GRAFTON BAND CAMP INFORMATION

I can’t believe that August is just around the corner already. Welcome back to all veterans and a special hello to all rising freshmen and freshmen parents. You are about to embark on what will hopefully be one of the most memorable and fulfilling experiences of your high school career. I always enjoy meeting and getting to work with a new class. One of the most rewarding parts of my job is seeing these young people grow into young adults and watching the maturity process over 4 years. The marching season is always one of my favorite times of the year. I enjoy seeing the final product being put together for the first time at camp and watching the tremendous progress that is made over the course of the first two months of school.

To prepare for camp, there will be a booster meeting on August 4 at 7:00pm. The meeting is open to all parents, but we ask that all of the executive board members and the committee chairs be present if at all possible. We will discuss many things that are pertinent to the operation of the band before school even starts, including band camp preparation and show needs for the fall.

The music reading sessions will be the first events of the summer. These will happen on July 29 and August 5 from 6:00-8:00pm in the auditorium. Attendance is mandatory if you are in town. All guard and percussionists will also be meeting during this time.

All of the music for the show is currently on line at www.graftonband.com. Please visit the website and download your music. Please have it at the reading sessions. The drill and drill numbers will eventually be on the website as well as soon as we have those available for you.

The times and dates for band camp are as follows

AUGUST 7-8 Rookie Camp 8am-4pm @GHS

AUGUST 11-15 Band Camp 8am-4pm @GHS

AUGUST 18-22 Band Camp 3pm-9pm @GHS

AUGUST 25 Rehearsal 5pm-8pm @GHS

AUGUST 28 Rehearsal 5pm-8pm @GHS

BAND CAMP IS MANDATORY!!!! IF YOU ARE GOING TO MISS FOR ANY REASON PLEASE TALK TO MR. KIRSCH ASAP.

email- dkirsch@ycsd.york.va.us

Band Room Phone number- 890-2468

On the business end of things, being in band costs money. Please see the attached sheet for an explanation of the fees that are associated with the high school band program.

Our annual shoe and glove fitting will be held during band camp. Freshman, new students, and any upperclassmen that have either lost or grown out of their shoes will need to purchase shoes on this day. Please make checks payable to the GHBPA for $28.00. Students will have the opportunity to try on shoes during the day. Look for the uniform fittings days on the marching season calendar as well as the fee sheet that has been enclosed in this newsletter.

The following is a list of items that every student will need for band camp.

1. Comfortable tennis shoes (no sandals!)

2. Sunscreen

3. A water jug of some kind

4. A roll of masking tape (Very important)

5. A marker to mark their tape

6. Marching band music (memorized as much as possible)

7. Instrument

8. A hat

9. Light, comfortable clothing (no swimwear)

10. Flip folder to hold their music (this can be purchased at Music and Arts or Pro Music and Sound for a nominal fee and can be used for 4 years)

11. Lyre- this holds their flip folder to their instrument (this can be purchased at Music and Arts, or Pro Music and Sound for a nominal fee and can be used for 4 years)

The marching season is a very busy time. I hope every parent will be involved in the band either through the boosters or just by supporting the band at their performances throughout the season. I am very proud of the band program at Grafton. Grafton has a great reputation throughout the area as one of the best bands around. Your involvement and your child’s dedication make this possible. There are many things a parent can do, such as chaperone, work a bingo session, help with concessions, help sew flags, etc. I want to thank each of you for allowing your child to be a part of this organization.

Sincerely,

Darren Kirsch

Director of Bands, Grafton High School