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BAND GLOSSARY
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Please address any questions or content suggestions to communications@twhsband.org
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All-State Band – See Region Band and TMEA.
Alternates – These are participants in the marching show who do not play an instrument. Like the color guard, the sentinels are a vital visual component of every show. From moving props during the show to their own choreography and costumes, the alternates are a very important part of making our shows as dynamic as they can be. Each year they come up with a nickname for their group that goes with their role in the show.
Band Alerts – The Woodlands High School Band uses a smartphone app called "Band" to communicate with both Parents and Students. There are two different communities in the Band App - one for Parents and one for Students. We do this so that Parents are not bothered by frequent schedule, practice, and homework messages that are sent to Students. Parents are sent relevant messages such as last minute changes in schedules, arrival and departure ETAs, upcoming event information, and so on.
Sometimes the Band App is the ONLY way certain messages are conveyed. Installing the Band App is REQUIRED for all band members and is HIGHLY recommended for all Parents.
Additional information regarding the Band App can be found on the Connect with the Band page on this website.
Band Fees – These are mandatory fees that are collected from every band member. These fees are to help pay for travel (hotels and meals when we travel), bus rentals, competition entry fees, summer master classes, clinicians and a host of other expenses that a band of this caliber must face. In an “Indy Year”, the fees will be higher to pay for flights to Indianapolis and the additional costs that are incurred on that longer trip. In a “State Year” (or “UIL Year”) fees are slightly lower because those contests are all in Texas. (See Indy Year and State Year).
There is a fee payment schedule set up with deadlines for each payment. You can find the due dates on the calendar. Please note that the first payment in due during the summer and must be paid or a marching spot cannot be offered. From time to time, different parts of the band will be invited to perform at something like a showcase or a convention (see PASIC and Midwest), but these additional fees will only be charged to the group involved. (For example, the percussionists who attended PASIC in 2014 were the only ones who paid those travel fees.) In addition, the guard will have their own fees related to equipment and costumes (see Guard Fees). The directors and Booster Board work year round to not only keep these fees as low as possible by working with vendors, but also by organizing ways to help defray the costs through fundraising and corporate sponsorship. At an individual level, parents have the opportunity to work concessions at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion (see Pavilion) and students collect donations for the autumn Rock-a-thon. (See Rock-a-thon.)
Information about how to pay Band Fees can be found at http://www.twhsband.org/band-payments.html
The Band Hall – As you drive onto Cat’s Cradle, the main “U” drive of the high school off Research Forest, the band hall is the first section of the school that is on your left. This is the main band room at the main campus. It is where the directors’ office, band lockers, guard room and booster mailboxes are located. It is the home base for the band. Booster meetings are held here.
The Band Lot – This is the section of the parking lot where the marching band practices. It is in the far west part of the parking lot and is easily found by looking for the band tower. At times during the year, booster committees will say they will be available during practice in the band lot (for example, for spirit donations of snacks and Gatorade for the homecoming game). This is where they will be, close to the band tower. You are also welcome to watch practice quietly and without interruption. As a side note: we share this space with the TWHS Air Force JROTC. You may see them out there doing their drill when we aren’t using the space.
Band/Guard Officers – These are student elected student leaders who help run the guard, the band and the different band sections. For band there is a president, vice-president, section leaders, historians, secretaries. The guard has captains, lieutenants, and a social coordinator/historian. Drum majors are also officers, but they are selected by audition. Elections and auditions are held each spring for the upcoming year.
The Band Tower – This is the tall two-tiered metal structure with the spiral stairs in the parking lot. The directors use it to view the band from above during marching practice.
Bands of America – Also known as BOA by Music for All. BOA is a privately-run marching competition in which the Band competes on the national level every other year (see Competition) . The TWHS Band has consistently been a finalist in both San Antonio and Indy.
Every year TWHS competes in the BOA Conroe Regional contest (usually at Woodforest Stadium) and the BOA Super-Regional contest in San Antonio. On odd years, the Band also goes to the BOA Grand Nationals in Indianapolis, Indiana (see Year). You do not have to place at any level to advance, but you do have to compete to advance. At the Regional and Super-Regional level, the band will compete in the preliminary rounds If they are selected to advance, they will also perform in the subsequent final rounds at each event. Grand Nationals is held at Lucas Oil Stadium (where the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts play) and it is an event the kids will remember for the rest of their lives. In Indianapolis, the band competes in the preliminary round. If they advance, they then compete in the semi-finals. If they advance out of semi-finals, they will compete in the finals. The trip to Grand Nationals is not made every year because 1) It’s expensive and 2) The school district does not allow us to leave the state in back-to-back years. While they are both marching competitions, BOA and UIL are completely different competitions. (See UIL). You can read more about BOA at www.musicforall.org.
Banquets – These are ticketed events organized by the Spirit committee. Ticket information will be sent out as the events get closer. Two events are held each year. All are welcome at these events.
Battery – also known as Drumline. These are the percussionists who march. (See also The Pit)
Block – A class period. TWHS runs a “block schedule” - eight classes in two days. We call this the Red/Green schedule. Blocks 1-4 are on Red days and blocks 5-8 are on Green days. Note that your student will have band class every day at the same time, but these will be different blocks. For example, if your student has band in the 1st block on a Red day and 5th block on a Green day, this means that he or she will have band first class period of every day. There is a Red/Green calendar on the school website twhs.conroeisd.net/.
BOA – See Bands of America and Indy Year.
Body Warm Up – The Body Warm Up is how the band students get ready to work before every practice and competition during marching season (musicians only, guard have their own warm up). It is a few minutes of choreography which they do in unison to a pop tune. It changes every year and incorporates several of the fundamentals which will be vital moves in the show for the year. So not only does it act to loosen them up and start working as a team, it also serves to reinforce the choreography for the year. They will start summer band learning this routine. (See also Fundamentals)
Booster Board – The band booster board is made up of several volunteers elected by the booster club to serve for a pre -determined amount of time to help run the band organization. The list of who is currently on the board can be found on the website under “Booster Club” here. You will see many emails from the various divisions of the board, but they will all come through the Band Secretary. We strive to keep emails short and to the point, but there is a lot of information for a band this size, so please take the time to read these communications or at least save them so you have them for future reference. Please do not hesitate to contact any board member with your questions. We are happy to help you navigate all that is band and guard.
Booster Club and Meetings – As a band parent, you are part of the Booster Club. We highly encourage you to attend the monthly Booster meetings starting in August. This is where the majority of questions are answered and a lot of information can be learned in a short amount of time. The meetings are generally on the third Thursday of the month at 7:00p.m. in the band hall, but check your band calendar for details or exceptions. Each month there will be brief updates from the Booster Board members and Head Band Director will give vital band information as well as address any questions.
Buses/Busing/Shuttles – For band travel, the band arranges regular school buses to and from football games and local events. In the case of longer travel, the band will hire travel coaches.
9TH GRADE SHUTTLE:
If your 9th grader has band class 1st block, he or she will start their school day at the main campus, and will then be shuttled back to the 9th grade campus with district transportation to finish their school day. He or she will then take another shuttle back to the main campus for after school rehearsals.
If your 9th grader has band during 2nd or 3rd block, he or she will start and end their school day at the 9th grade campus and shuttle back and forth from both campuses for their band class. They will then take another shuttle back to the main campus for after school rehearsals.
If your child finishes the school day at the main campus, he or she will start their school day at the 9th grade campus, then shuttle to the main campus for their last class (band) and either stay for practice or sectionals (in which case you would pick them up afterwards) or take his/her neighborhood bus home from the main campus. Note that if your child has band in the 4th block, he or she may be on a different bus in the morning than in the afternoon. You can contact the CISD bus barn with any questions regarding your specific case at 936-709-7940. More information can be found here: http://www.conroeisd.net/transportation/
Note: this chart assumes your child has only band at the main campus. If he or she has more than one class at the main campus, they will shuttle back and forth where applicable.
Calendar – your number one go-to guide for what’s going on and when. The calendar will be updated from time to time. Updates are highlighted in yellow. The calendar “lives” on Charms and can be downloaded/printed from that site once you log in.
Camps – See Guard Camps and Percussion Camp.
Challenges – marching spot challenges. See Marching Spot.
Chamber Music Festival – This is the high school’s solo & ensemble competition in the Spring. It is only for TWHS students. Each student required to prepare and perform a solo piece and has the option to also perform an ensemble piece. Accompanists are provided, but parents are responsible for their fees at every level of the competition and rehearsal. There is one week of preliminary performances. After this, there is one night of semi-finals followed by another night of finals. Students are judged at every level and given feedback. Performances are set up in blocks of 6-8 performances and it is asked that you come and stay for your student’s entire block which is generally about an hour. This gives the performers a built in audience. The confidence this festival instills in our band students is immeasurable. They learn they can stand up in front of people and perform and this teaches them that they can stand up in front of anyone and speak. The students are competing against one another, but are also cheering each other on as well. This is really the only time of the year when you can actually see and hear your band member perform individually. Everyone is welcome to attend the performances, and they are free.
Chaperoning – Please consider chaperoning for the band. We need chaperones for buses to and from football games. We also need chaperones on our big trips to San Antonio and Indianapolis. Chaperones pay for their own travel (unless we go by bus), meals and accommodations, but if you really want to see the band up close and personal, this is a good option. Watch for emails about chaperoning opportunities.
Charms – Charms is our band-only, password-protected site that consolidates all internal band information for parents and students.
Click HERE for more information on logging in to Charms. If you need assistance, please email communications@twhsband.org. If you have any difficulties the direct link for Charms login in is https://www.charmsoffice.com/charms/parents.asp?username=TWHSBand The school code is: twhsband, and your password is your student’s six digit student ID number. You will be required to change your password on your first login to Charms.
Communication – The band is large and the directors and booster board will have a lot of information to share with you. We all strive to keep this to a minimum so as to not overwhelm your email inbox (see Email). All band email communication is sent through our band secretary, so our emails will come from secretary@twhsband.org. Please take the time to read these emails. The directors also communicate via text for quick things (See Band Alerts). There is also a monthly booster meeting (See Booster Club and Meetings) at which you can ask questions for any band issue. In addition to all these ways to get information, we have our public band web site at www.twhsband.org and our password-protected Charms page which has several documents, forms, and volunteer listings. (See Charms). The band calendar is frequently updated with changes, so please make note of changes sent out or check it for updates. If you are unclear about anything, please contact the appropriate booster board member or anyone in a band t-shirt. (See Booster Board) Everyone is happy to help.
Competitions/Contests – The marching band and the individual concert bands all compete at various levels. Please refer to Bands of America, UIL, and TMEA. Please also see Region Band/Region Orchestra. The Guard competes as part of the Marching Band in the fall and has Guard-only contests in the winter and spring (See Winter Guard and WGI).
Concert Bands/Season – Generally speaking, this is the spring semester. We have four concert bands at TWHS: Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band 1, Symphonic Band 2, and Concert Band. Every concert band prepares for and competes at UIL Concert & Sight-Reading competition in April. TWHS Bands consistently perform at the highest levels, and all work to score top marks at concert competitions.
Concessions – See Pavilion.
Contests – see Competitions/Contests
Corporate Donations/Sponsorship – TWHS band actively seeks corporate donations to offset the expenses of the band program. The band has 501(c)(3) status. Your company may offer matching funds as well as volunteer hour matching. If you or your company would like to make a donation to the band, please email our corporate donations chairperson at donations@twhsband.org.
