November 2009 Band Booster Minutes
Mr. Pirzer’s News:
MARCHING BAND SEASON NEARLY OVER: We have five more after school rehearsals and then marching season is over. Every practice is crucial. Mr. Pirzer reminds us that the next two weeks of practices are beyond importance. The band is making program changes at each practice. State competition will look different than Southern Showcase.
SOUTHERN SHOWCASE: We had a great crowd at Southern Showcase. Parent and fan cheering at Showcase really cheered the kids and supported their efforts. Mr. Pirzer notes that our students respond well to cheering. The more the better.
DONATIONS REQUESTED: Our stocks are getting low again, and need to be shored up before the FMBC competition. We’d like a mix of both bottled water and bottled Gatorade to prevent our marchers from dehydrating and falling out at State Competitions. We want our students to drink more Gatorade to keep the electrolytes up. Snacks are needed, too – apples, bananas, crackers, trail mix.
11/21/09 STATE FMBC INFORMATION: We have a pre-FMBC schedule change
Due to our GHS football team successful season, there are more GHS football games than we had on our calendar. We play at the GHS game on Friday 11/20/09, and therefore won’t have this date to practice, so the Friday practice has been moved up TO THIS FRIDAY 11/13/09 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The FMBC itinerary is available in the band room and posted on the GHSBandNews blog. Kids report at 8:00 a.m. We will leave at approximately 8:30 a.m. Performance time is 4:10 p.m. We’re taking both trailers to the game.
COMPETITION SITE LOCATIONS: Jeffereson High School in Tampa. Mr. Pirzer has provided directions to Jefferson and then from there to Tropicana Field. The location is easier to navigate than in years past. The high school is right off of I-275. It is a smaller field that should work well for us. There are 16 bands competing in Class 3A in prelims. 90 bands are competing overall. We compete 7th from the end. The top five of each class move on to Finals.
FINALS for 3A: Start at roughly at 9:00 p.m.- 9:30 p.m. Class 3A will perform last. By score, we’re currently third highest in Class 3A. Mr. Pirzer thinks the GHS Hurricane Marching Band can do really well, especially if our students focus.
PARENT BUS: We’ve only filled about 20 of the 45 seats. Admission for prelims is $12.00, admission for finals is $20.00. Pit crew gets in free!!! Pit crew entrance fees are already paid for, and arm bands already procured. First priority will be given to the crew that has been providing support all season long.
Warning to bring lots of cash: The finals DVDs are expensive. Someone mentioned that DVDs last year cost them $100.00 (I don’t know if that was for one or for multiple DVDs). There are no ATMS on site. No credit cards accepted. You’ll need cash only for parking (if you drive), entrance fees, concession stands and for most vendors.
OTHER: WELCOME MR. KEITH NORTHOVER, Mr. Pirzer’s intern. He’ll be with us through the Thanksgiving break.
OTHER IMPORTANT DATE INFORMATION & CHANGES:
11/20/09 – Add a GHS football game to your calendar @ Citizen’s Field at 7:30 p.m. The GHS football team has rocked this year, and therefore, our playing season is longer than usual. Hudson High School (just north of Tampa) is coming here. This will be our last chance to perform our full program in front of a crowd before State FMBC on 11/21/09. We’ll most likely have a game after Thanksgiving, if we win this one. So the band might be called upon again. If it’s an away game, our band won’t be needed. But, if it’s a home game, we’ll be there.
PICTURES: Band Retakes is (was) next Wednesday, 11/11/2009, 6th period. Band picture orders are due this Friday, 11/13/09. Make up pictures will have a later order date. Return date for both will be back before the December holiday.
ALL COUNTY BAND FOR HIGH SCHOOL for this year has been cancelled. Scheduled date of Passover was moved, and moved, and moved, and finally, it had to be cancelled. In lieu of this, UF is hosting an Honor Band 4/1/2010-4/3/2010 – Cost is $60.00. The concert will be scheduled the Saturday evening. Mr. Watkins at UF is coordinating this and more information will be forthcoming. No auditions for this, but GHS musicians will need a recommendation from Mr. Prizer.
MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND ALL COUNTY is still a go at this point, but it, too, has been rescheduled many times, too, and also is in danger of being cancelled.
SPRING CONCERT DATE: HAS BEEN MOVED from Friday, 4/23/09 to Monday, 4/26/09. This is because it turns out that the auditorium was double booked by the GHS Drama Department as well as the GHS Band, and somebody had to move over. Guess that was us this time!
