News, Updates, and More

***This email confirms you registered for the 2024 Marching Band season.***

What’s Inside:

• Message

• Pre-Camp

• BHS Marching Band Rehearsal Materials - Student need to BRING TO EVERY REHEARSAL

• Marching Band Fee

• We Need Parent Help Sign-up for a Team

• Food Allergies and Restrictions for Band Camp Meals

• Band-Camp

• Post-Camp - Pending Facility Approval

• Updated Events

  • 22 Aug. | Berkley Opening Day for Teachers Performance | 8:00 am

  • 22 Oct. | Royal Oak Glow Show | Rt TBD | 6:00 pm ***Change from 23

Message

I hope everyone is having a great summer. I am excited for a fun and productive pre-camp with you to officially start the 2024 Berkley High School Marching Band Season. Many updates are taking place at Hurley Field and in BHS. Therefore, pre-camp will look and feel different from the past. Rehearsals will be held at the marching band practice field across from BHS, a.k.a. the "Trash-Lot" and inside Berkley High School. We will have full access to the Band Room, Orchestra Room, and Choir Room. Due to the annual summer cleaning and BHS receiving new furniture, most other areas of the high school will be off-limits. That being said, we need to be mindful of our surroundings and do our part to keep the areas we use clean and organized - at all times.

I also want to remind everyone to be accepting of the things we can control and the things we can't control. Regardless of where we practice, we must prioritize what we want most over what we want now. We want to have fun making music together. To make new friendships and to strengthen old ones. To create fond and long-lasting memories. We want to learn and produce the best marching band show our community has ever heard and seen. So get fired up!

If you have any questions about the week, please check with leadership before emailing Mr. Thomann. Please note that leadership will meet in the band room at 7:30 am. Everyone else should meet on the "Trash-Lot" ready to begin rehearsal at 8:00 am.

Dictionary

Definition from the Thomann vernacular

be·gin

/bəˈɡin/

verb

1. start, perform, or undergo the first part of (an action or activity).

• "I arrived at the "trash lot" before 8:00 am. I have all of my rehearsal materials and eagerly waiting for the leadership team to give instructions"

• "I am a trend-setter. I arrived early enough to be the first student on the field”

• “My materials are set near the sideline and I am the first one standing in the stretching block"

Informal

1. begin does not mean: getting out of your vehicle and walking toward the marching band field.

• “to be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late”

Schedule for Monday, 7/29/2024

7:30 AM Leadership Meeting in Band Room

8:00 AM Rehearsal Begins @ "Trash Lot"

8:05 AM Basics

8:50 AM Break

9:00 AM Learning The Field/Grid

9:30 AM Learn Drill

9:50 AM Break

10:00 AM Continue Learning Drill

10:55 AM Wrap-Up Meeting/Clean-Up Field

11:00 AM Lunch/Transition to BHS - Open Campus

12:30 PM Music Rehearsal @ BHS

3:00 PM Dismissed

***Students are responsible for their own lunch as Mr. Thomann is not responsible for them during this time. This is consistent with the school's lunch policy during the school year. Students have the option to eat in the band room.

Bring to every rehearsal:

• Athletic Shoes - NO Sandals etc.

• Athletic Clothes

• Water Bottle - (1 Gallon) Recommended

• 3 Ring Binder

  • Sheet Protectors for music and drill

• 50 Page Spiral 3" x 5", Index Cards
  Index Card

• Hat

• Sunglass

• Sunscreen

• Mechanical Pencils

• Instrument

• Instrument Accessories

Marching Band Membership Fee

Please sign into your Mistar account to pay the $180.00 membership fee for the 2024 Marching Band Season at your earliest convenience. The marching band fee goes directly back to the students by providing additional instructional help, music, equipment, transportation, occasional meals, and other marching band needs. If you are in a position where you may need financial assistance or would like to set up a payment plan, contact Mr. Thomann. All communication regarding finances and personal information is confidential. No student shall be denied participation in marching band due to their financial situation as long as communication exists between the family and Mr. Thomann.

Items not included in the $180.00 Marching Band Fee.