DCI – Drum Corps International is a non-profit summer drum corps competition circuit. While TWHS band does not compete in any of their events, many of our students have auditioned for and received marching spots with one of these prestigious drum corps. They generally spend two and half months in the summer training, traveling, performing and competing. These bands are for bell front brass, percussion and guard only (no woodwinds like saxophones, clarinets and flutes). Students must be 15-21 years of age to participate. To read more about DCI: http://www.dci.org/parents/
Directors - For more information click HERE
Dots – Dots are the specific points of each individual person in the show at any given moment.
Dot Books – A Dot Book was a spiral bound 3x5 or 4x6 index card book in which students wrote all their sets and wore around their neck during practice. (See also Sets and Drill.) Dot Books were replaced by the mobile phone app "UDPApp Pro". (see UDBApp Pro)
The Drill – or just Drill. Collective dots make up a set. Collective sets make up the drill. (See also Dots/Dot Book and Sets). The Drill is the complete show.
Drumline – also known as The Battery. These are the percussionists who march (see also The Pit).
Drum Majors – Student conductors/leaders for the Marching Band when they are on the field. The squad is made up of a head drum major and several assistants. Drum major auditions are held in the spring. Drum majors are selected by an independent judging panel, not the directors.
Email – Please make sure you have a working email correctly entered into Charms (see Charms). This needs to be an email you check on a daily basis. NOTE: Parents MUST sign in to their student's Charms account and add an "Adult" record with your current email address in order to receive emails from the band. You will get a lot of email from the band from various committees. Please read them all as this is our number-one way of communicating with the very large band family. Emails come from secretary@twhsband.org. (See Communication.) Please be sure to whitelist the "twhsband.org" domain in your email client in order to receive all emails.
Etudes – An etude is a short piece of music designed to show skill and fundamentals. TMEA (Texas Music Educators Association) selects three etudes each summer which will be the audition pieces for Region Band and Region Orchestra. The high school band also uses them for their own audition process. For more information and for etude selection in mid-July, please visit www.tmea.org.
Exhibition and Exhibition BBQ – (See Banquets) At the end of Summer Band, there will be an exhibition out on the soccer field inside the track (where the bleachers are). Students will show what they have been working on during summer band. Band staff, student officers and drum majors will be introduced. After the exhibition, a catered BBQ dinner will be offered in the commons hosted by the Hospitality committee. Tickets for dinner must be purchased in advance and will be offered at various times for purchase during summer band. Various booster board officers will be available during the dinner for your convenience and questions. There will be on opportunity to see what is currently on our “band needs” list and you can leave a donation with our Donations booster board chairperson right at the BBQ.
Food Crew – These volunteers take care of the enormous job of making sure our kids don’t go hungry on game days or when they are away at competition. Because the students don’t go home after school on game day (see Football Game Schedule), Food Crew offers a pre-game meal plan for you to make sure your child is fed dinner before the game. This is not mandatory, but is offered as a convenience for the kids (nearly all band/guard students participate). Payment for the whole game season is required in advance. Payment for the meal plan is made via check. There are no individual game or game day purchases. Our Food Crew chair works hard to keep the food costs as low as possible while offering a decent meal. That being said, if you feel the meals provided aren't enough for your child, you are welcome to order two meal plans. You are, of course, welcome to send food with your child or even bring them a meal during dinner time. Students are not allowed to leave campus during the dinner time. After school, students rehearse, eat dinner, and then load the truck and buses and go to the stadium. Students are not allowed to eat at the game or while in uniform.
Food Crew also takes care of feeding the band when they are traveling overnight and occasionally at events far from home. Food costs for the overnight trips (Indianapolis or San Antonio) are covered in the band fees, however you are always welcome to send additional meal money and/or snacks with you student if you feel this is necessary.
Food Crew Forms:
It is mandatory that every guard/band student complete the Food Crew forms HERE. The Game Day Meal Selection form is for pre-game meal selection and the Student Dietary Information form is for allergy and/or dietary restrictions. Even if you are not participating in the pre-game dinner plan, there are other times when the district or band provides meals or snacks for the students (for example, when we travel). Food Crew MUST know in advance about any allergies or dietary restrictions your student may have. Also, completing the forms if you are not participating in the meal plan makes FTB aware of that.
Your student may choose from one of our selected vendors for the football games. Please contact feedtheband@twhsband.org with any questions, concerns, or issues in regards to payment.
Fees – See Band Fees and Guard Fees.
Football and Football Games – One of the main duties of the band is to support our Highlander sports teams. In addition to pep rallies held throughout the school year, the band performs at every varsity football game from August through playoffs (with year-to-year exceptions for competition conflicts). They only play at varsity games. They play stand tunes, perform the marching show at halftime and play for the Highsteppers halftime performance. The show will vary from week to week depending on what the students have been learning during the week. You generally won’t see the entire show at a football game because there isn’t time and/or they haven’t learned it all just yet. The band stays for the entire game and is bused back to the main campus after the game. Upperclassmen may drive themselves to games at Woodforest Stadium, and must have required paperwork on file with the school in order to do so. Regardless of means of transportation, all students must return to campus following a football game to put their uniforms away (See Football Game Day Schedule, Truck, and also Uniforms).
Football Game Day Schedule – On game days, all students need to go to school with everything they need for the evening (clothes, garment bag, water jug, instrument, etc.). Students do not go home at any time between school and football games. Freshmen who are not already at the main campus for 4th block will shuttle to the main campus (see Buses). The band rehearses, eats and loads the buses to head to the game. (See Food Crew.) They are bused back to the main campus after the completion of the game to drop off their uniforms and for parent pick up. Those students with items on the truck are responsible for helping to unload the truck after the games. (See Truck and Uniforms.)
Football Stadiums – See Woodforest and Moorehead. Google Map to Woodforest Google Map to Moorehead
Football Tickets – Students in the band do not need a ticket when they are with the band. However, parents do. For most games, with the exception of Homecoming, big games, and The War in the Woods (TWHS vs The Woodlands College Park), you can get tickets at the gate. Another option is purchasing season tickets. Season tickets get you into every home game, but not the away games. Note that sometimes games are at Woodforest Stadium but TWHS is not the home team. Check the TWHS football website for further ticket information in late summer. http://www.highlanderfootball.net/index.html
Forms and Documents – There are several forms that the band must have on file. Please make sure you have each of these completed and turned at the start of summer band. These forms include the sports physical form, commitment form, contact form, over the counter (OTC) medication form. The Band uses an online form system and all Band forms can be found HERE.
Fundamentals – The marching basics (posture, body carriage, marching technique, step size, etc.) that the directors teach and the students will apply to the marching show. (See Body Warm Up.)
Fundraising – The band does a lot of fundraising to help defray the cost of band fees, competition, and running the band. In addition, occasional one-time costs are encountered.
Gauntlets and Gauntlet Bags – Gauntlets are school-owned marching uniform pieces worn over the wrists of marching band performers. Note that sometimes gauntlet bags do need replacing and this will be at the parents’ expense.
Greens and Blacks – The band kids wear “greens and blacks” to go to football games and competitions. Students change into their marching uniforms/guard costumes on the buses, and buses are co-ed, thus they must be appropriately attired. Other times, for example the July 4th and Homecoming parades or a pep rally, greens and blacks will be their designated uniform. They also wear these when we travel. It is highly recommended that guard and band members have at least two sets of these items, if not three. When the band travels, they wear these items the majority of the time, and when we are at multi-day events, they will not have access to laundry facilities. (Also when there are back-to-back events, it will save you doing laundry at 1am.)
Band: Green band shirt and black sport shorts for the band. This also includes black “under armor” style long leg compression shorts on days when they are changing into their marching uniforms. Musicians wear the green shirts and their compression shorts under their uniforms. The band can order band shirts, black shorts and compression shorts online from our current vendor,
Guard: For the guard, this means the red guard shirt and black sport shorts. This also includes black “under armor” style shorts on days when they are changing into their show uniforms. The guard will order their red shirt and pep rally shirts with the June attire order (see Guard Camps and Guard Attire). Note: The shirt for the guard is red, but for the sake of simplicity, the band only calls it “green and blacks”. Guard members please understand that “green and blacks” and “red and blacks” are the same thing.
The Guard – This talented group of dancers and flag/rifle/saber spinners are an intricate part of the marching band. They are a vital visual part of any show. During marching season, the Guard is always included when we say “Band.” When marching season is over, they have their own calendar of Winter Guard-only events.
Guard Attire – During Guard camp in June, guard members will be measured for costumes and mandatory attire/equipment will be ordered. The guard parent liaison takes care of the ordering, but forms will be sent to parents outlining the cost breakdown for the students in advance. The duffel will be ordered on the August Totes day.
There are four separate orders placed for the guard:
1) Jazz Rags (measured and paid for in June):
- All members must own black jazz pants, but they may choose to purchase them on their own.
- A garment bag is mandatory. This can be ordered through Totes or purchased on own. The garment bag must be luggage quality to protect the integrity of the costume.
Winter Guard costume ordered and paid for in January after the semester break.
Guard Dress Code – What to wear when…
Regular rehearsals:
Stadium rehearsals: “Whites and Blacks”
Football Games, Band Competitions, Winter Guard Contests
Guard Camps – There will be two summer camps for the guard. The first is in June during the first week after school gets out for summer. The second camp takes place the week before summer band starts in July. Please check the calendar for exact dates and plan your summer activities accordingly.
Guard Equipment – Equipment includes flags, rifles and sabers. Guard members must carry their own equipment to events in an equipment bag. The bag and equipment are mandatory purchases which are made during June camp.
Guard Fees – In addition to the band fees (see Band Fees), the Guard pays fees to cover the costs of equipment and costuming. There are two annual costume orders placed – one for marching season and one for winter guard season.
Guard Officers – See Band/Guard Officers.
Handbook – There is an online copy of the band handbook available HERE.
Highsteppers – This is the precision dance team at TWHS. The band plays their performance music for them at halftime of the football games.
Honor Band/Honor Band Year – Every other year, the Wind Ensemble records their concert music and submits it to the TMEA to be considered for the Texas Honor Band. This is awarded to one band for the entire state. Honor Band years are currently the spring of the even years. Recorded submissions go through Regional judging and, if they advance, then to Area judging. If they advance past Area, they go to State judging.
Hospitality – This committee oversees the hosting of the Exhibition BBQ, the directors’ meals in the fall and spring, hosting of the meals for Chamber Music Festival judges, and any other events for which we may need to provide a meal.
Hydration – see Red Jug
Hyponatremia – see Red Jug.
Indy – The nickname for Indianapolis, Indiana, the site of the BOA Grand Nationals Marching Band Competition. See Bands of America
Indy Year – A year in which TWHS Band goes to Indianapolis, Indiana in November for BOA Grand Nationals. Currently these are the odd-numbered years (2015, 2017…) See also Bands of America and Year.
July 4th Parade – Every year, the band has the privilege of marching in The Woodlands Township July 4th Parade. There is a rehearsal for the parade on July 3rd at the high school. On July 4th, the band will meet over by the parade route at a designated area. They need to be there about an hour before the parade starts. This will also give you time to find a viewing spot for the parade, but going early is a good idea if you like to be close to the action. The parade starts on Grogan’s Mill and winds its way through Market Street. Current parade information can be found on the Township website or at www.4thofjuly.org
Kroger cards – you are able to link your Kroger card to the general band account. Kroger will donate a portion of sales back into our general band account. Information can be found on our website or at booster meetings.