Band Booster President: Frank Mason:
President Frank Mason is impressed with how the band looks considering everything it’s been through this year, transition, new faces – parents & kids, new style of performance. He’s really looking forward to seeing the development over the next two weeks. He’s impressed with the number of GHS fans in the stands – hollering and cheering.
He also expressed concern over the Band Booster meeting attendance and would like to see increased attendance. We had 30 parents attend the November booster meeting. He’s open to suggestions of what we could do to increase attendance.
Treasurer News:
FAIR SHARE STATUS: Fair share contributions have dwindled to nearly nothing coming in. We’re behind about $28,000 in Fair Share funds. Although there is money in the checking account right now, it’s already accounted for and on it’s way out. Serious concern over how the GHS Band will meet its ongoing expenses after this month.
WHY IS FAIR SHARE SO LOW? One possible reason that our Fair Share is so low is that the monthly reminder was left off of the Hurricane Band calendar. A suggestion was made to send monthly reminders via e-mail and to send statement updates to parents.
TREASURY BALANCE: Current balance in our checking account is $4,500. However, two thousand of this belongs to the trailor fund, and the balance is earmarked for expenses incurred. $1,000 earmarked for indoor guard fees. At this point, we’re not sure how we’re going to pay for our entrance fees to indoor guard and to FMBA.
Some discussion on Quicken files: Susan has received the e-mail and attachment, but hasn’t viewed it yet. She thinks this one should load, and she should be able to view it this week.
Fundraiser News:
SCRIPT: NEXT SCRIPT ORDER IS EXTENDED TO THIS FRIDAY 11/13/09. Participation in script is not nearly as strong as it was last year. 5 students earned $131.03 for October in script purchases. Reminder that planning ahead for your holiday travel and shopping can earn money toward your Fair Share. Pre-purchase gas cards, meal cards, hotel cards and use them as cash during the holidays. Presents? Know which stores you want to shop at? Buy yourself gift cards and use them as cash to make your holiday purchases.
SCRIPT HOLIDAY DEALS: Bath & body works is offering 18% of the purchased gift card toward your Fair Share AND will give you $10 off every $30 dollar purchase. Marriots is offering 9%, LL Bean 1is offering 8%. Fannie May is offering 18%, Flowers is offering 25%.
WHERE CAN YOU GET A HOLIDAY SCRIPT ORDER FORM? Link over to the Hurricane Band website to view and print your order form. Or, your student can bring one home from the band room. Jill Burleson mentions that she’s willing to make special orders for large orders such as vacation travel (Marriots) and home repair (Home Depot).
LACKLUSTER SUPPORT FOR OUR DOCKSIDE FUNDRAISER: We only pre-sold 117 tickets, with an additional 45 meals raised at the door. Out of 100 students, only 9 checked out pre-sale tickets. Tips were great, and the $125.25 raised in tips will be divided between the 18 students who volunteered to staff the Gator Dockside fundraiser. We paid $345 to Gator Dockside and pocketed $772.25 in profit from the fundraiser.
BELK: One person participated and paid $50.00 for 10 coupons. Others might have bought tickets, but no funds were turned in.
UF CONCESSION STAND MONEY IS NOW COMING IN, although staffing the concession stands for some games has really been difficult. Ruthie Dean mentions that despite e-mails and blog updates, she only has three parents signed up for the 11/21/09 concession stand. This is the date of Finals, and no students can staff the concession stand for this game.
WEDNESDAY GENERAL FUNDRAISER – WELCOME TO MOES!!! Students were given free discount tickets for this fundraiser. Supporters only needed one ticket per group. A ticket earned a donation of 15% of the purchase price to the band’s general fund. This was only for the Moes locationed on Newberry Road by the Royal Park movie theater, 4:00 – 10:00 p.m. Moes does not want outside solicitation. Come with your tickets.
DINNER AT TOOJAYS: We have another general December fundraiser at Toojays coming up with a similar arrangement to Moes. More information and December fundraiser date to be announced.
HIRE A HURRICANE – DOWNTOWN ARTS FUNDRAISER 11/14/09 & 11/15/09: Appears to be off to a great start. 7 artists have pre-paid for a Hurricane helper to set up and/or break down their display booths. 13 students have signed up. $540 in pure profit has been raised. There is a possibility of raising more if we have stand-by students available and last minute requests by artists. We have promised 2 people per artist for set ups and take down.
WRITE DOWN THIS NUMBER IF YOU'RE SIGNED UP: – RANDY HANDEL cell phone (352) 328-4204 just in case you need it.
Most assignments on Saturday start early, early, early -- Coming at 6:00 .m. Working ‘til we’re done. Promise is about two hours. Expectation is if you’re coming at 6:00 a.m., you’re working until 8:00 a.m.
