Welcome to the start of another school year! I cannot wait to be back making music together every day. Just a couple updates of upcoming events and deadlines, including the UofM Band Day.

Band Handbook: Please review the band handbook, sign, and return the acknowledgment form at the end. You may return it by email or print it out and hand it to me during band. The deadline is Friday, Sept 8. You can find a link to the handbook in Schoology.

Instruments: Students can bring their instruments on the first day. 10-12th grade will be playing. 9th graders will be able to drop off their instruments before the meeting in the gym. Everyone has a locker assigned to them. Please check the sheet in the band room for you locker number, especially returners as your locker may have changed. There will be Drum Majors there helping with any questions.

Instrument Rental: Students who do not own their own instruments have the option to rent the instrument through the Lakeville School District. This includes, but not limited to: horns/mellophones, baritones, tuba/sousaphones, and percussion/drumline. This annual fee covers instrument rental for the entire school year. It also includes use of multiple similar instruments (ie: percussion, practice and performance baritones, mellophones and horns, etc.) If you are in need of a rental and have not received one already, please let me know so we can have an instrument ready for you. Rental fees can be paid via CampusPay in Infinite Campus and are available to pay now. We rely on rental fees for instrument repair and maintenance, and they are an important part of making sure our instruments stay in good shape.

There is also a rental agreement that I will be sending home with students with instrument rentals. This form should be filled out by student and guardian and returned to school as soon as possible.

Jazz Band: Will not meet on Tuesday because of the adjusted schedule. We will begin rehearsals on Wednesday morning at 7:02!

Band Day: The UofM Band Day is next Saturday (Sept 9). Marching Band students who are going will need their full band uniform during this time. Uniforms are hanging in the band room and students will pick them up as we load the buses. Black gloves and the compression shirts will be handed out to all marching band members the first week of school and students should bring those to the UofM Band Day along with black socks and black shoes. If you have not submitted your payment ($20) on CampusPay, please do so ASAP. Students will need to print out their music and put it in their flip folio before Saturday. Here is a link to the music: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lF53gOF-kBUWVZ9_pKdlBgc7QJa4Myfw?usp=drive_link

Here is a link for discounted friends and family tickets for the game:   https://gophersports.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetGroupList?prc=BANDDAYGUEST&caller=PR&linkID=uminn-athletics&RDAT=&RSRC=

Below is the schedule:

10:00am – band room open
10:45am – load busses

11am – depart LNHS
11:30am – Arrival on UofM Campus
12pm – Rehearsal with the Pride of Minnesota Marching Band
3pm – Change/Prepare for Game day (full uniform)
*lunch will be provided to band students & staff 

***please eat something before you leave LNHS
3:30pm – Perform in tailgating lots
5:30pm – Enter Huntington Bank Stadium; watch the game from the stands

6:30pm – Kickoff
Start of 2nd Quarter – All bands report for halftime performance. post-game – join the Pride of Minnesota on the field for a post-game show

Arrive back at LNHS – approx. 11pm. There will be a post in the BAND app with a more accurate time once it is known.

1st Football Game: The following week (Sept 15) we have our first football game vs. South! In preparation we will continue our Monday night practices on Monday Sept 11. Monday night practices are 6:30-8:00pm on the stadium field.

On Friday game days, we will have rehearsal at 5pm on the practice turf field. Students need to be on the field at 5pm with their instrument, music, and drill sheet. Rehearsal will last until around 6, when we will have a break to change into our uniform and get a quick snack if needed.

One fundraiser that we started a few years ago and are continuing this year is stadium clean up the day after the home football games. Each bandie in marching band needs to sign up for at least 1 day to help clean during the football season. We meet in the stadium at 8:45am (trash bags and blowers are provided) and it usually lasts until 10:30am.

The beginning of the year is always high energy. I thank you for your support! Please let me know if you have any questions.

Go Panthers!

Dr. Wanken