Letter Jackets – Concert band members letter in band by being selected to Region Band, auditioning two years for Region Band or Orchestra and also performing two years in our Chamber Music Festival. Guard members letter by participating in guard for three consecutive seasons. Note: the marching competitions in which we compete usually sell patches for letter jackets. You’ll want to get those early at a competition if you’re going to collect them. The band will also sell patches of our current show each year. Band kids have the best letter jackets on campus.
Lone Star Preview – This is our biggest and most important fundraiser of the year, bringing several thousands of dollars into the Band’s general fund. LSP is an all-day marching competition in October. The band does not compete in it, but they do perform as the exhibition band at the end of the night. Please watch for emails regarding LSP and plan to volunteer some time, from a couple hours to all day to being part of our fantastic LSP committee. It really does take all hands on deck to host this event. There are small jobs to big jobs, something for everyone from helping to park trucks and escorting bands to concessions and ticket sales.
Mailboxes – There is a large wooden cabinet with six mail slots outside the band directors’ office in the band hall. The directors and booster committees have labeled slots in the mailboxes for students to drop off payments for various things: Documents for directors, Band Fees, Food Crew, Spirit, and Merchandise. Throughout the year, one-time payments for things like the band banquet will be assigned one of these boxes. It helps us greatly if your student puts payments in appropriate slot. Thank you in advance for that consideration.
Marching Band – The Marching Band is comprised of everyone in the band and color guard.
Marching Season – From May Day through potentially early December depending on the football schedule. Performing the show will end in mid-November at the completion of competitions. However, we continue to support the football team until the completion of their season. (see May Day and Football.)
Marching Spots and Challenges – Every member of TWHS Marching Band has an assigned spot in our competition show. A drill writer has to work with certain parameters for each section in order for the mathematical parts of drill writing to work effectively and smoothly. With a band as big as TWHS Band, during most years there are more students than spots available on the field. In order to determine what each individual student will do in the competition show, several factors come into play. In summer band, spots are generally issued based on prior experience and background, but all students will either have a full time spot or they will share a spot. Generally speaking, freshmen will share a spot during summer band until they have had enough time over the course of 3-4 weeks to learn, improve and properly demonstrate their marching/movement/playing abilities. This means that two performers will alternate marching the spot during drill practice so both can learn the drill. As we approach the first football game, generally around of end of August, one person must be assigned to a single drill spot based. After these assignments have taken place, students have the option to challenges for individual spots starting in late August/early September. Anyone can challenge someone for a spot, and everyone gets two challenges. Challenges end sometime early September, and once they are over every single member of the band will have their own individually assigned part of the show to learn, master and perform. Students will learn about the challenge process during summer band. (See also Alternates.) Note: there are no challenges for guard.
Marching Techs - They are usually college music students who help us during summer band and throughout the marching season.
May Day – Also known as Music and Marching Day. This is a Saturday afternoon in late May or early June when the kids come together as a new band for the first time. Incoming freshmen are given new music for the July 4th Parade and start on other football “stand tunes”.
Media (contacting) – see Publicity.
Medication/Medical – Please also refer to the Band Handbook.
Prescription medication: If your student needs to take any prescription medication while traveling with the band, the medication must be signed into the athletic trainers’ office no later than three days prior to any travel event. The medication must be in the labeled prescription bottle and only the amount needed for travel days should be checked in. A parent/guardian must sign in the medication. Your pharmacy can make you a separate bottle for just the amount needed for the trip if you request it. Once you sign in the medication with the trainers, the band directors will coordinate any pick up of meds for the trip with the athletic office before we travel. On our trips, we have a parent volunteer in charge of prescription medications. Most of the time we have an RN within our band family who can do this job for us, but it is within the volunteer standards that a director or CISD approved volunteer may dispense medication. We can work with students who have inhalers or epi-pens on a one to one basis. While the band strives to make things easy for every student who needs medication, we must also act within legal parameters and the policies of the district. All school rules apply when we travel, and students are not allowed to carry any medication. Please understand the staff appreciates all student privacy when it comes to medications and we do the very best we can in the circumstances we are given to maintain that privacy concerning medications. If you are an RN and are willing to volunteer for our trips, please contact travel@twhsband.org. (The main office can give you directions when you sign into the school, but the athletic office is in the athletic wing of the school near the lockers rooms and gymnasiums.)
Over the Counter (OTC) medications: One of the forms you must complete for the band is an over the counter medication approval form. This form is your pre-approval for the band to give your student any of the OTC medications on the list. Regardless of whether or not you allow for your student to request all/some/none of the medications on this list, the band must have one on file or we cannot give them anything should they request it. Again, just like in school, students are not allowed to carry any medication when we travel, so if they need something for example, like Tylenol or Ibuprofen or Tums, they must get it from the adult in charge of medications on the trip. On the OTC form, you may disallow any of the medications. For example, you may want to approve Tylenol, but not Ibuprofen. There is a place for that on the form.
Asthma: If your child needs to carry an inhaler, you must fill out the School Asthma Action Plan and have it signed by your physician. You must then give a copy of this signed form to the Trainer and your child must have a doctor signed copy with him/her, along with the medication any time he/she is carrying the medication on school grounds/trips. Any questions should be directed to TWHS Trainer.
Merchandise – Band stickers and yard signs and t-shirts for the whole family, we do all of that, too! There will be purchasing opportunities early in the marching season at the exhibition barbecue and at booster meetings at the start of the year. Watch your email for these opportunities.
Midwest – You may hear the term “Midwest” talked about from time to time. This is in reference to the Midwest Clinic which is a music educators’ showcase conference held annually during December in Chicago.
Moorehead – Moorehead Stadium. 3200 W Davis St, Conroe, TX 77304. This is the stadium in Conroe off Hwy 105. We do our best to schedule our band events out of Woodforest Stadium, but when conflicts arise we will be here.
Google Map to Moorehead
Alternates – These are participants in the marching show who do not play an instrument. Like the color guard, the sentinels are a vital visual component of every show. From moving props during the show to their own choreography and costumes, the alternates are a very important part of making our shows as dynamic as they can be. Each year they come up with a nickname for their group that goes with their role in the show.
Band Alerts – The Woodlands High School Band uses a smartphone app called "Band" to communicate with both Parents and Students. There are two different communities in the Band App - one for Parents and one for Students. We do this so that Parents are not bothered by frequent schedule, practice, and homework messages that are sent to Students. Parents are sent relevant messages such as last minute changes in schedules, arrival and departure ETAs, upcoming event information, and so on.
Sometimes the Band App is the ONLY way certain messages are conveyed. Installing the Band App is REQUIRED for all band members and is HIGHLY recommended for all Parents.
Additional information regarding the Band App can be found on the Connect with the Band page on this website.
Band Fees – These are mandatory fees that are collected from every band member. These fees are to help pay for travel (hotels and meals when we travel), bus rentals, competition entry fees, summer master classes, clinicians and a host of other expenses that a band of this caliber must face. In an “Indy Year”, the fees will be higher to pay for flights to Indianapolis and the additional costs that are incurred on that longer trip. In a “State Year” (or “UIL Year”) fees are slightly lower because those contests are all in Texas. (See Indy Year and State Year).
There is a fee payment schedule set up with deadlines for each payment. You can find the due dates on the calendar. Please note that the first payment in due during the summer and must be paid or a marching spot cannot be offered. From time to time, different parts of the band will be invited to perform at something like a showcase or a convention (see PASIC and Midwest), but these additional fees will only be charged to the group involved. (For example, the percussionists who attended PASIC in 2014 were the only ones who paid those travel fees.) In addition, the guard will have their own fees related to equipment and costumes (see Guard Fees). The directors and Booster Board work year round to not only keep these fees as low as possible by working with vendors, but also by organizing ways to help defray the costs through fundraising and corporate sponsorship. At an individual level, parents have the opportunity to work concessions at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion (see Pavilion) and students collect donations for the autumn Rock-a-thon. (See Rock-a-thon.)
Information about how to pay Band Fees can be found at http://www.twhsband.org/band-payments.html
The Band Hall – As you drive onto Cat’s Cradle, the main “U” drive of the high school off Research Forest, the band hall is the first section of the school that is on your left. This is the main band room at the main campus. It is where the directors’ office, band lockers, guard room and booster mailboxes are located. It is the home base for the band. Booster meetings are held here.
The Band Lot – This is the section of the parking lot where the marching band practices. It is in the far west part of the parking lot and is easily found by looking for the band tower. At times during the year, booster committees will say they will be available during practice in the band lot (for example, for spirit donations of snacks and Gatorade for the homecoming game). This is where they will be, close to the band tower. You are also welcome to watch practice quietly and without interruption. As a side note: we share this space with the TWHS Air Force JROTC. You may see them out there doing their drill when we aren’t using the space.
Band/Guard Officers – These are student elected student leaders who help run the guard, the band and the different band sections. For band there is a president, vice-president, section leaders, historians, secretaries. The guard has captains, lieutenants, and a social coordinator/historian. Drum majors are also officers, but they are selected by audition. Elections and auditions are held each spring for the upcoming year.
The Band Tower – This is the tall two-tiered metal structure with the spiral stairs in the parking lot. The directors use it to view the band from above during marching practice.
Bands of America – Also known as BOA by Music for All. BOA is a privately-run marching competition in which the Band competes on the national level every other year (see Competition) . The TWHS Band has consistently been a finalist in both San Antonio and Indy.
Every year TWHS competes in the BOA Conroe Regional contest (usually at Woodforest Stadium) and the BOA Super-Regional contest in San Antonio. On odd years, the Band also goes to the BOA Grand Nationals in Indianapolis, Indiana (see Year). You do not have to place at any level to advance, but you do have to compete to advance. At the Regional and Super-Regional level, the band will compete in the preliminary rounds If they are selected to advance, they will also perform in the subsequent final rounds at each event. Grand Nationals is held at Lucas Oil Stadium (where the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts play) and it is an event the kids will remember for the rest of their lives. In Indianapolis, the band competes in the preliminary round. If they advance, they then compete in the semi-finals. If they advance out of semi-finals, they will compete in the finals. The trip to Grand Nationals is not made every year because 1) It’s expensive and 2) The school district does not allow us to leave the state in back-to-back years. While they are both marching competitions, BOA and UIL are completely different competitions. (See UIL). You can read more about BOA at www.musicforall.org.
Banquets – These are ticketed events organized by the Spirit committee. Ticket information will be sent out as the events get closer. Two events are held each year. All are welcome at these events.
Battery – also known as Drumline. These are the percussionists who march. (See also The Pit)
Block – A class period. TWHS runs a “block schedule” - eight classes in two days. We call this the Red/Green schedule. Blocks 1-4 are on Red days and blocks 5-8 are on Green days. Note that your student will have band class every day at the same time, but these will be different blocks. For example, if your student has band in the 1st block on a Red day and 5th block on a Green day, this means that he or she will have band first class period of every day. There is a Red/Green calendar on the school website twhs.conroeisd.net/.
BOA – See Bands of America and Indy Year.
Body Warm Up – The Body Warm Up is how the band students get ready to work before every practice and competition during marching season (musicians only, guard have their own warm up). It is a few minutes of choreography which they do in unison to a pop tune. It changes every year and incorporates several of the fundamentals which will be vital moves in the show for the year. So not only does it act to loosen them up and start working as a team, it also serves to reinforce the choreography for the year. They will start summer band learning this routine. (See also Fundamentals)
Booster Board – The band booster board is made up of several volunteers elected by the booster club to serve for a pre -determined amount of time to help run the band organization. The list of who is currently on the board can be found on the website under “Booster Club” here. You will see many emails from the various divisions of the board, but they will all come through the Band Secretary. We strive to keep emails short and to the point, but there is a lot of information for a band this size, so please take the time to read these communications or at least save them so you have them for future reference. Please do not hesitate to contact any board member with your questions. We are happy to help you navigate all that is band and guard.