Randy mentioned that his spreadsheet is filled for current commitments, although he could use one more, and he’d be glad to have stand-by students at the sign up tent, in case we have last minute requests for a Hurricane. Hurricane helpers can meet at the sign up tent or go directly to the booth that they are assigned to. The sign up tent will most likely be located at the downtown plaza by the bus stop. Booth numbers are posted on the link that was previously sent. [After the Booster meeting, Randy created another e-mail, complete with more links and a layout of the artist booth locations, and sent to his mailing list. If you need it, let me know, and I’ll forward it to you, too].
WHAT TO WEAR: It was recommended that our Hurricanes be easily identifiable, and wear their purple band t-shirts.
THE GUARD HAS A YARD SALE also scheduled for Saturday 11/14/09 and requests that strong, able bodies, not otherwise committed to the Hire-A-Hurricane fundraiser, contact her to assist with set up of the heavy stuff around 6:30 a.m. She also asks for quality donations. Items that are not sold will need to be retrieved by their donors.
LOCATION: GHS FRONT PARKING LOT, TIME 7:30 A.M TO 2:30 P.M.
Contact: C. McFadden at 271-6490 or 264-6723
GENERAL FUNDRAISING UPDATE: Our fundraiser co-chairs are trying to track what has been successful in the past and how we’re doing on it now. We’ve had really low participation in some of the fundraisers. We’re not sure if students aren’t taking things home, if the parents are not supporting the fundraisers in general, or if there are simply too many fundraisers.
Volunteer News:
None
Color Guard News:
UF CONCESSION STANDS: 11/21/09 – only 3 people signed up for the 11/21/09, which is our State competition day. 12 adults are needed. It’s an early game. Volunteers start at 9:00 a.m.; the games starts at 12:30; wrap up is usually completed by about 4:00 p.m. It’s possible that we could get some volunteers out in time to make the 4:00 p.m. Hurricane competition in Tampa. If we don't meet our promise to staff the concession stand, we will lose our contract.
Parents & students interested in staffing the UF concessions stands should contact Eileen Monk and/or Ruthie Dean.
Other:
WHAT ARE THE JUDGES LOOKING FOR ANYWAY? The meeting ended with a lot of discussion on the competitions and what the judges are looking for. Mr. Pirzer provided the following website as an excellent resource for this question: FloridaBandTournament.com You can actually download the scoring sheets and read the specific criteria for each rated category.
JUDGES: What are the judges looking for:
There are 9 different judges
All judges are specific to their graded area, except general effect. Some look at the broad picture, others only focus on an individual item.
Color guard: Only looking at color guard, same for percussion judge.
General Effect Coordination: How the whole package fits together & how it affects you emotionally. Does the drill fit the music?
Music ensemble judge: Just listening to the music: Is the music in tune, is it together, how are the dynamics, the articulation, does it start together, does it end together?
Ensemble Vision: Just looking at the picture on the field. Is the band marching together, is it marching the same, is everyone hitting their forms, is it coordinating with the color guard?
There are general 4 captions worth 20 points and 2 individual captions worth 10 points.
Color guard, drum major, percussion do not incorporate into the final score.
HOW DOES COMPLEXITY AFFECT SCORING? They look at complexity of the program – how hard is it? How does it compare to the other shows? Think of it as AP vs regular classes. Think of us as the AP band. We get credit for trying something harder. We do a much more difficult show. The judges will tell you, though, that if you can’t do a clean show that also sounds good, you shouldn’t try to perform such a complex show.
HOW MUCH OF THE JUDGING IS SUBJECTIVE? To achieve a certain score a band should meet certain criteria at a certain level, although this is subjective. For example: Music: Achieves mastery of music “most of the time.” The judges are experienced and have years of training, and judge upon a national scale over the past several years.
HOW DOES SIZE AFFECT SCORE? Questions concerning correlation between size of band and score: General effect category strongly affected by size of band. It does seem that the smaller bands don’t score as well. We fit right in the middle, but are considered a smaller band. Where you compete in the show also makes a difference. The more bands that go before you, the better chance you have of getting a higher score. That presumes, of course, that you’re really good. If you’re not, your score will be lower.
HOW TO SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD: Parents asked for guidance on how to best support their marchers. Lots of suggestions were offered from parents and from Mr. Pirzer. The suggestions boiled down to some simple basics:
1) know your music
2) concentrate as hard as you can during practice
3) practice the way you want to perform it
The more repetitions the students get, the better they’re going to be.
NEXT BOOSTER MEETING: Next Booster meeting is Monday, December 7, 2009.
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