Week of September 11

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 band calendar or to view and print a PDF of the band events. When looking at the PDF calendar, please take note of the rightmost column which denotes which students are participating in the event.

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, we will be performing at two home football games on September 15th (Concert Band, Varsity Band, and Wind Ensemble: Required; Wildcat Band: Encouraged) and 29th (all band students). These are required, graded performances unless a school activity conflicts (see above).

The September 15th 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 6:15pm, ready to perform. We will begin playing at approximately 6:30 and plan to play pregame and halftime. 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 this game is West or blue and white gear or the student section theme, with considerations taken for the weather.

The Homecoming game on September 29th is on the new turf field on the Oshkosh West Campus. All band students will perform in the short Homecoming parade and then at pregame only. Students student arrive no later the 5:00pm in the band room. The parade begins at 5:30 and following the parade, students will have time to visit the activity area. We will play pregame at approximately 6:30 and students will be dismissed at the beginning of the game around 7:00pm. The dress code for this game is a provided band Homecoming shirt.

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 $40. Students can also purchase the two components separately as replacements. Second, students may rent the combo from the school for the year for $30. 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. 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.

Six Flags Trip — May 18, 2024

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

The only criteria to attend is not missing performances; all performances must be attended or made up by the trip date. Costs will be determined in the spring, but fundraisers will be available throughout the year. Hope to see you there!