Booster Club and Meetings – As a band parent, you are part of the Booster Club. We highly encourage you to attend the monthly Booster meetings starting in August. This is where the majority of questions are answered and a lot of information can be learned in a short amount of time. The meetings are generally on the third Thursday of the month at 7:00p.m. in the band hall, but check your band calendar for details or exceptions. Each month there will be brief updates from the Booster Board members and Head Band Director will give vital band information as well as address any questions.
Buses/Busing/Shuttles – For band travel, the band arranges regular school buses to and from football games and local events. In the case of longer travel, the band will hire travel coaches.
9TH GRADE SHUTTLE:
If your 9th grader has band class 1st block, he or she will start their school day at the main campus, and will then be shuttled back to the 9th grade campus with district transportation to finish their school day. He or she will then take another shuttle back to the main campus for after school rehearsals.
If your 9th grader has band during 2nd or 3rd block, he or she will start and end their school day at the 9th grade campus and shuttle back and forth from both campuses for their band class. They will then take another shuttle back to the main campus for after school rehearsals.
If your child finishes the school day at the main campus, he or she will start their school day at the 9th grade campus, then shuttle to the main campus for their last class (band) and either stay for practice or sectionals (in which case you would pick them up afterwards) or take his/her neighborhood bus home from the main campus. Note that if your child has band in the 4th block, he or she may be on a different bus in the morning than in the afternoon. You can contact the CISD bus barn with any questions regarding your specific case at 936-709-7940. More information can be found here: http://www.conroeisd.net/transportation/
Note: this chart assumes your child has only band at the main campus. If he or she has more than one class at the main campus, they will shuttle back and forth where applicable.
Calendar – your number one go-to guide for what’s going on and when. The calendar will be updated from time to time. Updates are highlighted in yellow. The calendar “lives” on Charms and can be downloaded/printed from that site once you log in.
Camps – See Guard Camps and Percussion Camp.
Challenges – marching spot challenges. See Marching Spot.
Chamber Music Festival – This is the high school’s solo & ensemble competition in the Spring. It is only for TWHS students. Each student required to prepare and perform a solo piece and has the option to also perform an ensemble piece. Accompanists are provided, but parents are responsible for their fees at every level of the competition and rehearsal. There is one week of preliminary performances. After this, there is one night of semi-finals followed by another night of finals. Students are judged at every level and given feedback. Performances are set up in blocks of 6-8 performances and it is asked that you come and stay for your student’s entire block which is generally about an hour. This gives the performers a built in audience. The confidence this festival instills in our band students is immeasurable. They learn they can stand up in front of people and perform and this teaches them that they can stand up in front of anyone and speak. The students are competing against one another, but are also cheering each other on as well. This is really the only time of the year when you can actually see and hear your band member perform individually. Everyone is welcome to attend the performances, and they are free.
Chaperoning – Please consider chaperoning for the band. We need chaperones for buses to and from football games. We also need chaperones on our big trips to San Antonio and Indianapolis. Chaperones pay for their own travel (unless we go by bus), meals and accommodations, but if you really want to see the band up close and personal, this is a good option. Watch for emails about chaperoning opportunities.
Charms – Charms is our band-only, password-protected site that consolidates all internal band information for parents and students.
Click HERE for more information on logging in to Charms. If you need assistance, please email communications@twhsband.org. If you have any difficulties the direct link for Charms login in is https://www.charmsoffice.com/charms/parents.asp?username=TWHSBand The school code is: twhsband, and your password is your student’s six digit student ID number. You will be required to change your password on your first login to Charms.
Communication – The band is large and the directors and booster board will have a lot of information to share with you. We all strive to keep this to a minimum so as to not overwhelm your email inbox (see Email). All band email communication is sent through our band secretary, so our emails will come from secretary@twhsband.org. Please take the time to read these emails. The directors also communicate via text for quick things (See Band Alerts). There is also a monthly booster meeting (See Booster Club and Meetings) at which you can ask questions for any band issue. In addition to all these ways to get information, we have our public band web site at www.twhsband.org and our password-protected Charms page which has several documents, forms, and volunteer listings. (See Charms). The band calendar is frequently updated with changes, so please make note of changes sent out or check it for updates. If you are unclear about anything, please contact the appropriate booster board member or anyone in a band t-shirt. (See Booster Board) Everyone is happy to help.
Competitions/Contests – The marching band and the individual concert bands all compete at various levels. Please refer to Bands of America, UIL, and TMEA. Please also see Region Band/Region Orchestra. The Guard competes as part of the Marching Band in the fall and has Guard-only contests in the winter and spring (See Winter Guard and WGI).
Concert Bands/Season – Generally speaking, this is the spring semester. We have four concert bands at TWHS: Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band 1, Symphonic Band 2, and Concert Band. Every concert band prepares for and competes at UIL Concert & Sight-Reading competition in April. TWHS Bands consistently perform at the highest levels, and all work to score top marks at concert competitions.
Concessions – See Pavilion.
Contests – see Competitions/Contests
Corporate Donations/Sponsorship – TWHS band actively seeks corporate donations to offset the expenses of the band program. The band has 501(c)(3) status. Your company may offer matching funds as well as volunteer hour matching. If you or your company would like to make a donation to the band, please email our corporate donations chairperson at donations@twhsband.org.
DCI – Drum Corps International is a non-profit summer drum corps competition circuit. While TWHS band does not compete in any of their events, many of our students have auditioned for and received marching spots with one of these prestigious drum corps. They generally spend two and half months in the summer training, traveling, performing and competing. These bands are for bell front brass, percussion and guard only (no woodwinds like saxophones, clarinets and flutes). Students must be 15-21 years of age to participate. To read more about DCI: http://www.dci.org/parents/
Directors - For more information click HERE
Dots – Dots are the specific points of each individual person in the show at any given moment.
Dot Books – A Dot Book was a spiral bound 3x5 or 4x6 index card book in which students wrote all their sets and wore around their neck during practice. (See also Sets and Drill.) Dot Books were replaced by the mobile phone app "UDPApp Pro". (see UDBApp Pro)
The Drill – or just Drill. Collective dots make up a set. Collective sets make up the drill. (See also Dots/Dot Book and Sets). The Drill is the complete show.
Drumline – also known as The Battery. These are the percussionists who march (see also The Pit).
Drum Majors – Student conductors/leaders for the Marching Band when they are on the field. The squad is made up of a head drum major and several assistants. Drum major auditions are held in the spring. Drum majors are selected by an independent judging panel, not the directors.
Email – Please make sure you have a working email correctly entered into Charms (see Charms). This needs to be an email you check on a daily basis. NOTE: Parents MUST sign in to their student's Charms account and add an "Adult" record with your current email address in order to receive emails from the band. You will get a lot of email from the band from various committees. Please read them all as this is our number-one way of communicating with the very large band family. Emails come from secretary@twhsband.org. (See Communication.) Please be sure to whitelist the "twhsband.org" domain in your email client in order to receive all emails.
Etudes – An etude is a short piece of music designed to show skill and fundamentals. TMEA (Texas Music Educators Association) selects three etudes each summer which will be the audition pieces for Region Band and Region Orchestra. The high school band also uses them for their own audition process. For more information and for etude selection in mid-July, please visit www.tmea.org.
Exhibition and Exhibition BBQ – (See Banquets) At the end of Summer Band, there will be an exhibition out on the soccer field inside the track (where the bleachers are). Students will show what they have been working on during summer band. Band staff, student officers and drum majors will be introduced. After the exhibition, a catered BBQ dinner will be offered in the commons hosted by the Hospitality committee. Tickets for dinner must be purchased in advance and will be offered at various times for purchase during summer band. Various booster board officers will be available during the dinner for your convenience and questions. There will be on opportunity to see what is currently on our “band needs” list and you can leave a donation with our Donations booster board chairperson right at the BBQ.
Food Crew – These volunteers take care of the enormous job of making sure our kids don’t go hungry on game days or when they are away at competition. Because the students don’t go home after school on game day (see Football Game Schedule), Food Crew offers a pre-game meal plan for you to make sure your child is fed dinner before the game. This is not mandatory, but is offered as a convenience for the kids (nearly all band/guard students participate). Payment for the whole game season is required in advance. Payment for the meal plan is made via check. There are no individual game or game day purchases. Our Food Crew chair works hard to keep the food costs as low as possible while offering a decent meal. That being said, if you feel the meals provided aren't enough for your child, you are welcome to order two meal plans. You are, of course, welcome to send food with your child or even bring them a meal during dinner time. Students are not allowed to leave campus during the dinner time. After school, students rehearse, eat dinner, and then load the truck and buses and go to the stadium. Students are not allowed to eat at the game or while in uniform.
Food Crew also takes care of feeding the band when they are traveling overnight and occasionally at events far from home. Food costs for the overnight trips (Indianapolis or San Antonio) are covered in the band fees, however you are always welcome to send additional meal money and/or snacks with you student if you feel this is necessary.
Food Crew Forms:
It is mandatory that every guard/band student complete the Food Crew forms HERE. The Game Day Meal Selection form is for pre-game meal selection and the Student Dietary Information form is for allergy and/or dietary restrictions. Even if you are not participating in the pre-game dinner plan, there are other times when the district or band provides meals or snacks for the students (for example, when we travel). Food Crew MUST know in advance about any allergies or dietary restrictions your student may have. Also, completing the forms if you are not participating in the meal plan makes FTB aware of that.
Your student may choose from one of our selected vendors for the football games. Please contact feedtheband@twhsband.org with any questions, concerns, or issues in regards to payment.
Fees – See Band Fees and Guard Fees.
Football and Football Games – One of the main duties of the band is to support our Highlander sports teams. In addition to pep rallies held throughout the school year, the band performs at every varsity football game from August through playoffs (with year-to-year exceptions for competition conflicts). They only play at varsity games. They play stand tunes, perform the marching show at halftime and play for the Highsteppers halftime performance. The show will vary from week to week depending on what the students have been learning during the week. You generally won’t see the entire show at a football game because there isn’t time and/or they haven’t learned it all just yet. The band stays for the entire game and is bused back to the main campus after the game. Upperclassmen may drive themselves to games at Woodforest Stadium, and must have required paperwork on file with the school in order to do so. Regardless of means of transportation, all students must return to campus following a football game to put their uniforms away (See Football Game Day Schedule, Truck, and also Uniforms).
Football Game Day Schedule – On game days, all students need to go to school with everything they need for the evening (clothes, garment bag, water jug, instrument, etc.). Students do not go home at any time between school and football games. Freshmen who are not already at the main campus for 4th block will shuttle to the main campus (see Buses). The band rehearses, eats and loads the buses to head to the game. (See Food Crew.) They are bused back to the main campus after the completion of the game to drop off their uniforms and for parent pick up. Those students with items on the truck are responsible for helping to unload the truck after the games. (See Truck and Uniforms.)