• Summer Uniform

• Marching Band Uniform Dry-Cleaning

• Marching Band Shoes

***More information will be sent regarding these items before the end of the school year. Again, if you need financial assistance, contact Mr. Thomann.

Please take note of the following text:

If there have been any changes to your status with the marching band, such as not attending Berkley High School in the fall, needing to take a different class, or choosing not to participate in marching band, please email Mr. Thomann as soon as possible. This is important so that the show can be properly designed. Each student is represented by a dot on the page for the pre-game and halftime shows. It requires a significant amount of time and energy to create the formation that the students will march. Out of consideration for your fellow students and Mr. Thomann, please promptly communicate any changes regarding your status with the marching band.

It takes a community to build success, and we need help. None of the volunteer jobs listed require a lot of your time. Some jobs are as simple as setting up a Drum Major podium at football games, taking pictures, to chaperoning events. Any help you can offer directly benefits your child's experience in the Berkley High School Band program.

Band-Camp

Dates: Aug. 5-9

Location: “Trash Lot” and Berkley H.S. Band Room

Schedule

8:30 am - Leadership Meeting

9:00 am - Rehearsal Start - Marching

12:00 pm - Lunch (students provide their own lunch)

1:30 pm - Rehearsal - Music

4:00 pm - Dinner (potluck)

5:00 pm - Rehearsal - Coordination

7:00 pm - Evening Activity TBD

9:30 pm - Dismissed

Theme: TBD

Post-Camp

These rehearsals are designed to maintain the progress the students made over pre-camp and band camp, to add effects to the half-time show, and to prepare for the first football game performance.

Click on any of the days to learn details including the schedule, activities, reminders, and volunteer needs.

Dates: TBD - pending availability due to construction at Hurley Field

Time: 9:00 am - Noon

Location: TBD

***The schedule for outside of the school day rehearsals (1 day a week) is pending approval from the district. Contact Mr. Thomann if you have any questions.***

Upcoming Events

***RT = Report Time for Students

29 Jul. - 2 Aug.| Marching Band Pre-Camp | @ BHS

5 Aug. - 9 Aug. | Marching Band Camp | @ BHS

***TBD | Rehearsal | 9:00 am - Noon | Pending Facility Approval

***TBD | Rehearsal | 9:00 am - Noon | Pending Facility Approval

***TBD | Rehearsal | 9:00 am - Noon | Pending Facility Approval

***TBD | 9th-Grade Orientation Performance

***22 Aug. | Berkley Opening Day for Teachers Performance | RT 8:00 am

13 Sept. | Homegame vs. Pontiac | RT 5:00 pm | 7:00 pm Game Start

18 Sept. | Belleville Half-Time Band Review | RT TBD - 6:30 pm Performances Begin

27 Sept. | Homegame vs. Royal Oak | RT 5:00 pm | 7:00 pm Game Start

1 Oct. | TBD MB EVENT | TBD

5 Oct. | Homegame vs. Jackson Northwest | RT 10:00 am | Noon Game Start

14 Oct. | MSBOA Marching Band Festival | Bloomfield Hills H.S.| Time TBD

18 Oct. | Homegame vs.Rochester | RT 5:00 pm | 7:00 pm Game Start

18-20 Oct. | Tag Days

22 Oct. | Royal Oak Glow Show | Rt TBD | 6:00 pm

25 Oct. | Homegame vs.Lamphere| RT 5:00 pm | 7:00 pm Game Start

13 Nov. | Indoor Marching Band Concert | RT TBD | 7:00 pm | BHS Auditorium

***TBD Dec. | Berkley Holiday Lights Parade | RT TBD | 5:00 pm

16-17 Dec. | Marching Band Uniform Return

18 Dec. | BHS Bands Winter Concert | RT TBD | 7:00 pm | BHS Auditorium

The details for each event will be communicated closer to the date of the event. The times listed are mostly for student report times and not the actual start times of the events. For example, for football games, students will rehearse at 5 pm when the game starts at 7 pm.

When new events are added they will be communicated as soon as possible.

***These dates are reminders. Visit the band website for the most up-to-date calendar.

***For additional information, visit the Berkley Bands website by clicking on one of the Quick Links below.

Contact Mr. Thomann if you have any questions about the information in this email.

Quick Links