Week of September 5
Welcome!
We are excited to welcome all of our Oshkosh West band students and families to a new school year! We have a lot of great music, performances, and travel planned for our students this year. Thank you for choosing to be a part of our life-changing organization!
Parents, there have been countless studies that prove how valuable a music class is to the minds of our young adults. We certainly don’t expect the majority of our students to become music majors or enter the professional music field, but the long-lasting impact of participating in a music class for an extended period will undoubtedly aid all of our students’ successes in whatever they may do after graduation. Please take a few moments to read this short article published by Forbes magazine about a recent study done on students studying music in high school.
Performance Calendar
We have a great year full of a variety of performance opportunities planned for our students! Please check out this page on our website to subscribe to our Google band calendar or to view and print a PDF of the band events (the PDF will be updated by early next week, as the dates of a few events have been changed on us). When looking at the PDF calendar, please take note of the rightmost column which denotes which students are participating in the event. Rosters for the Blue and White basketball pep bands will be determined in mid-October.
Each performance is a demonstration of musical skills by the students. Since band is a class and performances are a part of the learning process as well as graded public demonstrations of skills learned, attendance and participation at each performance is expected, required, and graded. If a student must miss a performance, we do have opportunities for students to make-up the missed points. The procedures can be viewed on this page on our website.
Students who are participating in a school-related activity (game/match/meet/etc.) during a pep band performance are excused. This may include being on the team playing while we perform or on a team that has an away event during our performance. To be excused, students must fill out this form on our website prior to the beginning of the performance. We recommend filling out the form for all absences once the team calendar is released. Our athletic director states that performances supersede practices. The same is true the other way around — games/matches/meets/etc. supersede band practices. With that said, coaches aren't allowed to hold this against students in any way, especially by reducing playing time. If this is an issue, please let the directors or Mr. Jodarski know and we can work it out with the coach.
When planning absences during the school year, please try to avoid performance dates so that your student has the opportunity to be a part of the full experience of a performance with his or her classmates.
Football Pep Band
This year, all band students will be performing at two home football games on September 16th and 30th. These are required, graded performances unless a school activity conflicts (see above).
Each game is at Titan Stadium and students must provide their own transportation to and from the stadium. Students should be at Titan no later than 45 minutes before the game time. We will begin playing approximately 30 minutes before game time. We plan to play pregame and halftime at both games. When we play halftime, students may sit in the student section during the first half but should be back down on the track with two minutes left on the clock before halftime to prepare for the second performance. After we are done with our halftime performances, students should pack up their equipment and either take it to the trailer to be taken back to West or take it home. Please note that instruments will be left on the trailer until Monday.
The uniform for these games is West or blue and white gear or the student section theme, with considerations taken for the weather. if you’d like to purchase some fresh West gear, please check out our merch sale running through September 11th! See you at our first performance on September 16!
Required Supplies for Success in Band
Each West band student has required materials in order for them to be successful. Most students have had these supplies required since 6th grade, though you may have run out of some items or they may have been lost.
ALL woodwind and brass students will need a Korg TM-60 Metronome/Tuner with 1/4“ jack and Peterson TP3 Contact Microphone or similar in good working order. Please do not purchase a single-unit guitar tuner. These do not have the necessary features and do not attach to band instruments in a way that allows the student to read music properly. We have chosen the Peterson TP3 contact microphone for its increased durability. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors, if either part of your setup from last year doesn’t function, you must have a working replacement for this school year.
The school offers two options to assist families in acquiring these items. First, students wishing to purchase the combo can receive a discount if purchased through the school for $30. Students can also purchase the two components separately as replacements. Second, students may rent the combo from the school for the year for $20. This includes batteries for the duration of the year. Students will be responsible for returning the combo in good working condition.
Families wishing to participate in either program must purchase through the band website by September 11th. There, you can either pay by credit/debit card or choose to pay in person by cash or check. (If paying by cash or check, disregard the processing fee.)
A complete list of required items for each instrument can be found on this page on our website. We will have a graded supply check on September 19th and at various points throughout the year.
School-Owned Instruments
Students who use a school-owned instrument will be issued one on Friday, September 2nd. This year, the district has eliminated the rental fee. Families of students using school-owned instruments are financially responsible for damages beyond normal wear-and-tear.
We will be sending rental contracts home next week. Guardians and students, please review and sign the form and then return it as soon as possible.
Uniform Fitting Dates
All students enrolled in band must be fitted for a marching band uniform and men (and women upon request) will also be fitted for a concert tuxedo. It is important that you are fit during these times! Please make arrangements to attend one of the nights, even if it is not the one assigned to your grade level. You may come at any point during the window and the fitting should take 15 minutes or less. Fittings will be in the auditorium lobby. Please enter door #33 off of Eagle Street.
Monday, September 12, 2022 - 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm: SENIORS and JUNIORS
Tuesday, September 13, 2022 - 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm: SOPHOMORES and FRESHMEN
In order to make these evenings run smoothly, we will need 8-10 parents and 6-8 students to help move students through the fitting process. No experience is necessary! We will meet at 4:45 to briefly show everyone how to fit students properly and assign volunteers to the various tasks. If you are willing to help out our students, please take a moment to visit our Volunteer Sign-Up page to contribute to your student’s success! If you are not available for the full time, no problem -- any time is helpful!
We will have one final day the following week on Wednesday the 21st from 3:30-5:00pm. There will be no further opportunities to be fit for a uniform after these three dates. Please make sure that your student is fit so that they can be a part of the performances!
Volunteers
With a large band program comes the need for parent help in many areas at various points throughout the year. All parents and guardians of band students are part of the Oshkosh West Band Parent Organization. Like any support organization, success is dependent on the participation and contributions of its members. We are proud to have an extremely active Band Parent Organization. The group is parent-run and has two main focuses: raising funds to support student activities and assisting with tasks such as uniform fitting, distribution and collection, meal distribution for parades and many other tasks throughout the year.
The events that we need assistance with the most at this point are the uniform fitting nights, but we will also need help with the holiday parades and at other points throughout the year. Please take a moment to visit our Volunteer Sign-Up page to contribute to your student’s success!
Band “Swag” Sale
We will be running a West Bands “Swag” sale for the next 2 weeks. We have some awesome items available that we know students and families alike will love!
Available this time are:
short sleeve t-shirts (screen printed on black or blue)
long sleeve t-shirts (screen printed on black or blue)
crewneck sweatshirts (screen printed on black or blue)
hooded sweatshirts (screen printed on black or blue)
half-zip stretch pullovers (embroidered on black)
fleece jackets (embroidered on black)
soft-shell jackets (embroidered on black)
baseball hats (embroidered on blue)
beanies (embroidered on blue, gray, and white)
band logo enamel pins
West Bands lanyard
West Bands Stickers (can be applied to almost anything, including car windows!)
Many items have the ability to customize with your name!
We do not require students to purchase any of these items, but most band students and families end up ordering an item or two throughout their band careers!
How do I order?
We are running the sale through September 11th. Items must be ordered on our website, but can be paid by card, cash, or check made out to Oshkosh West Bands.
How do I pay?
Items can be purchased by card, cash, or check made out to Oshkosh West Bands. Place cash or checks in an envelope with your name, the amount, and what you've ordered online.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you pay by cash or check, you DO NOT need to pay the 5% processing fee. That fee is for card payments only.
When do I receive the items?
All items will be custom-made once the order period ends on September 11th. We anticipate that we can hand many items out in class sometime after September 25th, but that date may change based on shipping.
Please let us know if you have any questions!