Football Stadiums – See Woodforest and Moorehead. Google Map to Woodforest Google Map to Moorehead
Football Tickets – Students in the band do not need a ticket when they are with the band. However, parents do. For most games, with the exception of Homecoming, big games, and The War in the Woods (TWHS vs The Woodlands College Park), you can get tickets at the gate. Another option is purchasing season tickets. Season tickets get you into every home game, but not the away games. Note that sometimes games are at Woodforest Stadium but TWHS is not the home team. Check the TWHS football website for further ticket information in late summer. http://www.highlanderfootball.net/index.html
Forms and Documents – There are several forms that the band must have on file. Please make sure you have each of these completed and turned at the start of summer band. These forms include the sports physical form, commitment form, contact form, over the counter (OTC) medication form. The Band uses an online form system and all Band forms can be found HERE.
Fundamentals – The marching basics (posture, body carriage, marching technique, step size, etc.) that the directors teach and the students will apply to the marching show. (See Body Warm Up.)
Fundraising – The band does a lot of fundraising to help defray the cost of band fees, competition, and running the band. In addition, occasional one-time costs are encountered.
Gauntlets and Gauntlet Bags – Gauntlets are school-owned marching uniform pieces worn over the wrists of marching band performers. Note that sometimes gauntlet bags do need replacing and this will be at the parents’ expense.
Greens and Blacks – The band kids wear “greens and blacks” to go to football games and competitions. Students change into their marching uniforms/guard costumes on the buses, and buses are co-ed, thus they must be appropriately attired. Other times, for example the July 4th and Homecoming parades or a pep rally, greens and blacks will be their designated uniform. They also wear these when we travel. It is highly recommended that guard and band members have at least two sets of these items, if not three. When the band travels, they wear these items the majority of the time, and when we are at multi-day events, they will not have access to laundry facilities. (Also when there are back-to-back events, it will save you doing laundry at 1am.)
Band: Green band shirt and black sport shorts for the band. This also includes black “under armor” style long leg compression shorts on days when they are changing into their marching uniforms. Musicians wear the green shirts and their compression shorts under their uniforms. The band can order band shirts, black shorts and compression shorts online from our current vendor,
Guard: For the guard, this means the red guard shirt and black sport shorts. This also includes black “under armor” style shorts on days when they are changing into their show uniforms. The guard will order their red shirt and pep rally shirts with the June attire order (see Guard Camps and Guard Attire). Note: The shirt for the guard is red, but for the sake of simplicity, the band only calls it “green and blacks”. Guard members please understand that “green and blacks” and “red and blacks” are the same thing.
The Guard – This talented group of dancers and flag/rifle/saber spinners are an intricate part of the marching band. They are a vital visual part of any show. During marching season, the Guard is always included when we say “Band.” When marching season is over, they have their own calendar of Winter Guard-only events.
Guard Attire – During Guard camp in June, guard members will be measured for costumes and mandatory attire/equipment will be ordered. The guard parent liaison takes care of the ordering, but forms will be sent to parents outlining the cost breakdown for the students in advance. The duffel will be ordered on the August Totes day.
There are four separate orders placed for the guard:
1) Jazz Rags (measured and paid for in June):
- Jazz pants
- Jazz shoes
- Body tight
- Gloves
- Equipment bag
- Rifle
- Guard jacket
- Member shirt
- Extra-large monogrammed travel duffel with personalization.
- All members must own black jazz pants, but they may choose to purchase them on their own.
- A garment bag is mandatory. This can be ordered through Totes or purchased on own. The garment bag must be luggage quality to protect the integrity of the costume.
Winter Guard costume ordered and paid for in January after the semester break.
Guard Dress Code – What to wear when…
Regular rehearsals:
- T-shirt or tank, any color
- Wide strap sports bras for women, any color
- Black spandex
- Shorts
- Tennis shoes
Stadium rehearsals: “Whites and Blacks”
- White t-shirt or tank
- Wide strap sports bras for women, white
- Black spandex
- Black shorts
- Tennis shoes
Football Games, Band Competitions, Winter Guard Contests
- Dress varies and is communicated in advance
Guard Camps – There will be two summer camps for the guard. The first is in June during the first week after school gets out for summer. The second camp takes place the week before summer band starts in July. Please check the calendar for exact dates and plan your summer activities accordingly.
Guard Equipment – Equipment includes flags, rifles and sabers. Guard members must carry their own equipment to events in an equipment bag. The bag and equipment are mandatory purchases which are made during June camp.
Guard Fees – In addition to the band fees (see Band Fees), the Guard pays fees to cover the costs of equipment and costuming. There are two annual costume orders placed – one for marching season and one for winter guard season.
Guard Officers – See Band/Guard Officers.
Handbook – There is an online copy of the band handbook available HERE.
Highsteppers – This is the precision dance team at TWHS. The band plays their performance music for them at halftime of the football games.
Honor Band/Honor Band Year – Every other year, the Wind Ensemble records their concert music and submits it to the TMEA to be considered for the Texas Honor Band. This is awarded to one band for the entire state. Honor Band years are currently the spring of the even years. Recorded submissions go through Regional judging and, if they advance, then to Area judging. If they advance past Area, they go to State judging.
Hospitality – This committee oversees the hosting of the Exhibition BBQ, the directors’ meals in the fall and spring, hosting of the meals for Chamber Music Festival judges, and any other events for which we may need to provide a meal.
Hydration – see Red Jug
Hyponatremia – see Red Jug.
Indy – The nickname for Indianapolis, Indiana, the site of the BOA Grand Nationals Marching Band Competition. See Bands of America
Indy Year – A year in which TWHS Band goes to Indianapolis, Indiana in November for BOA Grand Nationals. Currently these are the odd-numbered years (2015, 2017…) See also Bands of America and Year.
July 4th Parade – Every year, the band has the privilege of marching in The Woodlands Township July 4th Parade. There is a rehearsal for the parade on July 3rd at the high school. On July 4th, the band will meet over by the parade route at a designated area. They need to be there about an hour before the parade starts. This will also give you time to find a viewing spot for the parade, but going early is a good idea if you like to be close to the action. The parade starts on Grogan’s Mill and winds its way through Market Street. Current parade information can be found on the Township website or at www.4thofjuly.org
Kroger cards – you are able to link your Kroger card to the general band account. Kroger will donate a portion of sales back into our general band account. Information can be found on our website or at booster meetings.
Letter Jackets – Concert band members letter in band by being selected to Region Band, auditioning two years for Region Band or Orchestra and also performing two years in our Chamber Music Festival. Guard members letter by participating in guard for three consecutive seasons. Note: the marching competitions in which we compete usually sell patches for letter jackets. You’ll want to get those early at a competition if you’re going to collect them. The band will also sell patches of our current show each year. Band kids have the best letter jackets on campus.
Lone Star Preview – This is our biggest and most important fundraiser of the year, bringing several thousands of dollars into the Band’s general fund. LSP is an all-day marching competition in October. The band does not compete in it, but they do perform as the exhibition band at the end of the night. Please watch for emails regarding LSP and plan to volunteer some time, from a couple hours to all day to being part of our fantastic LSP committee. It really does take all hands on deck to host this event. There are small jobs to big jobs, something for everyone from helping to park trucks and escorting bands to concessions and ticket sales.
Mailboxes – There is a large wooden cabinet with six mail slots outside the band directors’ office in the band hall. The directors and booster committees have labeled slots in the mailboxes for students to drop off payments for various things: Documents for directors, Band Fees, Food Crew, Spirit, and Merchandise. Throughout the year, one-time payments for things like the band banquet will be assigned one of these boxes. It helps us greatly if your student puts payments in appropriate slot. Thank you in advance for that consideration.
Marching Band – The Marching Band is comprised of everyone in the band and color guard.
Marching Season – From May Day through potentially early December depending on the football schedule. Performing the show will end in mid-November at the completion of competitions. However, we continue to support the football team until the completion of their season. (see May Day and Football.)
Marching Spots and Challenges – Every member of TWHS Marching Band has an assigned spot in our competition show. A drill writer has to work with certain parameters for each section in order for the mathematical parts of drill writing to work effectively and smoothly. With a band as big as TWHS Band, during most years there are more students than spots available on the field. In order to determine what each individual student will do in the competition show, several factors come into play. In summer band, spots are generally issued based on prior experience and background, but all students will either have a full time spot or they will share a spot. Generally speaking, freshmen will share a spot during summer band until they have had enough time over the course of 3-4 weeks to learn, improve and properly demonstrate their marching/movement/playing abilities. This means that two performers will alternate marching the spot during drill practice so both can learn the drill. As we approach the first football game, generally around of end of August, one person must be assigned to a single drill spot based. After these assignments have taken place, students have the option to challenges for individual spots starting in late August/early September. Anyone can challenge someone for a spot, and everyone gets two challenges. Challenges end sometime early September, and once they are over every single member of the band will have their own individually assigned part of the show to learn, master and perform. Students will learn about the challenge process during summer band. (See also Alternates.) Note: there are no challenges for guard.
Marching Techs - They are usually college music students who help us during summer band and throughout the marching season.
May Day – Also known as Music and Marching Day. This is a Saturday afternoon in late May or early June when the kids come together as a new band for the first time. Incoming freshmen are given new music for the July 4th Parade and start on other football “stand tunes”.
Media (contacting) – see Publicity.
Medication/Medical – Please also refer to the Band Handbook.
Prescription medication: If your student needs to take any prescription medication while traveling with the band, the medication must be signed into the athletic trainers’ office no later than three days prior to any travel event. The medication must be in the labeled prescription bottle and only the amount needed for travel days should be checked in. A parent/guardian must sign in the medication. Your pharmacy can make you a separate bottle for just the amount needed for the trip if you request it. Once you sign in the medication with the trainers, the band directors will coordinate any pick up of meds for the trip with the athletic office before we travel. On our trips, we have a parent volunteer in charge of prescription medications. Most of the time we have an RN within our band family who can do this job for us, but it is within the volunteer standards that a director or CISD approved volunteer may dispense medication. We can work with students who have inhalers or epi-pens on a one to one basis. While the band strives to make things easy for every student who needs medication, we must also act within legal parameters and the policies of the district. All school rules apply when we travel, and students are not allowed to carry any medication. Please understand the staff appreciates all student privacy when it comes to medications and we do the very best we can in the circumstances we are given to maintain that privacy concerning medications. If you are an RN and are willing to volunteer for our trips, please contact travel@twhsband.org. (The main office can give you directions when you sign into the school, but the athletic office is in the athletic wing of the school near the lockers rooms and gymnasiums.)
Over the Counter (OTC) medications: One of the forms you must complete for the band is an over the counter medication approval form. This form is your pre-approval for the band to give your student any of the OTC medications on the list. Regardless of whether or not you allow for your student to request all/some/none of the medications on this list, the band must have one on file or we cannot give them anything should they request it. Again, just like in school, students are not allowed to carry any medication when we travel, so if they need something for example, like Tylenol or Ibuprofen or Tums, they must get it from the adult in charge of medications on the trip. On the OTC form, you may disallow any of the medications. For example, you may want to approve Tylenol, but not Ibuprofen. There is a place for that on the form.
Asthma: If your child needs to carry an inhaler, you must fill out the School Asthma Action Plan and have it signed by your physician. You must then give a copy of this signed form to the Trainer and your child must have a doctor signed copy with him/her, along with the medication any time he/she is carrying the medication on school grounds/trips. Any questions should be directed to TWHS Trainer.
Merchandise – Band stickers and yard signs and t-shirts for the whole family, we do all of that, too! There will be purchasing opportunities early in the marching season at the exhibition barbecue and at booster meetings at the start of the year. Watch your email for these opportunities.
Midwest – You may hear the term “Midwest” talked about from time to time. This is in reference to the Midwest Clinic which is a music educators’ showcase conference held annually during December in Chicago.
