid black dress slacks
  • Solid black floor-length or ankle-length skirt
  • JEANS ARE NEVER CONCERT BLACK
    • Even dressy jeans
    • Even expensive jeans

SHOES:

  • Solid black dress shoes
  • CLEAN black marching shoes
  • Solid black dress flats with a closed toe
    • Please do not wear heels. There is a LOT of walking – sometimes very far and/or very fast – and we can not wait for someone that is teetering along in unreasonable shoes.

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