Week of April 22

Spring Concerts

Our spring concerts are almost upon us! Wildcat Band and Wind Ensemble will perform on Monday, May 6th. Concert Band and Varsity Band will perform on Tuesday, May 7th. The students have been working hard and are excited to showcase what they have learned over the course of this year. You will certainly notice significant growth! Below is some pertinent information for the concert.

Call time is 7:00pm. Students should be at West in their concert attire with their instruments assembled at 7:00pm.

The auditorium seating area will open at 7:45pm. Please do not arrive earlier than 7:45 as the auditorium won’t be open until 15 minutes before the concert. Those who arrive early can wait in the lobby.

Concert time is 8:00pm. Each concert should be between 45 minutes and an hour.

Concert dress is as follows:

Please choose from the following items. Each item must be ALL-BLACK in a semi-formal style.

ALL-BLACK button-down shirt
ALL-BLACK polo shirt
ALL-BLACK sweater
ALL-BLACK blouse
ALL-BLACK dress
ALL-BLACK skirt
ALL-BLACK dress pants

Please pair long, calf-length ALL-BLACK socks, ALL-BLACK dress shoes, ALL-BLACK leggings, and/or ALL-BLACK hosiery as appropriate.

Please note that the following items do not fit in the dress code: t-shirts, hoodies, sweatpants, jeans, shorts of any kind, tennis shoes, crocs, flip-flops, sandals, or slides. Students dressed improperly will not be permitted to perform.

Students with financial difficulties should contact Mr. Singer or Mr. Wilson for assistance as soon as possible. We can help, but we need time to plan. Students who come to the concert without proper concert attire may not be able to perform.

Both concerts will be live-streamed on our YouTube channel. More information and links can be found here. (Programs will be updated prior to the concert.)

Music Department Awards Night

On Monday, May 13th, we will host our annual Music Department Awards Night in the O-Room at 6:00pm. Students will be notified by May 6th if they should be in attendance to receive an award.

Students, if you have band letter points to submit, please do so here no later than midnight on Sunday, April 28.

Six Flags Trip — May 18, 2024

We will be traveling to Six Flags Great America on Saturday, May 18, 2024. This is an optional trip for any student in the music department and replaces the previous activities in Milwaukee following WSMA performances.

Permission slips were handed out on Monday, April 22, and are due on Monday, April 29. The cost is $85 and includes coach bus travel, a park ticket, and a meal ticket. Payment is due with the permission slip, but we can be flexible with communication. Students with built-up fundraiser profits will have it applied to the payment.

Memorial Day Procession

Each year, all four of our West Bands combine to perform in the Oshkosh Memorial Day Procession. We are excited to once again have the opportunity to perform for the community. This is a required performance for all students, including current seniors. Students who do not turn in the permission slip before the performance date will be ineligible to perform. The schedule is below:

6:45am students arrive and eat breakfast (provided); load equipment; students dress
7:45am depart West High School
8:00am arrive downtown
9:00am procession begins
9:45am approximate time procession is complete; load buses
10:15am depart downtown
10:30am arrive at West High School; unload equipment and change
11:00am students are dismissed

The uniform for the parade is as follows: All students will wear their marching uniform jacket, pants, and hat provided by the school. Students are responsible for providing long black socks and all-black shoes. Shoes that are not all-black will be made all-black. Expensive and/or fancy shoes are unnecessary! Find a pair of cheap all-black shoes that will last all four years at Walmart, Target, Goodwill, or your favorite local store. Students with financial difficulties should contact Mr. Singer or Mr. Wilson for assistance. (Students will not board the bus or be able to perform without the proper attire.)

The parade route runs along Algoma Boulevard from Jackson Street to Murdock Avenue for units not proceeding to the cemetery (the West band turns onto Murdock).

Memorial Day Volunteers and Donations

Each year, we provide breakfast to all of our students to ensure that they are prepared for the early performance. The Memorial Day breakfast costs the band program approximately $500. We are in need of monetary donations to provide breakfast for all of our students prior to marching in the procession. If you are able to help, please sign up on this document.

We need assistance preparing for and cleaning up after the Memorial Day Procession. Please take a moment to visit our Volunteer Sign-Up page to contribute to your student’s success!

We need help with the following:

Breakfast Serving: 6:15-7:00am (6 positions)
- These positions will help serve breakfast to students.
Uniform Distribution: 6:45-7:15am (8 positions)
- These positions will assist students in finding uniforms and hats.
Pull Band Trailer: 7:15-10:30am (truck needed)
- This position will pull our band trailer downtown so that students can unload their equipment.
Follow Vehicle: 7:30-10:00am
- This position will follow the band down the parade route in the event that a student has a medical need. We will supply a first aid kit. No medical experience is necessary!
Uniform Collection: 10:30-11:30am (10 positions)
- These positions will help us prepare the uniforms to be sent to the cleaners on Tuesday.

2024–2025 Concert and Parade Dates

October 24 — Fall Concert in the Alberta Kimball Auditorium (All Bands)
November 26 — Appleton Holiday Parade in Downtown Appleton (All Band Students)
December 5 — Oshkosh Holiday Parade in Downtown Oshkosh (All Band Students)
December 14 — All-District Band-o-Rama at Oshkosh North (All OASD Band Students)
March 1 — District Solo and Ensemble Festival at Neenah High School (Interested Band Students)
April 9 — WSMA Contest at UW-Oshkosh (Wildcat and Concert Bands)
April 10 — WSMA Contest at UW-Oshkosh (Varsity Band and Wind Ensemble)
May 5 — Spring Concert I in the Alberta Kimball Auditorium (Wildcat Band and Wind Ensemble)
May 6 — Spring Concert II in the Alberta Kimball Auditorium (Concert and Varsity Bands)
May 26 — Oshkosh Memorial Day Procession in Downtown Oshkosh (All Band Students)
May 31 — Graduation at the Oshkosh Arena (2024-2025 and 2025-2026 Wind Ensembles)

Grading and Make-Up Procedures

Are you curious about how grades are determined? Click here for more information!

Do you have to miss a pep band performance? Students who have a school-related activity are excused from the pep band performance. Students missing for any other reason must make up the performance to gain the points. Students wishing to be excused for a school-related activity should fill out this form prior to the date of the performance.

Do you have to miss a concert or parade performance? All students missing a concert or parade performance for any reason must make up the performance to earn the points.

View make-up procedures here. Please contact Mr. Singer or Mr. Wilson with questions.