Moorehead – Moorehead Stadium. 3200 W Davis St, Conroe, TX 77304. This is the stadium in Conroe off Hwy 105. We do our best to schedule our band events out of Woodforest Stadium, but when conflicts arise we will be here.
Google Map to Moorehead
Music and Marching Day – see May Day.
Music for All – See Bands of America.
Nurse – On the board is a medically trained parent volunteer who oversees the distribution of medications on trips as well as looks after students who may be ill or injured. You will see email from this person regarding the submission of prescription medication for trips before any overnight events. They are also on hand for football games.
PASIC – Percussive Arts Society International Convention. This is the annual convention of the Percussive Arts Society which is held in Indianapolis, Indiana around the same time as BOA in November (See Bands of America). While we do not generally attend PASIC, our percussion section was been invited to perform there in fall of 2014. This was a big honor for our percussion section and we were very proud to send them to represent us.
Pavilion – “Working concessions” refers to the program at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion (CWMP). During the concerts, TWHS band parents staff one of the concession stands and receive a percentage of the sales. Your pay-out for the night is dependent on sales and how many workers were there. 80% of your payment goes directly towards your child’s band fees and 20% goes into the general band fund. TABC (Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission) certification is required, but is offered online at your convenience for only $10. Occasional in-person classes are offered free of charge. Online certification is also available. Please contact pavilion@twhsband.org for more information. On a side note, if you attend an event at CWMP, please patronize our booth. You can find our booth by looking for the one with people wearing tan TWHS Band caps.
Percussion Camp – The percussion section will hold a summer camp in the first week after school lets out in June. Please check the calendar for exact dates and plan your summer activities accordingly.
Percussion Ensemble – In the spring, the percussion section will have their own evening concert. They will begin preparations for this event in January and will have extra rehearsals in order to get ready.
Physicals – All band members must have an annual sports physical. The document that must completed by you and your physician may be downloaded from the Band Forms and Policies section of Charms (see Charms). Forms need to be turned into the band prior to the start of summer band. It is recommended you make a copy of this form for your records. Physicals may be performs no earlier than mid-April of the previous school year. The school will hold a sports physical night in the spring and while this event is very popular the cost is kept as low as possible, usually around $25, but this is of course subject to change year to year.
The Pit – These are the front line percussionists in the show, and even though they do not march on the field they do rehearse on the same schedule as the Drumline and play an integral part in the band’s overall performance and production. (see Drumline)
The Pit Crew – This fantastic crew of parent volunteers is responsible for the loading and unloading of all the instruments from the truck. They oversee getting the large pit instruments onto the field. They also help with the building and management of props and other items we use on the field. (See Truck.)
Publicity – The band has a board member who handles contacting the local media and so forth. All our media contact should come from this person and with the approval of the Head Director. With a band this size, we know it’s very exciting when we do well and we want everyone to know, but these things need to come from the directors, please. If there is an event or an acknowledgement that you feel should be addressed and isn’t, please contact our publicity person at secretary@twhsband.org.
Red and Blacks – See “Greens and Blacks”.
Red Jug, Hydration, Hyponatremia – Everyone in the marching band and guard is required to have a gallon sized insulted Igloo-style red jug. These can be found at stores like Walmart. This jug is to be filled with ice and cold liquid and brought to all practices. Please put your student’s name on it. The band is given several water breaks throughout practice and it is critical that your student stay hydrated throughout practice and even off the practice field.
Hydration - Replacing fluids with both water and with a sports drink helps students maintain hydration as well as electrolyte levels. Signs of dehydration can include dry sticky mouth, thirst, hunger, sleepiness or tiredness, decreased urine output, dry skin, headache, constipation and dizziness or lightheadedness.
Hyponatremia - You should also ascertain that your student is getting some sort of electrolyte replacement during the day Replacing fluids with water only can lead to hyponatremia, which is when the body has too little sodium or it has been diluted by drinking too much water. Signs of hyponatremia include: nausea and vomiting, headache, confusion, loss of energy, fatigue, restlessness, irritability, muscle weakness, spasms or cramps. In extreme cases hypernatremia can lead to seizures and coma. We don’t tell you these things to scare you because many of those symptoms also look like the result of a hard day on the practice field in August. What we are saying it to be aware and to help your student stay hydrated. You know your student best.
Red and Green Parade – This is the Homecoming parade and pep rally. It is held one evening during the week before the Homecoming football game and will vary year to year along with the football game date. It begins with a short parade in the parking lot, followed by a pep rally in the large gym. All band members are required to attend, and parents are strongly encouraged to attend at well.
Region 9 – Our UIL region. (See TMEA and UIL)
Region Band and Region Orchestra – These two different ensembles for which our students audition against each other and other students in our region. Region Orchestra auditions are held late October, and Region Band auditions are held in December. Students audition by playing a TMEA preselected etudes. TMEA will release their selections in mid-July. This information can be found on the TMEA website: www.tmea.org. If a student places high enough at the Regional level (varies by instrument), he or she advances to Area. If they place high enough at Area, they are invited to be part of the All-State Band. For TWHS, Region Band auditions are mandatory for Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band 1. While not mandatory for Symphonic Band 2 or Concert Band, all students are encouraged to audition. Region Orchestra auditions are not mandatory but always encouraged. (Note: saxophones and euphoniums are not part of the orchestra, so they are not eligible for audition to Region Orchestra.) The same etudes are prepared for both Region Band and Region Orchestra. (See also Etudes and TMEA)
Rock-a-thon – a fundraising event held in August for which students collect personal donations to rock all night at the school. There is a small entrance fee and then the donations they have collected go directly to the students account to help pay their fees.
San Antonio – This is where 2 different competitions are held at the Alamodome. Every year we participate in the BOA Super-Regionals. (See Bands of America). 6A UIL State Marching Competitions are also held at the Alamodome in San Antonio, and is a completely separate event from BOA Super-Regionals. UIL State Marching Competitions are held every other year. When we do not have to compete at the State level, we go to Indianapolis. In a “State Year” the band participates in two different competitions, both in San Antonio. Students will be excused from school during travel days.
The School – If something is taking place at “the school”, it’s happening at the main high school campus on Research Forest.
Section – a group of musicians playing the same instruments.
Section/Squad Leader – These are student elected student leaders who help run the sections. (See Band Officers).
Sectionals – Rehearsal for a section. These are required! During concert season, every concert band has 2-hour full band rehearsals once a week after school and each individual section will have a 1-hour sectional after school with their director once a week.
Sets – A set refers to the collective dots of individual marching show participants. It’s the collective picture, if you will, that the band makes at any given time in the show. (See Dots and Drill.)
The Show – The marching competition show. The band hires a person to write our show drill every year. We work actively with the writer and other people such as a choreographer and music arrangers throughout the season to perfect our performance. The show is how we compete at BOA and UIL marching competitions in addition to entertaining at halftime of the football games. It is kindly requested that you DO NOT post any video of the show online during the season until after our final contest performance. Shows can change a little here and there from one level to the next, so we never want to reveal our whole hand until it’s time for the judges to see it at competition and our show is complete.
Show Shirt – Every year a t-shirt is designed with the name of the current year’s show. Every student is required to have a show shirt when we travel. Some years the booster club can afford to pay for these, and some years we cannot. It depends on the needs of the band in any given year.
Shuttles – See Buses/Busing/Shuttles.
Spirit – These volunteers organize the Band Banquet in the spring (see Banquets) and handle the ticket sales for it. These volunteers start during Summer Band passing out popsicles to the kids each night after practice. They assemble goodie bags for when the band travels for competition. They support the Color Guard, the Highsteppers and the Twirlers on behalf of the band. Donations of popsicles and Gatorade and snacks, etc. will be requested throughout marching season. It is also requested, but 100% voluntary, that each family make a monetary donation to the spirit committee to help cover the costs of items which are not donated. Spirit is run mainly on donations. Everything Spirit does is for the entire band and the students truly appreciate their supportive efforts.
The Staff – the TWHS band directors.
Stand Tunes – Music played in the stands at football games and pep rallies.
State Year or State – Also known as a UIL Year. This is a year in which we will compete at State. Currently these are the even numbered years (2014, 2016…) See also UIL and Year.
Summer Band – SUMMER BAND IS A REQUIREMENT OF ALL BAND AND GUARD MEMBERS. Summer band starts at the end of July and runs every day Monday-Friday right up to the start of school. Summer band is how the band hits the ground running for the fall marching contest season. Start dates will vary for guard and band, so please be aware of your student’s start date. You can find a summer band checklist at www.twhsband.org. These are the items you will need by the end of July. Summer band is hard work, yes, but also a lot of fun. Please refer to the calendar for exact dates and times and please schedule summer appointments accordingly. (See also Camps.)
TMEA – Texas Music Educators Association. This the governing body for the concert level music. TWHS is in Region 9, Area D. Basically, this is the route to All-State Band, which is a true honor in the state of Texas. See Region Band. For more information and for etude selection in mid-July, please visit www.tmea.org.
Totes – Totes ordering is the general term used for the day you order necessary band apparel and band/guard equipment for your student. We strongly recommend you purchase all necessary items through our vendors. They have been vetted and offer life time guarantees on the bags.
MANDATORY PURCHASE ITEMS:
BAND (not Guard):
1.) Marching Shoes: It is mandatory that all members have marching shoes. Students are fitted/measured and this may be repurchased as your student grows each year.
2.) Duffle bag: Required purchase during May Day for 1st year students. This will have your student's first initial and full last name embroidered, and is used for holding/transporting uniform items for each student during the marching season (all performances/football games/contests).
3.) Garment Bag: Required purchase during May Day for 1st year students. This will have your student's first initial and full last name embroidered, and is used for holding/transporting uniform items for each student during the marching season (all performances/football games/contests).
4.) Game Day Shirt: Required for all students and purchased during May Day. This shirt is a dry-fit style replica of the TWHS Band Marching Jacket, and is typically worn in the stands during all football games and other performances as noted.
5.) Green "W" Band T-shirt - Cotton or Dry Fit. This shirt is typically worn for all practices and is the shirt referred to when asked to wear "Greens and Blacks".
6.) Snap Poncho: required purchase during May Day for 1st year students, or those that may need another. This is carried in the Duffle and is needed on hand at every show in the event of rain at games or performances. A well-taken snap poncho should last your student all four years.
GUARD:
1.) Extra-large monogrammed travel duffle tote bag with personalization
2.) Personal equipment bag: this is for the flags and items like rifles and sabers.
3.) Ever-dri gloves: we recommend at least two pairs of gloves.
4.) Rifle
NOTE: Greens/Reds and blacks are mandatory. Green band shirts are ordered either directly through our Merchandise Team during May Day. (See Greens and Blacks and Guard Attire.)
MANDATORY, BUT NOT REQUIRED TO BE PURCHASED THROUGH TOTES: Band bags take a lot of abuse over the course of a band career. We highly encourage you to order through our Merchandise team. While these items below can be purchased on your own, the bags offered on May Day should last your student for his or her full band career. They are the appropriate size for the job intended. They hold up well and are embroidered with your students name so they don’t get mixed up with someone else’s bag.
BAND AND GUARD:
1.) A sturdy luggage quality garment bag for transporting the marching uniform or guard costume: The marching uniforms go from the uniform room to their garment bags, on their bodies, then back in the garment bag for transport back to the uniform room. For the guard, the garment bag must be luggage quality to protect the integrity of the costume. Garment bags stay with the students when empty. They are not stored at school. Garment bags may be purchased through our Merchandise Team during May Day.
2.) A Poncho, green or clear. May be purchased through Totes for $7.
BAND ONLY:
1.) A travel duffel/sports bag: Needs to be able to hold the marching band hat box and other band items. This is their travel bag. It will be their bus bag. It needs to be sturdy. Duffle/sports bag may be purchased through our Merchandise Team during May Day. See above for mandatory purchases for guard.
2.) Thick, black socks, crew height only: We recommend at least three pair of socks.
The Truck – Most large high school marching bands have their own 18-wheeler truck and TWHS band is no exception. We use this truck to haul the pit equipment and electronics amongst other things back and forth from the school to various events. Students with large instruments which travel via the truck will be required to stay at the school after the football games to help unload their items. The loading and unloading is managed by our volunteer group known as The Pit Crew.
Twirlers – TWHS has in the past had its own twirlers. While they do not travel to competition with us, you will see these girls performing on the field with us during football halftimes.
UDBApp Pro – Ultimate Drill Book Pro. The mobile phone app used by the band as an alternative to a Dot Book to show band members their personal marching positions and the overall band positions. This app is required to be downloaded to a smart device (i.e. mobile phone) that can be carried with the band member during practices.
Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/udbapp-pro/id1455826724
Uniforms – It is important that parents understand that school issued uniforms are school property and replacement for loss or damage will be the responsibility of the parent.
Marching Uniforms: These are school issued and are fitted during summer band by our uniform crew. This is a fun time to get to know some band parents and some kids. Sewing & ironing skills not required, jobs can be taught on the spot. Marching uniforms stay at school. They never go home, not even the gauntlets. Kids pick them up on game day from the uniform room and return them after the games. Uniforms must be transported in a luggage quality garment bag (see Totes). A volunteer group of uniform washers takes care of the laundry.
Concert Band Attire:
Girls: Attire is all black of their own apparel. Black top (3/4 or longer sleeve), black pants, high black socks and black shoes.
Boys: wear black pants, black button down dress shirt, black bow-tie, black belt, black socks, and black shoes.
UIL – The University Interscholastic League. This is the governing body for the state level of sports and music competition.
Marching: When the Band competes “at State” that refers to UIL competition. This is completely separate from BOA (see Bands of America). Every year TWHS competes in UIL marching competitions in October (usually at Woodforest). Beginning in Fall 2023, Every year forward we will also compete at the Area competitions held in Galena Park and the State competition in San Antonio. On that day, they will compete in the preliminary round and if they advance, also play in the finals round. (See also San Antonio).
Concert: Our concert bands also compete in UIL competition in the late spring. You may have seen this at the junior high level. They will perform their concert music and also perform a sight reading piece that they have never seen before. In the concert UIL, they only play for a score not a ranking. That is to say, they’re performing against an established standard for excellence which is evaluated and determined by set of hired set of judges, not to beat other schools.
UIL Year – Also known as a State Year. A year in which TWHS competes at State. Prior to 2023 these were every even numbered year. Beginning in fall 2023 the band will be required to perform at UIL State competitions each year forward.
Video – It is kindly requested that you DO NOT post any video of the show online during the season until after our final contest performance. Shows can change a little here and there from one level to the next, so we never want to reveal our whole hand until it’s time for the judges to see it at competition and our show is complete. (See The Show and Publicity)
Volunteering – Yes and yes! We have so many fun and wonderful opportunities for you to help the band. Please keep an eye on your emails for volunteer opportunities. This organization is well run, but it takes a lot of willing hands and hearts to make it all work. Opportunities are wide ranging from helping to build props and load trucks to helping put together Homecoming goodie bags for the students. We need uniform fitting help in the summer, chaperoning help, spirit committee help, merchandising help, pit crew help, food crew help, uniform washing help, concessions help and help on a one time basis like at Lone Star Preview and also at the Exhibition and End of Season Banquets. Our booster board is elected every spring, so please watch for opportunities to submit your name to serve there as well. There is sure to be something that fits your time and talent.
Website – www.twhsband.org. The website is our public internet presence. Here you will find links to Charms (for our band only password protected information) as well as links for lots of other information. Chances are if you need to know something it’s somewhere on the website or in Charms. If you cannot find an answer, contact one of the booster board members or simply ask anyone wearing a TWHS Band t-shirt. We’ve all had questions and we are all happy to help you.
WGI – Winter Guard International. This is contest circuit for guard once the marching season is complete (see Winter Guard). Similar to the BOA contests (See BOA), the guard will compete at the local and regional level throughout the spring. There will also be years where they will get to compete at the national level in Dayton, Ohio, but this is not on an established schedule.
Winter Guard – For the Guard, “Winter” means mid-November through mid- March, and this is when Winter Guard takes place. These are guard-only contests. The Guard will start auditions for Winter Guard fairly soon after marching season ends, and will begin regular rehearsals for their contest season. Costumes for winter guard will be measured and paid for in January after the semester break. The Winter Guard will rehearse 2-3 times a week for up to three hours each. (See also WGI.)
Woodforest – Woodforest Stadium. 19115 David Memorial Dr., Shenandoah, TX 77385. This is where TWHS football plays its home games and where local marching competitions are held when there isn’t a football conflict. Occasionally there will be marching rehearsal here on a weekday evening or Saturday morning, so watch your calendar for that. Woodforest Stadium is behind Portofino shopping center between Research Forest/Tamina (on the Shenandoah side of I-45) and 242.
Google Map to Woodforest
Music for All – See Bands of America.
Nurse – On the board is a medically trained parent volunteer who oversees the distribution of medications on trips as well as looks after students who may be ill or injured. You will see email from this person regarding the submission of prescription medication for trips before any overnight events. They are also on hand for football games.
PASIC – Percussive Arts Society International Convention. This is the annual convention of the Percussive Arts Society which is held in Indianapolis, Indiana around the same time as BOA in November (See Bands of America). While we do not generally attend PASIC, our percussion section was been invited to perform there in fall of 2014. This was a big honor for our percussion section and we were very proud to send them to represent us.
Pavilion – “Working concessions” refers to the program at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion (CWMP). During the concerts, TWHS band parents staff one of the concession stands and receive a percentage of the sales. Your pay-out for the night is dependent on sales and how many workers were there. 80% of your payment goes directly towards your child’s band fees and 20% goes into the general band fund. TABC (Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission) certification is required, but is offered online at your convenience for only $10. Occasional in-person classes are offered free of charge. Online certification is also available. Please contact pavilion@twhsband.org for more information. On a side note, if you attend an event at CWMP, please patronize our booth. You can find our booth by looking for the one with people wearing tan TWHS Band caps.
Percussion Camp – The percussion section will hold a summer camp in the first week after school lets out in June. Please check the calendar for exact dates and plan your summer activities accordingly.
Percussion Ensemble – In the spring, the percussion section will have their own evening concert. They will begin preparations for this event in January and will have extra rehearsals in order to get ready.
Physicals – All band members must have an annual sports physical. The document that must completed by you and your physician may be downloaded from the Band Forms and Policies section of Charms (see Charms). Forms need to be turned into the band prior to the start of summer band. It is recommended you make a copy of this form for your records. Physicals may be performs no earlier than mid-April of the previous school year. The school will hold a sports physical night in the spring and while this event is very popular the cost is kept as low as possible, usually around $25, but this is of course subject to change year to year.
The Pit – These are the front line percussionists in the show, and even though they do not march on the field they do rehearse on the same schedule as the Drumline and play an integral part in the band’s overall performance and production. (see Drumline)
The Pit Crew – This fantastic crew of parent volunteers is responsible for the loading and unloading of all the instruments from the truck. They oversee getting the large pit instruments onto the field. They also help with the building and management of props and other items we use on the field. (See Truck.)
Publicity – The band has a board member who handles contacting the local media and so forth. All our media contact should come from this person and with the approval of the Head Director. With a band this size, we know it’s very exciting when we do well and we want everyone to know, but these things need to come from the directors, please. If there is an event or an acknowledgement that you feel should be addressed and isn’t, please contact our publicity person at secretary@twhsband.org.
Red and Blacks – See “Greens and Blacks”.
Red Jug, Hydration, Hyponatremia – Everyone in the marching band and guard is required to have a gallon sized insulted Igloo-style red jug. These can be found at stores like Walmart. This jug is to be filled with ice and cold liquid and brought to all practices. Please put your student’s name on it. The band is given several water breaks throughout practice and it is critical that your student stay hydrated throughout practice and even off the practice field.
Hydration - Replacing fluids with both water and with a sports drink helps students maintain hydration as well as electrolyte levels. Signs of dehydration can include dry sticky mouth, thirst, hunger, sleepiness or tiredness, decreased urine output, dry skin, headache, constipation and dizziness or lightheadedness.
Hyponatremia - You should also ascertain that your student is getting some sort of electrolyte replacement during the day Replacing fluids with water only can lead to hyponatremia, which is when the body has too little sodium or it has been diluted by drinking too much water. Signs of hyponatremia include: nausea and vomiting, headache, confusion, loss of energy, fatigue, restlessness, irritability, muscle weakness, spasms or cramps. In extreme cases hypernatremia can lead to seizures and coma. We don’t tell you these things to scare you because many of those symptoms also look like the result of a hard day on the practice field in August. What we are saying it to be aware and to help your student stay hydrated. You know your student best.
Red and Green Parade – This is the Homecoming parade and pep rally. It is held one evening during the week before the Homecoming football game and will vary year to year along with the football game date. It begins with a short parade in the parking lot, followed by a pep rally in the large gym. All band members are required to attend, and parents are strongly encouraged to attend at well.
Region 9 – Our UIL region. (See TMEA and UIL)
Region Band and Region Orchestra – These two different ensembles for which our students audition against each other and other students in our region. Region Orchestra auditions are held late October, and Region Band auditions are held in December. Students audition by playing a TMEA preselected etudes. TMEA will release their selections in mid-July. This information can be found on the TMEA website: www.tmea.org. If a student places high enough at the Regional level (varies by instrument), he or she advances to Area. If they place high enough at Area, they are invited to be part of the All-State Band. For TWHS, Region Band auditions are mandatory for Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band 1. While not mandatory for Symphonic Band 2 or Concert Band, all students are encouraged to audition. Region Orchestra auditions are not mandatory but always encouraged. (Note: saxophones and euphoniums are not part of the orchestra, so they are not eligible for audition to Region Orchestra.) The same etudes are prepared for both Region Band and Region Orchestra. (See also Etudes and TMEA)
Rock-a-thon – a fundraising event held in August for which students collect personal donations to rock all night at the school. There is a small entrance fee and then the donations they have collected go directly to the students account to help pay their fees.
San Antonio – This is where 2 different competitions are held at the Alamodome. Every year we participate in the BOA Super-Regionals. (See Bands of America). 6A UIL State Marching Competitions are also held at the Alamodome in San Antonio, and is a completely separate event from BOA Super-Regionals. UIL State Marching Competitions are held every other year. When we do not have to compete at the State level, we go to Indianapolis. In a “State Year” the band participates in two different competitions, both in San Antonio. Students will be excused from school during travel days.
The School – If something is taking place at “the school”, it’s happening at the main high school campus on Research Forest.
Section – a group of musicians playing the same instruments.
Section/Squad Leader – These are student elected student leaders who help run the sections. (See Band Officers).
Sectionals – Rehearsal for a section. These are required! During concert season, every concert band has 2-hour full band rehearsals once a week after school and each individual section will have a 1-hour sectional after school with their director once a week.
Sets – A set refers to the collective dots of individual marching show participants. It’s the collective picture, if you will, that the band makes at any given time in the show. (See Dots and Drill.)
The Show – The marching competition show. The band hires a person to write our show drill every year. We work actively with the writer and other people such as a choreographer and music arrangers throughout the season to perfect our performance. The show is how we compete at BOA and UIL marching competitions in addition to entertaining at halftime of the football games. It is kindly requested that you DO NOT post any video of the show online during the season until after our final contest performance. Shows can change a little here and there from one level to the next, so we never want to reveal our whole hand until it’s time for the judges to see it at competition and our show is complete.
Show Shirt – Every year a t-shirt is designed with the name of the current year’s show. Every student is required to have a show shirt when we travel. Some years the booster club can afford to pay for these, and some years we cannot. It depends on the needs of the band in any given year.
Shuttles – See Buses/Busing/Shuttles.
Spirit – These volunteers organize the Band Banquet in the spring (see Banquets) and handle the ticket sales for it. These volunteers start during Summer Band passing out popsicles to the kids each night after practice. They assemble goodie bags for when the band travels for competition. They support the Color Guard, the Highsteppers and the Twirlers on behalf of the band. Donations of popsicles and Gatorade and snacks, etc. will be requested throughout marching season. It is also requested, but 100% voluntary, that each family make a monetary donation to the spirit committee to help cover the costs of items which are not donated. Spirit is run mainly on donations. Everything Spirit does is for the entire band and the students truly appreciate their supportive efforts.
The Staff – the TWHS band directors.
Stand Tunes – Music played in the stands at football games and pep rallies.
State Year or State – Also known as a UIL Year. This is a year in which we will compete at State. Currently these are the even numbered years (2014, 2016…) See also UIL and Year.
Summer Band – SUMMER BAND IS A REQUIREMENT OF ALL BAND AND GUARD MEMBERS. Summer band starts at the end of July and runs every day Monday-Friday right up to the start of school. Summer band is how the band hits the ground running for the fall marching contest season. Start dates will vary for guard and band, so please be aware of your student’s start date. You can find a summer band checklist at www.twhsband.org. These are the items you will need by the end of July. Summer band is hard work, yes, but also a lot of fun. Please refer to the calendar for exact dates and times and please schedule summer appointments accordingly. (See also Camps.)
TMEA – Texas Music Educators Association. This the governing body for the concert level music. TWHS is in Region 9, Area D. Basically, this is the route to All-State Band, which is a true honor in the state of Texas. See Region Band. For more information and for etude selection in mid-July, please visit www.tmea.org.
Totes – Totes ordering is the general term used for the day you order necessary band apparel and band/guard equipment for your student. We strongly recommend you purchase all necessary items through our vendors. They have been vetted and offer life time guarantees on the bags.
MANDATORY PURCHASE ITEMS:
BAND (not Guard):
1.) Marching Shoes: It is mandatory that all members have marching shoes. Students are fitted/measured and this may be repurchased as your student grows each year.
2.) Duffle bag: Required purchase during May Day for 1st year students. This will have your student's first initial and full last name embroidered, and is used for holding/transporting uniform items for each student during the marching season (all performances/football games/contests).
3.) Garment Bag: Required purchase during May Day for 1st year students. This will have your student's first initial and full last name embroidered, and is used for holding/transporting uniform items for each student during the marching season (all performances/football games/contests).
4.) Game Day Shirt: Required for all students and purchased during May Day. This shirt is a dry-fit style replica of the TWHS Band Marching Jacket, and is typically worn in the stands during all football games and other performances as noted.
5.) Green "W" Band T-shirt - Cotton or Dry Fit. This shirt is typically worn for all practices and is the shirt referred to when asked to wear "Greens and Blacks".
6.) Snap Poncho: required purchase during May Day for 1st year students, or those that may need another. This is carried in the Duffle and is needed on hand at every show in the event of rain at games or performances. A well-taken snap poncho should last your student all four years.
GUARD:
1.) Extra-large monogrammed travel duffle tote bag with personalization
2.) Personal equipment bag: this is for the flags and items like rifles and sabers.
3.) Ever-dri gloves: we recommend at least two pairs of gloves.
4.) Rifle
NOTE: Greens/Reds and blacks are mandatory. Green band shirts are ordered either directly through our Merchandise Team during May Day. (See Greens and Blacks and Guard Attire.)
MANDATORY, BUT NOT REQUIRED TO BE PURCHASED THROUGH TOTES: Band bags take a lot of abuse over the course of a band career. We highly encourage you to order through our Merchandise team. While these items below can be purchased on your own, the bags offered on May Day should last your student for his or her full band career. They are the appropriate size for the job intended. They hold up well and are embroidered with your students name so they don’t get mixed up with someone else’s bag.
BAND AND GUARD:
1.) A sturdy luggage quality garment bag for transporting the marching uniform or guard costume: The marching uniforms go from the uniform room to their garment bags, on their bodies, then back in the garment bag for transport back to the uniform room. For the guard, the garment bag must be luggage quality to protect the integrity of the costume. Garment bags stay with the students when empty. They are not stored at school. Garment bags may be purchased through our Merchandise Team during May Day.
2.) A Poncho, green or clear. May be purchased through Totes for $7.
BAND ONLY:
1.) A travel duffel/sports bag: Needs to be able to hold the marching band hat box and other band items. This is their travel bag. It will be their bus bag. It needs to be sturdy. Duffle/sports bag may be purchased through our Merchandise Team during May Day. See above for mandatory purchases for guard.
2.) Thick, black socks, crew height only: We recommend at least three pair of socks.
The Truck – Most large high school marching bands have their own 18-wheeler truck and TWHS band is no exception. We use this truck to haul the pit equipment and electronics amongst other things back and forth from the school to various events. Students with large instruments which travel via the truck will be required to stay at the school after the football games to help unload their items. The loading and unloading is managed by our volunteer group known as The Pit Crew.
Twirlers – TWHS has in the past had its own twirlers. While they do not travel to competition with us, you will see these girls performing on the field with us during football halftimes.
UDBApp Pro – Ultimate Drill Book Pro. The mobile phone app used by the band as an alternative to a Dot Book to show band members their personal marching positions and the overall band positions. This app is required to be downloaded to a smart device (i.e. mobile phone) that can be carried with the band member during practices.
Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/udbapp-pro/id1455826724
Uniforms – It is important that parents understand that school issued uniforms are school property and replacement for loss or damage will be the responsibility of the parent.
Marching Uniforms: These are school issued and are fitted during summer band by our uniform crew. This is a fun time to get to know some band parents and some kids. Sewing & ironing skills not required, jobs can be taught on the spot. Marching uniforms stay at school. They never go home, not even the gauntlets. Kids pick them up on game day from the uniform room and return them after the games. Uniforms must be transported in a luggage quality garment bag (see Totes). A volunteer group of uniform washers takes care of the laundry.
Concert Band Attire:
Girls: Attire is all black of their own apparel. Black top (3/4 or longer sleeve), black pants, high black socks and black shoes.
Boys: wear black pants, black button down dress shirt, black bow-tie, black belt, black socks, and black shoes.
UIL – The University Interscholastic League. This is the governing body for the state level of sports and music competition.
Marching: When the Band competes “at State” that refers to UIL competition. This is completely separate from BOA (see Bands of America). Every year TWHS competes in UIL marching competitions in October (usually at Woodforest). Beginning in Fall 2023, Every year forward we will also compete at the Area competitions held in Galena Park and the State competition in San Antonio. On that day, they will compete in the preliminary round and if they advance, also play in the finals round. (See also San Antonio).
Concert: Our concert bands also compete in UIL competition in the late spring. You may have seen this at the junior high level. They will perform their concert music and also perform a sight reading piece that they have never seen before. In the concert UIL, they only play for a score not a ranking. That is to say, they’re performing against an established standard for excellence which is evaluated and determined by set of hired set of judges, not to beat other schools.
UIL Year – Also known as a State Year. A year in which TWHS competes at State. Prior to 2023 these were every even numbered year. Beginning in fall 2023 the band will be required to perform at UIL State competitions each year forward.
Video – It is kindly requested that you DO NOT post any video of the show online during the season until after our final contest performance. Shows can change a little here and there from one level to the next, so we never want to reveal our whole hand until it’s time for the judges to see it at competition and our show is complete. (See The Show and Publicity)
Volunteering – Yes and yes! We have so many fun and wonderful opportunities for you to help the band. Please keep an eye on your emails for volunteer opportunities. This organization is well run, but it takes a lot of willing hands and hearts to make it all work. Opportunities are wide ranging from helping to build props and load trucks to helping put together Homecoming goodie bags for the students. We need uniform fitting help in the summer, chaperoning help, spirit committee help, merchandising help, pit crew help, food crew help, uniform washing help, concessions help and help on a one time basis like at Lone Star Preview and also at the Exhibition and End of Season Banquets. Our booster board is elected every spring, so please watch for opportunities to submit your name to serve there as well. There is sure to be something that fits your time and talent.
Website – www.twhsband.org. The website is our public internet presence. Here you will find links to Charms (for our band only password protected information) as well as links for lots of other information. Chances are if you need to know something it’s somewhere on the website or in Charms. If you cannot find an answer, contact one of the booster board members or simply ask anyone wearing a TWHS Band t-shirt. We’ve all had questions and we are all happy to help you.
WGI – Winter Guard International. This is contest circuit for guard once the marching season is complete (see Winter Guard). Similar to the BOA contests (See BOA), the guard will compete at the local and regional level throughout the spring. There will also be years where they will get to compete at the national level in Dayton, Ohio, but this is not on an established schedule.
Winter Guard – For the Guard, “Winter” means mid-November through mid- March, and this is when Winter Guard takes place. These are guard-only contests. The Guard will start auditions for Winter Guard fairly soon after marching season ends, and will begin regular rehearsals for their contest season. Costumes for winter guard will be measured and paid for in January after the semester break. The Winter Guard will rehearse 2-3 times a week for up to three hours each. (See also WGI.)
Woodforest – Woodforest Stadium. 19115 David Memorial Dr., Shenandoah, TX 77385. This is where TWHS football plays its home games and where local marching competitions are held when there isn’t a football conflict. Occasionally there will be marching rehearsal here on a weekday evening or Saturday morning, so watch your calendar for that. Woodforest Stadium is behind Portofino shopping center between Research Forest/Tamina (on the Shenandoah side of I-45) and 242.
Google Map to Woodforest
Year – in referring to a State Year or an Indy Year, the odd/even refers to the fall semester of the school year in question. For example, school year 2022-2023 is a State Year. 2021-2022 was an Indy Year. Honor Band for Wind Ensemble is in the same school year as an Indy Year. We prepare marching shows every year regardless of where we are scheduled to compete that year. (See also Bands of America, UIL, State and Honor Band)
INDY YEAR (odd-numbered fall semester)
- BOA Regional Competition (Woodforest)
- Lone Star Preview (Woodforest. Exhibition band only) UIL Regional Marching Competition (Woodforest) BOA Super-Regional Competition (San Antonio)
- BOA Grand Nationals Competition (Indianapolis)
- Winter Guard completion (Guard only)
- Honor Band submission (Wind Ensemble only)
STATE YEAR (even-numbered fall semester)
- BOA Regional Competition (Woodforest)
- Lone Star Preview (Woodforest. Exhibition band only)
- UIL Area Marching Competition (Galena Park)
- BOA Super-Regional Competition (San Antonio)
- UIL State Marching Competition (San Antonio)
- Winter Guard completion (Guard only)